Ava Holmgren on her first spring as a pro cyclist
Orillia, Ont., native is riding with WorldTour team Lidl-Trek and basing herself out of Girona
Ava Holmgren, like her sister Bella, jumped from junior to the big leagues in 2024. The twins are riding for WorldTour team Lidl-Trek in their first year in the pros. In 2023, she took a silver medal at the cyclocross worlds, and followed up with some big results in 2024. She took third place in the elite race at X2O Trofee Baal – GP Sven Nys in Belgium behind ‘cross powerhouses Fem van Empel and Lucinda Brand.
Once ‘cross finished, she had a bit of a break – but not much. “Leading up to the worlds I had a bit of taper,” she said. “I also took a quick break after at home to reset and spend time with family. It was nice to be off the bike for a little bit, but honestly I was very ambitious to get back to training and get ready for the road season!”
On her ‘cross season
As far as her season, she said her biggest highlight was the third place in Baal. It was officially her first day as a Lidl-Trek rider and in a new custom national champion kit. “I raced really well, had great legs, and I felt more confident in the technical sections than previous years,” Being able to stand on the podium with my teammate Lucinda was the cherry on top.”
Ava Holmgren rings in the New Year with podium at X2O Trofee Baal
The national championships were also a highlight. She raced up a category in the elite race, with her sister in the under-23, with both of them taking home maple leaf jerseys. “It was the first race since my injury where I felt like myself again,” she says. “I could attack out of each corner, I was finding my rhythm, and it felt good to go hard.
Riding with her heroes
Joining the Lidl-Trek team was big. As one of the best WorldTour teams in the world, it took a while to get used to. “It was surreal, being teammates with my idols, it’s like living with celebrities,” she explains. “But it was very welcoming, professional, with good vibes. Initially, it was challenging to get to know everyone all at once. Lidl-Trek has three teams with many riders, and staff, so it’s not easy remembering everyone’s names. Apart from that, this group is very welcoming and makes sure that you know they can help you with whatever you need.”
A WorldTour team is definitely a step up from her former home at Stimulus-Orbea, in terms of support and gear. “We’re provided with a training bike for our home/European base. For the races, we have a choice between the Trek Emonda and the Trek Madone depending on your preference and the course profile. I have the Trek Supercaliber for some races but also because it is nice to switch up the training a bit. Nothing beats a good flow trail on the MTB! And last but not least, the Trek Speed Concept for time trials.”
Lidl-Trek support is impressive
She said she was also very impressed with the amount of kit provided. Lidl-Trek and Santini make sure that all of the riders are supplied with an appropriate quantity and variety of high-quality kit for training and racing. “There’s a type of kit for any kind of weather to make sure you can perform at your best in any conditions,” she adds.
She and her sister and brother Gunnar are based in Girona for the season, which has become home to so many pros over the years. “I’m happy to share a home base with Bella and Gunnar, this will help make it feel more like a home,” she said. “As a newly professional rider, I think it’ll be a great location for me to meet some other riders and people that are passionate about cycling.”
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Season begins on Thursday
Holmgren will begin her season at the Tour de Normandie on Thursday. “Afterwards, I’ll do the Ronde Mouscron and Scheldeprijs in Belgium. My preliminary calendar has similar races throughout the rest of the season,” she says. “There could possibly be some MTB races here and there when the schedule allows it, but the primary focus is on the road.”
As a first-year pro, there will be plenty of races, but for Holmgren the most important goal for this season is to learn. “There are so many new aspects of professional cycling that I’ll be experiencing and the best thing for me to improve is to gain experience and make mistakes,” the multiple national champion explains. “Being on a team with such knowledgeable riders is a big advantage in this case.”
Under-23 Tour de France?
That being said, she does have her sights set on the second running of the Tour de L’Avenir Femmes, the Tour de France for under-23. “After following the results and short videos online from the first edition, I think that it is a very exciting race that I’d love to be a part of,” Holmgren says.
