Divide and conquer: Holmgren sisters ready for CX Nationals defense

One year ago, Ava Holmgren made waves at cyclocross national championships when she won the elite women’s title as a junior. Just hours earlier, her sister Isabella won the junior women’s national title. 12 months later, they’re back to defend their titles.

A lot can happen in twelve months, though. That includes a junior world championships title in cyclocross, Canada’s first, for Isabella. Her sister shared that podium in second place. Isabella earned another junior world championship in August in cross country mountain biking. Both sisters are also set to join the powerhouse Lidl-Trek road team on the Women’s World Tour starting in January.

Back in Layritz, though, the twins are still in Stimulus-Orbea colors and are, again, splitting categories. Ava is entered to defend her elite title. With the sisters aging up into under-23 for cyclocross, Isabella will try replace her junior maple leaf with the U23 title.

With so much experience between the two, how did the sisters decide on this strategy?

“Last year I decided as a second-year junior to upgrade to the elite category,” Ava Holmgren says. “It wouldn’t make sense for me to go back down to under-23. So I’ve decided to stay as an elite.”

“I raced Pan Ams as an elite, but I still want to race nationals as under-23,” Isabella adds, adding “Once you upgrade for nationals, you can’t go back down the following year. I still have four years of u23.”

Whatever happens this weekend, the sisters already have their winter schedule planned out. After a quick stop back in Ontario for an early Christmas with the family, they head to Spain for a training camp with Lidl-Trek then to Belgiam for Christmas Cross, an intense period of racing between Christmas and New Years.

Over in Europe, the Holmgren’s options are a little different.

“There aren’t actually many u23 races, just worlds,” Ava explains. “So we have to race against the elite category at World Cups. And then, at some events, they have a separate U23 podium.”

Partway through that racing block, the sisters will switch from the Canadian Stimulus-Orbea squad to the global Lidl-Trek team. Moving from junior to elite racing, and from a small domestic squad to a WorldTour team are both big steps. I asked if making the leap with one of the biggest teams is making the transition easier, or more intimidating.

“It’s definitely a little daunting. It is quite a big step, and especially as young athletes,” Isabella admits. “But the Lidl-Trek team, they’ve been very welcoming, especially our teammates. And they’re very experienced so it’ll just make the transition even easier. They’re all open to sharing their experiences and their knowledge. So I think it’ll be a really good first year with the team.”

Another change for the sisters, who have had success in three disciplines in one year, will be joining pro road team.

“The primary focus will definitely be road from now on,” Ava says. “But I love mountain biking and cyclocros so mich. So wehenever I have the chance I’ll definitely try fit that in. Cyclocross doesn’t conflict as much with the road season, so I think we’ll be able to do a bit more ‘cross. Whereas mountain biking conflicts a lot more with road, so we’ll see.”

Before all that, they both have to race this weekend. Having caught up with them just as they were heading out for their first training ride in Layritz, I asked what they thought of the course this year.

“It’s looking pretty sunny this year. I think it might be slightly different conditions. It could be drier than last year, but we’ll see,” said Ava. “We haven’t ridden the course yet, but I think it’ll still be a little slippery no matter what.”