"I want to win a World Cup as an elite" - Isabella Holmgren talks big future goals, especially off the road

Six months after celebrating a women’s junior UCI Cyclo-cross World Championship Isabella Holmgren covered her mouth with a gloved hand in shock as she earned a second world title, this time in the women’s junior cross-country race at Mountain Bike World Championships in Glasgow.

After a decisive win in the MTB XCO race and eighth place in the women’s junior road race in Glasgow, she then inked a two-year contract with Lidl-Trek, along with her twin sister Ava. The dynamic duo is now set to race in multiple disciplines with the Women’s WorldTour team beginning in January 2024.

"Cyclocross Worlds was definitely a dream scenario. I wouldn't say that it's a scenario I specifically thought of prior to the race, but I couldn't have imagined a better outcome," she tells Cyclingnews. "Mountain Bike Worlds were also a major highlight of the year, but what would have made it better is if Ava was also able to race. It was a bit of a bittersweet feeling."

"There's so many events that I’d love to ride. It would be amazing to ride in the Tour de France Femmes for the road," Holmgren says about her dream races. "For mountain bike, the Olympics are definitely an ambition, and for cyclocross, I want to win a World Cup as an elite!", she adds.