British Cycling reveals the 2024 Elite Development Teams

British Cycling has today announced the road teams granted Elite Development Team (EDT) status for 2024. This year, more teams have been awarded EDT status than ever before. Four women’s teams and eleven men’s teams have been given the EDT badge, a significant increase on last year when three women’s teams and six men’s teams made the EDT grade.

According to British Cycling, EDT status “helps bridge the gap from club teams to UCI Continental level”. Teams with an EDT badge are entitled to certain benefits. They are guaranteed eight rider entries into all National Road Series and National Circuit Series races, offered promotion of their social media channels and team websites on the British Cycling website, and receive support in the form of education and training workshops. 

In return, EDT teams are “required to demonstrate a high level of support for their riders”. As a minimum:

• Teams must have between six and 16 riders.
• All riders must be Elite, 1st or 2nd Cat (and progressing 3rd Cat riders for women’s teams), with experience of racing National A and/or National B (or equivalent level) road races.
• A minimum of 30% of riders should be under-23 for men’s teams and 50% under-28 for women’s teams.
• Teams must consist of a minimum of 80% British riders.
• All staff members shall hold a valid British Cycling licence with the requisite endorsement (e.g. Team Manager).
• Teams must have an appointed Rider Welfare Officer who is not related to the team manager.
• Riders must list the team as their primary club (road).
• Teams are required to ride at least 80% of National Road Series and National Circuit Series events.

In addition, teams are expected to:

• Support the National Road Series and National Circuit Series.
• Meet a proportion of riders’ expenses for national and international races.
• Provide riders with access to the required equipment needed to compete (e.g. a team bike, clothing, equipment).
• Have staff present at National Series events to provide support before, during and after the race for their riders.
• Provide a team car with requisite racking and equipment in order to provide a service role within the race convoy. Team cars must have a minimum of two members of staff while in the race convoy (e.g. a driver and mechanic).

It is not clear how British Cycling interprets these expectations (for example, how small can ‘a proportion of riders’ expenses’ be) or how/if it audits teams against these expectations (we know of at least one EDT team that doesn’t provide riders with their own bikes for example).

Women’s teams 

• Loughborough Lightning 
• Brother U.K – On Form 
• Team Boompods 
• Saint Piran WRT 

Men’s teams 

• Cycling Sheffield 
• HUUB BCC Race Team 
• PROJECT1 
• Richardsons Trek DAS 
• Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling 
• Team PB Performance 
• Thriva – SRCT 
• USKIS Saint Piran 
• Wheelbase CabTech Castelli 

You can find out more about each of these teams on our women’s team guide and our men’s team guide.