The end of the Olympic cycle is always a worrying time for women’s cycling, as 2009 saw a swathe of races and teams shut after their Olympic success, but this isn’t something I saw coming - Wielerland.nl reports that Team AA Drink-Leontien.nl has announced that is will close at the end of the 2012 season.
The team is run by Michael Zijlaard and his wife, the Dutch cycling superstar, Leontien van Moorsel. Van Moorsel is a multiple World and Olympic champion, a total superstar, who has done a huge amount of work for women’s cycling in the Netherlands, and Zijlaard has been involved with women’s teams for the past fifteen years.
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It’s very bad news that one of the biggest women’s teams around, AA Drink-Leontien.nl, is closing at the end of the season, due to sponsor issues.
They’ve been a real powerhouse in women’s cycling, and I’m always grateful to Zijlaard and Van Moorsel for everything they’ve done for the sport. I hope all the riders & staff are OK for 2013 - and above all, I hope we don’t lose any more teams.
Click through and read for more - and there’s good discussion in the comments, too.
