In the February episode of The Cycling Podcast Féminin, Rose Manley, Orla Chennaoui and Jo Rowsell pick over the UAE Tour, a race which often offers up some key insight for the season ahead. Plus we look at some of the junior world champions of the past in our mini feature.

There’s plenty to discuss from the UAE Tour, as Elisa Longo Borghini took a commanding overall victory while Lorena Wiebes went almost unchallenged as she swept up all three sprint stages. Some other big favourites didn’t fare so well though. Pauline Ferrand Prévot has made no secret of her Tour de France Femmes ambitions since her comeback but was noticeably absent among the first finishers on the top of Jebel Hafeet. While the new line-up at FDJ-Suez failed to take home a top ten on any stage.

In our mini feature we speak to former and present junior world champions and see how they’ve fared since hitting the elite ranks. We hear from Lucy Van der Haar nee Garner who retired five years ago, Canyon-SRAM rider Zoe Backstedt, current junior champion Cat Ferguson and Laura Stigger who was scouted by Anna van der Breggen to join SD Worx this year.

Also on the agenda… more baby news, some deserved gloating by Jo and reminiscing over Orla’s car sickness.

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The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

S13 Ep12: Over The Rainbows