Équipe Paule Ka

Équipe Paule Ka^[2] (UCI team code: EPK) was a professional cycling team based in Switzerland, which competed in elite road bicycle racing events such as the UCI Women's World Tour.

Équipe Paule Ka

Team information
UCI code	TBG (2005) BCT (2006–2009, 2012–2015) CBT (2016–2018) BIG (2019–2020) EPK (2020)
Registered	Switzerland (2005–2015, 2020) Germany (2016–2017) Denmark (2018–2019)
Founded	2005 (2005)
Disbanded	2020 (2020)
Discipline	Road
Status	UCI Women's Team
Bicycles	BMC (2005–2009, 2012–2014) Cervélo (2015–2018) Chapter 2 (2019–2020)
Website	Team home page
Key personnel
General manager	Ernst Meier, Mario Vonhof
Team manager	Emil R. Zimmermann
Team name history
2005 2006–2015 2016–2018 2019 2020 2020	Team Bigla Bigla Cycling Team[1] Cervélo–Bigla Pro Cycling Bigla Pro Cycling Bigla–Katusha Équipe Paule Ka

Team history

The team at the 2015 Le Samyn des Dames

2015

For the 2015 season the team announced the signing of Annemiek van Vleuten,^[3] Ashleigh Moolman^[4] Shelley Olds, Doris Schweizer, Iris Slappendel and Sharon Laws. The team also extended the contracts of Vera Koedooder and Lotta Lepistö. On October 30 the Cyclingnews.com announced the signing of Joëlle Numainville.^[5] On November 20 the team signed Clara Koppenburg and Caroline Baur as well as extending the contracts of Nicole Hanselmann and Emilie Aubry. On December 1 Jacqueline Hahn and Désirée Ehrler left the team to join Feminine Cycling Team.

2016

In September 2015 it was announced that Cervélo, who supplied bicycle frames for the team in 2015, would become a title sponsor for the 2016 season, with the team becoming Cervélo–Bigla Pro Cycling.^[6]

In September 2016, the team announced that British rider Ciara Horne would be joining with immediate effect, and would compete with the team in the team time trial at the World Championships.^[7]

2020 funding issues

In June 2020, the team's title sponsors Bigla and Katusha Sports announced they would withdraw funding for the team, with the team having to access their UCI bank guarantee in previous months in order to pay rider and staff wages. Paule Ka, a French ready-to-wear clothing brand was later announced as the new title sponsor for the team, agreeing to a deal through to the end of 2024.^[2] In October there was uncertainty over the team's future with the team drawing on a UCI bank guarantee to pay rider's salaries.^[8] On 16 October the team announced that it would cease racing and close with immediate effect.^[9]

Team roster

The team at the 2019 Holland Ladies Tour

As of 29 July 2020.^[10][11]

Rider Date of birth  Lizzy Banks (GBR) (1990-11-07)7 November 1990 (aged 29)  Elise Chabbey (SUI) (1993-04-24)24 April 1993 (aged 27)  Niamh Fisher-Black (NZL) (2000-08-12)12 August 2000 (aged 19)  Mikayla Harvey (NZL) (1998-09-07)7 September 1998 (aged 21)  Clara Koppenburg (GER) (1995-08-03)3 August 1995 (aged 24)  Emma Cecilie Norsgaard (DNK) (1999-07-26)26 July 1999 (aged 21)

Rider Date of birth  Nikola Nosková (CZE) (1997-07-01)1 July 1997 (aged 23)  Marlen Reusser (SUI) (1991-09-20)20 September 1991 (aged 28)  Maria Vittoria Sperotto (ITA) (1996-11-20)20 November 1996 (aged 23)  Kathrin Stirnemann (SUI) (1989-10-22)22 October 1989 (aged 30)  Leah Thomas (USA) (1989-05-30)30 May 1989 (aged 31)  Sophie Wright (GBR) (1999-03-15)15 March 1999 (aged 21)

Major wins

Main article: List of wins by Team Bigla and its successors

National and continental champions

2005

Kazakhstan Time Trial, Zoulfia Zabirov

Kazakhstan Road Race, Zoulfia Zabirova

2006

Kazakhstan Time Trial, Zoulfia Zabirov

2007

Kazakhstan Time Trial, Zoulfia Zabirov

Kazakhstan Road Race, Zoulfia Zabirova

2008

Switzerland Track (Omnium), Andrea Wölfer

Kazakhstan Time Trial, Zoulfia Zabirov

Kazakhstan Road Race, Zoulfia Zabirova

Switzerland Road Race, Jennifer Hohl

2009

Italy Time Trial, Noemi Cantele

Switzerland Time Trial, Karin Thürig

Switzerland Road Race, Jennifer Hohl

2012

Switzerland Time Trial (Juniors), Caroline Baur

2013

Austria Road Race, Andrea Graus

2014

Austria Road Race, Jacqueline Hahn

Finland Road Race, Lotta Lepistö

2015

South Africa Time Trial, Ashleigh Moolman

South Africa Road Race, Ashleigh Moolman

African Time Trial, Ashleigh Moolman

African Road Race, Ashleigh Moolman

Finland Time Trial, Lotta Lepistö

Switzerland Time Trial, Doris Schweizer

Canada Road Race, Joëlle Numainville

Finland Road Race, Lotta Lepistö

Netherlands Track (Points race), Vera Koedooder

2016

USA Time Trial, Carmen Small

Finland Time Trial, Lotta Lepistö

Finland Road Race, Lotta Lepistö

Germany Track (Individual Pursuit), Lisa Klein

2017

South Africa Time Trial, Ashleigh Moolman

Finland Time Trial, Lotta Lepistö

Finland Road Race, Lotta Lepistö

Denmark Time Trial, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig

Germany Road Race, Lisa Klein

Switzerland Road Race, Nicole Hanselmann

Poland Track (Scratch race), Daria Pikulik

2018

Belgium Time Trial, Ann-Sophie Duyck

Finland Time Trial, Lotta Lepistö

Switzerland Time Trial, Nicole Hanselmann

Denmark Time Trial, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig

Finland Road Race, Lotta Lepistö

2019

European Track (Madison), Julie Leth

2020

New Zealand Road Race, Niamh Fisher-Black

New Zealand U23 Road Race, Niamh Fisher-Black

Switzerland Time Trial, Marlen Reusser

Czech Time Trial, Nikola Nosková

Denmark Road Race, Emma Cecilie Norsgaard