Image 1 of 4 Crowds gather around the Team Sky car (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 2 of 4 The Twenty16 Sho-Air team lead the bunch (Image credit: Jonathan Devich) Image 3 of 4 Genevieve Jeanson won the junior Worlds in 1999 (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 4 of 4 The US cyclo-cross peloton has grown (Image credit: Jon Devich)

Team Sky part ways with Jaguar

Team Sky will announce a new partnership for 2016 after they confirmed to Cyclingnews that their association with Jaguar would come to an end this year.

Jaguar have provided Team Sky with race vehicles for a number of years and the two bodies worked together on a number of innovations, including Team Sky’s Pinarello DOGMA K8-S, which was used during the Spring Classics.

However, when Team Sky unveiled their new jersey and kit for 2016 on Friday the Jaguar logo was nowhere to be seen, prompting questions over the future of their partnership with Team Sky.

A Team Sky spokesperson told Cyclingnews: “We would like to thank Jaguar for their support, dedication and the collaborative approach which has resulted in huge innovations to cycling – not only across the range of race vehicles but also by adding their innovation and engineering expertise to the development of the ground-breaking Pinarello Dogma F8 and the Pinarello K8-S bikes. Team Sky will be announcing a new automotive partner for the 2016 season soon.”

TWENTY16 set up scholarship programme for female riders

The "Race to Education" program has been launched by the TWENTY16 presented by Sho-Air cycling team with the aim of providing direct financial assistance to junior female cyclists seeking to pursue their education.

The scholarship programme has been co-founded by Barry Bonds, TWENTY16 General Manager Nicola Cranmer and Team Director Mari Holden.

“Barry is passionate about education and the sport of cycling," said Cranmer in a press release. "His vision for our Race to Education program has sparked new inspiration for our pro cycling team. Over the past 10 years, we've been able to successfully develop junior athletes and connect them with colleges, but we recognize that some of our athletes need financial assistance."

The progamme will see scholarships awarded to full-time high school students or first year college students within the US.

“I am very proud of my association with TWENTY16 and our junior scholarship program. Working with the juniors allows me to use my experience from years of racing and training to help our athletes be successful both at the races and in life," said director and Olympic medallist, Holden. "I believe that the values learned by training, racing and striving to achieve new goals both on the bike and in the classroom help foster the core principles of perseverance and excellence that are key to a successful life.”

Genevieve Jeanson - Exclusive Podcast

Genevieve Jeanson, a former Canadian cyclist who confessed to using erythropoietin (EPO) during most of her career from 1998 until caught in 2005, resurfaced as a spectator at the World Championships in Richmond, Virginia. She sat down with Cyclingnews in an exclusive podcast discussion on September 27, which was released roughly ten weeks later on December 9.

During the interview, Jeanson opened up about her relationship with coach Andre Aubut and made serious allegations that prompted Cyclingnews to investigate further. Cyclingnews also conducted four follow-up interviews with Jeanson to develop a timeline and provide clarity to her claims.

To read the full feature and listen to the podcast click here. To read the follow-up interviews click here. And to subscribe to the Cyclingnews Podcast click here.

Transgender cyclist can't race men's US cyclo-cross nationals

Molly Cameron, who was assigned male at birth but identifies as a woman, was initially told by USA Cycling that she cannot compete in the men's race at the US Cyclo-cross National Championships held in Asheville, North Carolina, in January, according to a report in BikePortland.org.

Cameron, who is 39 and owns the Portland Bicycle Studio, has raced in the men's A category all season and she had 14 top-five finishes. According to the report, Cameron's USA Cycling race licence and her driver's licence list her as female. However, USA Cycling rules (7B.1c) stipulate that women cannot enter men's events.

According to the report, Cameron started competing in the women's events but switched to competing with the men after being harassed by female competitors. In addition, the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association told Cameron that she could only compete with the women if she had gender-reassignment surgery.

She tried to register for cyclo-cross nationals in the men's category, but could not because her USA Cycling licence has her listed as female. Although USA Cycling told Cameron that she could file a petition, the likelihood of that being solved before nationals is slim.

USA Cycling Manager of Communications Kevin Loughery recently responded to the matter by saying, “Our national championships rules — unlike regional or non-championships events — state that competitors must race in the gender category stated on his or her license. However, we understand that this is a complicated issue and the application of our existing gender rules in this case may not be what was intended. We seek to be fair to all transgender athletes, including Molly, and will immediately look into this case to see if we can find a just solution.”