Georgia Lancaster interview: a Lightning education
18-year-old Georgia Lancaster is gearing up for a pivotal year after her breakthrough wins in 2023. Transitioning to under-23 category, she joins Loughborough Lightning, embracing challenges and camaraderie for an exciting season ahead.
18-year-old Georgia Lancaster is coming into 2024 riding on a wave of firsts – first time leaving one team to join another, first time racing National A races, first time heading into a season as a proven race-winner.
A rising star, Lancaster is gearing up for what promises to be a pivotal year in her career. With a string of victories already notched under her belt, she enters this season with a newfound confidence and determination. As she transitions into the under-23 category and sets her sights on the National Road Series, she acknowledges the unique challenges that lie ahead.
Although I do really want to go into the season thinking ‘let’s hit this hard and let’s go for it,’ I know it’s going to be difficult in some ways, and there is a lot of work to be done
Wins at the Leigh Day Grand Prix and, notably, in the always hotly-contested British Team Cup race at Solihull – beating Samantha Fawcett, Frankie Hall and Lucy Lee in the process – has marked out the 18-year-old as one to watch, but Lancaster is keeping her feet on the ground.
Lancaster (left) at the 8th Anexo CAMS Women’s CiCLE Classic. Image: Mathew Wells/SWpix.com
“This year is going to be an interesting one for me,” Lancaster reflects. “It’s the first time I’ve come into this season with some wins underneath my belt. It’s also the first time I’m under-23, and it’s the first time I’m going to be looking at the Nat As.”
Despite her successes as a junior, Lancaster remains grounded, recognising the formidable competition she will face. “Although I do really want to go into the season thinking ‘let’s hit this hard and let’s go for it,’ I know it’s going to be difficult in some ways, and there is a lot of work to be done,” she admits. “Under-23 isn’t easy, and although the races I won last year were [senior-level], there’s a lot of new riders coming up and there’s a lot of strength in the peloton and everybody is taking that step forward.”
Under-23 isn’t easy, and although the races I won last year were [senior-level], there’s a lot of new riders coming up and there’s a lot of strength in the peloton and everybody is taking that step forward
Lancaster emphasises the importance of managing her expectations and staying adaptable as she navigates the transition to a higher level of competition. “I need to not come into the season thinking I’m going to have the same season as last year,” she explains. “Although I want it to be and I want to build on that and do even better, I think I’ve got to be very mature in the way that I look at it and know that it’s going to be different this season.”
Lancaster at the 8th Anexo CAMS Women’s CiCLE Classic. Image: Mathew Wells/SWpix.com
Despite the uncertainties, Lancaster radiates excitement for the challenges that lie ahead. “I’m so excited for it and all the work that we’re putting in here. I think I’m going to have an exciting season,” she declares with enthusiasm.
Departing from her previous team, Brother UK – On Form, she has joined Elite Development Team Loughborough Lightning this season as she looks to make a step up on the bike while beginning her university education by embarking on a sports science degree.
“I knew beforehand what a good setup they had here,” Lancaster says. “And of course, like, leaving a team, it was my first time leaving a team that I did really enjoy and I got along well there. But having had some talks with the coaches here and having some talks with Dave [Nichols, the Loughborough Lightning cycling programme manager], I’d come here beforehand to do some testing just for my own purposes too, and I loved it.”
Lancaster’s decision to join Loughborough Lightning was not made lightly. She took the time to engage with the team’s coaches and immerse herself in the environment, ensuring it was the right fit for her ambitions and goals. Reflecting on her initial experiences with the team, Lancaster expressed admiration for the expertise and energy present within the Loughborough setup.
I came into the gym and it was amazing, Matt our gym coach is awesome. I got to know the physiology lot, and you could tell that they were so experienced.
“I came into the gym and it was amazing, Matt our gym coach is awesome. I got to know the physiology lot, and you could tell that they were so experienced. There was so much energy going into every single thing when I got here. Before I got here as well, the first phone call I had with Dave, it just felt so, so right. Then as soon as I got here and met my coach, Paddy, everything just fell into place perfectly.”
Her arrival at Loughborough coincides with the team’s ever-increasing ambition, marked by some impressive squad acquisitions. Fellow arrivals in 2024 include former Lancaster Grand Prix winner Mary Wilkinson, Jay Hine, Lucy Harris and National Cyclocross Trophy Series winner Elena Day, and it’s that mix of experience levels in both the coaching staff and the riders that has Lancaster confident that she can grow and develop.
“I met her [Mary] the first time on the first day of camp and we went out on a bike ride and there was just the three of us going out on a ride,” Lancaster says. “It was awesome because you can tell how much experience she has. I’m fully putting my hands up, I’m 18. I don’t have experience that someone like Mary does. To be able to sit there and learn so much off her, I’m so excited for this season because it’s just going to be amazing. There’s so much that I can learn and develop and it’s so exciting for me.”
Georgia Lancaster (centre) at the 8th Anexo CAMS Women’s CiCLE Classic. Image: Mathew Wells/SWpix.com
It is going out on those rides with teammates that Lancaster is also enjoying, and believes will benefit the whole team in 2024. With six of the 14-rider squad students at the university – and others based nearby – they have opportunities to ride and train together that their rivals on the British scene don’t have on the same scale.
“We are in a unique place where I’m training nearly every single session with my teammates,” Lancaster remarks. “There’s barely a time where I will be out for three hours by myself. I will always be with a teammate, pretty much. And it’s not just somebody who rides, it’s a teammate.”
This emphasis on collective training has profound implications, as Lancaster explains, “When we’re racing, when we’re in those hard moments where we’ve got to sacrifice our race for somebody else, or we’ve got to really push to try and help our teammate, when you’re in a situation where you don’t know your teammates that well, it’s difficult sometimes to make those decisions.”
Indeed, familiarity breeds trust and cohesion, elements that are crucial in the heat of competition. Lancaster acknowledges the advantage of teams like the pro squads who spend extensive time together. “You know the pro teams, they train with each other, they spend a lot of time with each other and they’re able to then do that.”
We are going into the races with such good knowledge of each other’s relationship and how each other’s thinking and how we feel
However, Loughborough Lightning is not lagging behind in this aspect. Lancaster highlights, “We are going into the races with such good knowledge of each other’s relationship and how each other’s thinking and how we feel. So we can go into those races and be like, yeah, I’m going to make this sacrifice because I know who you are, and I know your sort of ethics and your morals.”
Lancaster wins the 2023 Solihull CC road race. Image: Huw Williams
Lancaster hopes this deep understanding forged through shared experiences and training will translate into seamless cooperation during races. “It makes everything so much easier,” Lancaster adds. “And it means that when we go to a race, we can be so honest with each other because we trust each other, because we know each other and we spent that time together.”
In essence, Lancaster believes this camaraderie will propel Loughborough Lightning to new heights. “I reckon it’s going to help us so much to create that really good bond and help us in races.”
Lancaster expresses a quiet confidence in her own abilities. Those breakthrough wins in 2023 weren’t just a tick in the column from a career prospective, it was a real boost to Lancaster’s confidence and belief that she’d put behind a few years that she herself describes as ‘bad seasons’.
Lancaster at the 2023 Solihull CC road race. Image: Huw Williams
“I was so pleased with last year,” Lancaster begins, her voice tinged with a sense of accomplishment. “I went into the season not in the best place. I knew I wasn’t fit enough – I hadn’t had a good winter season. I did wonder whether at the start of the season, whether it was going to be another bad season for me or not, and it just all fell into place and everything just started to happen.”
It was the first year where I’ve come into cycling and I’ve come out of the season and I’ve thought: ‘I’ve done well this year’
Her transformation wasn’t immediate; it was a gradual process marked by perseverance and dedication. “It happened slowly and it was a lot of work, but it was just an amazing year, a proud year for me and my family. It was the first year where I’ve come into cycling and I’ve come out of the season and I’ve thought: ‘I’ve done well this year’ and it was really, really nice to show that.”
For Lancaster, success had been elusive in the past. “I’ve never had a year of success. I’d won one bike race before and it was a women’s 3/4 so it’s the first time I’ve won some proper races. It was nice. It was nice to get some success.”
Now, as she embarks on a new chapter with Loughborough Lightning, Lancaster brings with her not just a newfound confidence, but also a hunger for further achievements. A rider with a fast finish who has already taken some impressive scalps, Georgia Lancaster could well evolve into a force to be reckoned with on the domestic scene.
18-year-old Georgia Lancaster is coming into 2024 riding on a wave of firsts – first time leaving one team to join another, first time racing National A races, first time heading into a season as a proven race-winner.
A rising star, Lancaster is gearing up for what promises to be a pivotal year in her career. With a string of victories already notched under her belt, she enters this season with a newfound confidence and determination. As she transitions into the under-23 category and sets her sights on the National Road Series, she acknowledges the unique challenges that lie ahead.
Wins at the Leigh Day Grand Prix and, notably, in the always hotly-contested British Team Cup race at Solihull – beating Samantha Fawcett, Frankie Hall and Lucy Lee in the process – has marked out the 18-year-old as one to watch, but Lancaster is keeping her feet on the ground.
“This year is going to be an interesting one for me,” Lancaster reflects. “It’s the first time I’ve come into this season with some wins underneath my belt. It’s also the first time I’m under-23, and it’s the first time I’m going to be looking at the Nat As.”
Despite her successes as a junior, Lancaster remains grounded, recognising the formidable competition she will face. “Although I do really want to go into the season thinking ‘let’s hit this hard and let’s go for it,’ I know it’s going to be difficult in some ways, and there is a lot of work to be done,” she admits. “Under-23 isn’t easy, and although the races I won last year were [senior-level], there’s a lot of new riders coming up and there’s a lot of strength in the peloton and everybody is taking that step forward.”
Lancaster emphasises the importance of managing her expectations and staying adaptable as she navigates the transition to a higher level of competition. “I need to not come into the season thinking I’m going to have the same season as last year,” she explains. “Although I want it to be and I want to build on that and do even better, I think I’ve got to be very mature in the way that I look at it and know that it’s going to be different this season.”
Despite the uncertainties, Lancaster radiates excitement for the challenges that lie ahead. “I’m so excited for it and all the work that we’re putting in here. I think I’m going to have an exciting season,” she declares with enthusiasm.
Departing from her previous team, Brother UK – On Form, she has joined Elite Development Team Loughborough Lightning this season as she looks to make a step up on the bike while beginning her university education by embarking on a sports science degree.
“I knew beforehand what a good setup they had here,” Lancaster says. “And of course, like, leaving a team, it was my first time leaving a team that I did really enjoy and I got along well there. But having had some talks with the coaches here and having some talks with Dave [Nichols, the Loughborough Lightning cycling programme manager], I’d come here beforehand to do some testing just for my own purposes too, and I loved it.”
Lancaster’s decision to join Loughborough Lightning was not made lightly. She took the time to engage with the team’s coaches and immerse herself in the environment, ensuring it was the right fit for her ambitions and goals. Reflecting on her initial experiences with the team, Lancaster expressed admiration for the expertise and energy present within the Loughborough setup.
“I came into the gym and it was amazing, Matt our gym coach is awesome. I got to know the physiology lot, and you could tell that they were so experienced. There was so much energy going into every single thing when I got here. Before I got here as well, the first phone call I had with Dave, it just felt so, so right. Then as soon as I got here and met my coach, Paddy, everything just fell into place perfectly.”
Her arrival at Loughborough coincides with the team’s ever-increasing ambition, marked by some impressive squad acquisitions. Fellow arrivals in 2024 include former Lancaster Grand Prix winner Mary Wilkinson, Jay Hine, Lucy Harris and National Cyclocross Trophy Series winner Elena Day, and it’s that mix of experience levels in both the coaching staff and the riders that has Lancaster confident that she can grow and develop.
“I met her [Mary] the first time on the first day of camp and we went out on a bike ride and there was just the three of us going out on a ride,” Lancaster says. “It was awesome because you can tell how much experience she has. I’m fully putting my hands up, I’m 18. I don’t have experience that someone like Mary does. To be able to sit there and learn so much off her, I’m so excited for this season because it’s just going to be amazing. There’s so much that I can learn and develop and it’s so exciting for me.”
It is going out on those rides with teammates that Lancaster is also enjoying, and believes will benefit the whole team in 2024. With six of the 14-rider squad students at the university – and others based nearby – they have opportunities to ride and train together that their rivals on the British scene don’t have on the same scale.
“We are in a unique place where I’m training nearly every single session with my teammates,” Lancaster remarks. “There’s barely a time where I will be out for three hours by myself. I will always be with a teammate, pretty much. And it’s not just somebody who rides, it’s a teammate.”
This emphasis on collective training has profound implications, as Lancaster explains, “When we’re racing, when we’re in those hard moments where we’ve got to sacrifice our race for somebody else, or we’ve got to really push to try and help our teammate, when you’re in a situation where you don’t know your teammates that well, it’s difficult sometimes to make those decisions.”
Indeed, familiarity breeds trust and cohesion, elements that are crucial in the heat of competition. Lancaster acknowledges the advantage of teams like the pro squads who spend extensive time together. “You know the pro teams, they train with each other, they spend a lot of time with each other and they’re able to then do that.”
However, Loughborough Lightning is not lagging behind in this aspect. Lancaster highlights, “We are going into the races with such good knowledge of each other’s relationship and how each other’s thinking and how we feel. So we can go into those races and be like, yeah, I’m going to make this sacrifice because I know who you are, and I know your sort of ethics and your morals.”
Lancaster hopes this deep understanding forged through shared experiences and training will translate into seamless cooperation during races. “It makes everything so much easier,” Lancaster adds. “And it means that when we go to a race, we can be so honest with each other because we trust each other, because we know each other and we spent that time together.”
In essence, Lancaster believes this camaraderie will propel Loughborough Lightning to new heights. “I reckon it’s going to help us so much to create that really good bond and help us in races.”
Lancaster expresses a quiet confidence in her own abilities. Those breakthrough wins in 2023 weren’t just a tick in the column from a career prospective, it was a real boost to Lancaster’s confidence and belief that she’d put behind a few years that she herself describes as ‘bad seasons’.
“I was so pleased with last year,” Lancaster begins, her voice tinged with a sense of accomplishment. “I went into the season not in the best place. I knew I wasn’t fit enough – I hadn’t had a good winter season. I did wonder whether at the start of the season, whether it was going to be another bad season for me or not, and it just all fell into place and everything just started to happen.”
Her transformation wasn’t immediate; it was a gradual process marked by perseverance and dedication. “It happened slowly and it was a lot of work, but it was just an amazing year, a proud year for me and my family. It was the first year where I’ve come into cycling and I’ve come out of the season and I’ve thought: ‘I’ve done well this year’ and it was really, really nice to show that.”
For Lancaster, success had been elusive in the past. “I’ve never had a year of success. I’d won one bike race before and it was a women’s 3/4 so it’s the first time I’ve won some proper races. It was nice. It was nice to get some success.”
Now, as she embarks on a new chapter with Loughborough Lightning, Lancaster brings with her not just a newfound confidence, but also a hunger for further achievements. A rider with a fast finish who has already taken some impressive scalps, Georgia Lancaster could well evolve into a force to be reckoned with on the domestic scene.
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