BRITISH WOMEN’S TEAMS
After suffering ill-fortune with sponsors in the past, Britain’s top team seemed set fair during 2022. Le Col-wahoo, as they were known, had seemed at last to have found the stability the project deserved. For the first time all riders were paid a decent wage and it was clear they were repaying the faith put in them, Alice Towers winning the British road title and the team taking two UCI wins in Europe.
However, the withdrawal of Le Col last autumn threw the team into turmoil and confirmed them as one of the peloton’s most unlucky. They lost their two sports directors and released riders to find other teams.
But Bob Varney and his son, general manager Tom, found Lifeplus as a new headline sponsor.
The team will be led by sports directors Małgorzata Jasinska and Morgan Kneisky, with perhaps the headline signing promising climber Ella Harris, the New Zealander joining from Canyon-sram.
Otherwise they have a sprint and
Classics-heavy roster. Margaux Vigie brings significant experience from Valcar-travel and Service while Welsh 20-year-old Eluned King will continue her development in bunch kicks.
Changing from CAMS-BASSO this year Das-handsling go into 2023 with a roster of strong domestic riders.
Danni Shrosbree and Sammie Stewart are both good options for longer gnarly races, while new recruit 18-year-old Emma Jeffers will hope to build on her two Tour Series victories as she surely develops onto great things.
AWOL O’shea have taken a step forward for 2023, the arrivals of their first European riders giving access to more Continental races.
The addition of former British time trial champion Hayley Simmonds allows opportunities to run two squads, one for gnarlier stage races, another for criteriums and Belgian kermesses.