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When EF Education-Cannondale introduced plans for his or her new workforce in 2024, Veronica Ewers was the primary big-time rider underneath contract. Racing with a US Continental licence, the squad has since added 13 extra riders, together with US Professional criterium champion Coryn Labecki, Pan-Am ITT winner Kristen Faulkner and Paris-Roubaix champion Alison Jackson.
Ewers has gone from “terrified, uncomfortable” to “excited, invigorated” in a condensed professional profession of simply two full seasons, taking a straight-line strategy to a studying curve with general high 10s at each the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and the Giro d’Italia Donne. Final 12 months she was fourth general on the eight-day Italian stage race, with a runner-up end on stage 4 to Borgo Val di Taro.
“It was my first Giro, and it was completely memorable. That second place, specifically, having the ability to share a podium with the likes of Elisa Longo Borghini [stage winner] and Annemiek van Vlueten, in her retiring 12 months, was unimaginable. It was an honour to be there,” Ewers informed Cyclingnews from a pre-season coaching camp for her new EF Training-Cannondale squad.
“The day I managed to get second was very a lot a reward for taking dangers, simply actually being aggressive. In order that was an superior reward. I believe the entire Giro itself simply actually made me so proud to be on the workforce I used to be on as a result of we got here collectively. And despite the fact that at the moment, we knew that the workforce [EF Education-TIBCO-SVB] can be folding.
“There was a little bit of forwards and backwards in the remainder of the race between fourth and fifth, myself and Erica Magnaldi with UAE. My workforce simply actually did a tremendous job on the final day for me to have the ability to snag fourth, by one second due to the bonus dash. It was fairly unimaginable.”
Ewers is happy for a reboot for the EF Continental squad with new teammates and a task as a GC chief, one thing she by no means had on her bucket record only a few years in the past. She has a two-year contract, good well being – healed from a damaged collarbone suffered simply earlier than the Tourmalet stage of the Tour de France Femmes – and recent objectives for 2024. She simply wants the Continental squad to safe wildcard entries into the Grand Excursions to examine off extra objectives.
“Yeah, I believe the primary half of the season I will be aiming for one of many Ardennes races, significantly Flèche Wallonne. After which yeah, I’m looking forward to the Giro and the Tour, they’re the large ones for me. And I positively am very excited about Worlds this 12 months as nicely, in Zurich. I believe the course fits me fairly nicely.
“I am that rather more excited for the Giro. It will likely be thrilling to kick off with a person time trial to arrange the GC. There aren’t too many flat phases, which I favor. It seems to be like a brutal set of phases and I am actually hoping to have the chance to race in it if EF Cannondale is chosen as one of many UCI Continental groups invited to it. It seems to be to be a strong preparatory race for the Tour however truthfully it’s itself a correct race I’ll goal,” added the Moscow, Idaho native who now makes Girona, Spain her residence.
After a collegiate Division III soccer profession and graduating from Williamette College in Oregon, Ewers “over-exerted” herself with two years within the health club and with working. She made an abrupt change in 2019 by going “110% into biking” when requested to journey for the Fount Biking Group.
“Clearly, they noticed some kind of potential, and so I used to be like, ‘why not’. I haven’t seemed again since. I didn’t have any plans to enter it professionally. I by no means anticipated to be an expert athlete,” she informed Cyclingnews.
On the age of 23, she competed solely in regional races with the Giro d’Italia Girls and Tour de France Femmes not even a blip on the radar. As an alternative, she gained the Tour de Bloom, Taco Time Volunteer Park Criterium and Boston Harbor Circuit Race. However a win is a win, and precious for growth.
After a 2020 season absent of formal racing within the US as a result of world pandemic, she started the 2021 season along with her first-ever race exterior the Pacific Northwest, profitable the Davy Crockett Traditional in Texas. Solely Ewers and Fount took observe of her high situation and drive headed to the US Professional Street Nationwide Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee just a few months later, the place she shocked with a bronze medal within the highway race.
“One of the best a part of profitable that Texas race is that you simply bought a Davy Crockett hat. It was the one purpose I needed to win,” Ewers stated concerning the iconic fur cap worn by the US frontiersman that has a raccoon tail on the again.
“My teammates had religion in me, however it was positively a shock to me. I’m my harshest critic,” Ewers admitted about her podium at US Professional Nationals. “I actually see myself as an underdog and typically a bit an excessive amount of. I don’t belief myself to capitalise on a win. That doesn’t imply I gained’t give 100% in no matter scenario. However as soon as I bought third at nationals, then Linda’s [Jackson] ears kind of perked up.”
She was a visitor rider for Jackson’s EF Training-TIBCO-SVB squad that fall and rode for the primary time in Europe.
“Nationals was truly the primary huge race I’ve ever performed. Wow, the primary race I’ve performed with greater than 20 ladies within the peloton. So I used to be fairly shocked at nationals to be in that huge of a bunch after which coming over to Europe was much more of a shock to have triple that quantity on a 3rd of the dimensions of the highway.”
Now she’s a veteran within the peloton, and a pacesetter on the highway at a few of the greatest occasions.
“I’ve a variety of potential to be a good stage racer. I do nicely on fatigue. The later the phases get going the extra persons are fatigued and that’s usually once I do a reasonably strong job,” she stated.
“I am actually, actually enthusiastic about being on this workforce, the professionalism and organisation already on the highest stage. And I actually love the women on the workforce, and I am excited to see what we are able to do subsequent 12 months.”
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