Bob Lyons interview: Alba Development Road Team’s ambitious journey to UCI Continental status and beyond
In conversation with Alba Development Road Team manager Bob Lyons about his plans to upgrade the team to UCI Continental level next season, and his ambitious longer-term vision for the team
Bob Lyons may be softly-spoken, but his ambitions for his Alba Development Road Team are loud. Two years after establishing the Scottish-focused squad, Lyons plans to elevate the team to UCI Continental level next season and has eventual aspirations of building a well-resourced two-tier team structure that supports its riders with a holistic athlete-centric approach.
The British Continental sat down with Lyons to discuss his team’s progress, why the team is stepping up, and his ambitious longer-term vision for the team…
Bob Lyons before the Parcours Guildford Women’s Grand Prix. Image: Ian Wrightson x The British Continental
Bob Lyons established Alba Development Road Team two years ago, driven by an unwavering vision. He sought to prioritise the riders and alleviate the financial burdens associated with racing, a goal he believed some teams had failed to achieve.
“The focus was in the wrong place for rider development, and quite often, riders got pushed to one side where they should be front and centre,” he says. “They should be the centre of everything. It’s not an ego trip for a team owner, it’s not just focused on the results. It’s ‘let’s get the rider in the right place and give them the best chance to develop and make that next step.'”
Our ethos is ‘let’s get the rider in the right place and give them the best chance to develop and make that next step’
“That was the ethos behind the creation of the team, in putting together a structure to allow that support to be there, while also trying to take away the financial burden of racing, which can be quite expensive if you’re racing at an elite level.”
Over the last two years, Lyons has worked tirelessly to put this athlete-centric model into practice, and he believes it’s been a success, “a proven model,” he says. He reflects on the journey so far, “I’m very happy with how it’s gone over the two years. We’ve done what we set out to do with riders and continue to do so.”
He points to former rider Kate Richardson as an example of how Alba Development Road Team’s commitment to nurturing talent has borne fruit. Her journey last season from a talented rookie to a podium contender in just a year was phenomenal, the Scot featuring regularly at the pointy end of the Tour Series before top tens in the National Road Series, taking the overall win at the Rás na mBan, and earning a move to Lifeplus-Wahoo.
2022 Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series Round 3 Sunderland, Tyne and Wear – Women’s Race – Kate Richardson of Team Alba Development Road Team in action. Image: Will Palmer/SWpix.com
Lyons emphasises that not all riders will improve as quickly. “Success is seeing them develop, and for some, it’s a multi-year project. Kate was pretty unique; I’ve never come across anybody who learned as quickly as she did, and what she achieved in the year was quite unreal. So, for most riders, especially if they’re less experienced, it’s a two to three-year project, and everyone needs to accept that. It’s about getting that balance right and moving forward.”
It’s not about building a team of superstars that are just going to win everything. It’s about getting the balance right
This dedication to rider development is at the core of the team’s philosophy. Bob elaborates, “It’s not about building a team of superstars that are just going to win everything, although that’s quite nice if you do achieve that. It’s about getting the balance right. So you’ve got some with experience, you’ve got people coming across from other sports, but it’s still with riders who want to develop and have ambitions to get to the top of the sport. And if you get that balance right, it it gels quite well.”
However, the road to success is never without its challenges. Bob acknowledges, “We’ve had some challenges this year with quite a few injuries, which is because we’re trying to keep the squad fairly small. We aim to give riders 35 to 40 days of racing in a year. If your squad’s too big, it’s really difficult to do that. But you need to be big enough that you can cover for injuries, illness, or other unexpected events.”
The team’s progress so far has fitted neatly with Lyons’ five-year plan for the development outfit. “When the team first came into being, there was a five-year plan,” Bob reveals. “In year four, we planned to have two teams. The development team would still exist, but there would be a UCI team with fully funded salaried riders, building a team of winners, to move towards competing in the top women’s races in year five.”
2023 National Circuit Series, Road – The Dudley Grand Prix, Women’s National Circuit Series – Alba Road Team. Image: Oliver Brookwell/SWpix.com
Lyons explains that the plan is still very much on track. “That plan is still in progress, and by 2025, the intent is to have that UCI team fully funded,” he says. However, he acknowledges the financial hurdles that come with this ambitious goal. “Now, with the recent announcement that [the UCI are] bringing forward the Women’s ProConti tier by a year to 2025, that might come into play a bit. But what we were looking at is a budget of half a million for that team. Now that’s quite a big ask. It’s a work in progress, has been for several years, but we’re still quite confident we can get there, but that’s still on the table.”
The bottom line is that at an elite level in the UK, five road races and six crits does not make the programme that we need to deliver
The shrinking UK racing calendar this year – in which the national Road Series decreased from seven to five rounds, the Tour Series was cancelled and the Women’s Tour was on hiatus – prompted Bob to make some strategic adjustments about the team’s future. “It really began at the beginning of this season when the Tour Series disappeared because all of a sudden it made a big hole in the year,” he explains. “And then with the race programme generally, the bottom line is that at an elite level in the UK, five road races and six crits does not make the programme that we need to deliver; we need to do more. So we did quite a lot in Europe this year.”
With a near-term expansion of the UK calendar unlikely, this shift towards European racing is part of the team’s strategy for 2024. “The intent is that going into 2024, we’re gonna do a lot more in Europe,” Lyons reveals.
Alba rider Daisy Barnes at the Parcours Guildford Women’s Grand Prix. Image: Ian Wrightson x The British Continental
The European focus also prompted Lyons to start thinking about moving his team up to UCI Continental level already. “You don’t need to be UCI for that necessarily. There’s some pros to being UCI. It’s easier to get into races, and you can get into some bigger races for sure. There’s a downside to it though too; it is more money that you can’t spend on racing.” Lyons elucidates, “Our primary objective is to spend as much cash as possible on racing. So if you want to go UCI, then it’s going to cost you a bit more in registration fees, the extra insurances, etc.”
However, the recent UCI calendar announcement brought a pleasant surprise. “But when the UCI calendar came out a couple of weeks ago, we saw that the Women’s Tour is back in the UK. So there’s two WorldTour races in the UK, and we were speaking to sponsors about things generally, and they quite like that bit,” Bob shares. “So we discussed that, and [they said] ‘we’ll cover the additional cost if we’re going to go that route’. So we then decided, well, yeah, OK, we’ll move to UCI Conti next year with the team, which makes it easier to put the European programme together, be able to race in those races, keep sponsors happy. That’s a good position to be in.”
“The upshot of all of that is we will be UCI next year,” Bob confirms.
The UCI race programme that we’ll put in place next year … won’t be fundamentally different to what we would have tried to do if we were non-UCI because you’ve got to get that balance right
UCI status might open up new possibilities for the team but Lyons stresses that it will be important to carefully manage the race programme so that riders are “in the right races.” Bob expounds, “The UCI race programme that we’ll put in place next year, other than those two races in the UK, won’t be fundamentally different to what we would have tried to do if we were non-UCI because you’ve got to get that balance right.
Women’s National Road Series Round 5 – 2023 Curlew Cup. Eilidh Shaw of Alba Development Road Team climbing the Ryals. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
Lyons recognises the growing interest in UCI status within the British women’s peloton. By our estimate, there could be as many as six British UCI Continental teams in the UK next season. “There’s a lot of chat around the women’s peloton this year about going UCI,” he notes. “Every man and his dog says they going to go UCI. I don’t know if they are or they’re not.”
We’ve got new riders coming in. We did want to strengthen the squad a little bit
Regardless of the competition from other teams, Lyons believes the UCI badge should enable him to strengthen his squad for next season. “There is a benefit to being able to put that on the table. We’ve got new riders coming in. We did want to strengthen the squad a little bit,” Bob admits. “We probably lacked, particularly when we had some injuries last year. We lacked a little bit of experience at times in the mid-season. I wouldn’t say we floundered, but… The team found it a little difficult without… Having the right amount of experience in riding.”
The Alba Development Road Team remains committed to British Elite racing, despite the bolstered European programme. “We very much want to support racing in the UK,” Bob says emphatically. “I think it’s important. It’s sad to see it in the place it is just now. But when I speak to them, the people at British Cycling understand, you know, that we can’t do what we want to do on five races.”
Despite the UK calendar’s woes, Lyons doesn’t agree with pointing the finger of blame solely at British Cycling. “Things are not great in the UK, but I think there’s too much finger-pointing and willy-waving that goes on. You just point at BC, say ‘it’s your fault’. Everybody’s got a part to play here.”
Warming up at the 2023 Parcours Guildford Women’s Grand Prix. Image: Ian Wrightson x The British Continental
Lyons highlights that the benefit of such a sim UK racing calendar is that it enables him to expose his riders to international racing. “I’d say it’s really important as well. We did more than we had planned because of what was going on in the UK,” he shares. “But it is a different dynamic and the riders benefit so much from being in that environment.”
It’s a completely different dynamic in Europe. You are in 180 rider fields. And everybody is at that next level, they’re all there. So it’s very important for rider experience and progress
“It’s good racing in the UK,” Bob expands. “I think particularly the women’s racing it’s pretty good and competitive at the front end and there’s a number of riders, teams that are racing … but it’s a completely different dynamic in Europe. You are in 180 rider fields. And everybody is at that next level instead of, you know, half the bunch in the UK, they’re all there. So it’s very important for rider experience and progress.”
Amelia Tyler. Image: Ian Wrightson x The British Continental.
Again, though, Lyons emphasises the need to select the right races. “There’s no point in going to races to be shelled after five kilometres or just be clinging on for grim death at the back of the bunch. You might as well just do a good training session. You need to be in the right races.”
No team in Scotland has ever done what we’ve done in the last two years. There’s never been a Scottish female UCI team
As the conversation draws to a close, Lyons says the team will retain its Scottish core as it takes it next steps. The squad will have six Scots in 2024 and will continue its links with Scottish Cycling. And stepping up to UCI Continental level will be a big moment in Scottish cycling history . “No team in Scotland has ever done what we’ve done in the last two years,” Lyons says. “There’s never been a Scottish female UCI team.”
If the Alba Development Road Team can continue the impressive strides that is has made in the last two years, it is clear that the team is poised for a promising future. With UCI status on the horizon and a continued commitment to rider development, Alba Development Road Team stands as an example of how passion, dedication, and a clear vision can propel a team’s progress.
The team is only two years into its five-year plan, but with Lyons at the helm, it appears to be on the right path, driven by a simple yet powerful philosophy – the development of riders comes first, and success will follow.
Bob Lyons may be softly-spoken, but his ambitions for his Alba Development Road Team are loud. Two years after establishing the Scottish-focused squad, Lyons plans to elevate the team to UCI Continental level next season and has eventual aspirations of building a well-resourced two-tier team structure that supports its riders with a holistic athlete-centric approach.
The British Continental sat down with Lyons to discuss his team’s progress, why the team is stepping up, and his ambitious longer-term vision for the team…
Bob Lyons established Alba Development Road Team two years ago, driven by an unwavering vision. He sought to prioritise the riders and alleviate the financial burdens associated with racing, a goal he believed some teams had failed to achieve.
“The focus was in the wrong place for rider development, and quite often, riders got pushed to one side where they should be front and centre,” he says. “They should be the centre of everything. It’s not an ego trip for a team owner, it’s not just focused on the results. It’s ‘let’s get the rider in the right place and give them the best chance to develop and make that next step.'”
“That was the ethos behind the creation of the team, in putting together a structure to allow that support to be there, while also trying to take away the financial burden of racing, which can be quite expensive if you’re racing at an elite level.”
Over the last two years, Lyons has worked tirelessly to put this athlete-centric model into practice, and he believes it’s been a success, “a proven model,” he says. He reflects on the journey so far, “I’m very happy with how it’s gone over the two years. We’ve done what we set out to do with riders and continue to do so.”
He points to former rider Kate Richardson as an example of how Alba Development Road Team’s commitment to nurturing talent has borne fruit. Her journey last season from a talented rookie to a podium contender in just a year was phenomenal, the Scot featuring regularly at the pointy end of the Tour Series before top tens in the National Road Series, taking the overall win at the Rás na mBan, and earning a move to Lifeplus-Wahoo.
Lyons emphasises that not all riders will improve as quickly. “Success is seeing them develop, and for some, it’s a multi-year project. Kate was pretty unique; I’ve never come across anybody who learned as quickly as she did, and what she achieved in the year was quite unreal. So, for most riders, especially if they’re less experienced, it’s a two to three-year project, and everyone needs to accept that. It’s about getting that balance right and moving forward.”
This dedication to rider development is at the core of the team’s philosophy. Bob elaborates, “It’s not about building a team of superstars that are just going to win everything, although that’s quite nice if you do achieve that. It’s about getting the balance right. So you’ve got some with experience, you’ve got people coming across from other sports, but it’s still with riders who want to develop and have ambitions to get to the top of the sport. And if you get that balance right, it it gels quite well.”
However, the road to success is never without its challenges. Bob acknowledges, “We’ve had some challenges this year with quite a few injuries, which is because we’re trying to keep the squad fairly small. We aim to give riders 35 to 40 days of racing in a year. If your squad’s too big, it’s really difficult to do that. But you need to be big enough that you can cover for injuries, illness, or other unexpected events.”
The team’s progress so far has fitted neatly with Lyons’ five-year plan for the development outfit. “When the team first came into being, there was a five-year plan,” Bob reveals. “In year four, we planned to have two teams. The development team would still exist, but there would be a UCI team with fully funded salaried riders, building a team of winners, to move towards competing in the top women’s races in year five.”
Lyons explains that the plan is still very much on track. “That plan is still in progress, and by 2025, the intent is to have that UCI team fully funded,” he says. However, he acknowledges the financial hurdles that come with this ambitious goal. “Now, with the recent announcement that [the UCI are] bringing forward the Women’s ProConti tier by a year to 2025, that might come into play a bit. But what we were looking at is a budget of half a million for that team. Now that’s quite a big ask. It’s a work in progress, has been for several years, but we’re still quite confident we can get there, but that’s still on the table.”
The shrinking UK racing calendar this year – in which the national Road Series decreased from seven to five rounds, the Tour Series was cancelled and the Women’s Tour was on hiatus – prompted Bob to make some strategic adjustments about the team’s future. “It really began at the beginning of this season when the Tour Series disappeared because all of a sudden it made a big hole in the year,” he explains. “And then with the race programme generally, the bottom line is that at an elite level in the UK, five road races and six crits does not make the programme that we need to deliver; we need to do more. So we did quite a lot in Europe this year.”
With a near-term expansion of the UK calendar unlikely, this shift towards European racing is part of the team’s strategy for 2024. “The intent is that going into 2024, we’re gonna do a lot more in Europe,” Lyons reveals.
The European focus also prompted Lyons to start thinking about moving his team up to UCI Continental level already. “You don’t need to be UCI for that necessarily. There’s some pros to being UCI. It’s easier to get into races, and you can get into some bigger races for sure. There’s a downside to it though too; it is more money that you can’t spend on racing.” Lyons elucidates, “Our primary objective is to spend as much cash as possible on racing. So if you want to go UCI, then it’s going to cost you a bit more in registration fees, the extra insurances, etc.”
However, the recent UCI calendar announcement brought a pleasant surprise. “But when the UCI calendar came out a couple of weeks ago, we saw that the Women’s Tour is back in the UK. So there’s two WorldTour races in the UK, and we were speaking to sponsors about things generally, and they quite like that bit,” Bob shares. “So we discussed that, and [they said] ‘we’ll cover the additional cost if we’re going to go that route’. So we then decided, well, yeah, OK, we’ll move to UCI Conti next year with the team, which makes it easier to put the European programme together, be able to race in those races, keep sponsors happy. That’s a good position to be in.”
“The upshot of all of that is we will be UCI next year,” Bob confirms.
UCI status might open up new possibilities for the team but Lyons stresses that it will be important to carefully manage the race programme so that riders are “in the right races.” Bob expounds, “The UCI race programme that we’ll put in place next year, other than those two races in the UK, won’t be fundamentally different to what we would have tried to do if we were non-UCI because you’ve got to get that balance right.
Lyons recognises the growing interest in UCI status within the British women’s peloton. By our estimate, there could be as many as six British UCI Continental teams in the UK next season. “There’s a lot of chat around the women’s peloton this year about going UCI,” he notes. “Every man and his dog says they going to go UCI. I don’t know if they are or they’re not.”
Regardless of the competition from other teams, Lyons believes the UCI badge should enable him to strengthen his squad for next season. “There is a benefit to being able to put that on the table. We’ve got new riders coming in. We did want to strengthen the squad a little bit,” Bob admits. “We probably lacked, particularly when we had some injuries last year. We lacked a little bit of experience at times in the mid-season. I wouldn’t say we floundered, but… The team found it a little difficult without… Having the right amount of experience in riding.”
The Alba Development Road Team remains committed to British Elite racing, despite the bolstered European programme. “We very much want to support racing in the UK,” Bob says emphatically. “I think it’s important. It’s sad to see it in the place it is just now. But when I speak to them, the people at British Cycling understand, you know, that we can’t do what we want to do on five races.”
Despite the UK calendar’s woes, Lyons doesn’t agree with pointing the finger of blame solely at British Cycling. “Things are not great in the UK, but I think there’s too much finger-pointing and willy-waving that goes on. You just point at BC, say ‘it’s your fault’. Everybody’s got a part to play here.”
Lyons highlights that the benefit of such a sim UK racing calendar is that it enables him to expose his riders to international racing. “I’d say it’s really important as well. We did more than we had planned because of what was going on in the UK,” he shares. “But it is a different dynamic and the riders benefit so much from being in that environment.”
“It’s good racing in the UK,” Bob expands. “I think particularly the women’s racing it’s pretty good and competitive at the front end and there’s a number of riders, teams that are racing … but it’s a completely different dynamic in Europe. You are in 180 rider fields. And everybody is at that next level instead of, you know, half the bunch in the UK, they’re all there. So it’s very important for rider experience and progress.”
Again, though, Lyons emphasises the need to select the right races. “There’s no point in going to races to be shelled after five kilometres or just be clinging on for grim death at the back of the bunch. You might as well just do a good training session. You need to be in the right races.”
As the conversation draws to a close, Lyons says the team will retain its Scottish core as it takes it next steps. The squad will have six Scots in 2024 and will continue its links with Scottish Cycling. And stepping up to UCI Continental level will be a big moment in Scottish cycling history . “No team in Scotland has ever done what we’ve done in the last two years,” Lyons says. “There’s never been a Scottish female UCI team.”
If the Alba Development Road Team can continue the impressive strides that is has made in the last two years, it is clear that the team is poised for a promising future. With UCI status on the horizon and a continued commitment to rider development, Alba Development Road Team stands as an example of how passion, dedication, and a clear vision can propel a team’s progress.
The team is only two years into its five-year plan, but with Lyons at the helm, it appears to be on the right path, driven by a simple yet powerful philosophy – the development of riders comes first, and success will follow.
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