Alison Jackson (CAN) and Brodie Chapman (AUS) were selected to represent their countries at the 2019 UCI World Championships Road Race, held this Saturday, September 28, in Yorkshire.

The 150-kilometer race begins in Bradford, west of Leeds, and heads north into the Yorkshire Dales before returning south to Harrogate for a three-lap circuit. The 2019 World Championships course features 7,854 feet of climbing and a stacked field of potential race winners.

Watch the World Championships

Every race of the World Championships offers live stream for NBC Sports Gold “Cycling Pass” subscribers. The Olympic Chanel and NBCSN will also air TV coverage of the eight-day championships, which kicked off on Sunday. Get more race information here.

The women's Road Race starts at 11:40am (3:45am PDT) and is expected to finish between 3:30pm-4pm local time (7:30am-8am PDT).

Follow the race on social media using the following links:

Twitter: @Yorkshire2019, @UCI_WWT Facebook: @Yorkshire2019 Instagram: @Yorkshire2019 YouTube: @Yorkshire2019

Photo Credit: Ethan Glading

In the team’s final stage race of the season, Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank’s Lauren Stephens (USA) scored three podiums at the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche, a seven-stage race in the Ardennes region of France.

The Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche is known for its relentless terrain and big climbs. Over the course of 7 stages, riders climbed nearly 50,000 feet over a total of 526 miles. Stephens was a contender from the start of the race, showing recovery from an injury that has challenged much of her 2019 and 2018 seasons.

Sprinting from a whittled down field, Stephens claimed 3rd place on Stage 1. On the second day, Stephens launched an attack that only eventual stage winner Marianne Vos could follow and finished 2nd overall. On the fifth stage, Marta Bastianelli won the race in a solo breakaway, with Stephens sprinting to third again behind Vos.

“For 18 months, I was dealing with soft tissue damage in my hip,” said Stephens. “The doctors kept telling me I needed more time. I was beginning to wonder if the pain would ever go away. Then, about 6 weeks ago, the pain was gone.

“This race was so exciting to have three podiums in seven days to show I’m back to the rider I was before I was injured. I could not have been successful without the teammates and staff I had for this race, said Stephens. The encouragement, loyalty and commitment of each member of the team on and off the bike kept me motivated day after day."

Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank is now racing the Boels Ladies Tour, the third to last event on the UCI Women’s World Tour calendar. The six-day race starts Tuesday, September 3, through Sunday, September 8. After just completing the Grand Prix de Plouay, the team is now ready for the flat and oftentimes windy terrain of the Netherlands. The last time the team raced the Boels Ladies Tour was in 2014.

The Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank roster for the Boels Ladies Tour is: Alison Jackson (CAN), Emily Newsom (USA), Lauren Stephens (USA) and guest riders Rebecca Durrell (GBR) and Anna Henderson (GBR).

This year’s race is different than previous editions. Rather than featuring a longer time trial, this year’s race offers a shorter, 3.8-kilometer prologue with technical corners and turns that create opportunities for powerful, explosive riders.

The first stage of the race (from Stramproy to Weert) is flat, favoring a sprint finish, but winds along the course have the potential to break up the peloton. Stage 2 includes four laps of a flat, 29.1km circuit around Gennep and is also expected to end in a sprint finish.

The hardest and longest stage of the event comes on Stage 3, where riders will face five laps of a hilly circuit, totaling 156.8km. Each lap includes a climb up the Motieweg, a 760-meter ascent at a 5% grade.

Covering 135.6km from Arnhem to Nijmegen, Stage 4 features more climbing. The first 50km have only a few rolling hills, including the Hoge Veluwe as well as the Grebbeberg. The most challenging climb of the day is the Oude Holleweg, at 860 metres and an average gradient of 8.6%. With the Oude Holleweg only 11km from the finish and sprint and mountain points on the line at the top, this could be the launch point for the winning move of the race.

The final stage, at 154.8km, brings the peloton from Nijmegen back to Arnhem. The stage is mostly flat until the finishing circuits, where riders will face three laps of a 9km circuit, with each lap including a 4% climb up the Apeldoornseweg.

Follow the 2019 Boels Ladies Tour:

Tuesday, September 3

Prologue - Sittard — Geleen (3.8km)

Wednesday, September 4

Stage 1 - Stramproy — Weert (123.0km)

Thursday, September 5

Stage 2 - Gennep – Gennep (113.7km)

Friday, September 6

Stage 3 - Nijverdal – Nijverdal (156.8km)

Saturday, September 7

Stage 4 - Arnhem – Nijmegen (135.6km)

Sunday, September 8

Stage 5 - Nijmegen – Arnhem (154.8km)

Live video broadcast is available on regional broadcasters, including L1, Omroep Gelderland, RTV Oost and Podium TV, and Eurosport 1. Learn More.

To follow the race via Twitter, use @UCI_WWT and @LadiesTour on Twitter.

Exciting, Aggressive Racing is on Tap at the next UCI World Tour Event

Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank is in France for the next stop on the UCI Women’s World Tour calendar: the Grand Prix de Plouay. The race comes just a week after Brodie Chapman (AUS) secured second overall at the Colorado Classic.

In addition to Chapman, Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank’s roster for the Grand Prix de Plouay is: Alison Jackson (CAN), Sharlotte Lucas (NZL), Shannon Malseed (AUS), Lauren Stephens (USA) and guest rider Leah Dixon (GBR).

The Grand Prix de Plouay is a long-standing race on the women’s calendar and consistently offers exciting, aggressive racing. This year’s 128-kilometer course features six long laps of 16.7 kilometers and two shorter laps of 13.9 kilometers, with each lap including the Côte du Lézot (1km at 4.6%) and the steeper Côte de Ty Marrec (1.1km at 6.5%).

The undulating terrain and multiple climbs presents opportunities for climbers and technically savvy riders. The race often comes down to a whittled down field sprint or a breakaway, especially with the final ascent of Ty Marrec coming less than five kilometers before the finish.

Jackson finished sixth overall at last year’s Grand Prix de Plouay and will be looking to improve on that result, and Stephens placed seventh in 2017. Malseed recently demonstrated her strength at the Tour of Norway with a long solo breakaway, and Chapman recently won the SBT GRVL event and scored second overall at the Colorado Classic. With the strong additions of Lucas and Dixon, the team will have a number of cards to play at this year’s GP de Plouay.

To follow the race use @UCI_WWT and @GrandPrixPlouay on Twitter.

Photos: Jonathan Devich

Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank is demonstrating outstanding performances at two simultaneous events: the Colorado Classic and the Ladies Tour of Norway. Brodie Chapman (AUS) has scored two podium finishes at the Colorado Classic and is currently sitting in second overall at the Tour of Colorado behind Chloe Dygert-Owen (USA). At the Tour of Norway, a UCI WorldTour Race, Shannon Malseed (AUS) spent a courageous 80 kilometers off the front in a solo breakaway before being reeled in within the final 20 kilometers.

The Colorado Classic offers live video coverage for each stage, with the final race coming up tomorrow. On day one, Chapman finished 3rd overall in the race featuring gravel sections, climbs and technical descents. Emily Newsom scored the "Most Badass" jersey for her long breakaway on the first day.

On Stage 2, Chapman demonstrated her climbing prowess, launching an attack on the climb and winning the QOM by a bike throw ahead of stage winner Dygert-Owen. Chapman finished 5th place in today’s third stage, a fast circuit race through Golden. Chapman is now 2nd place overall going into the final event in Denver.

At the Stage 3 of the Tour of Norway, Malseed attacked just 15 kilometers into the 125-kilometer race, and built up an almost 7-minute advantage with 55 kilometers to go. Teams organized to bring Malseed back, but it wasn’t until less than 20 kilometers remained in the race that Malseed was finally caught. It was a heroic and impressive effort for the Australian.

One Day To Go at the Colorado Classic & Tour of Norway

Don’t miss the racing action tomorrow. Live video from the Colorado Classic is featured on Shimano’s website. To follow the Tour of Norway, visit the race website and use @UCI_WWT.

Live Stream Available for CO Classic on Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank Website

August 20, 2019 — Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank will be racing simultaneous events this week: the Colorado Classic, the only women’s standalone professional road race in the Western Hemisphere, and the Tour of Norway, a UCI World Tour event. Both races will be held from August 22-25.

Racing Colorado Classic for Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank will be Lex Albrecht (CAN), Brodie Chapman (AUS), Emily Marcolini (CAN), Emily Newsom (USA), Kendall Ryan (USA) and Lauren Stephens (USA).

Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank’s roster for the Ladies Tour of Norway will be: Sharlotte Lucas (NZL), Alison Jackson (CAN), Shannon Malseed (AUS) and guest riders Anna Henderson (GBR) and Rebecca Durrell (GBR).

Colorado Classic Preview

Named one of the 13 races in the world not to miss this year by Bicycling Magazine, the Colorado Classic aims to bolster women’s racing in North America and will feature live TV streaming coverage for each stage. Live video of the race will be available across a number of platforms, including on Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank and Shimano’s websites. (Don’t miss the action!).

In addition to the race, the Colorado Classic will feature a Health and Lifestyle Expo, Speaker Series and citizen rides.

The first stage of the Colorado Classic will be held in Steamboat Springs, CO, where Brodie Chapman recently won the SBT GRVL event and Lauren Stephens finished second. Featuring two QOMs, ten kilometers of gravel and technical descents, the first stage will be a challenging start to the Colorado Classic, especially for riders not accustomed to the altitude.

Next, the team will head to Avon, CO, for Stage 2, which will feature two types of races in a single stage. First, riders will have seven laps of a flat and fast 5-mile circuit, and then they will head into a 15-mile lap that includes a steep climb up Daybreak Ridge in Beaver Creek, which hits grades of 14%, and a fast, technical descent through Bachelor Gulch.

The third stage in Golden will offer seven laps of a 9-mile circuit, with a short, steep climb up Washington Street and rolling terrain that adds up to 4,000’ of vertical.

The final stage in downtown Denver will be one for the sprinters. Starting and finishing at Coors Field, the crowd-friendly course will cover LoDo, 17th Street and City Park, in addition to offering an expo for spectators to have fun and watch the race.

Watch the race LIVE on Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank and on Shimano’s websites. Get more information on the race times, and get notified for the race start here.

The Tour of Norway

The first stage of the Tour of Norway kicks off on Thursday in Åsgårdstrand. The 128km-stage will offer two QOMs and two sprint points before finishing in Horten. The second stage, totaling 131km, starts in Mysen and features an undulating course before heading into the rolling finishing laps in downtown Askim.

The third stage, the Queen Stage, will offer the Tour of Norway’s first-ever mountain top finish, a 1.3km climb with an average gradient of 7.3% up Knardal Hill to the Fredriksten Fortress. Riders will see this climb a total of two times, once before the finish of the 125km race.

The final stage will be the Tour of Norway’s longest day, with 158 total kilometers. The race starts in Svinesund, Sweden, and crosses into Norway to finish in downtown Halden.

Get more information on the race and how to follow here: https://www.ladiestour.no/en/program-2/.

Brodie Chapman 1st, Lauren Stephens 2nd at SBT GRVL


In a commanding performance in her first-ever gravel race, Brodie Chapman won the SBT GRVL's 141-mile "Black Course" yesterday, with teammate Lauren Stephens finishing in 2nd overall. The race drew top riders from around the world for its classic setting on the scenic gravel roads surrounding Steamboat Springs and its sizable prize purse with equal payout. Both Chapman and Stephens finished the 141-mile race, which included over 9,000 feet of climbing, in under 7 hours, with Chapman claiming the top place for women and 15th overall. Stephens, a veteran of gravel racing, experienced an untimely flat around 60 miles into the race and had to chase back to the field.

“The SBT GRVL Race was an awesome opportunity,” said Chapman. "Its really cool that we as professional road cyclists get to mix up our program with something as challenging and different as gravel racing. This was my first ‘official’ gravel race, and I will admit I was a bit apprehensive about what to expect out of myself, at altitude, coming from a block of European racing and not to mention the stacked and experienced gravel field here in the USA."

"I like long races, and I like gravel, so I was really looking forward to seeing how it would play out.

"My teammate Lauren Stephens was really well prepared, and this gave me so much confidence and calm, she knows the scene and is in really great shape.

“After Lauren got an untimely flat, I just rode with the leading men’s group as long as possible, following surges but also being conservative at every opportunity. Once I had a small working group, we rolled turns to the finish. It was a an awesome course, incredible landscapes and fantastic organisation.

“It was special to ride this race as a team, with everything from planning and speculating the days before the race, team mechanic support and being able to represent Team TIBCO -Silicon Valley Bank on the top step is extra special when it is at ‘home’ in the USA.”

“Yesterday was an exciting day,” said Lauren Stephens. “I’ve put a lot of energy into preparing for this race. I was devastated when I flatted 60 miles into the 140 mile race. But luckily I got back on the bike quickly with a little help from my husband, Mat. Knowing I had Brodie up the road with the front group of men, I settled into my own rhythm and focused on attempting to get back but also riding within myself. In the end Brodie took the win, and I took the overall QOM.”

Brodie Chapman (AUS) and Lauren Stephens (USA) are taking the racing action off-road tomorrow. The Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank duo are racing the SBT GRVL in Steamboat Springs, CO.

"Gravel is a growing discipline that I’ve been enjoying the last few years,” said Lauren Stephens, who recently placed 2nd at the Crusher in the Tushar, another noteworthy USA gravel race. “I’m excited to have a teammate racing with me. In the end, it comes down to survival, and now we have two chances!”

A former mountain biker, Brodie Chapman is well-accustomed to racing on the dirt, but the SBT GRVL will be her first gravel race of this kind. “I’m really excited to start the SBT gravel tomorrow,” said Chapman. “I think I have a bit of ‘ignorance is bliss’ going into it as I have never raced this style before. The altitude and sheer distance will make it a race of attrition, but I’m confident in my teammate Lauren Stephens’ experience and tact and know we will get the very best out of ourselves.”

The SBT GRVL “Black” course covers over 140 miles and 9,000 feet of climbing in the scenic landscape surrounding Steamboat Springs. Earlier this year, SBT GRVL launched an impressive “#SBTPARITY” effort to lure more women to the sold-out event, adding an additional 200 spots for women and increasing female participation to nearly 30% of the total field. The race also offers a sizable prize purse, with equal payout for the men and women.

Following SBT GRVL, Chapman and Stephens will be joining Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank at the Colorado Classic.

Shannon Malseed signing in at the team's last race, the Tour of Scotland.

Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank is in Sweden for the next UCI World Tour event: the Postnord Vårgårda Team Time Trial (TTT), held on Saturday, August 17 in Vårgårda, West Sweden. The Road Race follows on Sunday, August 18.

Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank’s roster for Postnord Vårgårda will be: Sharlotte Lucas (NZL), Alison Jackson (CAN), Shannon Malseed (AUS) and guest rider Leah Dixon (GBR).

Despite six riders currently sidelined by injury, Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank has demonstrated outstanding results, including victories at BC Superweek and at the inaugural Tour of Scotland. The team is now heading into a big block of August races, including Vårgårda, the SRT Gravel Race, the Tour of Norway, the Colorado Cycling Classic and the Grand Prix de Plouay.

Held in West Sweden, the Postnord Vårgårda TTT course will be 36km — six kilometers shorter than last year’s race — and covers undulating terrain, starting and finishing in Vårgårda with a turn-around point in Herrljunga.

“Starting with a team of four out of six riders will be difficult for the team on Saturday,” said Team Founder Linda Jackson. “We’ve had an unprecedented string of injuries and illnesses; we lost two riders to the Prudential RideLondon crash at 200 meters to go (Kendall Ryan with a concussion and Nina Kessler with a broken collarbone). Then in Scotland we lost Rozanne Slik with a serious gash to her finger that required surgery. It’s unfortunate as we are very excited about this upcoming block of racing. But I know the riders will ride their hearts out and do the best that they can.”

The 15th edition of the Postnord UCI WWT Vårgårda WestSweden Road Race kicks off the next day and is likely to be a race of attrition. The first long lap of the race, 66.7km, features five gravel sections ranging from 2.7km to 6.3km and challenging, rolling terrain. Riders will then head into three shorter laps of 11km, with a 1km ascent of Hägrungabakken each lap. Finally, riders will face three 15.3km finishing laps that will include three more ascents of the Hägrungabakken climb, with the addition of the 3.1km Landa gravel sector.

The last time through the gravel will be less than 3km from the finish. Each of the climbs and gravel sections will whittle away the peloton, and provide opportunities for a dynamic, exciting race that will favor strong and technically-savvy riders.

How to Follow Postnord Vårgårda:

Team Time Trial Saturday, August 17, 3pm CET (6am PST) Location: West Sweden Distance: 36km TTT

Road Race Sunday, August 18, 11am CET (2am PST) Location: West Sweden Distance: 145.3km Road Race with 8 gravel sections

TV Coverage:

Eurosport 1 (Scandinavia) Eurosport 2 (Europe) Eurosport Player (Asia) www.flobikes.com (USA & Canada)

Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank scored 2nd overall at the Tour of Scotland, which finished today in Edinburgh. Alison Jackson’s (CAN) victory yesterday combined with her solid result today secured her 2nd place finish overall behind Bigla’s Leah Thomas (USA).

Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank had five riders in the race, including Jackson, Brodie Chapman (AUS), Sharlotte Lucas (NZL), Shannon Malseed (AUS) and Rozanne Slik (NED), who demonstrated strong teamwork throughout all three days of racing.

"The race had very different conditions from yesterday, with rain the whole day and lots of water on the course," said Rachel Hedderman, Head Sports Director for Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank. "The team was fully committed to protecting Alison's yellow jersey, and although we were only 5 riders, as Kendall is still recovering from the RideLondon crash, we were motivated and confident. The team was active at the front covering any dangerous moves.

"A crash before the second sprint took out Rozanne, so we were down to 4, but Sharlotte, Shannon and Brodie did a fantastic job of protecting Alison and keeping her in position as we headed for the finishing circuits in Edinburgh. A dangerous attack by Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig took our final matches to reel back in, but set AJ up in a small group coming to the line. A hard fought sprint saw her just off the podium in 4th, and dropping to 2nd in GC.

"Although we were hoping to keep yellow, I am proud of how the team rode, and to win a stage, wear the first ever yellow jersey and combative jersey of the race as well as finishing on the podium overall is a great achievement and a testament to the commitment of the full team."

Alison Jackson said, “It is hard to come 2nd today in the GC because it feels like losing. But this is still a very big accomplishment for me and for the team. I have my teammates and staff to thank for this weekend. They believed in me so much that I believed in myself.

"Today was a hard day, and it came down to a very small bunch to the finish. I wasn't able to navigate the sprint as well as yesterday, but I'm really happy for the Stage win for Team TIBCO - Silicon Valley Bank in the first ever Women’s Tour of Scotland. The courses and organization of the race was top notch and a lot of fun. I hope there are more bag pipers at the next edition!”

In case you missed it: Watch Alison's victory on Stage 2 at the Tour of Scotland.