“Cycling in general and professional women’s cycling in particular is not accessible to many women around the world. Our goal is to make the sport diverse and inclusive by nurturing promising talent who currently have no or limited access to cycling."
I'm Vicky I embody the mission statement of the Wheel Divas. I want to unite the qualities of the entire team within me. I want to develop myself, I'm willing to work on myself with determination. Because the potential of the individual becomes a strength in our team.
Would you like to be part of my strong team? I'll tell you what to expect!
If you still have questions for me and my team, then write to me .
By the way, Elisa drew me.
Are you interested in performance-oriented cycling?
WHEEL DIVAS - everything about our equipment, events and the application as a driver for 2022
Team Wheel Divas
We are a cycling club and team in the Rad-Bundesliga . Together we compete in cycling events in Germany, Europe and now and then also far away, like most recently at the Dubai Woman's Tour in February 2020.
We also want to show the cycling world what progress ambitious women are capable of at different levels of performance with professional infrastructure and equipment as well as structural support.
We see ourselves as a development team and would like to give women who are enthusiastic about cycling the opportunity to develop as best as possible, regardless of their starting position. That's why we recently brought together a wide variety of riders in the team - up-and-coming juniors, career changers from other sports and riders who have been part of the team for several years. In addition to the riders, a large number of people accompany our team with a lot of commitment and passion for cycling. Under the direction of the team management consisting of Sina and Hans-Günther Päske, the "team behind the team" takes on numerous tasks in the areas of sports support, technology, sponsorship, marketing, funding and finance.
In the 2022 season, we want to respond even better to the individual requirements of our female drivers. That's why 8 riders in our top team will take part in the Rad-Bundesliga and international races. In addition, there will be an expanded roster with no admission restrictions.
The teams differ in terms of performance and, as a result, in terms of equipment, supervision and support. The sports director decides who will take part in which events and when.
Your way into the team
You should bring these qualities with you to become part of the top team:
You are between 18 and 40 years old if you want to drive in the top team. (There are no age restrictions for the extended squad.)
You want to train performance-oriented, with an average of 20 hours/week depending on the training plan and specifications.
You are a team player, courageous and have clear goals. I share the team's philosophy. I fully support these goals, my own and agreed resolutions. I am aware that the following applies: Team first.
You have stamina and want to develop yourself in cycling.
I have a positive attitude towards life and training, am honest, open and open to criticism.
I am self-employed and like to travel. As a team, we go to national and international competitions and training camps almost every weekend during the season from March to October.
I'm reliable, stick to an agreed race calendar and regularly coordinate with the sporting management.
I know that cycling doesn't come cheap. I'm willing to put in 100-200€/month in co-payment. Depending on the sponsors and public donations, the management tries everything it can to keep the amount small for me.
I identify with the team's external representation on social networks (Instagram, Facebook) and I am willing to support it.
I can also offer the team added value beyond the sport and I am willing to take on tasks within the team.
I am aware that cycling is a time challenge and I can combine this with my training or my job. If necessary, I can invest holidays for training and competitions. However, training always has priority and the team management provides support with applications for leave of absence and individual solutions.
Do you see yourself in this description?
Then please send us your application
until 31.10.2021
to sports director Clemens Ludwig
or
write to us using the contact form .
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Women cycling Passion
Events
In a season we run about 25 competitions between March and October. At the beginning of the season there are often smaller preparation races, last season we were often in Poland or the Czech Republic. The Rad-Bundesliga is held throughout Germany from May to September and includes around 10-15 racing days. In June, the German Championship is an important race on the calendar, followed by international UCI tours and smaller licensed races in Germany and abroad in July and August.
The following overview from the race calendar via trainingpeaks is an example for the months of May to September 2021. The competitions have been assigned a priority of A, B or C. A stands for German championships or UCI races, B for Bundesliga and all other events are C category. It can be seen that, with a few exceptions, an event takes place every weekend.
logistics
Everyone knows that cycling is primarily about logistics. The team travels 20,000 km a year in the team bus. There are also two more racing vehicles for sports directors, trainers, mechanics or management. We use it to travel to racing events together. Team manager Sina Päske plans travel routes, accommodation, food and care in advance. The departure usually takes place in Berlin. Depending on the destination, meeting points and boarding options are organized for all drivers in advance. Sporting and technical preparation for the competitions is handled by Clemens Ludwig as sporting director.
equipment
A report from Vikki: I'm not an expert yet, just an enthusiastic racing cyclist and have ridden many products from our outfitters and supporters for a little over a year and have also been able to test them. I wasn't paid for this. I will tell you about my personal experiences here. I mention if something didn't work out or I had problems and do the same if it went well or very well. I limit myself here only to the road bike. I would occasionally have to hand in the individual time trial machines and track bikes.
The equipment provided by the team depends above all on each driver herself and on her own ability and will. Put simply, what I am willing to give, I can expect. I think it's a very balanced commitment, one that motivates.
The team has been driving the small Italian brand BOTTECCIA for years. Their bikes are perfect for me. Significantly shorter top tubes fitted perfectly and therefore better than the average bike designed for men. In Germany it is represented by BBF BIKE from Berlin. Due to our team decision, we changed the frame color from red to grey/black. Our team bike really is a gray rocket - and incredibly versatile. Optionally equipped with Campagnolo or Vittoria wheels, I didn't miss a single race.
My slightly more powerful teamies also ride a Campagnolo Super Record 12s EPS all the time, see below. I'm already very satisfied with the 11s, but the electronic shifting is awesome. That's as far as the overview goes, most of the Power2Max power meters provided by the team are running. When it came to tires, I drove Conti and Vittoria. From 2021 our weapons will gradually be equipped with disc brakes. This stuff can't be beat.
With the equipment and the carbon wheels, the bike costs 7,500 euros. It's not the easiest. That's not bad, because the heaviest thing on the bike is still me. The bike meets the UCI criteria. When I sat on it for the first time, all I said was: "It runs by itself - even without a motor".
Designed for racing, I got along very well with it on my 200 km tour. I think the Italian Emme4 is for us women perfect.
Defects, wear and tear were repaired and replaced by the team. Very high standards are set for our own maintenance and, in particular, for cleanliness. No help can be expected for dirty wheels. I take that for granted and therefore always have a queasy feeling when sport director Clemens takes my bike in hand. Is that still possible or not? If not, I got a bucket and a rag and after 20 minutes a clean bike for the technical check.
Conclusion: a fantastic, light and incredibly versatile bike that you can take over at a special price after your time in the team.
Campa is 'something for old men', so the comments. I do not understand that. Apart from a current price of EUR 3,000, it is an extremely attractive and easy-to-use set. And it suits the team's penchant for Italian bike products. The Campagnolo Super Record EPS is the flagship. Even when I heard that sport director Clemens Ludwig and our manager Hans-Günter Päske didn't agree on using a 12-speed system, they followed the idea: the best or nothing. The new wheels were equipped with the electronic 12s system.
Campagnolo is known for the ergonomics of its shifters, which are called Ergolever for a reason. And I can confirm that with the 12-speed version. The new EPS Ergolever Hoods fit my hand perfectly thanks to a stronger inward curvature and allow me an additional hand position.
The brake lever has a double S curve, which I found more comfortable than on my Campa Chorus 11s. In addition, the reach of the brake lever can be adjusted in two stages to accommodate my small hands.
The new 4 EPS interface with ANT+ and Bluetooth is available for connectivity to smartphones, bike computers and many other accessories. As far as I've heard from others, there are still competitors with relatively complicated connections to new media. The configuration of the shift modes, the assignment of the shift lever, the fine tuning and the configuration of the multi-shift is done with the MyCampy app on the smartphone. Like everything new, I had to patiently read the manual and yes, it worked in the end.
The battery is in the seat tube. At first I didn't notice the claim that the Italians were leaders in terms of battery capacity. In fact, all bikes had problems at the beginning. After the Berlin Campa specialist RASDSPORT HEINZE took care of the matter and replaced the batteries, they work perfectly. The low charging cycles are great, but I tend even more not to check the charge level. The system also shows me when I need to go back to the charging station.
If the bike is not used, and at least on flights and transports, I switched off the battery with the help of a magnetic tape that was attached from the outside.
What is of great use to me is the fine gradation of the sprockets. I can find the right gear in every situation. There are 1-tooth jumps up to the seventh sprocket – after that it becomes variable. That's how these women pros drive too.
I was also asked if the durability would be lower? I didn't notice anything. The chains are regularly checked by the team. A new one comes out every 5000-7000 km. Because of the higher performance, shorter intervals are preferred for men. Compared to our Shimano colleagues, we were out and about with the chains a little bit longer.
However, the need for regular cleaning with a chain cleaning device remains. In my opinion, this is the be-all and end-all and unfortunately a very shoddy affair. I didn't buy any expensive cleaning agent, a liter of diesel and a clean cloth will do the trick. The cycle was between 500 and 1000 km.
I didn't notice anything about the carbon crank, a titanium axle and the CULT ceramic bearings and a carbon aero lip on the outside of the crank. But maybe that's how it should be?
In the meantime, an electrical circuit has become a very pleasant convenience for us. I always had problems moving my clammy fingers, especially during long, wet and cold races and training sessions. It's all very easy now. Unhealthy skewing of the chain is avoided, the gears and the thrower are extreme precise. It's just fun to be able to change gears under full load on the mountain without the chain threatening to come off.
The rim brakes received - as far as I can tell - a cosmetic update compared to its 11-speed predecessor. They work fine. When using the carbon wheels from VITTORIA or LEEZE in races, the sports director Clemens installed special rubbers for me. The exchange went smoothly and quickly.
The hour-long training based on heart rate was new to me, I had never had a power meter before and apart from a few laps in the fitness center I had no idea how many watts I was pedaling. Due to the watt specifications from the trainer, the GA2, EB and SB units - learned later - and the K3 units were much more effective because they were more strenuous - or vice versa.
The expectations were all the greater. Let's start with the calibration. After that I didn't have to do anything. Occasionally - whenever and for whatever reason - I've had to repeat this and have the battery changed once a year. Sport director Clemens does the latter for us with a wink of an eye.
The power meter works perfectly, completely free of failures, really easy to maintain (replace battery, calibrate) and corresponds to the watt values of my roller trainer.
The Power2Max comes in the look of the Campagnolo Super Record and is therefore well integrated.
tires Vittoria Corsa G+ 700x25C
The box came directly from Thailand. The graphene reinforced tire is awesome and offers incredible comfort. With a measured width of 26.6 mm on the test rim with an inner width of 18.2 mm, it is the widest tire in the test. This offers extra padding and excellent puncture protection and makes every bumpy ride a comfortable Sunday ride. Enormous grip in all situations allowed our Lotta in particular to take a lot of momentum out of curves and serpentines. Good-natured cornering makes the Vittoria Corsa Compared to Continental tires, it is easy to control even for less experienced riders in tricky situations. In addition, there is the great self-damping, which absorbs vibrations and larger impacts well. No other tire we tested as a team provided as much cushioning over rough ground.
We cannot say if in the lab the Vittoria Corsa was the best tire in terms of rolling resistance. For us, the tire was the best mix of great grip, the best comfort and good rolling characteristics and made it the perfect all-rounder.
Roller trainer and TACX
Corona came and everything was sold out. Sina, the sorceress, organized another one somewhere. I think it came from our partner STADLER:
There were a few things I had to keep in mind: Since I don't have my own wheel for the reel, the team provided me with a second cassette with the same gear ratio, since I don't mount the cassette from the Tacx to the wheel and back every time I clamp it in and out, or mine want to recalibrate the circuit. Calibration via the app and pairing with the PC works without any problems and the Tacx is really very quiet. I'm having a lot of fun with the Tacx.
Clothing | Equipment and ALÉ | MACRON
The team has been accompanying the brands for more than 3 years ALE and MACRON. Both producers are represented by dealers Stadler and artioli.berlin.
For us, the be-all and end-all is that seat pad of the pants. For starters, inexpensive racing bike pants with a thin seat pad are certainly sufficient. With less than 100 kilometers and plenty of daily breaks, this is not a problem. The 600 kilometers per week GA1, peppered with hard intervals on the time trial bike, was followed by pain with frequent "off the saddle".
Many thought that “Assos” made the best seat pad ever. We weren't fans of The Best, but suffering drove us all to bike shops and astronomically priced pants. Since then it has been clear that there are actually differences in the seat pads. It is also clear that good branded trousers cost well over 200 euros. We chose a less expensive but precisely high-quality jersey/pants set from Alé decided. It also fits with our Italian direction.
After consulting Stadler in Prenzlauer Berg , we chose the sporty PRR line.
Between -8 and +8 degrees, long trousers with a thermal undershirt, long-sleeved or short-sleeved jersey and jacket are perfect. An undershirt and a long-sleeved jersey are then sufficient. The winter clothes also fit snugly, but don't pinch anywhere. Personally, I also like the bright yellow, which is present in different versions in the Alé line. But these are just details that are a matter of taste.
What makes a good jersey? Clear. The optics are very important for us as a team. They should be comfortable on the skin, the arm and leg ends should not dig in, and the zip should do its job unobtrusively. Then there are the small valuable details: we think the zipper that is covered on the collar is very successful. The jersey has a non-slip waistband and also a small zipped pocket on the back for change, cell phone or keys. The cuffs are pleasant, which are tight but without any pressure on the skin. It was also important to us that you can have your own designs made at Alé. We had our own jerseys made there according to our designer's specifications.
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Meals and DEXTRO
Dextro provides us with what we need in competition and during intensive sessions in training camp. In daily training we eat like normal cyclists.
workshop
The team from Zweirad Center Stadler takes care of us in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg and Charlottenburg .
Training control trainingpeaks
We've been using it for a good three years trainingpeaks as the central database for our team. I jot down my private appointments, read competition and travel plans, upload my training sessions there as well as my own metric data. The database is the linchpin of our competition, training and travel communication. The following applies here: Daily uploading of data and information and checking what the management writes. The sport directors have access to the data.
