Lotto Soudal Ladies sign Parkinson from Drops
British rider racing 'cross for the first time in five years
The Lotto Soudal Ladies team have announced the signing of British rider Abby-Mae Parkinson from the Drops team. The 22-year-old will target the one-day Classics with the Belgian team.
Parkinson, a former junior national champion in cyclo-cross, is racing in the Superprestige for the first time in five seasons.
"This winter I'm riding the Superprestige series. Cyclo-cross complements my road training," Parkinson explained in a press release.
"It gives me the speed that I need. As a junior I did cyclo-cross and became multiple national champion, but I hadn't done it for the past five years. It was a bit of a shock at first, but now I'm used to it again. At the beginning of next year I'll plan a training camp in Gran Canaria to further prepare for my first road season with Lotto Soudal."
Parkinson impressed with a solo attack from the breakaway on stage 1 of the Ovo Energy Women's Tour this year. The move was ultimately brought back for a sprint finish won by Jolien D'hoore, but Parkinson claimed the combativity prize for the stage.
"I love making a race and being able to attack. If we race in the UK I would of course like to show myself to the crowds," she said.
"I have big dreams for the future, too. Every professional cyclist wants to be a world champion or Olympic champion. Winning a monument like the Tour of Flanders or Strade Bianche would be a dream come true too. Maybe one day. Fingers crossed."
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Parkinson will join Christina Siggaard (Virtu), Arianna Fidanza (Astana), Jesse Vandenbulck (Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport), Teuntje Beekhuis (Biehler Pro Cycling Team) , and Lone Meerens as newcomers in the team in 2020.
"I'm excited to start this new adventure. Lotto Soudal is such a great team and racing for the team will offer me a lot of opportunities. I'm very much looking forward to racing next year and helping out my teammates. I'm more of a Classics rider myself. I'm from Yorkshire, so I'm used to bad weather and I like racing in tough conditions," she said.
"Next year I want to help out my teammates wherever I can. I've never been involved in a proper lead-out, but I'd love to practise that next year and help out Lotte Kopecky and the other fast girls. I hope to have some chances of my own in smaller races, where I can race aggressively."
Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling. Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell, the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English. The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999, and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling. Since then, major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features, news, results, photos and tech reporting. The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling.