“And then there were none”: Fans lament demise of last British pro cycling team, as former DS blasts “tyrant” management; Eight months of Dutch bike races in danger… thanks to two-day NATO summit; Alpe d’Huez Strava KOM smashed + more on the live blog

Will the last person to leave the British elite domestic racing scene please turn out the lights?

While that comment may be a flippant one, ignoring the great grassroots work being done and the steady stream of UK-based cyclists turning professional in recent years, but it’s difficult to ignore the dark clouds hovering over British cycling at the moment.

That doom-laden atmosphere was furthered last night by the news that Saint Piran – the last remaining men’s UCI Continental team based in Britain, following the demise of Trinity earlier this month – is set to close ahead of the 2025 season.

Saint Piran line up before stage four of the 2024 Tour of Britain Men (Will Palmer/SWpix.com)

The Cornwall-based outfit, which was established in 2018 before stepping up to UCI Continental level in 2021, says the decision to shut up shop follows a “tough season” as the squad was hit by sponsorship troubles following what it called “turbulent media coverage”.

In recent months, the team attracted negative headlines for using non-UCI approved framesets imported from China (sparking an investigation from cycling’s governing body), while founder Richard Pascoe was accused of charging riders looking to join the squad £500 for their performance data to be analysed.

“At Saint Piran Pro Cycling, we have looked closely at how we can move forward and continue to grow,” the team said in a statement issued on Tuesday evening.

“Over the past six months, the senior team at Saint Piran has undertaken a strategic review analysing how we can increase the opportunities for some of the UK’s brightest talents and inspire more to get on bikes to take up our incredible sport. To achieve both we have to move to the next level. It is no longer possible for any professional sports team to stand still.

“But that exciting future will happen without Saint Piran Pro Cycling. With a tough season behind us, and more recently turbulent media coverage hitting sponsorship opportunities for next year, it has been decided that Saint Piran Pro Cycling UCI Continental Team and Saint Piran WRT Elite Development Team will not take to the start-line in 2025.”

> No progress made on more than half of British Cycling’s recommendations to revitalise UK racing scene amid harsh reality of “delivering races on the highway” – but governing body says it will “embrace” difficulties

The statement continued: “This has been an incredibly difficult decision for all at Saint Piran but one that we believe is right. While the Saint Piran door closes, another opens for a team wishing to step into our shoes, it is an incredible opportunity. Saint Piran has proved that you can successfully run an independent UCI Continental Team in the UK and take on some of the biggest challenges and teams in the World.

“Unfortunately for us, the stars did not align in 2024 and it has taken its toll. Bad luck, poor health, and an unfair reminder we have made mistakes over the eight years of development have contributed to this decision.

(Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)

“The Saint Piran cycling brand will continue to develop and grow in the cycling sector and beyond. The brand goes from strength-to-strength year on year, providing a high-quality cycling-based experience.

“Sadly, the UK cycle industry is not strong enough as yet and the business is still in its infancy to be in a position to underpin the demands of UCI Continental racing as it stands today.

“Before some in our sport celebrate and no doubt sensationalise the closure of the team, it is important to understand how much has been invested in getting this small team to a place at the UCI table. Our decision has a much wider impact that deserves more discussion than just sensationalised headlines.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who played a part in our growth and success over our eight years. It could not have been possible without you.”

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Saint Piran had 23 riders in their squad for 2024, including Olympic team pursuit silver medallist Oliver Wood, along with brothers Charlie and Harry Tanfield, and won three races internationally this year, including stage six of the Tour of Poyang Lake in China in September, courtesy of Tyler Hannay.

The Cornish squad’s closure means that there will be no British teams in the UCI’s third-tier Continental level in 2025 – the first time this has happened since 2004 – with the Ineos Grenadiers now the only remaining UK men’s pro team at any level.

 In stark contrast, and highlighting the rapid demise of the UK’s elite domestic racing scene, at the 2021 Tour of Britain Saint Piran were joined at the start by Ribble Weldtite, Canyon dhb SunGod, SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling, and Trinity Racing, which announced its own closure citing sponsorship troubles just over a week ago.

> Trinity Racing confirms closure of road team for 2025, as U23 development squad set to focus on mountain biking following sponsorship woes

And it’s that bleak outlook which has led British cycling fans to describe last night’s news as “very depressing” for the domestic scene.

“And then there were none,” said Anna Mac on BlueSky, while former road.cc contributor Tim Bonville-Ginn branded the announcement “absolutely astonishing”.

“Gutted. Just awful,” wrote Mike. “We needed teams like Saint Piran. It represented Cornwall and it was an important part of the British scene. Really feel sorry for the riders and the team.”

“It’s real shame to see the demise of the last couple of remaining British teams (Saint Piran, Trinity). There seems to be no support from our cycling organisations for homegrown riders/teams,” said another BlueSky user.

“From a film celebrating Saint Piran’s 2023 to its closure in nine months. A really sorry state of affairs. For the team and UK cycling,” added Dan Deakins.

Saint Piran’s Tom Williams at September’s Beaumont Trophy in Northumberland (Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)

But despite the doom and gloom, Saint Piran’s statement did at least offer a glimmer of hope for the UK’s racing scene.

“The UK Elite Cycling scene remains a crown jewel in the landscape of international sport and a golden opportunity for investment,” the team said.

“More riders in the World Tour peloton than ever before, World and Olympic medallists, and the development of cycling infrastructure across the UK are incredible achievements.

“Saint Piran Pro Cycling has contributed in all three of these. There is a bright future for UK cycling.”

Let’s hope so.

Some worrying developments from the Netherlands this afternoon, where a two-day NATO summit in June has placed the entire 2025 road cycling season in jeopardy, after race organisers and the country’s cycling union were told that the summit means that no police motorbike riders can be deployed at races between January and August.

At the end of June next year, NATO’s 32 members will hold their summit at the World Forum in The Hague, the first time the Netherlands has hosted the alliance’s annual meeting.

However, the high police presence associated with the summit, and the preparations that come with it, have led to the Dutch police announcing that there will be no capacity available for motorcycle-riding officers to police and marshal bike races on rolling closed roads from 1 January to 31 August.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

In recent years, race organisers in the Netherlands have come under increasing pressure due to the limited availability of specialist motorcycle police officers, who play a crucial role in making sure the events pass smoothly and safely.

Since 2018, the number of races that require police escorts have been reduced by over half, with many races opting for smaller, completely closed circuits.

However, the policing implications of the NATO summit have once again put several races with rolling road closures under threat, though it is widely believed that the Amstel Gold Race, the country’s biggest event, will garner enough political backing to make sure it goes ahead in April.

“It is bitter and disappointing to have to conclude that the two-day NATO summit results in an absence of motorcycle police officers at cycling races for a period of no less than eight months, which is almost the entire cycling season,” Maurice Leeser, the director of the Dutch Cycling Union (the KNWU), told Wielerflits today.

“The KNWU will do everything in its power together with the organisers to ensure that the planned cycling races in 2025 will go ahead.”

Meanwhile, Joost van Oostrum, chair of the Association of Cycling Race Organisers (VOW), urged the Dutch police to avoid making cycling a victim of the NATO summit, and pointed out that bike races could be used as a handy training ground for new officers ahead of the summit.

“The deployment of the police at the NATO summit is aimed at providing mobile security for all dignitaries who have to travel by road in the Netherlands,” Joost van Oostrum said.

“This support requires many specifically trained motorcycle officers, precisely the motorcycle officers who are in great short supply.

“Cycling competitions are very suitable for this group of motorcycle officers to maintain skills and to train those motorcycle officers – who are not yet allowed to provide this support – to do so at cycling competitions.”

Van Oostrum also noted that races such as the historic Ronde van Limburg would not be able to take place next year without a police escort, and may vanish from the calendar entirely.

“A further impoverishment of the cycling calendar is looming,” he said.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Both the KNWU and VOW, however, are hoping that potential new legislation could allow civilian motorcycle traffic controllers to be deployed at races, to cover for the lack of trained officers.

n 2023, a study was launched and commissioned by the KNWU to evaluate whether civilian traffic controllers could, either completely or partially, take over from police officers at races, while maintaining the events’ existing safety standards.

Published and shared in the Dutch parliament today, the study – which included a series of pilot schemes this year – concluded that civilians could make a “valuable contribution to relieving the pressure on police motorcyclists”, provided they are trained properly, have effective means of communication, and can be clearly recognised.

Based on these findings, the KNWU says it will commit to developing national guidance for civilian traffic controllers – which Leeser hopes can be deployed in time to make sure next year’s races go ahead.

“It is crucial to make progress in the accelerated deployment of civilian motor traffic controllers,” he said.

“We hereby urgently call on the ministries to make the necessary resources available as soon as possible to have a national guideline for civilian motor traffic controllers developed.”

“My hope is that regional police forces will sit down with organisers at a regional level to keep these types of races going in 2025,” added the VOW’s Van Ousten.

“I have a lot of confidence in that.”

Judging by new signing Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s Instagram stories, Visma-Lease a Bike’s winter training camp looks like a right hoot.

We’ve had Marianne Vos rolling up her sleeves and getting to work on the farm, while Femke de Vries, Maud Oudeman, and Eva van Agt decided to treat their teammates to a tune or two on the piano:

Seems like some of the Visma ladies have talent besides cycling 😃

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— Tonke (@tonke.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 8:34 AM

It definitely beats Wout van Aert’s mini-spring classics week, anyway.

Cycling home from work (-15c) 🚴

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— Ulf Lundberg 🇸🇪🇫🇮🇺🇦 (@storanorrland.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 1:28 PM

Courtesy of Irish bikepacker Saoirse Pottie, who’s just arrived in Chile one melted helmet down:

Blooming ‘ell. Now that’s what you call bad luck – and a stark warning to us all, next time we’re packing our bike and gear for the plane.

Looks like the Badger’s been in the press, again. And Jonas Vingegaard isn’t too happy about it.

Speaking to Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet, five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault suggested that Vingegaard appears to lack the love for racing enjoyed by his biggest rivals, Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel, arguing that this apparent lack of enthusiasm hindered the Dane during this year’s Tour.

“Vingegaard gives the impression of not liking races as much as a Pogačar or an Evenepoel,” Hinault, famously of the ‘pull yourself out of a ravine and carry on racing’ variety of rider, told the newspaper.

“Riders like races, don’t they? I wonder if he likes them enough.”

However, Vingegaard has hit back at the Badger’s slight, pointing out that his horror crash at the Tour of the Basque Country in April – which saw him suffer multiple fractures and a punctured lung, ruling him out until the start of the Tour in Florence – severely and irreversibly hampered his preparations to win a third consecutive yellow jerseys.

Vingegaard also pointed out that the French legend did not appreciate the extent to which his injuries at the Tour of the Basque Country influenced his season – which he still managed to salvage by winning a stage and finishing second overall to a rampant Pogačar (just three months after his crash), before going on to win the Tour of Poland, and ending his 2024 campaign early to recover and prepare for next year.

(ASO/Billy Ceusters)

“When you say something like that, maybe you don’t consider what happened to me this year,” the Visma-Lease a Bike rider said while reflecting on Hinault’s comments.

“It’s obvious that if I hadn’t had that crash, I would have competed in more races. That’s the way it is. I don’t think he thinks about the consequences for me, which is that I crashed and then had to prepare for the Tour de France.

“A cycling season is about giving and taking and dealing with the availabilities. With that crash, I don’t think you can expect me to be at my best for the rest of the season. I also don’t think he knows how bad it was.

“I think many underestimate what it took to prepare for the Tour de France.”

 

 

 

 

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