UK Men’s Cycling Teams 2020

The 2020 cycling season has technically already started and plenty of changes have happened to UK men’s cycling teams. Although it’s not obvious. Riders that have transferred teams still get to wear their former team jerseys until January 1st for some weird legal reason. Domestically points from races will start counting to yearly totals from January onwards too.

There’s a number of changes to the UK domestic cycling scene for 2020. Some of the UK men’s cycling teams have changed or disappeared and riders have moved around. What looks like being the only constant are the highest-profile UK cycling races which appear to be remaining largely unchanged.

2020 UK Races

The highest level of the men’s UK cycling teams is the Continental level. Riders on these teams might get invited to races at higher levels in the UK and abroad. For instance, in 2019 Canyon took part in a number of 1.1. races in France/Belgium last year such as Tro Bro Leon & Schaal Sels. The highest level that these riders can race at is the .HC level – the most obvious examples of which are the Tour of Britain and Tour de Yorkshire. They can’t take part in WorldTour races.

For 2020, pretty much all of the .HC races (and the odd .1 race) will all be grouped into the ProSeries which replaces the Pro Continental level. Races below the ProSeries will then be grouped into Class 1 and Class 2 races – roughly corresponding to the old .1. and .2 system. Still with me? Good!

Provisional 2020 UK Race Calendar

Plenty still to be added once information is available.

2020 UK Teams

Following on from the closure of JLT in 2018, 2019 saw the demise of Madison Genesis and Wiggins Le Col. That’s 3 of the highest-profile UK teams shutting up shop in a short timeframe. They’ve not really been replaced yet either.
That leaves just 4 UK cycling teams at the Continental level for 2020.

Canyon dhb p/b Soreen

Key Riders: Jerôme Baugnies | Brenton Jones | Rory Townsend

Best Signing: Jerôme Baugnies has been signed from Wanty Groupe Gobert for 2020. Podium placings at Paris-Roubaix juniors and Tour of Flanders U23 in his youth haven’t translated into professional results at that level. Instead, he’s become more of a Belgian one-day race specialist.
3 victories at Druivenkoers Overijse and multiple podiums at GP Cerami and Rhône-Alpes Isère Tour are good to have on your palmares though.

Biggest Departure: Alexander Richardson is moving up to join Mathieu van der Poel at Corendon in the ProSeries. A solid set of 2019 results, including wins at Arno Wallaard, Tour de la Mirabelle and domestically, the Severn Bridge RR means he’ll now be riding a lot more over in Belgium. A just reward for a good season of racing.

Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling

Key Riders: Steve Lampier | John Archibald | Charles Page

Best Signing: Steve Lampier is a bit of a UK domestic racing legend. Whilst at JLT he also got some good results in some of the early season Australian races like the Herald Sun Tour. After JLT’s demise, he spent the 2019 season at Saint Piran. 5th at the Lancaster GP, 9th at Rutland Melton and consistent top-20 finishes in the Tour Series show he can still make a difference in 2020.

Biggest Departure: Alex Luhrs finished 6th at Rutland Melton in 2019 and a respectable 40th Overall at the Tour de Yorkshire. It’s not clear where or if he’ll be racing in 2020, just that it won’t be at Ribble.

Swift Carbon Pro Cycling

Key Riders: Tristan Robbins | Alexander Braybrooke | Owen James

Best Signing: 2019 saw Owen James riding for French team Côtes d’Armor. He won a stage of the 2.2. race Tour de Bretagne amongst a host of other top-20 finishes. Now back on British soil, the experience from racing at that level should help him get good results domestically.

Biggest Departure: James Shaw was dropped by Lotto Soudal at the end of 2018 and ended up being snapped up by Swift Carbon. A great 2019 season that saw him finish 5th overall at the Tour de Yorkshire sees him move back up a level to Danish team Riwal Readynez.

Vitus Pro Cycling p/b Brother UK

Key Riders: Chris Latham | Joey Walker | Stephen Bradbury

Best Signing: Joey Walker is the National Circuit Champion and gets his best results in the city crits that make up the Tour Series. He won the Durham race and finished 2nd in Motherwell in 2019. He’s tailor-made to help Vitus get points.

Biggest Departure: Scott Thwaites is another who was dropped by a WorldTour team at the end of 2018 and find himself racing for a Continental team in 2019. He acquitted himself well with 8th at the Tour de Yorkshire and 10th at Rutland Melton & the National Champs RR. He’s moving up a level to Corendon for 2020.

2020 UK Elite teams

Great Britain Cycling Team Senior Academy – Ethan Vernon

Saint Piran – Chris Opie

Trinity Racing – Tom Pidcock

Holdsworth Zappi

Crimson Performance Orientation Marketing

Cycling Sheffield

Nopinz Symec

Richardsons Trek

Spirit Tifosi BSS Rotor

Team PB Performance

Wales Racing Academy

Wheelbase CabTech Castelli