Newly UCI registered Team WNT Pro Cycling will broadcast their team launch live from Madrid this afternoon.
The coming season will be the team’s first as a registered UCI squad, giving them access to higher profile races and showing progression in women’s cycling as they add depth to the field.
The presentation will be streamed via Facebook live at 1.30pm GMT and all fifteen riders will be formally introduced. Riders include Olympic champion Katie Archibald, British National Criterium champion Eileen Roe and British National Time Trial Champ Hayley Simmonds.
- The full line up includes:
- Katie Archibald,
- Anna Badegruber,
- Lydia Boylan,
- Becca Carter,
- Natalie Grinczer,
- Hayley Jones,
- Emily Kay,
- Josie Knight,
- Elise Maes,
- Keira McVitty,
- Bex Rimmington,
- Eileen Roe,
- Gabriella Shaw,
- Hayley Simmonds,
- Hannah Walker
As well as time to introduce riders and hear about their experiences and plans for the upcoming year, the live presentation will include guest appearances from Juanjo Cobo, winner of La Vuelta a España in 2011, as well as former rider and management team member at Euskaltel Euskadi ProTour, Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano.
The team has already been given an invitation to ride at the Women’s Tour – the UCI Women’s World Tour event sweeping British roads in June.
Juanjo Cobo will add a little ‘anything can happen encouragement’ to the proceedings. He won the Spanish Grand Tour in 2011 – when his team Geox–TMC was given a wildcard entry. Initially, he was working as a domestique for team leader Denis Menchov – but took over team leader role when he won the 15th stage, which ended in a steep climb. By the final stage, he’d won the overall, thirteen seconds ahead of Chris Froome.
Former pro racer Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano will provide motivation, telling stories of this experience with the Euskaltel-Euskadi team, where he began and ended his career. At the end of his career, he worked in team management, and will provide advice at Team WNT Pro Cycling embark upon their biggest season ever.
Log onto the Team Facebook page at 1.30pm to see the show.
