Audrey Cordon-Ragot had to wait more than 20 minutes before she stepped onto the podium of the Vargarda WestSweden Road Race for the award ceremonies That was the time needed by the race jury to decide whether she should take the second or first step the French champion jumped onto the highest one The jury’s decision overturned the road verdict where Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) beat Audrey in the final sprint charging the Dutchwoman with an illegal bike position that occurred 12kms from the finish Hence the decision was made to disqualify her and declare Audrey the winner super proud of the performance of my teammates We showed our strength with an amazing teamwork and my role was to finalize the huge work they did was the most important thing happened today and what I’ll retain from the race - Audrey Cordon-Ragot Postnord Vargarda WestSweden RR 2022 - Vargarda - Vargarda 125,7 km - 07/08/2022 - Audrey Cordon-Ragot (FRA - Trek - Segafredo) - photo Rafa Gomez/SprintCyclingAgency©2022 it’s a strange situation,” says again Audrey “After the finish line I was happy for my second place  I had no regrets because I was beat by the strongest rider in the peloton at the moment I was definitely not embarrassed to be second But then I was told I was the winner and my name will be on the palmares because she was the first who recognized that a rule is rule and accepted the sanction,” it’s a good reward for the efforts and sacrifices I did since the beginning of the year but because me and my team rode strong.” Postnord Vargarda WestSweden RR 2022 - Vargarda - Vargarda 125,7 km - 07/08/2022 - Ellen Van Dijk (NED - Trek - Segafredo) - Audrey Cordon-Ragot (FRA - Trek - Segafredo) - photo Rafa Gomez/SprintCyclingAgency©2022 Postnord Vargarda WestSweden RR 2022 - Vargarda - Vargarda 125,7 km - 07/08/2022 - Audrey Cordon-Ragot (FRA - Trek - Segafredo) - Marianne Vos (NED - Team Jumbo - Visma) Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR - Team DSM) - photo Rafa Gomez/SprintCyclingAgency©2022 Audrey’s words matched what was evident in the race Though the victory came only through a jury’s decision Cordon-Ragot presented a bold performance to stake her success on the road until the very last meter Audrey’s gutsy ride best represents the spirit with which Trek-Segafredo approached today’s race An aggressive ride that saw Lauretta Hanson and Chloe Hosking on the attack followed by Shirin van Anrooij and Ellen van Dijk The forcing of  the TT World Champion made the decisive selection with around 20kms to go and set the stage for Cordon-Ragot Georgi and Demay to successfully arrive to the finish together Postnord Vargarda WestSweden RR 2022 - Vargarda - Vargarda 125,7 km - 07/08/2022 - Lauretta Hanson (AUS - Trek - Segafredo) - photo Rafa Gomez/SprintCyclingAgency©2022 Postnord Vargarda WestSweden RR 2022 - Vargarda - Vargarda 125,7 km - 07/08/2022 - Ellen Van Dijk (NED - Trek - Segafredo) - photo Rafa Gomez/SprintCyclingAgency©2022 The French Champions explains that “In the briefing of the morning we agreed that we would need an aggressive approach to have a chance for a win against strong and on form competitors like Vos and Wiebes I think we did an amazing job to make it happen Every lap of the final circuit we attacked with Ellen and me waiting until the lasts laps,” we decided to force the pace on the climb to make a real selection The teamwork put me and Ellen in a small group with the best riders first Ellen and then my attempt was the right one to select again the leading group I found myself in the breakaway with Marianne and we cooperated well to keep the gap with the peloton unlike Georgi and Demay who just followed our wheels,” “The attack of Georgi in the last kilometers dropped Demay so I thought that was my only way to have a chance against her… but Marianne is Marianne Jolanda Neff dominated Sunday on one of her favorite World Cup courses Organisers cite economic factors and UCI requirements The Women's WorldTour became two days shorter as organisers of two WorldTour events in Sweden announced they are ceasing its organisation of the Vårgårda West Sweden road race and team time trial The two events have been a fixture on the women's calendar since 2006 and 2008 The races would have been the weekend after the first unified UCI World Championships in Glasgow, and were scheduled for August 19-20, just two days before the start of the Tour of Scandinavia which last year took riders through Norway The Vårgårda West Sweden organisers made the announcement on the race website citing the slow economy coupled with increasing financial requirements both from the UCI and local transportation regulations that have put the budget out of reach "After 25 years of organising elite races at the highest level the club is now forced to turn down the opportunity to continue as Sweden's only World Tour organiser," the announcement stated "The reason is financial and increasing demands for a different type of organisation." The organisers say the total budget is over 4 million kroner (about €370,000) "Despite considerable financial support from our long-standing partners and in particular the Vårgårda Municipality the Savings Bank Foundation and Sparbanken Alingsås the club is unable to finance the event responsibly without risking the future of the association "The club also sees increased demands from the UCI both organisationally and financially in the coming years and beyond the Swedish Transport Administration will apply regulations for road races that will have a significant impact on costs." The organisation hadn't a single kroner to show for all of the hours their volunteers put in "The economy is a big part of the decision but also an increasing demand on our organisation We have in many ways helped develop women's cycling in the world," she added citing TV broadcasts and better conditions for the racers since the inception "Women's cycling is certainly on the right track but we don't see any possibility of shouldering the increased demands to run races at the absolute highest level The cycling festival has for a quarter of a century been a standing event and put Vårgårda and West Sweden on the world map "We are incredibly grateful and impressed by all these efforts and forces that have acted over the years." she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track Laura has a passion for all three disciplines When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads UCI governance and performing data analysis Team Jumbo-Visma has finished fourth on the first day of the Vårgårda WestSweden the yellow and black brigade came thirty seconds short of the podium made its first appearance on the calendar in 2019 the race was not held the past two years; today the teams could race again in and around Vårgårda Anouska Koster and Carlijn Achtereekte appeared at the start but it proved not enough to finish on the podium Team SD Worx (second) and Team DSM (third) were all faster "Of course it's a shame that we just missed out on a podium place The goal of the team time trial was to gain experience and ride technically well "Four riders had never ridden a team time trial Because the Vuelta also contains a team time trial Of course there are still plenty of improvements to be gained Subscribe yourself for the Team Visma | Lease a Bike newsletter and receive previews for races The solar-hydrogen Vårgårda project in Sweden is a breakthrough in clean energy and sustainable building When the complex is completed and fully operational a total of 172 flats in six housing blocks will be capable of operating completely free from external energy sources Residents will be 100 percent independent and disconnected from electrical power grids outside heating sources and fluctuating electricity prices The rooftop solar PV panels alone will produce enough energy to meet their power needs year-round The challenge of renewable energy is that energy production and consumer demand do not always match a long-term storage solution is needed to provide electricity and heat when the sun shines less By storing surplus energy in the form of hydrogen solar-hydrogen projects offer a 100 percent clean Hydrogen gas has the largest energy content of any fuel which means that a small amount of hydrogen can store a large amount of energy Hydrogen is also chemically stable and can store energy for long periods of time energy from the sun can be harnessed and stored for later use producing only oxygen and pure water as waste products our solution involves the limitless energy of the sun and the simplest Resources and technologies right in front of us It’s brilliantly simple,” explains EVP Sales Electricity production from hydrogen is not new but Better Energy and Nilsson Energy are combining their engineering know-how in the world's first large-scale system with a renewable energy source Solar panels on the Vårgårda housing block soak up sunlight and convert it into energy Surplus energy passes through an inverter and is collected in a battery that is used to power an electrolyzer The electrolyzer produces hydrogen gas by splitting water molecules into the base elements of hydrogen and oxygen The hydrogen is compressed to 300 bar and stored in a pressure tank the hydrogen can be converted cleanly and efficiently back into electricity by way of a hydrogen fuel cell The only emissions from the system are oxygen and pure water “There is no doubt that solar-hydrogen solutions can help decarbonize future energy systems Hydrogen storage enables renewable energy integration and increases system resilience,” concluded CEO Rasmus Lildholdt Kjær Be one of the first to try our new activity feed Three seconds of 'puppy paws' proves extremely costly for Marianne Vos Marianne Vos was celebrating victory at the Postnord Vårgårda WestSweden road race when commissaires made a very late decision to disqualify the Jumbo-Visma rider for breaking the so-called ‘puppy paws’ rule about 13 kilometres from the finish Trek-Segafredo’s Audrey Cordon-Ragot inherited the victory It would be a terrible pr move for the uci to DSQ Vos for 3 seconds of puppy paws, but technically they should do it. #VargardaWWT pic.twitter.com/NB1l1CJXLE “When I was in that ‘puppy paw position’ I immediately switched to the correct position,” Vos said a while after the news broke it was enough for the UCI to disqualify me “We’ll have to accept their decision I feel bad about it because I did not benefit from it The infraction came shortly after the decisive move broke clear from the speeding peloton With the currently unbeatable Lorena Wiebes in the pack attacks had been relentless in the late laps of the Swedish one-day race and Vos was one of those determined to make something stick Valerie Demey (Liv Racing Xstra) and Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Trek-Segafredo) eventually formed the winning move and it was Vos who ultimately raised her arms in victory in Vårgårda However, there were rumblings among the most watchful eyes who had spotted Vos’s momentary lapse in judgment as decades of racing instinct brought her forearms down to her bars, fingertips dangling over the front wheel: ‘puppy paws’, i.e. a position that was banned by the UCI last season How does it take nearly 40 mins to makr a decision on something like that? Surely it should be clear cut. https://t.co/pcprZKMvLu Vos had been celebrating a fourth victory at the race (she won in 2009 2013 and 2018) with her teammates and giving post-race interviews Fourth victory in Vårgårda for this legend! 🇸🇪🏆🇸🇪🏆🇸🇪🏆🇸🇪🏆 @marianne_vos#VargardaWWT pic.twitter.com/eSYrDIBsGq French national champion Cordon-Ragot was the fortunate beneficiary of Vos’s DSQ but the upgrade from second place behind “the strongest rider in the peloton” to a 19th pro victory registered as slightly hollow for the Trek-Segafredo rider “To be honest, I have a mixed feeling,” Cordon-Ragot said after learning she’d been crowned victor was the most important thing happened today and what I’ll retain from the race.” Cordon-Ragot sees her victory in Sweden as just reward for herself and her team which brought one of the strongest rosters to the Swedish one-day race and I am still proud of it,” Cordon-Ragot continued “I had no regrets because I was beat by the strongest rider in the peloton at the moment But then I was told I was the winner and my name will be on the palmarès because she was the first who recognized that a rule is rule and accepted the sanction.” That the final decision came more than 30 minutes after Vos had crossed the finish line makes the pill all the more bitter, echoing the devastatingly late disqualification suffered by Nils Eekhoff at the U23 road world champs in Harrogate in 2019 It once again begs the question: surely an in-race infraction can and should be dealt with before the culprit has a chance of winning and one of the others being a teammate of Wiebes it’s pretty likely that a DSQ on entry to the last lap would have changed the outcome dramatically and Wiebes would be celebrating an umpteenth 2022 victory the incident coming so close to the end of the race so it would have required very quick and decisive action from the race jury but what we’ve got is a race dominated tactically by Jumbo-Visma and Marianne Vos whose signature is all over the last lap or so but whose name does not appear at the top of the results sheet What’s it like to be an American cyclist living in France Watch to get professional road cyclist Joe Dombrowski’s view You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience the long-term storage benefits of compressed hydrogen coupled with an abundance of solar radiation in the summer months will allow for a fully energy-sufficient 172 home apartment block in Sweden all of the apartment complex's electricity and heating needs are expected to be met through on-site solar generation and storage By combining solar PV and hydrogen fuel cells what has been described as the world’s first fully off-grid is in the process of being realized in the Vårgårda Municipality of Sweden the breakthrough project was initiated by municipal housing company Vårgårda Bostäder alongside partners Danish firm Better Energy and Sweden-based Nilsson Energy all of the apartment complex's electricity and heating needs –172 flats across six blocks – are expected to be met through on-site solar generation and storage each block is on track to have a PV system installed on its roof which should cover the energy needs of its residents while the excess energy will be stored for later use A spokesperson for Better Energy told pv magazine that currently one out of a total of six buildings has been built and is in service “Each building (of 30 flats) has 109 kWp solar on the roof to cover 100% of the electrical and heating needs So the total when all six building are finished will be 659 kWp,” they said Electricity production from hydrogen is a well-known concept however the Vårgårda project innovated this technique from a residential planning perspective by intertwining it with residential solar systems thus offering a complementary approach to meeting year-round energy needs in a sustainable fashion the harsh Swedish winter climate will be off-set through the long-term hydrogen storage system thereby maximizing solar surpluses during the long Scandinavian summer days An additional advantage is that hydrogen electricity generation produces heat as a by-product offering combined cycle benefits during the harsh winter The concept was tested by Nilsson Energy in a partnership with AT Solar in May 2018, during the pilot project “RE 8760” Hydrogen can be stored over a long time-span and can be combusted like a fossil fuel; however one of its main limitations is the large energy input required Directing solar generation peaks into the hydrogen storage thereby minimizes waste Hydrogen renewable energy storage solutions thus offer prospects for balancing some of the primary difficulties of solar generation’s relationship with the grid This copy was amended on 19/12/19 to correct the spelling of the company Nilsson Energy More articles from Ciaran MacDermott How much energy will by stored in hydrogen for winter What the efficiency of this method – output/input Please be mindful of our community standards and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. × The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close Trek-Segafredo clocked the fastest time in every time check and crossed the line in 43 minutes and 53 seconds (48.675 km/h) to claim victory in the UCI Women’s WorldTour team time trial in Sweden finished in second with Team Sunweb rounding out the podium for the 35.6-kilometer course The Trek-Segafredo team was comprised of European TT Champion Ellen van Dijk and I love it so much because everyone on the team is happy It’s actually a shame that this is the only time we can really do this but it’s a good morale boost for everyone in the team It’s just great to celebrate all this together – good vibes!” said Ellen van Dijk who recently defended her European Championships time trial title but the former World Champion in the discipline said it was not a problem today: it’s a bit more painful after the adrenaline is gone and hopefully tomorrow it will be fine again I will have to see – at the European’s [Championships] road race it was really bad but I have good hopes that tomorrow it will be better again.” Ellen van Dijk and her Trek Segafredo teammates are all smiles as they wait for the podium The first time we did the training it felt good right from the beginning so we went into the race today with positive vibes The 35.6-kilometer course saw a tailwind for the first half and a strong headwind for the return leg but Trek-Segafredo continued to build on their early lead from eight seconds at the first intermediate time check  It was a dominant performance from the team in a discipline that is not raced often in women’s cycling and no longer an event at the UCI World Championships for trade teams The UCI WWT Postnord Vårgårda West Sweden continues Sunday with the road race and Lizzie Deignan will take the start replacing Tayler Wiles who has had an incredible season so far  Wiles will line up again in the Tour of Norway that begins August 22nd Jumbo-Visma legend celebrated win but then was denied victory after rule infraction This is exactly what happened to Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) at the Postnord Vårgårda WestSweden road race on Sunday as the Dutchwoman briefly adopted the banned 'puppy paws' position on her way to apparent victory Despite only being in the position for about three seconds Vos was disqualified after lengthy deliberation by the UCI commissaires meaning the win went to Audrey Cordon-Ragot of Trek-Segafredo instead The illegal move came as the winning break at the Swedish WorldTour race had formed with about 13km to go Vos and Cordon-Ragot went clear of the peloton and then Vos popped her hands over the handlebars The rule-breaking was immediately noticed on social media; the position has been banned since last year the UCI introduced strict punishments for anyone riding in a number of unconventional riding positions on safety grounds even though she barely benefited from the banned position In fact, the Dutchwoman, who recently won the green jersey at the Tour de France Femmes was already giving post-race interviews when the news came through “When I was in that ‘puppy paw position’ I quickly realised it was not allowed," Vos said "I immediately switched to the correct position it was enough for the UCI to disqualify me," said Vos who did not argue the decision and accepted the disqualification You usually don’t ride in that position In the aftermath of the rule changes last year, several high profile riders were disqualified, including Richard Carapaz at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and was therefore awarded the victory following Vos' disqualification admitted to having "mixed feeling" about the result therefore the Trek rider barely had a chance to properly acknowledge her triumph “I’m super happy for the race I did super proud of the performance of my teammates," the Frenchwoman said "We showed our strength with an amazing teamwork and my role was to finalize the huge work they did was the most important thing happened today and what I’ll retain from the race After the finish line I was happy for my second place I had no regrets because I was beat by the strongest rider in the peloton at the moment But then I was told I was the winner and my name will be on the palmares because she was the first who recognized that a rule is rule and accepted the sanction.” It was an "unexpected" reward for her ride as she had crossed the line thinking that she was second; considering Vos' career achievements it is never a bad thing to finish behind her it’s a good reward for the efforts and sacrifices I did since the beginning of the year I’m not proud and happy because I won but because me and my team rode strong,” she said but it would have been a better look for all if the decision had been made quickly Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 Before joining CW in 2021 he spent two years writing for Procycling He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds Before cycling took over his professional life he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider Don't ask how that is related to riding bikes Jumbo-Visma riders wins the sprint but losses victory 30 minutes after the race for three-second 'puppy paws' aero position UCI officials made their decision as the riders waited for the podium ceremony 30 minutes after the finish of the race.  Cordon-Ragot had attacked on the penultimate lap with 13 km to go and was joined by Vos Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM) and Valerie Demey (Liv Racing Xstra) Cordon-Ragot and Vos did the majority of work pulling the group with Demey taking an occasional turn and Georgi sitting on as her team had sprinter Lorena Wiebes in the group behind The quartet had a 15-second advantage with one 11-kilometre lap to go They increased this further on the first half of the final lap leading the peloton to stop chasing in earnest 1.6km from the finish Georgi attacked at the flamme rouge but was quickly closed down by Vos who stayed on the Briton's wheel As Demey wasn't able to follow the acceleration Georgi led Vos and Cordon-Ragot onto the finishing straight The French champion launched her sprint first but Vos had no trouble coming past her Cordon-Ragot finished ahead of Georgi and Demey was six seconds behind.  Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) won the sprint of the peloton 10 seconds behind Over half an hour after the race had finished a UCI commissaire approached Vos as she was waiting for the podium ceremony and explained the situation Vos had rested her forearms on her handlebars in the banned ‘puppy paws’ position for about three seconds That decision made Cordon-Ragot the winner and we immediately had a small gap,” Vos explained the decisive attack in the post-race interview before she was disqualified “Audrey Cordon-Ragot and I kept pushing from the start and Valerie Demey also did some good pulls Pfeiffer Georgi wasn’t really taking turns but that’s bike racing.”  “I felt straight away that I had good legs,” Cordon-Ragot said when she still thought she was runner-up.  trying to attack every lap to make the race hard and then I could go in the break with Marianne and two others I collaborated with Marianne and then tried to do a good sprint closing her a little bit with the barriers and waiting for a short sprint,” she said “I am the kind of rider who is just going to ride I’m not going to stay in the wheels and wait for a sprint because Marianne is in the break so I just do my job as I should do it.” The 125.7-kilometre race consisted of a long loop with three gravel sectors followed by eight laps on an 11-kilometre circuit with the small Hägrungabacken hill about 6 km from the finish line.  Stine Borgli (FDJ SUEZ Futuroscope) went solo early on and stayed ahead until the second of the finishing laps Borgli’s teammate Jade Wiel was the next to get away staying in front for seven kilometres before she was caught again 49.5 km from the line Alicia González (Movistar Team) also had a brief stint off the front at the end of the fourth local lap Ellen van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo) pulled hard up Hägrungabacken to string out the peloton creating a front group of about 20 riders.  After several attacks and counter-attacks that didn’t get away Cordon-Ragot made a move again 13km from the finish line and took Vos It was here that Vos made the disastrous mistake of moving into the ‘puppy paws’ position for a few seconds before remembering it had been banned and taking up a normal position again the four front runners were 15 seconds ahead increasing this to 21 seconds three kilometres later Vos and Cordon-Ragot kept going over the hill and towards the finish to make the move stay away and Vos quickly neutralised Georgi’s attack on the final kilometre before the turn onto the finishing straight and the sprint Results powered by FirstCycling Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018 A disqualification has spoiled the Vargarda WestSweden Road Race for Marianne Vos The Dutch rider of Team Jumbo-Visma seemed to take the victory convincingly but was disqualified after the race because she had briefly rested her forearms on the handlebars the race seemed to be going in the right direction for Vos and Team Jumbo-Visma including the leader of the yellow-black formation I immediately switched to the correct position Apparently it was enough for the UCI to disqualify me Despite the disappointment of missing out on victory but it is a rule and it is strictly enforced The green jersey winner in the Tour was satisfied with the race It was a bit of a switch to be racing again The past week was all about recovering from the Tour Now I suddenly found myself in the hectic of a race again The team helped me a lot to get back into it We were alert and had a good position in the front "I don't think today's disqualification detracts from the team performance” "Our riders were always in the front and did what they had to do But it is what it is; we have to accept it We can go to the next race with our heads held high." Cordon-Ragot has 'a mixed feeling' about her first individual Women's WorldTour victory Cordon-Ragot finished ahead of Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM) and Valerie Demey (Liv Racing Xstra) with Georgi moving up to second and Demey gaining a podium spot in third Boels Dolmans return to try for a fourth consecutive title Boels Dolmans win third consecutive Team Time Trial in Vargarda Boels Dolmans celebrate third Vargarda TTT success The course is 36km – six kilometres shorter than last year – and it starts and finishes in Vårgårda with a turn-around point in Herrljunga There will be two intermediate split checkpoints: the first in Herrljunga at 16km and the second in Vårgårda at 32km and the last kilometre is uphill to the finish line Boels Dolmans won last year's edition of the Postnord Vårgårda WestSweden TTT The team had continued their run of success in the team time trial discipline by winning the race for the third year in a row. Team Sunweb finished in second place The new stage race is expected to be the combined efforts of the organisers of the PostNord Vårgårda WestSweden and the Ladies Tour of Norway The new event is expected to replace the Swedish and Norwegian races Boels Dolmans return with a powerful team that includes road race world champion Anna van der Breggen newly crowned European champion Amy Pieters Canadian road champion Karol-Ann Canuel and Luxembourg champion Christine Majerus Canadian time trial champion Leah Kirchmann will not be returning to the TTT but there are several other teams capable of standing on the podium in Vårgårda They were the last team to ever win a world championship title in the trade team time trial in Innsbruck last year The UCI announced they would replace the trade team discipline with a new mixed team relay for national teams in future World Championships Trek-Segafredo will be on the start line with the powerful Ellen van Dijk It's a team that could very well win the title this year Vos will likely want to save her energy for the next day's road race Mitchelton-Scott will be without their time trial world champion Annemiek van Vleuten they have a strong combination with Jessica Allen WNT-Rotor bring time trial specialist Lisa Brennauer along with Lea Lin Teutenberg FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope and BTC City Ljubljana gallery and related news for the 2019 Postnord Vågårda WestSweden TTT on Saturday Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006 Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023 Rabo-Liv returns to defend TTT title; D'hoore absent in road race Rabo-Liv back to defend title at Crescent Vargarda Women's WorldTour team time trial Last year, Rabo-Liv Women Cycling Team secured the victory of the Vargarda team time trail The powerful team covered the 42.5km circuit-style course with the fastest time dethroning three-time defending champions Velocio-SRAM in second But they went on to place third at the 2015 World Championships in Richmond the Dutch team will return to defend their title along the same 42.5km route between Vargarda and Herrljunga where crosswinds typically play a factor in the race travel from Vargarda to Herrljunga before turning back along the same route They will then tackle a smaller loop around Vargarda and end back at the start-finish line "Our team takes the TTT very seriously and many of my teammates have had a lot of success in the event so I am looking forward to learning lots," said Hannah Barnes which has some of the same riders as the former Velocio-SRAM team Wide-open Crescent Vargarda Women's WorldTour road race in defending champion D'hoore's absence Last year, D'hoore won the Vargarda road race from three-up sprint ahead of her Wiggle Honda teammate Giorgia Bronzini and Lisa Brennauer who then raced for the now disbanded Velocio-SRAM but that left her little time to travel back to Sweden to contest the event Sunday's 141km road race has been revised from previous years to include four 11km laps at the beginning of the race The field will then complete a longer lap of 55km "Most races are hard to predict and looking at the profile of the course with a couple of climbs in I think there's a possibility to come down to a sprint," Barnes said "But anything can happen and if there is a good selection of riders that get a gap on the peloton then there is no reason why they wouldn't be able to stay away and race to the finish the Vargarda team time trial and road race will include the strongest teams and riders Rabo-Liv will be back to defend their time trial title Runner-up team Velocio-SRAM ended at the end of last year but the third-placed team Boels-Dolmans will be on the start line with a goal of winning the event Also on the start line will be Canyon-SRAM Team BMS Birn and national teams from Finland and Norway the road race will be wide open but look to her teammate and last year's runner-up Bronzini to be among those vying for the victory should the race come down to a sprint She also has capable teammates in Chloe Hosking who won the bronze medal in the road race at the Olympic Games She will have support from former winner Chantal Blaak and fellow Olympians Evelyn Stevens and Ellen Van Dijk Guarnier is currently leading the Women's WorldTour with 886 points Armitstead is in second with 545 points and Leah Kirchmann (Liv-Plantur) in third with 542 points Rabo-Liv's Anna van der Breggen will still be on a high from winning the gold medal in the road race and silver medal in the time trial in Rio She will be supported by teammates Marianne Vos Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio lines up with a strong Cervelo-Bigla squad with support from Canadians Gabrielle Pilot-Fortin and Finland's break-out rider Lotta Lepisto Brennauer returns with Canyon-SRAM and strong teammates in Elena Checchini and Trixi Worrack who was a part of a decisive breakaway on the Rio road race course And American team Cylance will showcase their new signing Carmen Small along with Valentina Scandolara After picking up the silver medal in the time trial in Rio for Russia Olga Zubelinskaya will lead BePink alongside La Route de France winner Amber Neben Five-time world champions finish second in Vargarda Postnord Vargarda WestSweden TTT 2019 – Preview Trek-Segafredo win Postnord Vargarda WestSweden TTT WNT-Rotor out of Vargarda TTT after incident with car causes team to crash but she is not feeling well after the crash in London," said Lisa Klein We could feel from the start that the sixth rider was missing I think we can be happy with our result with five riders." Canyon-SRAM team manager Ronny Lauke told Cyclingnews that the changed World Championships program has also caused a change in the team's focus Without the title of world champion to aim for trade TTTs no longer have the same priority The team has won the world title on five occasions under it's previous titles Specialized-lululemon Velocio-SRAM and Canyon-SRAM (2012-15 and 2018) the TTT World Championships have always been a strong focus and a heavy investment for preparation It was the only chance for a trade team to call themselves world champions we carry the logo on our jersey and vehicles with extra pride since we are the last ones who can wear it." The number of TTTs on the 2019 women's race calendar has declined in comparison with previous years there were four team time trials on the UCI Women's WorldTour: The Giro Rosa opening TTT a stand-alone TTT at the Ladies Tour of Norway and the stage 1 TTT at the Madrid Challenge the TTT World Championships were a highlight to close out the season and the Tour of Thailand and Healthy Ageing Tour also included TTTs there were always between four and six trade-team TTTs at various UCI races the number of team time trials on the UCI calendar has fallen to only two – the opening TTT at the Giro Rosa we don't put specific preparation into it," says Lauke "We would rather use the financial resources to focus on development in ITT and other areas we have done one course recon and TTT practice the day before we don't put the same focus into it anymore I believe our group achieved a great result today." The Yorkshire World Road Championships in September will see the first mixed relay world champions being crowned with national selections taking the place of trade teams on the first day of the World Championships We don't know yet which riders will be selected for the team relay in Yorkshire PowerCell Sweden AB (publ) has received an order from Nilsson Energy for a PowerCell PS-5 fuel cell system The system will contribute to make a million homes programme house in Vårgårda self-sufficient in renewable energy "Fuel cells and hydrogen will play a decisive role in the transition to a fossil-free and sustainable society The project in Vårgårda is truly exciting and yet another testimony to the many possibilities that the fuel cell technology offers," said Per Wassén The English version is an in house-translation The municipal housing company Vårgårda Bostäder is currently working on making several houses of the million homes programme self-sufficient on renewable energy The properties are owned by the municipal housing company Vårgårda Bostäder while Nilsson Energy is responsible for systems and integration The first house is now being renovated and the ordered fuel cell system will be used there six houses with 29 apartments each will be renovated and the plan is to install fuel cells in each house The hydrogen will be stored in a building separated from the residential buildings The houses are initially two-story buildings but are now being expanded with a third floor to accommodate more apartments and new roofs optimized for the use of solar cells the houses are being made more energy-efficient The energy that is not used during the summer will be converted to hydrogen and stored the stored hydrogen will be used to run fuel cells which will generate both electricity and heat The houses will become fully self-sufficient in electricity and heat "This is a very exciting project that in a very tangible way shows the huge potential and benefits of hydrogen-fuelled fuel cells," Per Wassén "These houses will produce all the energy they need and will become off grid disconnected from the grid and completely self-sufficient in electricity and heat Increased domestic production of hydrogen by means of solar and wind energy could create a society without any negative impact on our environment and our climate This is technology that truly can help save our planet.” The work of rebuilding the million homes program houses in Vårgårda has already started and the first house is expected to be ready for occupancy during autumn-winter The houses in Vårgårda are not the only ones that will be self-sufficient in energy using hydrogen and fuel cells PowerCell has already delivered a fuel cell system to Skellefteå Kraft’s Zero Sun Project Zero Sun is a house that has been specifically designed and built for the use of hydrogen and fuel cells this house will be completely self-sufficient in energy using the sun and with hydrogen as an energy carrier Despite being built in the northern part of Sweden this house will produce enough energy during the summer to cover the need for heat and electricity during the cold and dark winter months Per WassénCEO, PowerCell Sweden AB (publ)Phone: +46 (0) 31 720 36 20Email: per.wassen@powercell.se PowerCell Sweden AB (publ) develops and produces fuel cell stacks and systems for stationary and mobile applications with a world class energy density and produce electricity and heat with no emissions other than water they are easily adjusted to any customer need PowerCell was founded in 2008 as an industrial spinout from the Volvo Group The share (PCELL) is since 2014 subject to trade at Nasdaq First North Stockholm with G&W Fondkommission as Certified Adviser After tenth place in Sunday’s 18th round of the Women’s World Tour Leah Kirchmann is up to 17th in the individual rankings Sunweb’s Canadian was also part of the squad that earned third in the Vårgårda WestSweden team time trial on Saturday She takes 400.5 points into Thursday’s four-stage World Tour Ladies Tour of Norway with five rounds to go Kirchmann was second to Megan Gaurnier in the first edition of the World Tour in 2016 Trek-Segafredo continued its fine inaugural season by winning the Vårgårda WestSweden team time trial Trek is third in the World Tour team standings with Boels-Dolmans top and its best individual rider is Elisa Longo Borghini who triumphed in the four-stage Emakumeen Euskal Bira ? Winning the first #VargardaWWT Team Time Trial in their team's history: @TrekSegafredo! #UCIWWT pic.twitter.com/tQtkivuA8O — UCI_WWT (@UCI_WWT) August 17, 2019 In the Vårgårda WestSweden road race Kirchmann finished in a small group three seconds behind winner Marta Bastianelli as Team Virtu’s Italian rider took her 2019 World Tour one-day race tally to three Bastianelli is fourth in the individual standings ? Taking her 3rd #UCIWWT victory of the season, @martabasti of @VirtuCyclingW wins the #VargardaWWT Road Race! pic.twitter.com/MUO4NrxiZ2 — UCI_WWT (@UCI_WWT) August 18, 2019 Reigning Ladies Tour of Norway champion Marianne Vos has a chance to take over the top of the World Tour individual standings from Annemiek van Vleuten after placing second to van Vleuten last year. In 2018 Vos swept the stages to take the crown Last season’s Tour of Norway runner-up Emilia Fahlin isn’t lining up Thursday in Åsgårdstrand #LTON19?? #UCIWWT stage racing returns @LTour_Of_Norway tomorrow Here's who we have taking to the start line? ?? @SusanneAnderse ?? Franziska Koch?? @L_Kirch ?? @JulietteLabous ?? @floortjemackaij ?? @CorynRivera ?https://t.co/NgW7rOWDAq pic.twitter.com/OhV6SH9Qtg — Team Sunweb (@TeamSunweb) August 21, 2019 Kirchmann and Lucinda Brand are Sunweb’s top WorldTour point winners so far Kirchmann’s greatest result of the season is second place at La Tour by Le Tour de France Alison Jackson, runner-up of the recent UCI 2.1-rated Tour of Scotland Karol-Ann Canuel reps for Boels-Dolmans and Rally sends Sarah Bergen Get the digital edition of Canadian Cycling Magazine Herrljunga and Vårgårda Municipality choose Advania as a strategic partner It is an important part of the consolidation and digital development in both municipalities the well-known energy company Trollhättan Energi AB within the same region also made partnership with Advania for their sustainable digitalization and development Photo from the left: Peter Falfors Contract Manager Tobias Öien Director of IT Infrastructure Advania has been granted the decision of partnership with Herrljunga and Vårgårda municipality through a public procurement The municipalities seek a partnership to support efficiency standardization and create conditions in each municipality for digitization The purpose of the procurement is that the service committee should be able to deliver unified innovative and long-term IT services through partnership between the Service Board and Advania The agreement initially extends over 3 + 1 years with the possibility of extension and the total value is initially estimated to SEK 25-30 million The project contains the following IT Infrastructure elements: •    Workplace as a service•    Print as a service•    Hardware•    Mobile phone (option)•    Server and storage (option)•    Network & communication (option) “Advania has experience of creating and changing complex platforms for different companies in many different industries and operations Sweden's municipalities are examples of organizations with high complexity several different types of activities and platforms for school All parts must be reviewed in a change project to achieve the desired result Advania has built up experience for many years through several major projects which is a requirement when several municipalities are to build a new common infrastructure that Herrljunga and Vårgårda municipality intend to introduce” IT Manager at Servicenämnden - The IT and Telecom Services Board which is a joint venture for Herrljunga and Vårgårda Municipality states; “We have developed a strategy to meet the business needs for digitization in our municipalities rationalize and modernize our local government and IT environment” IT-Manager Herrljunga/Vårgårda & Peter Falfors “In order to implement our new strategy which we consider fulfilling all criteria to ensure our set goals A comprehensive offer combined with the solid experience of complex systems and organizations that Advania has is one of the foundations for our decision We look forward to ensuring efficient and sustainable digitalization in partnership," says Jan Pettersson Herrljunga and Vårgårda Municipality More about Herrljunga kommun: www.herrljunga.se More about Vårgårda kommun: www.vargarda.se Tomas Wanselius, CEO Advania Sverige ABPhone: +46 70 454 35 24 E-mail: tomas.wanselius@advania.se Tobias Öien, Director of IT Infrastructure, Advania Sverige ABPhone: +46 73 042 21 00 E-mail: tobias.oien@advania.se