Megan Armitage may have been injured for periods during 2023, due to concussion, but the Irish rider still topped the Strava kilometres charts compared to any other female rider in the pro peloton.
The former Arkéa Pro Cycling Team rider - now moved to EF Education-Cannondale on a three-year deal - rode more kilometres, which she shared on Strava, than the biggest names, including former world champion Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), see full chart below.
The 'Strava charts' are compiled by VeloFacts, a website that collates a wide range of comparative data about pro riders on a monthly and annual basis. Armitage tops the 'kilometres' chart, meaning she posted rides with the biggest cumulative distance in 2023.
Her 30,124km, done in 399 activities, was just over 1,000km more than Valeria Valgonen, a 20-year-old Russian who rides for Soltec Iberoamérica Costa Cálida. Armitage's team mate - and the woman who took her place at Tour de France Femmes - Clara Koppenburg, was next, on 28,126km.
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Van Vleuten was 4th, sharing rides with a cumulative distance of 27,748km. Now retired, the Dutch rider was notorious for training hard, often riding with the men from the World Tour team when she competed for Mitchelton-Scott.
Armitage enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2023, when she became the first Irish woman to win a UCI-ranked stage race; taking a stage and the overall at Vuelta Extremadura Féminas (2.2).
She also placed 4th at the one-day French race, Grand Prix Féminin de Chambéry (1.1), and was 5th overall in both Giro Toscana Int Femminile (2.2) in Italy and AG Tour de la Semois (2.2) in Belgium.
A former runner, the Co Offaly woman came to cycling late, only riding her first UCI-ranked race - the National Road Race Championships - in 2020. However, she has progressed rapidly and her results last year, which really showcased her potential, secured her new three-year deal.
She was also selected by Arkéa Pro Cycling Team for the Tour de France Femmes, and would have been the first Irish rider to compete in that race. However, she suffered a suspect concussion in a crash just days before the race and was forced to miss the event.
Strava KMs 2023 | Compiled by VeloFacts
