Countdown begins: Harry Tanfield races to launch new UCI Continental team
EXCLUSIVE. Harry Tanfield and his allies are racing against time to launch a new UCI Continental team for 2025 to fill gaps left by closures of Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing
EXCLUSIVE. In an intriguing twist following the closure of Saint Piran, Harry Tanfield and a close group of allies are spearheading an ambitious effort to establish a new UCI Continental team for 2025. This bold initiative seeks to fill the gap left by the recent collapses of Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing, which have left Britain without a men’s UCI Continental team for the first time in two decades.
The group has just ten days to secure sponsorship commitments to make the project a reality, but there are already positive signs. According to sources, initial talks with potential sponsors have been promising. The team also benefits from having the necessary infrastructure to run a professional outfit and aims to draw on a pool of talented riders left searching for teams after the folding of Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing, as well as other skilled riders still without contracts for 2025.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Tanfield outlined the vision behind the team:
“We want to be a ground-up new team, to fill the gap left by Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing stopping. The idea is to provide a crucial platform for UK cycling and help under-23 riders to progress to the next level. With the licence deadline extended by two weeks, we have to act fast in order to have a budget agreed in principle.”
Tanfield is a highly experienced British cyclist with a career spanning WorldTour, ProTeam, and domestic levels. Known for his versatility and powerful time-trialling, he first made headlines by winning the opening stage of the 2018 Tour de Yorkshire and earning silver in the Commonwealth Games time trial that year. He has ridden for teams like Katusha-Alpecin, Canyon dhb SunGod, and Ribble Weldtite, gaining valuable experience across international and domestic racing scenes. A key figure in British cycling, he has strong ties to the domestic circuit and is now leveraging his expertise and connections to lead the charge in forming the new team.
The initiative has received a boost from British Cycling, which has extended the UCI Continental licence application deadline by two weeks to give the group more time to finalise plans. If successful, the new team would provide a critical pathway for under-23 riders, supporting their progression to higher levels of the sport while revitalising the UK domestic racing scene.
This effort comes at a pivotal time for British cycling, with many riders left in limbo after a string of high-profile team closures. The launch of a new team would not only offer these riders a platform but also restore hope for the future of UK elite road racing.
Image: Will Palmer/SWpix.com
Harry Tanfield and his team have taken on a significant challenge, but their determination and the positive momentum from early talks suggest this project has real potential.
The next ten days will be crucial in determining whether this exciting project can come to life, but for now, it represents a beacon of hope for a sport in need of revitalisation.
Anyone interested in sponsoring or backing the team can contact The British Continental at info@thebritishcontinental.co.uk. We will pass on your details to Harry and his team.
EXCLUSIVE. In an intriguing twist following the closure of Saint Piran, Harry Tanfield and a close group of allies are spearheading an ambitious effort to establish a new UCI Continental team for 2025. This bold initiative seeks to fill the gap left by the recent collapses of Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing, which have left Britain without a men’s UCI Continental team for the first time in two decades.
The group has just ten days to secure sponsorship commitments to make the project a reality, but there are already positive signs. According to sources, initial talks with potential sponsors have been promising. The team also benefits from having the necessary infrastructure to run a professional outfit and aims to draw on a pool of talented riders left searching for teams after the folding of Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing, as well as other skilled riders still without contracts for 2025.
Tanfield outlined the vision behind the team:
“We want to be a ground-up new team, to fill the gap left by Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing stopping. The idea is to provide a crucial platform for UK cycling and help under-23 riders to progress to the next level. With the licence deadline extended by two weeks, we have to act fast in order to have a budget agreed in principle.”
Tanfield is a highly experienced British cyclist with a career spanning WorldTour, ProTeam, and domestic levels. Known for his versatility and powerful time-trialling, he first made headlines by winning the opening stage of the 2018 Tour de Yorkshire and earning silver in the Commonwealth Games time trial that year. He has ridden for teams like Katusha-Alpecin, Canyon dhb SunGod, and Ribble Weldtite, gaining valuable experience across international and domestic racing scenes. A key figure in British cycling, he has strong ties to the domestic circuit and is now leveraging his expertise and connections to lead the charge in forming the new team.
The initiative has received a boost from British Cycling, which has extended the UCI Continental licence application deadline by two weeks to give the group more time to finalise plans. If successful, the new team would provide a critical pathway for under-23 riders, supporting their progression to higher levels of the sport while revitalising the UK domestic racing scene.
This effort comes at a pivotal time for British cycling, with many riders left in limbo after a string of high-profile team closures. The launch of a new team would not only offer these riders a platform but also restore hope for the future of UK elite road racing.
Harry Tanfield and his team have taken on a significant challenge, but their determination and the positive momentum from early talks suggest this project has real potential.
The next ten days will be crucial in determining whether this exciting project can come to life, but for now, it represents a beacon of hope for a sport in need of revitalisation.
Anyone interested in sponsoring or backing the team can contact The British Continental at info@thebritishcontinental.co.uk. We will pass on your details to Harry and his team.
Featured image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
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