DONNE | 12/11/2024 | 14:00
by Francesca Monzone
The 2025 women’s calendar is enriched with a new racewhich will allow teams to earn a greater number of UCI points. It’s about the Schwalbe Women’s One-Day Classicwhich will take place on January 26th and is organized by the Santos Tour Down Under.
The women’s season will open in Spain on January 19th with the Pro Costa de Almeira and immediately afterwards with the Trofeo Ses Salines-Felanitx. But the first race of the World Tour, therefore classified as 1.Pro, will be in Australia with the Women’s Down Under Classic, which will take place from 17 to 19 January.
To meet the scoring needs of the women’s teams, the organization of the Santos Tour Down Under has decided to create another race, the Schwalbe Women’s One-Day Classic, which will be run in conjunction with the men’s event.
There will be three stages of the Women’s Down Under Classic, starting from Unley on the first day and arriving on the third day of racing in Stirlingwhile for the Schwalbe Women’s One-Day Classic, the athletes will cover 90 kilometers in the 20 laps they will do on the Adelaide circuit, where on the same day, the men’s race will cover the last stage of the 25th Tour Down Under.
As already written, the goal of the Schwalbe Women’s One-Day Classic is to offer an extra opportunity to women’s teams to accumulate the coveted UCI points, which guarantee you can continue in the WorldTour and not be relegated in category.
There is also an important logistical aspect which should not be underestimated. Australia is a long way from Europe, where most major races take place, so adding a race like the Schwalbe Women’s One-Day Classic, a week after the Women’s Down Under Classic, teams are more encouraged to participate.
The director of the Santos Tour Down Under, Stuart O’Grady, wanted to underline the need for the women’s teams to score points, asking the organizers of the men’s races to also include the women’s event. «This is a great stimulus which will further strengthen the competition – explained Stuart O’Grady – The world of women’s cycling is asking for more races and we are responding to their request».
The birth of the Schwalbe Women’s One-Day Classic is a first step forward and the organizers do not rule out the possibility of increasing the number of racing days at the women’s Santos Tour Down Under in the future. The race currently includes 3 stages, while the men’s race is spread over six days: it is possible that starting from 2026 the women’s race will be increased to 5 stages.
Copyright © TBW
