Ashleigh Moolman Pasio

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (née Moolman; born 9 December 1985) is a South African professional road bicycle racer, who rides for UCI Women's Continental Team AG Insurance–Soudal–Quick-Step.[4] She competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the Women's road race, finishing 16th[5] and in the Women's time trial finishing 24th.[6]

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio
Personal information
Full nameAshleigh Moolman Pasio
BornAshleigh Moolman
(1985-12-09) 9 December 1985 (age 38)
Pretoria, South Africa
Team information
Current teamAG Insurance–Soudal–Quick-Step
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Amateur team
2008–2009Toyota Cycling Team
Professional teams
2010–2013Lotto Ladies Team
2014Team Hitec Products
2015–2018Bigla Pro Cycling Team
2019–2020CCC Liv[1]
2021–2022SD Worx[2][3]
2023–AG Insurance–Soudal–Quick-Step
Major wins
Stage races
Tour de Romandie (2022)
Auensteiner–Radsporttage (2015, 2016)

One day races

National Road Race Championships (2012–2015, 2019, 2020)
National Time Trial Championships (2013–2015, 2017, 2020)
Holland Hills Classic (2013)
La Classique Morbihan (2017)
Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan (2017)
Medal record
Women's Road Cycling
Representing  South Africa
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Glasgow Road race
African Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Asmara Road race
Gold medal – first place 2012 Ouagadugou Time trial
Gold medal – first place 2012 Ouagadugou Road race
Gold medal – first place 2013 Sharm el-Sheikh Time trial
Gold medal – first place 2013 Sharm el-Sheikh Road race
Gold medal – first place 2015 Wartburg Team time trial
Gold medal – first place 2015 Wartburg Time trial
Gold medal – first place 2015 Wartburg Road race
Silver medal – second place 2011 Asmara Time trial
Silver medal – second place 2024 Eldoret Time trial
Representing Cervélo–Bigla Pro Cycling
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Doha Team time trial
Women's esports
Representing  South Africa
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2020 Watopia Women's race

On 9 December 2020, she won the first edition of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, organised on the online cycling platform Zwift.[7]

Career

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She tried to start a career in triathlon but after discovering her talent in cycling, and a series of injuries, dedicated herself fully to professional road cycling.[8]

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, she won the bronze medal in the women's road race and finished 15th in the women's individual time trial.[9][10]

Bigla Pro Cycling Team (2015–2018)

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After spending one season riding for Team Hitec Products, in September 2014 it was announced that Moolman had signed an initial two-year deal with the Bigla Pro Cycling Team from 2015.[11]

In 2018, she finished second overall in the Giro Rosa,[12] and La Flèche Wallonne Féminine.[13] She also took the final podium place at La Course by Le Tour de France.[14] She took two victories during the season, winning La Classique Morbihan and the Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan on consecutive days,[15] just as she had done in 2017.[16]

CCC Liv (2019–2020)

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In 2019, Moolman Pasio won her fifth South African National Road Race Championships title, and her first since 2015, finishing almost two minutes clear of her closest rival in Tshwane.[17] Moolman Pasio took two further victories during the season, winning July's Emakumeen Nafarroako Klasikoa, and then won the time trial at the African Games the following month. She finished third overall at both the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana,[18] and the Tour of California,[19] fourth overall at the Giro Rosa,[20] and fifth in La Course by Le Tour de France.[21]

In 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic-enforced suspension of racing, Moolman Pasio won her sixth South African National Road Race Championships title, as well as a fifth title in the South African National Time Trial Championships.

SD Worx (2021–2022)

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In September 2020, Moolman Pasio signed a two-year contract with the Boels–Dolmans team, later renamed SD Worx, from the 2021 season.[22]

At the 2021 Giro Rosa, Moolman Pasio finished second overall as part of a SD Worx clean sweep of the podium.[23] Having finished second to teammate Anna van der Breggen on the second stage to the ski resort of Prato Nevoso,[24] Moolman Pasio soloed to a stage victory – her first victory at the race – on the penultimate day, a summit finish on the Matajur.[25] She ultimately finished 1' 43" down on Van der Breggen, while also finishing second in the mountains classification behind Lucinda Brand.[26] She also finished second at the Ladies Tour of Norway, having been the closest competitor to Annemiek van Vleuten on the uphill finish to the Norefjell ski resort, before being dropped with around 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) to go.[27]

Moolman Pasio recorded top-ten finishes in each of her first six starts in 2022, the best of which was a podium finish – third place – at Strade Bianche.[28] In July, she was named as one of the pre-race favourites for the first edition of the Tour de France Femmes.[29] She finished third on the third stage,[30] but withdrew from the race before the final stage due to illness.[31] She finished the season with a stage win and the overall victory at the inaugural Tour de Romandie Féminin, her first victories on the UCI Women's World Tour.[32] She dropped Annemiek van Vleuten on the summit finish to Thyon, ultimately winning the stage by 26 seconds and the overall race the following day by 30 seconds – as a result, she became the first African rider to win on the UCI Women's World Tour.[33]

AG Insurance–Soudal–Quick-Step

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Having previously stated that she was going to retire at the end of the 2022 season, Moolman Pasio signed a one-year contract for the 2023 season with AG Insurance–NXTG, later renamed AG Insurance–Soudal–Quick-Step.[34] In her first race with the team, the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, Moolman Pasio won the third stage of the race in a three-up sprint against Amanda Spratt and Annemiek van Vleuten.[35] She ultimately finished the race second overall, one second down on teammate Justine Ghekiere.[36] Moolman Pasio's next podium finishes came in Spain in May; she won another three-rider sprint, this time against Ane Santesteban and Claire Steels, to win Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria,[37] and then finished third overall at the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas later the same week.[38]

Personal life

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Moolman Pasio has a degree in chemical engineering from Stellenbosch University, where she met her future husband,[8] semi-professional XTERRA triathlete Carl Pasio. The couple own Rocacorba Cycling, a cyclotourism business, operating from a 17th-century estate in Porqueres, Spain.[39][40]

Major results

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Moolman during the road time trial at the 2012 London Olympics

Source: [41]

2009
2nd Road race, National Road Championships
2010
10th Open de Suède Vårgårda TTT
2011
African Road Championships
1st   Road race
2nd   Time trial
National Road Championships
2nd Time trial
4th Road race
2nd Overall Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche
6th Overall Iurreta-Emakumeen Bira
1st Mountains classification
9th Halle-Buizingen
9th Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria
9th Open de Suède Vårgårda TTT
2012
African Road Championships
1st   Road race
1st   Time trial
National Road Championships
1st   Road race
2nd Time trial
1st   Mountains classification, Grand Prix Elsy Jacobs
2nd Overall Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche
1st Stage 2 (ITT)
3rd Overall Tour de Free State
1st Stage 4
5th La Flèche Wallonne
10th Overall Giro d'Italia
10th Trofeo Alfredo Binda
2013
African Road Championships
1st   Road race
1st   Time trial
National Road Championships
1st   Road race
1st   Time trial
1st Holland Hills Classic
2nd Overall Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche
3rd La Flèche Wallonne
4th Overall Tour Languedoc Roussillon
5th Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria
8th Overall Giro d'Italia
2014
National Road Championships
1st   Road race
1st   Time trial
2nd Le Samyn
3rd   Road race, Commonwealth Games
4th Overall Emakumeen Euskal Bira
5th La Flèche Wallonne
5th Gooik–Geraardsbergen–Gooik
8th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
8th Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria
10th Holland Hills Classic
2015
African Road Championships
1st   Road race
1st   Time trial
1st   Team time trial
National Road Championships
1st   Road race
1st   Time trial
1st   Overall Auensteiner–Radsporttage
1st   Mountains classification
1st Stage 3
1st 94.7 Cycle Challenge
2nd Overall Emakumeen Euskal Bira
2nd Giro dell'Emilia
4th Overall Giro d'Italia
4th Strade Bianche
4th La Flèche Wallonne
4th GP de Plouay
4th Crescent Women World Cup Vargarda TTT
6th Le Samyn
7th Overall Festival Luxembourgeois du Elsy Jacobs
7th Chrono des Nations
10th Trofeo Alfredo Binda
10th Tour of Flanders
2016
1st   Overall Auensteiner–Radsporttage
1st Stage 2b
1st   Overall Giro della Toscana
1st   Points classification
1st Prologue & Stage 2
2nd Overall The Women's Tour
2nd Crescent Vårgårda UCI Women's WorldTour TTT
2nd Giro dell'Emilia Internazionale Donne Elite
3rd   Team time trial, UCI Road World Championships
3rd Overall Emakumeen Euskal Bira
3rd Holland Hills Classic
4th Overall Festival Luxembourgeois du Elsy Jacobs
5th SwissEver GP Cham-Hagendorn
6th Overall Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen
8th Pajot Hills Classic
10th Road race, Olympic Games
2017
National Road Championships
1st   Time trial
3rd Road race
1st   Overall Emakumeen Euskal Bira
1st   Points classification
1st   Mountains classification
1st Stage 5
1st   Overall Giro della Toscana
1st   Points classification
1st   Mountains classification
1st Stage 2
1st La Classique Morbihan
1st Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan
1st 947 Cycle Challenge
2nd Crescent Vårgårda UCI Women's WorldTour TTT
UCI Road World Championships
3rd   Team time trial
7th Time trial
3rd Overall Setmana Ciclista Valenciana
3rd Overall Grand Prix Elsy Jacobs
1st Prologue
6th La Flèche Wallonne
6th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
7th Overall The Women's Tour
9th Amstel Gold Race
10th Trofeo Alfredo Binda
2018
1st La Classique Morbihan
1st Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan
2nd Overall Setmana Ciclista Valenciana
1st   Mountains classification
2nd Overall Giro Rosa
2nd La Flèche Wallonne
3rd La Course by Le Tour de France
3rd Team time trial, Open de Suède Vårgårda
3rd Team time trial, Tour of Norway
4th Tour of Flanders
4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
6th Overall Emakumeen Euskal Bira
6th Dwars door Vlaanderen
7th Gent–Wevelgem
8th Overall Festival Elsy Jacobs
8th Strade Bianche
8th GP de Plouay – Bretagne
2019
1st   Time trial, African Games
National Road Championships
1st   Road race
4th Time trial
1st Emakumeen Nafarroako Klasikoa
1st Taiwan KOM Challenge
3rd Overall Setmana Ciclista Valenciana
3rd Overall Tour of California
4th Overall Giro Rosa
4th Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
5th La Course by Le Tour de France
6th Strade Bianche
6th Clasica Femenina Navarra
7th La Flèche Wallonne
8th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
2020
1st   UCI Cycling Esports World Championships
National Road Championships
1st   Time trial
1st   Road race
6th Overall Giro Rosa
6th Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria
6th La Flèche Wallonne
2021
2nd Overall Giro Rosa
1st Stage 9
2nd Overall Tour of Norway
4th Emakumeen Nafarroako Klasikoa
7th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
7th Brabantse Pijl
8th Time trial, Summer Olympics
8th Overall Vuelta a Burgos
9th Amstel Gold Race
9th GP de Plouay
2022
1st   Overall Tour de Romandie
1st Stage 2
3rd Strade Bianche
4th UCI Esports World Championships
4th La Flèche Wallonne
4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
4th Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria
5th Overall The Women's Tour
7th Amstel Gold Race
8th Brabantse Pijl
10th Trofeo Alfredo Binda
2023
1st Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria
2nd Overall Setmana Ciclista Valenciana
1st Stage 3
2nd CIC-Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées
1st Points classification
1st Stage 1
3rd Overall Vuelta a Burgos Feminas
6th La Flèche Wallonne Féminine
6th Overall Tour de France Femmes
8th Amstel Gold Race
10th Dwars door Vlaanderen

General classification results timeline

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Grand Tour
Grand Tour 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Giro d'Italia Femminile 17 13 10 8 13 4 DNF 2 4 6 2
Tour de France Femmes Did not exist DNF 6
La Vuelta Femenina Did not exist
Stage race
Stage race 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Grand Prix Elsy Jacobs 11 18 17 7 4 3 8 NH
Tour Féminin des Pyrénées Did not exist 2
Vuelta a Burgos Feminas Did not exist NH 8 3
Tour of California Did not exist 3 Not held
Emakumeen Euskal Bira 11 6 DNF DNF 4 2 3 1 6
The Women's Tour Did not exist 23 2 7 DNF NH 5 NH
Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile DNF 1 1 NH
Legend
Did not compete
DNF Did not finish
IP In progress
NH Not held

References

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  1. ^ "CCC-Liv Team Unveils Competition Kit". Liv Cycling UK. Giant UK Ltd. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Bertizzolo lands at CCC-Liv after Movistar contract problems". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Team SD Worx". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  4. ^ "AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL QUICK-STEP TEAM". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  5. ^ "London 2012 – Women's Road Race Results". Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  6. ^ "London 2012 – Women's Individual Time Trial Results". Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  7. ^ "UCI Cycling Esports World Championships - results". Zwift. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Glasgow 2014 – Ashleigh Pasio Profile". g2014results.thecgf.com. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  9. ^ "Glasgow 2014 – Women's Road Race". g2014results.thecgf.com. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  10. ^ "Glasgow 2014 – Women's Individual Time Trial". g2014results.thecgf.com. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  11. ^ "Ashleigh Moolman joins Bigla on two-year deal". cyclingnews.com. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  12. ^ Knöfler, Lukas (16 July 2018). "Moolman-Pasio: I really gave it everything, but van Vleuten was too strong". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  13. ^ Knöfler, Lukas (18 April 2018). "Van der Breggen wins La Fleche Wallonne Feminine". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  14. ^ Knöfler, Lukas (17 July 2018). "Annemiek van Vleuten wins La Course". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  15. ^ "Two victories in two days for Moolman-Pasio". Bike Hub. Hub Online Media (Pty) Ltd. 26 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  16. ^ "Moolman-Pasio does the double in France and wins GP Plumelec". Bike Hub. Hub Online Media (Pty) Ltd. 29 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  17. ^ "Moolman-Pasio takes South African road race championships win". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Koppenburg wins 2019 Setmana Ciclista Valenciana". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 24 February 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  19. ^ Knöfler, Lukas (18 May 2019). "Tour of California Women's Race: Van der Breggen seals overall". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  20. ^ Knöfler, Lukas (14 July 2019). "Giro Rosa: Van Vleuten seals overall victory". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  21. ^ Knöfler, Lukas (19 July 2019). "Vos wins La Course by Le Tour de France". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  22. ^ "Ashleigh Moolman Pasio joins Boels Dolmans for 2021". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  23. ^ Knöfler, Lukas (11 July 2021). "Van der Breggen wins fourth Giro d'Italia Donne as SD Worx dominate". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  24. ^ Frattini, Kirsten (3 July 2021). "Giro d'Italia Donne: Which GC riders lost too much time to Anna van der Breggen on Prato Nevoso". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  25. ^ Rogers, Owen (10 July 2021). "Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio climbs to victory on Giro Donne stage nine summit finish". Cycling Weekly. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  26. ^ Knöfler, Lukas (11 July 2021). "Anna van der Breggen wins 2021 Giro d'Italia Donne". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  27. ^ Rogers, Owen (14 August 2021). "Annemiek van Vleuten masters the Norefjell climb to take stage three at the Ladies Tour of Norway". Cycling Weekly. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  28. ^ Ronald, Issy (5 March 2022). "Kopecky wins Strade Bianche Women". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  29. ^ "Tour de France Femmes 2022: Riders to watch as women's race returns after 33 years". BBC Sport. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  30. ^ "Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio sprints uphill to third place in Épernay". SD Worx. Stichting Cycling Team for Talents. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  31. ^ Fletcher, Patrick (31 July 2022). "Ashleigh Moolman Pasio pulls out of Tour de France Femmes". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  32. ^ Rogers, Owen (8 October 2022). "'This isn't hard you know': Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio outclasses Annemiek van Vleuten at the Tour of Romandie". Cycling Weekly. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  33. ^ "Moolman Pasio, queen of Romandie, international icon". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. 11 October 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  34. ^ Farrand, Stephen (10 August 2022). "Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio puts off retirement to join AG Insurance-NXTG". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  35. ^ Price, Matilda (18 February 2023). "Moolman Pasio sprints to stage 3 win at Setmana Valenciana". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  36. ^ Price, Matilda (19 February 2023). "Ghekiere wins Setmana Valenciana Fèmines with final stage breakaway". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  37. ^ Frattini, Kirsten (16 May 2023). "Moolman-Pasio wins Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria 2023". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  38. ^ Knöfler, Lukas (21 May 2023). "Dominant Vollering wins Vuelta a Burgos Feminas queen stage and overall". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  39. ^ Smythe, Simon (8 November 2021). "Inside the 17th century farmhouse 'pain cave' of an Esports world champion". Cycling Weekly. Future plc. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  40. ^ "New beginnings for Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio". AG Insurance–Soudal–Quick-Step. NXTG BV. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  41. ^ "Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio". FirstCycling.com. FirstCycling AS. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
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