Our 2024 journal contributor Lucy Gadd began 2024 as an independent rider with Le Col Race Team after a rollercoaster 2023, but, after a promising season start, joined UCI Continental squad Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting in the Spring. In her third journal entry, Lucy shares the extraordinary journey of the Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting team as they compete in the Lloyd’s Bank Tour of Britain Women.
At the start of June, Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting, raced in the Lloyd’s Bank Tour of Britain Women. We were the smallest team, with the smallest budget, racing against the biggest World Tour teams. This was a big deal for our team.
We were the smallest team, with the smallest budget, racing against the biggest World Tour teams
Our team manager Rick Lister had started this team only four years ago as a club-level outfit. The team progressed quickly and soon became one of the best teams in the UK scene, winning the National Road Series in 2021, and the Tour Series in 2022.
The team only became a UCI Continental Team this year, and is already racing many of the biggest UCI 1.1 and 2.1 races on the calendar. To be racing in a Women’s WorldTour race in our first year as a UCI team was extraordinary.
How UCI races are categorised
To help understand this article, we all need to be on the same page and understand how UCI racing works.
UCI road races have four levels of categorisation:
- .WWT – One day Women’s World Tour races (categorised as 1.WWT), like Paris-Roubaix, and Women’s World Tour stage races (2.WWT), like the Tour de France Femmes, are the highest level of road racing in women’s racing
- .Pro – Pro races are the next level down
- .1 – the third tier
- .2 – the lowest tier of UCI road racing
As a small UCI Continental team, we mainly compete in the .1 and .2 tiers. The main differences between these two tiers are simple, at face value at least. A maximum of three Women’s WorldTour teams are permitted to race in .2 category races, for example (compared with up to seven in .1 races). And race radios are also excluded.
We find that UCI .1 races are effectively more like WorldTour races, and typically we can only really ‘participate’ rather than ‘compete’ at this level
Surprisingly, I have never actually raced a .2 race, so I can’t speak from personal experience. But what I can say is that, from what I’ve heard, there’s a lot more potential and opportunity for teams like mine, which is why the category exists. We find that UCI .1 races are effectively more like WorldTour races, and typically we can only really ‘participate’ rather than ‘compete’ at this level.
Earlier in the season, for example, the team raced a 1.2 in France, and Jo [Tindley] managed to get second in the sprint competition (we won’t mention the fact she didn’t know which lap she was on and didn’t sprint for the last sprint point to win the competition!). Conversely, in the Tour of Brittany 2.1 race, it was all about survival and trying to stay in contact with a shredding peloton when you go through intermediate sprint points. The main reason for this is that multiple WorldTour teams race .1 races, and they are WorldTour teams for a reason.
Differences between the British National Road Series and UCI Continental Races
A good place to start would be to compare the highest level of women’s domestic racing – National Road Series races – with the lower levels of UCI racing.
The women’s national scene has progressed enormously since the pandemic and has become multiple steps closer to UCI racing. This year especially, I believe the racing is far better at preparing UK riders for the next level of racing, in terms of physical effort.
Over on the continent, every team is presented on the stage before each race. I know this is something they do for French domestic races too
There is still major disparity between the two, however, when it comes to logistics and the atmosphere around the races. Over on the continent, every team is presented on the stage before each race. I know this is something they do for French domestic races too. There are also a lot more crowds and fans asking for your signature on photos they have printed of you.
This can all be quite overwhelming when you race your first few UCI races, and can detract from the race itself, and impact your usual preparation routines that you do for a race in the National Series at home. You’ll look around you and see the FDJ bus, and teams with multiple support trucks and staff, while you’re there setting up your own gazebo to hide from the rain!
Another obvious difference is the peloton size. UCI races tend to have around 160 riders on the start line, which is something you must get used to quickly. I prefer the larger peloton size as I find it much easier to position myself up near the front and stay there. You’ll find that there’s a lot more fighting and contact in the peloton and not a lot of space.
The difference between UCI racing and WorldTour racing
When WorldTour racing is hard, it’s HARD, and when it is controlled, it’s really not that bad. There are a few differences too; the logistics and crowds are exaggerated, for example, and so many people want to be involved. I remember last year at Paris-Roubaix, every man and his dog who had a connection with the team turned up to be involved. Everyone wants a piece of the action. Meanwhile, I was probably the biggest fan on the start line of that race! I knew I wasn’t going to be able to contribute to the racing, so I just soaked up the atmosphere, the crowds, and the spectacle.
Being the smallest team in the Lloyd’s Bank Tour of Britain Women
As a team, we set out our expectations straight away, and all wanted to enjoy the experience, staff included. We had many more supporters than usual, and once everyone got used to their role, it all began to work like clockwork. The main difference for us as riders, was that we didn’t have to think about anything other than eating, sleeping and racing. We had a physio, chef and mechanic with us, three roadside feed points each day, and radios so we could communicate with each other and the team car behind. We didn’t have to worry about anything relating to the event other than the bike racing itself.
We way overachieved in this race. We won the combativity award twice with Lucy on stage 1 and Jo on stage 3, and we came joint first British UCI team
Our goals were to race hard, putting ourselves out there, and hopefully to get the podium at least once (most likely for the combativity award). I have to say, we way overachieved in this race. We won the combativity award twice with Lucy on stage 1 and Jo on stage 3, and we came joint first British UCI team with Lifeplus-Wahoo. We supported each other every day, and we smashed it.
However, was an extremely challenging week for us all. Very sadly, one of our teammates, Zoe, had to leave the race after stage 1. She had received a phone call to say her fiancé Adam was in a coma with a severe brain injury. He was involved in an accident with a van while out on his bike that evening. With the strength of every member of our team, and knowing how proud Adam was of how we rode on stage 1, we rallied together and raced the remaining stages for the two of them.
I had to use all the fight I had to continue to do him proud that week
Adam had been a very important part of my recovery process over the winter and helped me to love riding my bike again, albeit virtually on Zwift. I had to use all the fight I had to continue to do him proud that week.
Winding up
UCI racing is a minefield, and some people love it, and others not so much. We have shown that you can still attack one of the biggest races as the smallest competitor. We hogged half the TV time, which the sponsors and friends and family watching on the TV loved. We achieved so much as a small unit, and we have so much more to give.
You may have seen an announcement recently that we are actively seeking sponsorship for the 2025 season. If you would like to support women’s cycling, and offer us opportunity, please email finishlinert@gmail.com.
Featured image: SWPix.com
Find out more
Lucy Gadd journal #02: triumphs, turbulence and team transitions
Lucy Gadd #01: managing expectation and overcoming self-doubt
Journals 2024: introducing Lucy Gadd
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