2015 Boels Dolmans Cycling Team season

2015 Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
UCI code DLT
Manager Erwin Janssen
Main sponsor(s) Boels Rental and Dolmans Landscaping
Based Netherlands
Bicycles Specialized
Season victories
One-day races 4
Stage race overall 2
Stage race stages 10
World Championships 1
National Championships 5

The 2015 women's road cycling season is the sixth for the Boels Dolmans Cycling Team, which began as the Dolmans Landscaping Team in 2010.

Sponsoring

For the 2015 season, both Specialized Bicycle Components and lululemon Athletica announced that they were ending their sponsorship of the already existing Specialized-lululemon team and switching their support to Boels-Dolmans for 2015.[1]

Roster

In September 2014 it was announced that Chantal Blaak and Evelyn Stevens, both of Specialized–lululemon, would be joining the team[2][3] with Romy Kasper signing a contract extension.[4] On 27 October 2014 the team signed Amalie Dideriksen. As of 1 January 2015. Ages as of 1 January 2015.[5]

Rider Date of birth
 Lizzie Armitstead (GBR) (1988-12-18)December 18, 1988 (aged 26)
 Chantal Blaak (NED) (1989-10-22)October 22, 1989 (aged 24)
 Amalie Dideriksen (DEN) (1996-05-24)May 24, 1996 (aged 17)
 Ellen van Dijk (NED) (1987-02-11)February 11, 1987 (aged 27)
 Megan Guarnier (USA) (1985-05-04)May 4, 1985 (aged 29)
 Demi de Jong (NED) (1995-02-11)February 11, 1995 (aged 19)
Rider Date of birth
 Sanne van Paassen (NED) (1988-10-27)October 27, 1988 (aged 26)
 Romy Kasper (GER) (1988-05-05)May 5, 1988 (aged 26)
 Christine Majerus (LUX) (1987-02-25)February 25, 1987 (aged 27)
 Katarzyna Pawłowska (POL) (1989-08-16)August 16, 1989 (aged 25)
 Evelyn Stevens (USA) (1983-05-09)May 9, 1983 (aged 30)

    Riders who joined the team for the 2015 season
    Rider 2014 team
     Chantal Blaak (NED)[3] Specialized–lululemon
     Evelyn Stevens (USA)[3] Specialized–lululemon
     Amalie Dideriksen (DEN)[6] Former junior rider

    Riders who left the team during or after the 2013 season
    Rider 2015 team
     Marieke van Wanroij (NED)[5] Retired
     Nicky Zijlaard (NED)[5] Swabo Ladies
     Janneke Ensing (NED)[5] Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team
     Jessie Daams (BEL)[5] Lotto Soudal Ladies
     Nina Kessler (NED)[5] Lensworld-Zannata
     Emma Trott (GBR) Retired

    Season

    Ellen van Dijk in the leading jersey of the 2015 Ladies Tour of Qatar

    The team started the road cycling season with the Ladies Tour of Qatar. Ellen van Dijk won the second stage by sprinting away in the last kilometre from a group of six. With her victory she also took the lead in the general classification. The day afterwards Lizzie Armitstead won the stage and took over the leading jersey from Van Dijk. In the first European race of the season, the Omloop het Nieuwsblad, the team was again very strong and dominated the race. With 30 km to go van Dijk escaped together with Anna van der Breggen from a front group of 15 riders on the Molenberg. The duo extended their advantage over the cobbled sections that followed, holding off the chase group to the line, where Van Dijk lost the two-up sprint. Behind them Armitstead sprinted to the third place.[7] At the 2015 Le Samyn des Dames Megan Guarnier was in a front group of six riders, but she expected not to win. In the final 4 kilometers after the last cobbled section Ellen van Dijk started chasing the front group at the head of the peloton and was able to close the gap. She also was a good lead-out for Chantal Blaak who won the peloton sprint. In the first World Cup of the season, the Ronde van Drenthe the team was eager to win. Van Dijk was in the final the lead-out for Armitstead. However, Armitstead lost Van Dijk in the last kilometre. Van Dijk continued sprinting and rode to the third place. Van Dijk said afterwards that she was happy with her result, but found it a shame that the team did not win. In the second World Cup, the Trofeo Alfredo Binda was in the final Armitstead was part of the front group of six riders. Armitstead won the sprint, winning the first World Cup race for the team of the season.

    Ellen van Dijk was selected to represent the Netherlands at the first 2015 European Games in the time trial and the road race in Baku, Azerbaijan in June. The time trial was her big goal and she was the favorite to win it. With a good race over the straight circuit she was 36 seconds faster than the Ukrainian Hanna Solovey and won the first gold medal for the Netherlands. In the road race she was part of front group of four riders, together with countrywomen Anna van der Breggen. During the last lap it appeared that Van der Breggen rode for her Polish Rabo–Liv team mate Katarzyna Niewiadoma and not for the Netherlands. Van Dijk was the brunt of these tactics and finished fourth.

    Season victories

    Ellen van Dijk winning stage 2 of the Ladies Tour of Qatar
    Single day and stage races 2015[8]
    Date Country Race Cat. Winner
    4 February  Qatar Stage 2 Ladies Tour of Qatar 2.1 Netherlands Ellen van Dijk
    5 February  Qatar Stage 3 Ladies Tour of Qatar 2.1 United Kingdom Lizzie Armitstead
    6 February  Qatar Stage 4 Ladies Tour of Qatar 2.1 United Kingdom Lizzie Armitstead
    6 February  Qatar Overall Ladies Tour of Qatar 2.1 United Kingdom Lizzie Armitstead
    6 February  Qatar Points classification Ladies Tour of Qatar 2.1 United Kingdom Lizzie Armitstead
    4 March  Belgium Le Samyn des Dames 1.2 Netherlands Chantal Blaak
    7 March  Italy Strade Bianche 1.1 United States Megan Guarnier
    29 March  Italy Trofeo Alfredo Binda CDM United Kingdom Lizzie Armitstead
    15 May  United States Amgen Tour of Californi 1.1 United States Evelyn Stevens
    29 May  Netherlands Boels Rental Hills Classic 1.1 United Kingdom Lizzie Armitstead
    7 June  United States Philadelphia Cycling Classic CDM United Kingdom Lizzie Armitstead
    11 June  Spain Stage 1 Emakumeen Euskal Bira 2.1 United States Megan Guarnier
    13 June  Spain Stage 3 Emakumeen Euskal Bira 2.1 Netherlands Chantal Blaak
    17 June  United Kingdom Stage 1 Aviva Women's Tour 2.1 United Kingdom Lizzie Armitstead
    19 June  United Kingdom Stage 3 Aviva Women's Tour 2.1 Luxembourg Christine Majerus
    5 July  Italy Stage 2 Giro d'Italia Femminile 2.1 United States Megan Guarnier
    14 August  Norway Stage 1 Ladies Tour of Norway 2.2 United States Megan Guarnier
    15 August  Norway General classification Ladies Tour of Norway 2.2 United States Megan Guarnier
    29 August  France GP de Plouay CDM United Kingdom Lizzie Armitstead
    9 September  Belgium Stage 2 Lotto Belgium Tour 2.2 Denmark Amalie Dideriksen

    References

    1. Nagel, Maxwell (22 September 2014). "Specialized, Evelyn Stevens move to Boels-Dolmans women’s cycling team in 2015". VeloNews. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
    2. http://women.cyclingfever.com/transfers.html
    3. 1 2 3 "Stevens signs two-year deal with Boels-Dolmans". cyclingnews.com. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
    4. http://women.cyclingfever.com/transfers.html?xs=3
    5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Boels-Dolmans heeft wegploeg compleet". cyclingonline.nl. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
    6. "Wereldkampioene Dideriksen naar Boels-Dolmans". Wierrevue.nl. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
    7. "Anna van der Breggen bests Ellen van Dijk in European opener". cyclingtips.com.au. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
    8. "2015 Boels - Dolmans Cycling Team UCI". procyclingstats. Retrieved 4 February 2015.

    External links

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