Speculating about the possibility of Chinese female cyclists participating in an official race.
During the 2024 Chinese New Year, the participant list for the Paris-Roubaix Femmes (referred to as “official race”) was announced, featuring 24 teams, one of which, the SilverBass team, has a Chinese rider. In this article, we explore the prospects of Chinese women cyclists competing in the official event.
▲2023 Champion Alison
1. Participating Teams
The race invites 24 teams, including 15 World Tour teams and 9 Continental teams:
World Tour Teams: AG Insurance, Team Cocoon, WNT, FDJ, Phoenix, Human Power Health, Trek, LIV, Movistar, Roland, DSM, SD Worx, Wiggle High5, UAE, Uno-X
Continental Teams: Cofidis, Arkéa, EF, LIFEPLUS, Saint Michel-Auber 93, COOP, KOMUGI, VOLKERWESSLS, SilverBass
▲2024 Participants List
2. Race Route
Following the 2023 edition, the race is set at 141 km with 17 sectors of pavé (cobbles) covering 36 km. This is slightly more forgiving than the men’s race, which features 29 sectors over 256 km. However, it still includes two 5-star pavé sectors: the Carrefour de l’Arbre and Mons-en-Pévèle. Given the typical women’s race distance of 120-140 km, this will be a demanding challenge.
▲2023 Race Route
According to Xu Gang, who participated in the men’s race, “Paris-Roubaix offers no chance to eat or drink. From the start, you’re attacking, even if it’s just a few kilometers. After fighting your way into the top 10, sudden crosswinds can blow you out. After two such experiences, you have no choice but to accept. The athletes in this race are big, they don’t easily give up their positions. The endless single-file line stretches far. You get pulled along without complaint, grabbing every opportunity to catch your breath. Around 100 km into the race, I dropped with a Kazakhstan rider from Astana. We all felt the devilish nature of the race. There’s so much beauty we don’t see, only by going there do we realize how unique cycling competitions can be.”
From TV broadcasts of the women’s race, most riders appear larger in build, like 2023 champion Alison and 2022 winner Elisa. Can smaller-framed cyclists like Zeng Luoyao and Tang Xin have a chance in this “beast of a race”?
3. Can Chinese Women Create History?
There’s no record of Chinese female riders participating in the event, according to available information. The race demands exceptional bike handling skills and physical endurance. Based on the current SilverBass roster of 10 riders, we can assess the chances of Zeng Luoyao and Tang Xin participating.
Referring to the 2023 records of Charline Team (SilverBass’s predecessor), French riders Aline (20 years old) and Noémie Abgrall took part, with Aline finishing outside the time limit (OOT) and Abgrall finishing 103rd. Another team member, Floraine Bernard, lacks the necessary strength to participate. Julia Aubry, who transferred from a French club team, has shown better results this season, finishing 36th in Almería, slightly ahead of Zeng Luoyao. Lucie Liboreau, who joined from the Akea team, specializes in time trials but was eliminated in the second stage of a Palma series race. Constance Valentin, joining from Lyon’s club team, finished 66th in Murcia, surpassing Zeng Luoyao’s result. Aurela Nerlo, a Polish rider, transferred from Massi and has no official race experience but completed five races this season. Karolina Perekitko, another Polish sprinter, also transferred from Abadi and has had a third-place finish in Almería.
The official race allows SilverBass to enter six riders. Considering the performance of the eight foreign riders and the two Chinese riders, Aline, Abgrall, and Perekitko are likely to take on main roles. The remaining three spots will be contested by the other seven riders. Tang Xin and Bernard, without any team participation records this season, are less likely to be selected. Zeng Luoyao’s main competition is from Nerlo, Valentin, Liboreau, and Aubry. Among them, Nerlo, due to her consistent participation and completions, might secure a spot over Zeng Luoyao. Liboreau’s early elimination in Mallorca and another DNF could work against her. While Valentin and Aubry performed marginally better than Zeng Luoyao, their lack of participation in comprehensive races and absence of one-day classics may make them vulnerable to last-minute substitutions.
In conclusion, my predicted SilverBass lineup includes Aline, Abgrall, Perekitko, Nerlo, Zeng Luoyao, and Valentin, with anticipation for Chinese riders to make their mark in the official race.
*Please note that this content is based on the author’s personal analysis and is for reference only.