Quietly spoken, and quietly making a name for herself, nineteen-year-old Eilidh Shaw has been one of the standout riders in the National Road Series this season.
On the comeback trail after batting iliac artery endofibrosis in 2023, Shaw turned her heads when she finished second in a challenging edition of the ANEXO CAMS CiCLE Classic. She then proved that ride was no fluke, repeating the trick at the East Cleveland Classic. With solid results in UCI races abroad too, Shaw is rapidly making up for lost time after her injury-hit start to her under-23 career. Keen to find out more, The British Continental sat down with the promising young Scot to hear about her career so far and her future ambitions.
That’s the main goal, to become a full time bike rider. I’ve always wanted to do that
“I come from a very sporty background. My mum, dad, and grandfather – we all do sports. I did running, swimming, and triathlon,” Shaw recalls of her her early years, when she was keen to try out a whole range of sports. ultimately settling on cycling as she found that two wheels are where she found the most enjoyment: “I just sort of ran out of time in the week to do it all, and cycling is the one I liked the most so I went with that.”
Moving from Royal Albert CC, to Stirling Bike Club, then Edinburgh RC, Shaw raced frequently as a youth, combining track and road throughout the year, cutting her teeth in European racing at the European Junior Cycling Tour of Assen. She joined the Tofauti Everyone Active junior in 2021, and was already showing glimours of her potential as a first-year junior, finishing sixth at the Curlew Cup that year against a high quality elite field, and winning the Fenwick’s Junior Tour of Mendip. Her results the following season were less striking, second overall at the Northwest Women’s Tour perhaps the highlight.
2021 Junior Tour of Yorkshire, Harrogate, England – Eilidh Shaw of Tofauti Everyone Active during the TT. Image: Will Palmer/SWpix.com
Leaving the junior ranks at the beginning of 2023, she moved to Bob Lyons’ Alba Road Development Team, an athlete-centred outfit that has stepped up to UCI Continental level this year.
There was a gap in the development process which Alba has done a great job in filling. I’m proud to be a part of that
As a Scottish rider, Shaw expresses appreciation for the Scottish-based set-up. “Before there were not many teams to look out for in Scotland as a young girl. There was a gap in the development process which Alba has done a great job in filling. I’m proud to be a part of that,” she muses.
The level of support offered to Shaw has been significant. “[Alba] does so much for us – race entries, organisation, all the support takes the stress away from us as riders. All we do is ride our bikes and it makes such a difference.”
For Shaw then, the team offers a promising pathway for aspiring Scottish riders, one that was absent as she was a youth. That’s not to say that she was without role models to motivate her; Scottish cycling legend Katie Archibald is someone Shaw says she looked up to greatly, an appreciation fostered not only by Archibald’s breadth of achievements, but by the fact that both riders have found success on both the road and the track. “I’m pretty appreciative of Katie Archibald,” Shaw says, “Because she’s Scottish and she did both track and road, and I like to do both of those. And being world and olympic champion, I’ve always looked up to her.”
2024 National Series Road – 8th Anexo CAMS Women’s CiCLE Classic – Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England.. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Her step up to the elite ranks with Alba was far from straightforward, however. One of the major hurdles she faced early on was a medical condition known as iliac artery endofibrosis—a vascular issue common among cyclists, which can severely impair leg performance. “I developed iliac artery endofibrosis so I didn’t race very much,” Shaw recounts, describing the impact this condition had on her racing schedule and performance.
The diagnosis necessitated surgical intervention, leading to a period away from cycling—a daunting prospect for any athlete, particularly one at such a critical phase of their career. “It required an operation and then time off the bike,” she explains.
Riders like Marianne Vos had it so it’s nice to know you can come back to your very best level after recovering
Recovery from such a setback required not just physical healing but also mental fortitude and patience, as Shaw aimed to return to her pre-diagnosis form. The process was gradual, with the 2023 season largely dedicated to regaining fitness and confidence. Yet, she found solace and motivation in knowing she was not alone in facing such challenges. “Riders like Marianne Vos had it so it’s nice to know you can come back to your very best level after recovering,” she reflects, drawing inspiration from other elite cyclists who have successfully overcome the same condition.
Like Vos, Shaw has recovered strongly. Returning to racing at the end of last season she immediately hit her stride, winning both the Scottish road race and Scottish circuit race championships in September, as well as claiming 8th at the Curlew Cup.
Donning her team’s light-to-dark blue ombré jersey overlaid by St. Andrew’s Cross, a proud representation of Alba’s Scottish home, Shaw’s remarkable return has continued in 2024, finishing runner-up in the first two rounds of the National Road Series: the ANEXO/CAMS Women’s CiCLE Classic and the East Cleveland Classic.
I think my strength lies within the punchy stuff, but I want to develop as an all-around rider and see where it takes me
Success on both the dirt tracks of the CiCLE Classic and the punchy climbs of East Cleveland suggests Shaw can thrive on a diverse range of terrains, leading to questions of what type of rider she strives to be. “I’d like to be quite good at everything,” says Shaw. “I think my strength lies within the punchy stuff, but I want to develop as an all-around rider and see where it takes me.” Her ambition is both palpable and, it seems, justified.
Between her successes in Britain, Shaw travelled to Belgium to compete in her first senior UCI road race the cobbled le Ronde de Mouscron (UCI 1.1) race. Racing against WorldTour professionals is a challenge for any rider, but left Shaw keen for more. “That was something else,” she says. “Super fast right from the get-go. It’s what I want to do.”
It was an accomplished start to her UCI road racing career, one which has continued since, despite being at the centre of a high-speed crash in the finale of the Cyclis Classic when her chain slipped mid-sprint. She recovered to pick up her first UCI points just a few days later, finishing 23rd place at the Trofee Maarten Wynants.
2024 East Cleveland Classic – Redcar and Cleveland and Saltburn by the Sea – Podium Ceremony – Eilidh Shaw of Alba Development Road Team leads the 2024 British Cycling Women’s National Road Series. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
This weekend at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, Shaw will trade her team jersey for the leader’s jersey of the National Road Series. “I definitely want to keep it,” Shaw says of the jersey, also highlighting that the team is looking to defend its lead in the team rankings too. “It’s really special that the team is the leading team as well – it brings us together. We’ll do our best to try to maintain it. There is lots of strength and depth within the team. Amelia [Tyler] is fourth overall as well.”
The National Series is a good target to see what we can do. I’d also like to get some good results in Belgium and in Europe
Shaw says she will continue to focus on the National Road Series this season, but is also targeting results in Europe. “The National Series is a good target to see what we can do. I’d also like to get some good results in Belgium and in Europe in general,” she says.
And beyond that, is the WorldTour where she is aiming? “Yeah, definitely,” Shaw replies without hesitation. “That’s the main goal, to become a full time bike rider. I’ve always wanted to do that.”
Quietly spoken, and quietly making a name for herself, nineteen-year-old Eilidh Shaw has been one of the standout riders in the National Road Series this season.
On the comeback trail after batting iliac artery endofibrosis in 2023, Shaw turned her heads when she finished second in a challenging edition of the ANEXO CAMS CiCLE Classic. She then proved that ride was no fluke, repeating the trick at the East Cleveland Classic. With solid results in UCI races abroad too, Shaw is rapidly making up for lost time after her injury-hit start to her under-23 career. Keen to find out more, The British Continental sat down with the promising young Scot to hear about her career so far and her future ambitions.
“I come from a very sporty background. My mum, dad, and grandfather – we all do sports. I did running, swimming, and triathlon,” Shaw recalls of her her early years, when she was keen to try out a whole range of sports. ultimately settling on cycling as she found that two wheels are where she found the most enjoyment: “I just sort of ran out of time in the week to do it all, and cycling is the one I liked the most so I went with that.”
Moving from Royal Albert CC, to Stirling Bike Club, then Edinburgh RC, Shaw raced frequently as a youth, combining track and road throughout the year, cutting her teeth in European racing at the European Junior Cycling Tour of Assen. She joined the Tofauti Everyone Active junior in 2021, and was already showing glimours of her potential as a first-year junior, finishing sixth at the Curlew Cup that year against a high quality elite field, and winning the Fenwick’s Junior Tour of Mendip. Her results the following season were less striking, second overall at the Northwest Women’s Tour perhaps the highlight.
Leaving the junior ranks at the beginning of 2023, she moved to Bob Lyons’ Alba Road Development Team, an athlete-centred outfit that has stepped up to UCI Continental level this year.
As a Scottish rider, Shaw expresses appreciation for the Scottish-based set-up. “Before there were not many teams to look out for in Scotland as a young girl. There was a gap in the development process which Alba has done a great job in filling. I’m proud to be a part of that,” she muses.
The level of support offered to Shaw has been significant. “[Alba] does so much for us – race entries, organisation, all the support takes the stress away from us as riders. All we do is ride our bikes and it makes such a difference.”
For Shaw then, the team offers a promising pathway for aspiring Scottish riders, one that was absent as she was a youth. That’s not to say that she was without role models to motivate her; Scottish cycling legend Katie Archibald is someone Shaw says she looked up to greatly, an appreciation fostered not only by Archibald’s breadth of achievements, but by the fact that both riders have found success on both the road and the track. “I’m pretty appreciative of Katie Archibald,” Shaw says, “Because she’s Scottish and she did both track and road, and I like to do both of those. And being world and olympic champion, I’ve always looked up to her.”
Her step up to the elite ranks with Alba was far from straightforward, however. One of the major hurdles she faced early on was a medical condition known as iliac artery endofibrosis—a vascular issue common among cyclists, which can severely impair leg performance. “I developed iliac artery endofibrosis so I didn’t race very much,” Shaw recounts, describing the impact this condition had on her racing schedule and performance.
The diagnosis necessitated surgical intervention, leading to a period away from cycling—a daunting prospect for any athlete, particularly one at such a critical phase of their career. “It required an operation and then time off the bike,” she explains.
Recovery from such a setback required not just physical healing but also mental fortitude and patience, as Shaw aimed to return to her pre-diagnosis form. The process was gradual, with the 2023 season largely dedicated to regaining fitness and confidence. Yet, she found solace and motivation in knowing she was not alone in facing such challenges. “Riders like Marianne Vos had it so it’s nice to know you can come back to your very best level after recovering,” she reflects, drawing inspiration from other elite cyclists who have successfully overcome the same condition.
Like Vos, Shaw has recovered strongly. Returning to racing at the end of last season she immediately hit her stride, winning both the Scottish road race and Scottish circuit race championships in September, as well as claiming 8th at the Curlew Cup.
Donning her team’s light-to-dark blue ombré jersey overlaid by St. Andrew’s Cross, a proud representation of Alba’s Scottish home, Shaw’s remarkable return has continued in 2024, finishing runner-up in the first two rounds of the National Road Series: the ANEXO/CAMS Women’s CiCLE Classic and the East Cleveland Classic.
Success on both the dirt tracks of the CiCLE Classic and the punchy climbs of East Cleveland suggests Shaw can thrive on a diverse range of terrains, leading to questions of what type of rider she strives to be. “I’d like to be quite good at everything,” says Shaw. “I think my strength lies within the punchy stuff, but I want to develop as an all-around rider and see where it takes me.” Her ambition is both palpable and, it seems, justified.
Between her successes in Britain, Shaw travelled to Belgium to compete in her first senior UCI road race the cobbled le Ronde de Mouscron (UCI 1.1) race. Racing against WorldTour professionals is a challenge for any rider, but left Shaw keen for more. “That was something else,” she says. “Super fast right from the get-go. It’s what I want to do.”
It was an accomplished start to her UCI road racing career, one which has continued since, despite being at the centre of a high-speed crash in the finale of the Cyclis Classic when her chain slipped mid-sprint. She recovered to pick up her first UCI points just a few days later, finishing 23rd place at the Trofee Maarten Wynants.
This weekend at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, Shaw will trade her team jersey for the leader’s jersey of the National Road Series. “I definitely want to keep it,” Shaw says of the jersey, also highlighting that the team is looking to defend its lead in the team rankings too. “It’s really special that the team is the leading team as well – it brings us together. We’ll do our best to try to maintain it. There is lots of strength and depth within the team. Amelia [Tyler] is fourth overall as well.”
Shaw says she will continue to focus on the National Road Series this season, but is also targeting results in Europe. “The National Series is a good target to see what we can do. I’d also like to get some good results in Belgium and in Europe in general,” she says.
And beyond that, is the WorldTour where she is aiming? “Yeah, definitely,” Shaw replies without hesitation. “That’s the main goal, to become a full time bike rider. I’ve always wanted to do that.”
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