Anita Valen was born on December 12, 1968. She hails from Norway and also has lived in Belgium and England. Anita was active in a variety of sports from her youth, as well as pursuing the musical arts. Anita and her sister Monica were very active in racing, and Monica won the World Championships road race at Agrigento Italy in 1994. Anita was active in pursing an education as well during her cycling career, and also has a business working with creative colors in cycling apparel. Anita returned to cycling after a broken arm and a long layoff, and at an age when most women have retired, Anita is riding near the top with the best in world class events. She has been winning and it generally a happy cheerful lady waving to the crowds at times during the races.

Copyright or © Ladies Cycling

Anita Valen!

In 2002 Anita returned to racing in a big way smashing the field in all three stages of the Grand Prix Norwegian Cup. A short time later in June she won stage 7 of the HP Women's Challenge at Twin Falls to Buhl. This was her greatest victory, and the hardest most prestigious stage race in the United States at the time. It was a well deserved victory after she worked the breakaway for many miles and launched the final attack in the last kilometers after hours of hot and windy conditions. Her sister Monica also finished in the peleton that day, and it was an emotional family moment. Also in June 2002, Anita won the Norwegian National Road Championships in Hønefoss Norway. She placed well in the Holland Ladies Tour taking 2nd place in two stages.

In Training, Arranging her gear, back of car.
Image Courtesy of Anita Valen.

In 2003, Anita took 2nd in GP Feminas Castilla Leon in Spain taking the bunch sprint from Sara Carrigan. In the Tour De l'Aude, Anita held the yellow jersey for a few days and placed 3rd in three stages, 1st in Points classification and 2nd place in Sprints classification on the final GC. She was proving herself as a force to be reckoned with in the stage racing scene.

Again in 2003 she won the Norwegian National Championships in Sandes and Grimstad, sweeping all three events. In the time trail, Anita had to stop twice during her ride to avoid cars pulling onto the race route, but she still won by 3 minutes over second place Linn Torp. In the 2003 Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale, Anita placed 3rd twice, and 2nd in stage 11. In the Giro della Toscana Internazionale Femminile Anita took 3rd in stage five and finished 3rd place in the Points classification on final GC.

Prologue from Ster Zeelanden in Holland.
Image Courtesy of Anita Valen.

In 2004, again Anita won the Norwegian National Road Championships in Norway. Then, Anita placed 3rd at the 2004 World Road Championships in Verona Italy, which I considered to be one of her greatest victories! She took the bronze in a bunch sprint just ahead of Trixi Worrack. This bunch sprint would of been interesting if Judith Arndt and Sara Carrigan had not escaped earlier to take the gold and silver. Could Anita of taken the gold? Arndt was tired it appeared, and perhaps Anita could of out sprinted Sara, we will never know, but even bronze is a great victory at the worlds!

In the 2004 Tour de l'Aude, she took 2nd place twice, and 3rd place twice, but missed 1st place in stage five because of confusion over the finish line. She went on to take 1st place in Points classification on the final GC. In Le Tour du Grand Montréal, Anita took 2nd place 4 times!! She was aggressive in time bonus sprints, and also took 3rd in yet another stage. In Giro della Toscana International Femminile, she placed 1st in stage 3, and took 2nd and 3rd in yet another stage race, Vuelta Ciclista Castilla Leon Feminas.

2007 National Time Trial Championships! (2nd place).
Image Courtesy of Anita Valen.

In 2005, again she took both the time trial and road race in the Norwegian National Championships. In the Tour de l'Aude she finished 2nd place in Points classification on the final GC. In Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale, she took 1st place in stage five. In August of 2005, she won the Holland Hills Classic in front of a large crowd with very bad weather conditions including rain, wind and hail. Anita won the final sprint over Trixi Worrack and Arenda Grimberg.

Anita was considered a powerhouse and world class sprinter at the start of 2005, and something not to be taken lightly in any event, weather it be a one day classic, stage race, national or world championship. She is one of the few riders who seem to be able to excel in all events, bar none, except track. All during her career she is known to be in breaks, leading breaks, driving the breaks or even sprinting away from them. She certainly is a gutsy rider with a lot of heart, lot of spirit, and sweet to the fans as well.

Photo shoot for her Clothing Collection.
Image Courtesy of Anita Valen.

During the presentation of Vlaanderen-Capri Sonne-T-Interim, there was short fashion show of sorts, and I can imagine no one better to model the colors then Anita Valen. She is a beautiful Nowegian lady, quite glamorous and well suited for the event. Her dancing skills and exotic dress can be the life of the party. Anita is one of the more glamorous types to grace the pro ranks and could easily be a model herself rivaling even the likes of Leontion Van Moorsel who is probably the most successful cycling model ever.

Casual shot for her Clothing Collection!
Image Courtesy of Anita Valen.

The most unglamorous thing that has happened to Anita was probably her nasty crash in 2004 Ronde van Vlaanderen, where she was taken by ambulance to hospital and experienced a bad dose of road rash that day. She also had a nasty crash in stage 5 of the Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen. Otherwise, she seems to be all smiles, a sexy lady, and nice to fans as well. Susanne Ljunkskog had said of her team mate Anita Valen, that I came to trust her compleltely no matter what, a loyal team player.

Anita has two children and was recently married to an retired pro rider from Holland, Gerrit de Vries. Anita has decided to continue her racing career with the added support of her husband, and has high hopes of Olympic gold in 2008. I wish her well, she might be a late bloomer, but a very good one!

Links to articles about Anita Valen.

Anita Valen Bio

Anita Valen - Photos

Interview - Chicabike.

Anita Valen - Casual Appearence!

Anita Valen - Casual Appearence!

Recently in May 2006, Anita Valen was confronted by a driver in Norway that tried to run her off the road. She followed the guy and confronted him about his driving and called the police as well. I got to hand it to her, that takes a lot of guts for her to confront a crazy driver like that!

Thread from Forum

Article from Norway

Palmares Country: Norway Anita Valen Ladies Cycling Teams 2002 - Skien SK Skarphedin IL Sykkel Norwegian National Team 2003 - Skien SK Powerplate 2004 - Grenland SK Team SATS Norwegian National Team 2005 - Grenland SK Vlaanderen Capri Sonne T Interim 2006 - @Work Cycling Team Palmares 1st - 3rd Expand 1985 July 14, 1985- National Championships, Norway - 1st place, Trondheim. 1986 April 27, 1986 - Six Days of Saint-Ambroix, stage race in France - 3rd place in stage 2, Mont St-Clair (Om). 1987 April 11, 1987 - Hel Van Het Mergelland, Holland - 3rd place, Eysden. Note: Anita Valen stopped racing when she was 18 because she was involved in a crash before the 1988 Olympics games in Seoul Korea. In 2002 she returned to racing in a big way winning all three stages of the Grand Prix Norwegian Cup. 2002 April 14, 2002 - Hobro, Denmark - 1st place. April 21, 2002 - Esbjerg Lobet Manche de la Vittoria Cup, Denmark - 2nd place. April 27, 2002 - SATS Grand Prix, Norwegian Cup 1, stage race in Norway - 1st place in stage 1, Sprint race, Sandnes Norway. April 27, 2002 - SATS Grand Prix, Norwegian Cup 1, stage race in Norway - 1st place in stage 2, Criterium race, Sandnes Norway. April 28, 2002 - SATS Grand Prix, Norwegian Cup 1, stage race in Norway - 1st place in stage 3, Road Race (RR), Sandnes Norway. April 28, 2002 - SATS Grand Prix, Norwegian Cup 1, stage race in Norway - 1st place on the final GC. May 18, 2002 - Grenland Grand Prix, stage race in Norway - 2nd place in stage 1 (TT), Ballestadhøyda. May 19, 2002 - Grenland Grand Prix, stage race in Norway - 1st place in stage 2 (TT), Snipetorp Hill Climb. May 19, 2002 - Grenland Grand Prix, stage race in Norway - 1st place in stage 3, Skien circuit criterium. May 20, 2002 - Grenland Grand Prix, stage race in Norway - 2nd place in stage 4, Skien road race (RR). May 20, 2002 - Grenland Grand Prix, stage race in Norway - 2nd place on final GC. June 1-2, 2002 - Eidsvoll Rittet - Norwegian Cup 4, stage race in Norway - 1st place in stage 1 time trial (TT), Eidsvoll Norway. June 1-2, 2002 - Eidsvoll Rittet - Norwegian Cup 4, stage race in Norway - 3rd place in stage 2 Criterium, Eidsvoll Norway. June 1-2, 2002 - Eidsvoll Rittet - Norwegian Cup 4, stage race in Norway - 1st in stage 3 Road Race, Eidsvoll Norway. June 1-2, 2002 - Eidsvoll Rittet - Norwegian Cup 4, stage race in Norway - 1st place on final GC. June 9, 2002 - Eko Tour, stage race in Poland - 2nd place in stage 5, Jelesni. June 9, 2002 - Eko Tour, stage race in Poland - 2nd place on final GC. June 21, 2002 - HP Women's Challenge, stage race in USA - 1st place in stage 7, Twin Falls to Buhl, Idaho. June 30, 2002 - National Road Championships, Norway - 1st place in road race (RR), Konefoss Norway. July 12, 2002 - Krasna Lipa, stage race in Czech Republic - 2nd place in stage 2. July 14, 2002 - Krasna Lipa, stage race in Czech Republic - 3rd place in stage 4, Zittau (Allemagne). July 14, 2002 - Krasna Lipa, stage race in Czech Republic - 1st place in stage 5. July 14, 2002 - Krasna Lipa, stage race in Czech Republic - 3rd place on final GC. July 14, 2002 - Krasna Lipa, stage race in Czech Republic - 2nd place in the points competition on final GC. August 9, 2002 - National Time Trial Championships, Norway - 2nd place in time trial (TT), Brumunddal Norway. August 11, 2002 - National Criterium Championships, Norway - 1st place in criterium, Brumunddal Norway. August 24, 2002 - Birkebeinerrittet, Norway - 2nd place, Rena to Lillehammer. September 1, 2002 - Holland Ladies Tour, stage race in Netherlands - 2nd place in stage 3, Heerlen. September 3, 2002 - Holland Ladies Tour, stage race in Netherlands - 2nd place in stage 5, Strijen. 2002 - Norway Cup, 1st place. 2002 - National Rankings - 1st place. 2003 March 28, 2003 - Vuelta Ciclista Castilla y Leon Feminas, stage race in Spain - 3rd place in stage 3, Aranda de Duero. March 30, 2003 - GP Feminas Castilla y Leon (World Cup), Spain - 2nd place, Villarcayo - Burgos. April 12, 2003 - Norwegian Cup, stage race in Norway - 1st place in time trial (TT). April 12, 2003 - Norwegian Cup, stage race in Norway - 1st place in criterium. April 13, 2003 - Norwegian Cup, stage race in Norway - 1st place in road race. April 13, 2003 - Norwegian Cup, stage race in Norway - 1st place on the final GC. May 18, 2003 - Tour de l'Aude Féminin, stage race in France - 2nd place in stage 2, Rieux Minervois. May 19, 2003 - Tour de l'Aude Féminin, stage race in France - 3rd place in stage 3, Lezignan Corbières. May 20, 2003 - Tour de l'Aude Féminin, stage race in France - 3rd place in stage 4b, Saint Laurent de la Cabrerisse to Durban Corbières. May 25, 2003 - Tour de l'Aude Féminin, stage race in France - 1st place in Points classification on final GC, (maillot vert - Patronage Skoda Concessions Carcassone-Narbonne). May 25, 2003 - Tour de l'Aude Féminin, stage race in France - 2nd place in Sprints classification on final GC, (maillot rouge - Patronage EDF-GDF Vallée d'Aude). June 25, 2003 - National Championships, Norway - 1st place in criterium, Sandnes to Grimstad. June 26, 2003 - National Championships, Norway - 1st place in time trial (TT), Sandnes. June 29, 2003 - National Championships, Norway - 1st place in road race (RR), Grimstad. August 11, 2003 - Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale, stage race in France - 3rd place in stage 9, Châteauneuf sur Charente to St-Georges-de-Didonne. August 14, 2003 - Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale, stage race in France - 2nd place in stage 11, Mouzeuil-Saint-Martin to Trélazé. August 17, 2003 - Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale, stage race in France - 3rd place in stage 14, Versailles to Paris. August 17, 2003 - Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale, stage race in France - 2nd place in points competition on the final GC. September 1, 2003 - Holland Ladies Tour, stage race in Netherlands - 3rd place in stage 1, Kampen. September 21, 2003 - Giro della Toscana Internazionale Femminile, stage race in Italy - 3rd place in stage 5, Quarrata to Firenze. September 21, 2003 - Giro della Toscana Internazionale Femminile, stage race in Italy - 3rd place in the Points classification on final GC, Firenze. August 23, 2003 - Birkebeinerrittet, Norway - 1st place, Lillehammer. 2003 - National Rankings - 1st place. 2004 June 24, 2004 - National Championships, Norway - 1st place in time trial (TT). June 25, 2004 - National Championships, Norway - 2nd place in criterium. June 27, 2004 - National Championships, Norway - 1st place road race (RR). October 2, 2004 - World Championships, Italy - 3rd place in road race (RR), Verona. May 8, 2004 - Brumunddal Syklefestival, Norwegian Cup, Norway - 1st place in time trial (TT). May 14, 2004 - Tour de L'Aude Feminin, stage race in France - 2nd place in stage 1, Gruissan. May 16, 2004 - Tour de L'Aude Feminin, stage race in France - 3rd place in stage 3, Rieux Minervois. May 17, 2004 - Tour de L'Aude Feminin, stage race in France - 3rd place in stage 4, Lezignan Corbières to Lezignan Corbière. May 18, 2004 - Tour de L'Aude Feminin, stage race in France - 2nd place in stage 5, Castelnaudary. May 23, 2004 - Tour de L'Aude Feminin, stage race in France - 1st place in Points classification on the final GC, (Maillot vert - Patronage Skoda Concession Carcassonne). May 31, 2004 - Le Tour du Grand Montréal, stage race in Canada - 3rd place in stage 1, Little Italy criterium. June 1, 2004 - Le Tour du Grand Montréal, stage race in Canada - 2nd place in stage 2, St-George road race. June 2, 2004 - Le Tour du Grand Montréal, stage race in Canada - 2nd place in stage 3, Terrebonne circuit race. June 2, 2004 - Le Tour du Grand Montréal, stage race in Canada - 2nd place on final GC, Terrebonne Canada. June 2, 2004 - Le Tour du Grand Montréal, stage race in Canada - 2nd place on the Points classification on final GC, Terrebonne Canada. July 22, 2004 - International Thüringen-Rundfahrt der Frauen, stage race in Germany - 3rd place in stage 3, Greiz to Schleiz. September 15, 2004 - Giro della Toscana International Femminile, stage race in Italy - 2nd place in stage 1b, Careggine to Altopascio. September 17, 2004 - Giro della Toscana International Femminile, stage race in Italy - 1st place in stage 3b, Circuito Campi Bisenzio. 2004 - National Rankings- 1st place. 2005 May 4, 2005 - Grenland Grand Prix, stage race in Norway - 1st place in time trial (TT). May 4, 2005 - Grenland Grand Prix, stage race in Norway - 1st place in criterium. May 6, 2005 - Vuelta Ciclista Castilla y Leon Feminas, stage race in Spain - 2nd place in stage 3, Burgo De Osma to Arando Del Duero. May 6, 2005 - Vuelta Ciclista Castilla y Leon Feminas, stage race in Spain - 3rd place in the Points classification of the final GC, Arando Del Duero. May 19, 2005 - Tour de L'Aude Feminin, stage race in France - 3rd place in stage 6, Limoux. May 22, 2005 - Tour de L'Aude Feminin, stage race in France - 2nd place in Points classification on the final GC, Ski Station at Mijanes Donezan. June 22, 2005 - National Championships, Norway - 1st place in time trial (TT), Larvik. June 26, 2005 - National Championships, Norway - 1st place in road race (RR), Larvik. June 29, 2005 - Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale, stage race in France - 3rd place in stage 2, Eguisheim (Haut-Rhin)-Plombières-les-Bains (Vosges). July 1, 2005 - Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale, stage race in France - 1st place in stage 4, (Côte d'Or)-St-Vallier (Saône-et-Loire). July 2, 2005 - Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale, stage race in France - 2nd place in the points classification of the final GC. August 14, 2005 - Holland Hills Classic, Netherlands - 1st place, Gulpen-Wittem. 2005 - National Rankings - 1st place.