By Shane Stokes
Irish road race silver medallist and international road and track rider Mia Griffin has expressed her excitement about her new WorldTour team contract, with the Kilkenny rider saying that building experience and strength is her big priority for 2023.
Griffin was recently confirmed as signing with the Swiss Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad team, which competed in this year’s Tour de France Femmes and which will enjoy another top racing programme next year.
“With regards to my role, I think that next year for a lot of the races I will be a teammate and be used to work for the team,” she told stickybottle. “And if my chance comes then I’ll take it.
“The aim is to just to learn as much as I can with this team, because it is a huge opportunity to race big races and race against the world’s best. So I am very excited to join the team.”
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The 23-year-old had a number of very promising road results this season, including the silver medal in the national road race championships behind IBCT teammate Alice Sharpe, plus fine placings of 10th and 11th on stages of the 2.1-ranked Baloise Ladies Tour in Belgium. She was also 11th in the 1.1-ranked Spar Flanders Diamond Tour.
The former camogie player from Glenmore in Kilkenny has also shone on the track, showing she has a versatility that many road riders lack.
Her velodrome performances include a new national team pursuit record set en route to fifth place in the UCI Track Nations Cup in Glasgow, as well as bronze with Sharpe in the women’s Madison at the UCI Track Nations Cup in Milton, Canada.
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In August she was part of the team pursuit squad which finished sixth in the European championships in Munich. Last week she competed in the Madison at the world track championships in Paris, but a recent bout of Covid 19 plus a crash complicated things for herself and racing partner Sharpe.
She will get a good winter in and be raring to go next season.
“The team seems to have quite a lot… a mix of experience and a mix of good talent,” she said. “So I am delighted to work with the team and to work in such a professional setup. I’ve met some of the people involved so it is really exciting.”
Griffin has been in a relationship for several years with Robin Froidevaux, who competes with the Tudor Pro Cycling team. He won the Swiss road race championships this season plus a stage in the Istrian Spring Trophy. Griffin took the decision to move next season, setting her on a course of action which has led to the World Tour deal.
“I am going to live in Switzerland next year and was looking for a Swiss-based team,” she explained. “I have a few contacts in Switzerland from being there for a few years, back and forth. I got my CV in front of the manager and he thought that my numbers were good. So based on that, I was selected for the team.”
Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad manager Ruben Contreras Schweizer said that Griffin has made a good impression and that the team wants to help her develop into as strong a rider as possible.
“Mia is a very nice person and we trust her,” he told stickybottle. “She is a good rider but has a lot to learn. The World Tour is very difficult, and another world! We will help her and give her a good apprenticeship with our staff, who are of high quality.
“We want to help her progress and the results will come with time, step by step without stress and a lot of serious work.”
He, like she, seems to be excited to see what she can achieve. “We are very happy to be able to be part of this adventure with her.”
