Firstly, World Champion Isabella goes by Bella. The twins are not identical and in fact are different in stature and riding style. We asked Ava to describe the sisters as Challenge tires and she summed up their differences succinctly: “Bella would be Limus and I would be Baby Limus because we are twins, but we are not identical. She’s a bit taller than me. Or I am a bit shorter than her!”
Cycling is very much a part of the Holmgren family. Their parents met while riding bicycles. Their father, Rob Holmgren, is a cycling coach and Canadian National Team lead for cyclocross. The sisters cite their older brother Gunnar, a professional mountain biker, as inspiration. Six years older than the sisters, his rise through the ranks helped show them the way.
As Canadians, the sisters live an ocean away from the World’s most competitive cyclocross. This season, with the support and companionship of their father, the sisters spent months abroad. In fact, each sister was in Europe’s Schengen Zone just shy of the 90 days allowed as a North American “tourist” without a visa. They are lucky to go to a small school that was willing to help them to stay on track for their spring 2023 graduation date.
Although the sisters obviously made a quick adaptation to European racing, the experience was still eye-opening. “Everything is amplified,” said Bella. “Everything is very different.The atmosphere. It’s so much bigger in Europe. There’s so many spectators and fans and sponsors.”
“There are a lot more racers,” said Ava. “Everyone is good and everyone will fight for every position.”