AG Insurance-NXTG has evolved into a three-tier women’s cycling program with an elite team competing at the highest level for a spot on the Women’s WorldTeams in 2023.
Next year’s three tiers include an AG Insurance-NXTG U19 team, an U23 team and the addition of an elite team. All aim to provide development opportunities and an engaging path to the highest level of the sport.
“It is with great admiration and warmth that I look back on the teams’ performance in 2022,” said AG Insurance CEO Heidi Delobelle of the company’s partnership with cycling teams, which began last March.
“I’m not even talking about the sporting successes, but about the development that the team has gone through. Both the team and the employees have grown over the past year. And with the creation of the elite team, AG Insurance-NXTG will take another step next year.”
AG Insurance became title sponsor of former development team NXTG Racing in early 2022 to create Continental registered development team AG Insurance-NXTG.
“We offer all teams a racing program that suits them and supports their development. In doing so, we aim to create a sustainable project that we hope will inspire other teams to work on the fundamentals of the sport’s pyramid,” AG Insurance-NXTG wrote on its website.
Next year’s U19 program roster will feature nine riders and the U23 will feature 11 riders, five of whom have been promoted from the younger team roster this season. The development teams will take part in a variety of races at home and abroad.
The elite team will sit above the U23 and U19 development teams and have applied for a women’s WorldTeam license for 2023. Her application is listed under AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step and reflects her relationship with Patrick Lefevere’s WorldTeam.
They are one of three teams, along with Ceratizit-WNT and Plantur-Pura (under the Ciclismo Mundial name) that have applied for the 15th and last available top-tier license for next year.
They want to race the biggest races of the spring season and line up for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, a race the Continental development team competed in this July.
Eight of this year’s development riders will move up to the new elite team of 16 riders, including Julia Borgstrom, Britt Knaven, Anya Louw, Gaia Masetti, Lone Meertens, Ilse Pluimers, Maud Rijnbeek and Ally Wollaston.
“Julia, Britt, Anya, Gaia, Lone, Ilse, Maud and Ally have shown this year that they are ready for this step. With the addition of eight new riders, both experienced and aspiring riders, we have a balanced team for racing on the Belgian cobbles, but also in the Ardennes and the higher mountains abroad like the Tour de France Femmes. It’s a well-rounded squad and I can’t wait to see what they can do next year,” said team CEO Natascha den Ouden.
New signings include Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (SD Worx), Lotta Henttala, Romy Kasper (Jumbo-Visma), Maaike Boogaard (UAE Team ADQ), Nicole Steigenga (Coop-Hitec Products), Justine Ghekiere (Plantur-Pura), Mireia Benito (Massi-Tactic) and Marthe Goossens (Multum Accountants), all managed by former pro and team leader Jolien D’hoore.
“With our three-part structure, we offer young talents every opportunity to realize their cycling dreams and to develop sustainably in a professional environment. With real opportunities for advancement from the bottom to the top: from the U19, through the U23 to the elite team. To see half of the current Under-23 squad rise to the elite is perhaps the biggest win of the 2022 season,” said AG CEO Delobelle.
“I am confident that next year we will see beautiful things from them and from Jolien D’hoore and the rest of the senior staff who have chosen to be part of our project.”
under 19
- Laia Bosch Ballus (ESP)
- Ella Heremans (BEL)
- Nela Kankovska (CZE)
- Fee Knaven (NED)
- Nora Linton (CAN)
- Margot Marasco (FRA)
- Lore de Schepper (BEL)
- Luca Vierstrasse (BEL)
- Nanoi Van Wettere (BEL)
under 23
- Maureen Arens (NED)
- Febe Jooris (BEL)
- Julia Kopecky (CZE)
- Mirre Knaven (NED)
- Senne Knaven (BEL)
- Jade Linthoudt (BEL)
- Fien Masuria (BEL)
- Laura Lizette Sander (EST)
- Noëlle Rüetschi (SUI)
- Yuli van der Molen (NED)
- Eline van Rooijen (NED)
elite
- Mireia Benito (ESP)
- Maaike Boogaard (NED)
- Julia Borgstrom (SWE)
- Justine Ghekiere (BEL)
- Marthe Goossens (BEL)
- Lotta Henttala (FIN)
- Romy Kasper (GER)
- Britt Knaven (BEL)
- Anya Louw (AUS)
- Gaia Masetti (ITA)
- Lonely Meertens (BEL)
- Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (RSA)
- Ilse Plumers (NED)
- Maud Rijnbeek (NED)
- Nicole Steigenga (NED)
- Ally Wollaston (NZL)
