Cassia Boglio’s speedy transformation from triathlete to NXTG racer

For almost 100 undulating kilometres, 21-year-old West Australian Cassia Boglio is swept along Spanish roads at an average speed of 42km/h, with a large bunch as she made her European racing debut at Vuelta CV Feminas in February. Just six months earlier, she completed her first ever block of 'proper' road racing for ARA Pro Racing, leaping into a pandemic affected domestic season.

The ink barely dry on a one-year contract with the under-23 UCI Continental team AG Insurance-NXTG – which has just welcomed a new sponsor and as a result changed its name from NXTG by Experza – Boglio has now crossed her first training camp and  a block of European races off the to-do list. These, too, haven't been just any races but have extended to the top-tier of women's cycling with the Australian rider having lined up at Vuelta CV Feminas, GP Oetingen, Danilith Nokere Koerse and the Women’s WorldTour-ranked Trofeo Alfredo Binda. 

With its Belgian/Dutch DNA plus former four-time Belgian road champion Jolien D'hoore in the car as well as ties with Patrick Lefevere and QuickStep-AlphaVinyl, there are also plenty more big events on the cards for both the team and Boglio in 2022. The immediate agenda starts with Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday.

AG Insurance-NXTG may not yet be Women's WorldTour level, like Ruby Roseman-Gannon's BikeExchange-Jayco team. But the rise of Boglio, from former triathlete ensconced in Australia at the start of the pandemic to road cyclist racing around Europe, is up there in the galaxy with meteoric.

“Definitely pinching myself,” Boglio said. “I did not expect to be over here so soon, it was something I thought might happen in another three or so years from now.

“Some people questioned me and didn’t think I’d be