{"id":11776,"title":"AG Insurance - NXTG women's UCI team","description":"We talk to Natascha Knaven about her hopes for the NXTG U23 women's team she established with her husband, and Paris-Roubaix winner, Servais Knaven","content":"

Published in<\/strong>: COBBLES & CLASSICS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Update 3 April 2024<\/strong>: This article was written in 2021. Since 2022 the NXTG team has been sponsored by companies linked to Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl boss Patrick Lefevere but in the latest update, founder Natascha Knaven-den Ouden has announced she has parted company.<\/p>

Natascha announced that \u201cOver the past year, an insurmountable difference of vision and insight arose that were at the basis of this project. I have therefore decided to withdraw as owner and team manager.\u201d<\/p>

Since we interviewed her, the team that Natascha founded with her husband and Paris-Roubaix winner Servais Knaven<\/strong><\/a> achieved World Tour status.<\/p>

The original article follows, most of which is still relevant ...<\/strong><\/p>

Team NXTG Racing rides solo in this age group. It's currently unique in being the only U23 women's UCI Continental-level team.<\/p>

If Team NXTG was a business you'd say it was filling an important gap in the market. The UCI's planned changes to the women's World Tour teams are likely to widen that gap.<\/p>

We spoke to Natascha Knaven, founder and owner of NXTG Racing about what makes the team so special, her hopes for the future and a strong UK connection.\"FemaleImage credit: Natascha Knaven, NXTG Racing<\/em><\/p>

Who is Natascha Knaven?<\/h3>

In the UK, we may not be familiar with Natascha Knaven. But if her surname rings a bell, it's because she\u2019s married to Servais Knaven. The 2001 Paris Roubaix winner and current Ineos Grenadiers Directeur Sportif. She has known Servais since she was sixteen when they were both racing.<\/p>

Natascha was a successful cyclist in her own right under her maiden name Natascha Den Ouden. Four times elite Dutch cyclocross champion as well as representing the Netherlands on the track at the world championships. But success on the road wasn\u2019t enough, she\u2019d planned to ride the mountain bike event at the Olympics in Atlanta. Unfortunately, illness thwarted her ambition.<\/p>

Natascha is now a practising physiotherapist. As her training to be a physiotherapist intensified, she had to choose between her future career and the sport she loved.<\/p>

Her own team<\/h3>

Natascha is the mother of four girls. As each took up cycle racing, she found she had a ready-made cycling team of her own.<\/p>

As her daughters' experience grew on the road, their chances to progress did not. Her girls faced a barrier as they moved from junior to senior categories.<\/p>

Unlike U23 racing for men, which has an established structure and series of races, junior girls leap straight into the elite. With race distances doubling between the levels. From 80 kilometres for juniors up to 160 kilometres for elite women.<\/p>

NXTG is born<\/h3>

The answer to Natascha seemed simple. Set up her own team to smooth the transition from junior to U23 and then elite. Natascha hopes the team will act as a pioneer and inspire others to establish similar teams.<\/p>

The team is named NXTG<\/a> (the NeXT Generation) and currently comprises U23 and U19 squads.\"FemaleImage credit: Natascha Knaven, NXTG Racing<\/em><\/p>

Four years ago the team was established solely for juniors. For the last three years, it has operated as an U23 team, becoming a UCI Continental level team in 2020.<\/p>

World Tour changes<\/h3>

The UCI plans to increase the number of women's World Tour teams in 2022 from the current nine to 15. Without feeder teams like NXTG, there is likely to be a lack of suitable riders ready to fill that 70-plus rider gap.<\/p>

Teams may be forced to employ riders who are underprepared for the challenge. This may result in a high turnover of riders and loss of women to the sport as they are overcome by the challenge.<\/p>

Team principles<\/h3>

Establishing the team has been a learning curve for Natascha and her colleagues. After the first year, she realised the need to pick the riders more carefully. All the riders were potential winners. The problem was that they all wanted to win which proved counterproductive.<\/p>

The team aims to allow riders to develop and learn without pressure. In the first year as an U23, a rider may well suffer many DNFs. The team provides support to help them through what can be a difficult period.<\/p>

Many riders struggle, not because they do not produce the watts, but because they have yet to learn skills such as riding on cobbles or in a very large field.<\/p>

The team enables and encourages riders to continue their education. Riders are offered internships by the team's sponsors. Not all riders will make it to the professional level. Even if they do, the possibility exists that they will suffer an injury and be forced to abandon their cycling careers.<\/p>

Ambitions<\/h3>

The long-term ambition for the team is to become a women's World Tour team with a complete structure from junior through to elite. NXTG also collaborates with other teams to loan riders so that they gain experience and develop at an appropriate pace.<\/p>

For Natascha, success is the continued progress and improvement of riders and the team. She cited the recent performance of team member Myl\u00e8ne de Zoete who placed third in a stage of the Volta Valenciana. It was a result that relied upon teamwork to keep her near the front for the final sprint.<\/p>

The team featured in breaks and the finale of each stage of the recent Lotto Belgium Tour. Shari Bossuyt's ride on the final stage which finished atop the Muur van Geraardsbergen was a highlight. The young Belgian finished in fifth place just 14 seconds behind winner Lotte Kopecky to finish seventh overall.<\/p>

NXTG shone on the Muur van Geraardsbergen<\/h3>

\"CobblesGeraardsbergen<\/em><\/a> by <\/em>Ayla<\/em><\/a> <\/em>CC by 2.0<\/em><\/a><\/p>

Brits onboard<\/h3>

The current team has a mix of nationalities on their roster at present. Dutch, Belgian, Swedish, Chilean and British riders Amelia Sharpe and Emily Wadsworth. Emily was recommended by GCN\/Eurosport commentator Jose Been, who is a volunteer for the team.<\/p>

Emily was formerly a full-time MTB rider on the British Cycling Academy and rode for Tom Pidcock\u2019s CX team.<\/p>

Multi-national family<\/h3>

Natascha and her husband, both Dutch nationals, decided to move five kilometres across the border into Belgium. The reason for moving? They liked the house.<\/p>

Reflecting freedom that we in the UK can now only dream about, daughter Britt has chosen to become a Belgian national.<\/p>

Britt placed tenth in the recent Belgian time trial championships won by Lotte Kopecky. Is it possible that one day at the world or European championships the sisters might be on rival teams?<\/p>

Callum Macleod<\/h3>

During our Zoom conversation, Natascha called over Callum Macleod who is the boyfriend of one of her daughters.<\/p>

He's better known in the UK as a winner of the U23 National Trophy Cyclocross series and road racer for Canyon dhb SunGod.<\/p>

Callum, like many others, has faced a number of residency issues due to Brexit whilst trying to carve out his cycling career. It's an issue that Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome recently highlighted in an open letter<\/a>.<\/p>

Hands-on approach<\/h3>

Once the team had been established, Natascha had hoped to take a more hands-off role. However, this has not happened. Team members value her presence and involvement, explaining that they feel safe with her continued oversight.<\/p>

Sponsors too were keen for her to retain her direct involvement. Many had backed the team because of Natascha's vision and participation. For them, she is the team. It results in a packed day with her physiotherapy work from 8 AM to 3 PM and then team duties into the afternoon and evening.<\/p>

Why are the Dutch girls so good at cycling?<\/h3>

It's a question I keep asking. Why do Dutch girls make such good riders? Natascha believes it's because they race with the boys from the age of seven. Riding criteriums with lots of bends develops both fitness and cornering skills.<\/p>

My thanks to Natascha for her time and help.<\/p>

Tim Costello, 5 July 2021.<\/p>

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