After seven events, the Women’s WorldTour rankings show a surprising number of younger riders proving their worth against older and more experienced peers. While the top three spots in the rankings are occupied by superstars Lotte Kopecky, age 28, (Team SD Worx-Protime), Elisa Balsamo, age 26, (Lidl-Trek), and Elisa Longo Borghini, age 32, (Lidl-Trek), five spots in the top 10 are currently occupied by riders under the age of twenty-four.
In the men’s peloton, this emergence of youth was witnessed some years ago with the likes of riders Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel, but for the women it is a relatively new phenomenon. Whether we will see younger riders outperforming older ones in the upcoming Spring Classics, as well as the three Grand Tours, remains to be seen. But one thing is certain, the emergence of younger riders in the women’s peloton is here to stay and is no longer the exception.
Here’s a look at the five riders under age 24 who are currently in the top 10 in the Women’s WorldTour rankings.
#4. Neve Bradbury (age 21) Canyon//SRAM Racing
Image courtesy Canyon//SRAM Racing
Neve Bradbury (Canyon//SRAM Racing) is currently ranked #4 (710 points) in the Women’s WorldTour rankings, just 5 points behind Elisa Longo Borghini #3 (715 points). Bradbury got off to a great start this past January in her native Australia by taking 3rd in the U23 National Championships Individual Time Trial. This was followed by a great performance in the Santos Tour Down Under where she finished 3rd overall in the final GC (general classification), 2nd in the Youth classification, and 3rd on Stage 3. She continued this fine form at the UAE Tour Women by finishing 2nd in the final GC, 1st in the Youth classifcation, and 2nd on Stage 2.
Bradbury was a 2020 Zwift Academy winner and has been riding for Canyon//SRAM Racing at the WorldTour level since 2021. In her short time with the team she has shown her potential as a GC rider in the longer stage races and – at 50 kilos – is quickly developing her skills as a climber. While it’s unlikely we’ll see much of her in the upcoming Spring Classics, keep an eye out for her in the longer stage races on the Women’s WorldTour calendar, especially the Giro d’Italia Women.
#5. Puck Pieterse (age 21) Fenix-Deceuninck
Image courtesy Fenix-Deceuninck
Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) is currently ranked #5 (660 points) in the Women’s WorldTour rankings. After a long and successful cyclo-cross season this past winter, Pieterse she did not go to the UAE Tour Women, but instead made her 2024 season debut at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad where she finished a solid 8th. This was followed up with a 10th place finish at Omloop van het Hageland and a 13th place at Strade Bianche Donne a week later. Her more recent successes at Miron Ronde van Drenthe (3rd) and Trofeo Alfredo Binda (3rd), suggest that Pieterse is ready for the demanding Spring Classics. However, with Pieterse scheduled to ride the women’s MTB X-country event in the Paris Olympics in July, we probably won’t see her racing on the road beyond April.
In 2023, Pieterse only appeared in a few races in the early season, Omloop van het Hageland (36th) and Strade Bianche Donne (5th), before devoting herself to the MTB World Cup circuit. So far she’s shown herself to be a one-day specialist, especially on demanding courses like Strade Bianche where her background in the mud – MTB and cyclo-cross – gives her a distinct advantage. But at 55 kilos and possessing a super engine, she could very well develop into a GC contender in the future. Her full potential on the road is yet to be realized.
#7. Sarah Gigante (age 23) AG Insurance – Soudal Team
Image courtesy AG Insurance – Soudal Team
Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance – Soudal Team) is currently ranked 7th (530 points) in the Women’s WorldTour. Gigante had a super start to her season at the Santos Tour Down Under where she not only won the overall GC, but also took Stage 3 and placed 3rd in the Mountains classification. In her most recent race, Trofeo Alfredo Binda, she showed good form by finishing 24th in the front group and appears ready for her next block of racing. While the Spring Classics might not suit her just yet, her climbing abilities could develop into an asset in the future in the Ardennes Classics, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Her main focus this spring will be her Grand Tour debut at the La Vuelta Femenina at the end of April.
In first her first two years in the WorldTour (2022, 2023) Gigante raced for the Movistar Team with very mixed results. Much of her 2023 season was spent at home in Australia recuperating from illness and injuries and she only raced one WorldTour race in 2023, the Tour of Scandnavia, where she finished 79th in the GC. Her decision at the end of 2023 to terminate her contract with Movistar and join the AG Insurance-Soudal Team appears so far to have been the right one. At 53 kilos, Gigante is a climber with an engine and she possesses the potential to be a serious GC contender in the future. Some have made comaprisons between her and the GOAT Annemiek van Vleuten.
#8. Dominika Włodarczyk (age 23) UAE Team ADQ
Image courtesy UAE Team ADQ
Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ) is currently ranked8th (520 points) in the Women’s WorldTour. Włodarczyk’s season got off to a great start in Australia in mid-January at the Santos Tour Down Under where she placed 5th overall on the GC, 5th on Stage 5, and 9th in the Points classification. Two weeks later she sprinted to 2nd place in the Deakin University Road Race after breaking away with Rosita Reijnhout (Team Visma|Lease a Bike) and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Suez). Since then, Włodarczyk raced only once, in February at the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, where she was DNF on stage 1. While she won’t be lining up for the big Spring Classics, she is scheduled to tackle the hillier Liège-Bastogne-Liège which could play to her climbing strengths. As a first year rider at the WorldTour level, her race schedule for the the season is still to be determined, but she could be a surprise in some hilly races under the right circumstances.
Incredibly, it was only a year ago that Włodarczyk was racing for a Contiental level team in Poland. Her rise to WorldTour level in 2024 came about after UAE Team ADQ saw her strong performances in 2022-23 at the Princess Anna Vasa Tour in Poland and the Watersley Women’s Challenge, which she won twice. With her climbing ability and solid time trial skills, Włodarczyk could have the right stuff to develop into a top GC contender.
#10. Rosita Reijnhout (age 19) Team Visma|Lease a Bike
Image courtesy Team Visma|Lease a Bike
Rosita Reijnhout (Team Visma|Lease a Bike) is currently ranked 10th (448 points) in the Women’s WorldTour and at age 19 is the youngest rider in the top 10. Reijnhout started off the season with a bang by winning the Deakin University Road Race in Australia at the end of January – her very first WorldTour victory. She followed this up with a good performance in February at the Setmana Ciclista stage race in Spain, where she was 3rd in the Youth classification and 21st overall on the GC. In March at the Altez GP Oetingen she was in the top ten (8th) against some stiff competition like Lorena Wiebes Team (SD Worx – Protime), who was the eventual winner. While her recent 4-day Tour de Normandie showed a dip in her performance, she still managed to place 11th in the Youth classification and 19th in the overall GC.
At age 19, Reijnhout is still quite young and still discovering her potential. In 2023, her debut season at WorldTour level, she placed 4th in the Youth classification at the Thüringen Ladies Tour, 10th in the Mountains classification at the Tour de Suisse, and 4th in the Youth classification at the Tour de l’Avenir. So far, her results indicate that she has performed best in one-day races, however, she also has some good GC results that suggest she could develop into a Mountains classification contender and a solid GC rider. Her full potential is still unknown and she has plenty of time to develop.
