After watching their senior colleagues on the World Tour team from the sideline, it’s finally time for the CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto Generation Team to embark on their 2025 racing season!
We have a special soft spot for this team, as they have supported African female riders for several years, and boast no fewer than FIVE African riders (South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia) on their overall roster of nine riders in 2025.
This is a massive commitment from a Women’s Continental Team, and we are so grateful for their belief in these ladies. It is now time for these ladies to show the results of their winter training regimes ahead of this incredible opportunity which they have been given.
For the races this weekend, the team’s squad consists of Maddie le Roux (South Africa) Florence Nakagwa (Uganda), Selam Amha Gerefiel (Ethiopia), Diane Ingabire (Rwanda), alongside – recently crowned Zwift Academy winner – Emily Dixon (Australia), and Germany’s Joëlle Messemer and Jule Märkl.
For Florence Nakagwa, a product of the incredible Masaka Cycling Club project in Uganda, this weekend carries extra significance. Despite entering her second season with CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto, this will actually be her first race with the team, and her first race in continental Europe.
Following a lengthy and challenging visa process (see many of our other stories on this issue on our blog!), she arrived in Europe for the first time at the December training camp in Portugal. The 20yo Ugandan rider is filled with a mix of nerves and excitement:
“It’s going to be my first race with the team, and I’ve always wondered what my first race will be like. For one, I’m feeling a bit nervous before getting to the start line as I believe that now I’m in Europe, the cycling is something very different compared to that in Uganda. For me personally, my first success will be finishing up the race safely and if I accomplish any role given to me within the race by the team, then that will also be a big satisfaction.”
After two impressive top-10 finishes (Road and ITT) at the South African National Championships just a few weeks ago, Maddie Le Roux is eager to reintegrate into the European peloton after a long spell away:
“I’m feeling a bit nervous but also excited to race with the team again. My last race was the Anna Vasa Tour in July, before breaking my collarbone, which prematurely ended my 2024 season. Physically, I’m still working on that top-end ‘umph’ after taking some rest post-nationals in February, but what better way to get back into the swing of things than racing?”
She aims to race with confidence, execute her role to the best of her ability, and above all, “Have fun”, while embracing the chance to develop and refine cooperation with seven of her nine teammates.
“I think this is a great opportunity for us to practice working together and to see which areas we can work on as a team, to improve for the upcoming races. We will have a lot of firepower, so our job will be to take the opportunity to use it to the best of our abilities, and see what we can do together. It should be a good weekend of racing.”
2025 also marks the third season with the team for Diane Ingabire from Rwanda. We are hoping Rwanda’s female National Champion can continue to try and make the step up to the international racing level as getting some good results this year is crucial if she is determined to continue in the professional peloton in Europe. We are hoping a good winter of intense training will have her in good shape for the challenge!
The team starts in Beasain in the Basque Country, at the Gran Premio Igartza on March 23. This moment has been eagerly awaited, especially after the unfortunate cancellation of Trofeo Ponente in Rosa earlier in March, which was meant to be the season opener. Sunday’s 70-kilometre one-day race, also serves as round two of the Copa de España Carretera, Spain’s national series of one-day road races for elite and competitive riders.
The following weekend, the Generation squad will continues its Copa de España Carretera Féminas campaign with back-to-back rounds on Saturday and Sunday in Betanzos and Pontevedra – two scenic spots with challenging courses in the northwestern Galician region, separated by a 120km drive.
Saturday’s Comarca Brigantina features three laps of a 16km undulating circuit covering both sides of the Betanzos River before a fourth loop that tackles the Alto de Villozas – 3.5km at 5.5% with pitches up to 12%. The real sting comes at the finish, where the final 200 metres ramp up to 18%, averaging 12%, on the narrow, neat streets leading to the core of the historic Betanzos.
Sunday’s Gran Premio Cidade de Pontevedra features multiple out-and-back sections along a dead-flat, four-lane avenue beside the Pontevedra river, where wind could add an extra challenge, before hillier terrain is incorporated at the halfway mark. Riders will ascend a smaller climb onto a 3km plateau before facing two assaults of Alto de a Porteliña – it’s on the savage 15% slopes where the real battles will play out. Equally sharp descents then bring riders back down to the water’s edge.
The team had a strong showing in Pontevedra last year with Maddie taking third, while Jule, Selam and Awen Roberts all finished in the top 10. The team’s history in the race goes further back, with Ricarda Bauernfeind taking the win in 2022 before moving into the CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto WorldTeam the following year.
After the Copa de España, the squad will turn its attention to the UCI 2.2 Giro Mediterraneo Rosa and UCI 1.1 Grand Prix Féminin de Chambéry, both in April.
Live coverage of the final 60km from each race will be streamed on SportPublic TV’s YouTube channel, with highlights and replays also available. Keep up-to-date with the action using #CopaEspañaFemCofidis, and on the CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto social channels.
We will of course have all results live on our dedicated African Rider Results service on our website – powered by ProCyclingStats – HERE.
