20-year-old Wilma Aintila got a contract with a top team – she also got to know Tiffany Cromwell at the training camp

Kirkkonumma grown up road cyclist Wilma Aintila20, got a dream model in October for the Canyon–Sram professional team, which competes in the Women’s World Tour, the highest level of women’s road cycling. The previous two seasons, Aintila drove in the Belgian Lotto Dstny Ladies team.

Aintila has done particularly well in the time trial, where she finished fifth in the under-23 European Championships in 2023. In the summer of 2024, Aintila took part in the women’s tour of France.

The new team’s first training camp is already over, as the team’s drivers and support staff spent ten days in the Portuguese Algarve in mid-December.

“There we got to know the team and got a feel for the new bikes and equipment,” says Aintila.

It’s good to use work tools to cover the kilometers, because the racing season already starts at the end of January in Spain.

Aintila in addition, there are two other women in their twenties driving in the team, but the biggest responsibility is borne by experienced characters, such as the Polish hillbilly Catherine ”Kasia” Unknown and American Chloé Dygertwho is a multiple world champion on the track and in the time trial, as well as the silver medalist of the World Championship in road racing from the summer of 2024.

“They gave me a lot of advice and insights during the camp,” says Aintila.

Road cycling is a team sport where riders have different tasks.

“We went through team tactics and their implementation in a competitive situation.”

Aintila worked as a coach for a long time Kjell Carlströmbut now the task is handled by someone who has worked in the Canyon− Sram team since 2022 Stephen Gallagher. He is Irish but has lived in Australia for a long time.

The stable’s best-known Aussie name is Valtteri Bottas life partner Tiffany Cromwellwho has driven in the team since 2016, i.e. since the foundation.

According to Aintila, the experience of the 36-year-old Australian came to the fore during training runs and in discussions. In addition, the two had enough topics in common.

“Among other things, about Finnish nature and interior design,” says Aintila.

The conversation was in English, but a few words of Finnish were also included.

“He said he learned a little bit of the language and knew a few basic things in Finnish.”

Cromwell was easy to get along with.

“He seemed quite a Finnish type of person,” says Aintila.

In the Algarve, cyclists also got to compete in karting.

“There was a bad loss in the karting race, Tiffany was a tough driver,” Aintila laughs.

Aintila went to high school in Falun, which has excellent training conditions for cycling and related sports, including skiing and touring skating.

“There are always training buddies for jogging.”

Aintila decided to stay in Taalainmaa to live as a high school student even after entering.

“Falun has tough professional athletes of various sports, with whom you can discuss, for example, competing abroad.”

In the city known as a ski resort, you can hit the slopes already in the fall, and in winter you can ride in warm conditions on the velodrome.

Although In the Nordic countries, winter lasts for months, the carousel of road cycling runs full steam south of the Alps since the end of January. Aintila’s race calendar has many entries, but the main target is set for the spring one-day classic races in Belgium and Holland.

Aintila says that he can also manage in bad weather in rainy weather.

“In the first season, the main focus is on driving as a team, but good positions always warm you up.”

At Christmas, Aintila’s family arrives in Falun from Finland.

“The purpose is to enjoy good food and atmosphere and leave cycling out of your mind for the moment.”