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2019 Conti team guide

The latest on the British UCI Continental team line-ups for 2019

Introducing the six British teams that will be racing with a UCI Continental license in 2019.

This page will be updated as team rosters and plans are finalised.

Last update: 26 June 2019

Madison Genesis

Madison Genesis look set to be the team to beat in domestic races next season. 2019 will be the team’s seventh year, and their line-up is arguably their strongest yet: Roger Hammond returns as Team Manager after a stint as sports director at Dimension Data; British champion Connor Swift stays on after narrowly missing out on a World Tour contract; and Britain’s most prolific Continental-level UCI points scorer, Ian Bibby, joins from the defunct JLT Condor team. 

Note: Connor Swift left the team to join Arkéa-Samsic on 13 May. Jon Dibben joined the team on 16 May.

New signings: Ian Bibby, Jon Dibben [from 16 May], Joe Laverick, Tom Moses, Jon Mould and Joey Walker

Retained: Mike Cuming, Rich Handley, Matt Holmes, Tobyn Horton, Johnny McEvoy, George Pym, Erick Rowsell and Connor Swift [joined Arkéa-Samsic on 13 May]

Departures: Neil Van der Ploeg, Taylor Gunman, George Atkins, Isaac Mundy

Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes

Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes will begin the 2019 season with a new name, increased sponsorship, a larger roster and some of the most exciting young riders on the British Continental scene. 2018 Tour de Normandie winner Tom Stewart joins alongside ten other new signings. These include starlets Jake Hennessy, Jacob Vaughan and Matthew Bostock, as well as two promising young Belgians. The team also retain a strong core of riders, including track sensation Charlie Tanfield, Tour of Quanzhou Bay winner Max Stedman and trackie-turned-roadie Andy Tennant. 

New signings: Tom Stewart, Jacob Vaughan, Daniel Pearson, Robert Jon McCarthy, Oliver Wood, Jake Hennessy, Matthew Bostock, Alex Richardson, Callum MacLeod, Stijn de Bock and Alex Colman

Retained: Ryan Christensen, Charles Page, Alex Paton, Louis Rose-Davis, Max Stedman, Charlie Tanfield, Andrew Tennant and Rory Townsend

Departures: Chris Opie, Harry Tanfield, Sam Lowe, Joe Fry, Dexter Gardias, Matt Nowell, Jack Pullar, and James Lowsley-Williams.

Vitus Pro Cycling p/b Brother

It’s all change at Vitus for 2019. Like Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes, the team has increased sponsorship for next season and a much-changed, much-strengthened line-up. Notable incomers include classics specialist Scott Thwaites from Dimension Data, Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy, fast man Chris Latham, road captain Ali Slater and former British Cycling Academy rider Joe Holt. If 2018 was a transitional season for the team, 2019 should see them challenging for top results at home and abroad.

New signings: Scott Thwaites, Ed Clancy, Graham Briggs, Alistair Slater, Chris Latham, Dylan Kerfoot-Robson, Red Walters, Frederick Schescke, Michael Mottram, Christopher McGinchley and Joe Holt

Retained: Adam Kenway, Timothy Torrie and Liam Davies

Departures: Deins Kanepejs, Ben Walsh, Grant Martin, Leon Gledhill, Julio Alberto Amores, Joshua Hunt, Harrison Jones, Joe Reilly, Andy Shackel and Bertie Newey.

Team Wiggins Le Col

Team Wiggins Le Col has a much-reduced roster in 2019, retaining the core of their 2018 squad but waving goodbye to riders who have ‘aged-out’, as well as others, like Joey Walker, who have found contracts with other British Conti teams. It’s still an extremely talented squad, with stars Pidcock, Donovan and Scott being joined by some strong signings including Sam Jenner who impressed in the 2019 Aussie U23 road and time trial championships, Dan Tullet, who races in Pidcock’s cyclocross team and Ben Healy, the Irish junior TT champion. Further strengthening the squad, Gabriel Cullaigh is a late ‘re-signing’ having failed to find a WorldTour contract for 2019. And Mark Christian also returns to the team after being caught out by Aqua Blue’s demise.

New signings: Sam Jenner, Lawrence Carpenter, Ben Healy, Daniel Tulett, Mark Christian, Callum Riley

Retained: Gabriel Cullaigh, Tom Pidcock, Robert Scott, Mark Donovan, James Fouché, Michael O’Loughlin, Corentin Navarro, Oliver Robinson and Jacques Sauvagnargues

2018 riders with no confirmed team for 2019: Campbell Stewart

Departures: Reece Wood, Nathan Draper, Joey Walker, Etienne Georgi, Dylan Kerfoot-Robson, Jesse Yates, Mark Downey, Matthew Teggart

Ribble Pro Cycling

Ribble Pro Cycling is one of two British teams stepping up to the Continental ranks from Elite level. The team has made five new signings, including the returning Jacob Tipper (winner of stages in the Tour of Qinghai Lake and Tour du Maroc in 2018) and former An Post Chain Reaction rider and GB track rider Mark Stewart. It will be fascinating to see if the team can challenge the existing Continental teams for spots in Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain. 

New signings: Jacob Tipper, Scott Auld, Alex Dalton, Jake Gray and Mark Stewart

Retained: John Archibald, Daniel Bigham, Alex Luhrs, Chris Sherriffs, Jack Rees, Zeb Kyffin, Richard Jones, Gruffudd Lewis, Ed Hopper, Simon Wilson and William Brown

Departures: Ethan Vernon, Richard Haughton, David Hewett, Tom Timothy (who stays on as Team Principal), Will Corbett and Jonny Wale

Swift Carbon Pro Cycling

Swift Carbon Pro Cycling are technically a new team for 2019, albeit one based around staff and riders from Team KTM, an elite team last season. The team have announced a 14-man roster on their website, including former WorldTour pro James Shaw, ex-JLT-Condor climber Ed Laverack, Jacob Scott and Pete Williams from One Pro Cycling and Isaac Mundy from Madison Genesis. Julian Varley, winner of Stage 7 of the Ras in 2018, is one of four riders moving from Team KTM.

New signings: James Shaw, Ed Laverack, Tristan Robbins, Isaac Mundy [joined Richardsons-Trek on 12 June], Stephen Bradbury, Will Bjergfelt, Ben Hardy, Pete Williams, George Wood and Jacob Scott

Joined from KTM: Julian Varley, Andy Turner, Jordan Reed, Will Fox

Departures: these riders were in the 2018 KTM squad and did not move across to SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling – Peter Barusevicus, Fraser Rounds, Andrew Disley, Alex Harvey, Adam Robinson, Kieran Brady, Callum Ferguson, Dave Shackleton, Gavin Taylor, Ollie Peckover, Joe Hill and David Kovács 

Feature photo: Andrew Peat / Always Riding

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