How did so many Canadians end up on a French ProTeam?

Winspace Orange Seal is a Women’s Pro Team based in France. Yet, it has a rider from Alma, Que., one from Vancouver, one from Guelph, Ont., and a rider from Edmonton. They are Florence Normand, Nadia Gontova, Kiara Lylyk and Jenaya Francis. Currently, they are all based in Europe attending races, such as the Vuelta a Extremadura Femenina, Omloop Nieuwsblad, Danilith Nokere Koerse and Dwars door Vlaanderen.

The team, Winspace Orange Seal, has been around since 2013. In 2022, when the squad was at the continental level, and called Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime, it got an invite to the Tour de France Femmes, where it got hammered. Of the six riders who started the race, only one finished. This year, the team has been invited back. It’s now moved up to ProTeam status. Also, its riders seem to be levelling up, as well. It will be exciting to see what they can do at the big event this July.

The team has only 11 riders. Four of them are Canucks. In this episode of the Canadian Cycling Magazine Podcast, you’ll find out all about them, and how they all got on this French ProTeam.

This episode of the Canadian Cycling Magazine podcast is supported by MS Bike. It has 11 rides across the country. These are top-notch, fully supported events. The first ones are in June in Alberta. The last one is Waskesiu, Sask. There are also rides in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. No matter which one you choose, there’s still plenty of time to prepare. If you need some training tips, there are two-month and three-month plans for you on the Canadian Cycling Magazine website.

Remember, through an MS Bike event, you raise funds, which go to help MS research and services. Did you know that 60 per cent of those diagnosed with MS are between 20 and 49, with an average diagnosis age of 43? Give your riding some focus and some purpose. Head to msbike.ca. Register and start fundraising.