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Exclusive: Wheelbase CabTech Castelli unveil 2025 line-up

In this exclusive, we reveal the full 2025 squad, featuring retained talent, key new signings, and bold race ambitions for the season ahead

The British domestic road racing scene is entering a period of flux. With the sudden demise of both TRINITY Racing and Saint Piran’s UCI Continental team, the competitive landscape looks starkly different heading into the 2025 season. Two of the biggest teams that previously set the benchmark have now vanished, leaving a vacuum in the domestic peloton.

One of the teams emerging as a focal point in this reshuffled scene is Wheelbase CabTech Castelli. The squad, long established as a leading elite development outfit, now finds itself as one of the most experienced teams left standing at this level. 

As the dust settles, The British Continental spoke exclusively with Wheelbase CabTech Castelli 2025 manager Stuart Reid to discuss the team’s 2025 line-up – a squad built on continuity, smart recruitment, and a renewed sense of opportunity.

2024 Open National Circuit Series – Open Dudley GP – Dudley, England – Thomas Armstrong of Wheelbase CabTech Castelli. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com

The changing domestic scene

For the last two years, men’s domestic road racing had a clear hierarchy. TRINITY Racing acted as a launchpad for young British riders into the pro ranks, with a heavily European-focused programme. Meanwhile, Saint Piran dominated the National Road Series, fielding a deep squad that dictated the outcome of most major domestic races.

Now, with both teams gone, the landscape has shifted dramatically. One of the few teams consistently able to challenge Saint Piran, Wheelbase CabTech Castelli now finds itself among the most experienced in the peloton. However, as team manager Stuart Reid makes clear, they are not simply stepping in to replace their former rivals.

I wouldn’t necessarily say we’re going to step in and fill the void that Saint Piran or Trinity had, but I definitely feel that we’ve got a depth of experience in squad

“By both of those two going, we now find ourselves in a position where we’re one of the more experienced squads, shall we say, on the domestic scene,” Reid tells The British Continental. “I wouldn’t necessarily say we’re going to step in and fill the void that Saint Piran or Trinity had, but I definitely feel that we’ve got a depth of experience in squad.”

While the loss of Britain’s last two UCI Continental men’s teams is a blow, Reid sees opportunities in the shake-up. New teams have emerged, including Raptor Factory Racing, the London-based squad that has signed strong former Saint Piran riders like Rowan Baker and Dylan Hicks.

“It’s actually quite nice to see that some more teams have formed, haven’t they, off the back of it as well?” says Reid. “Raptor, the new team, signed a number of excellent riders, which was brilliant to see. Another team means more opportunities for riders.”

Without a dominant force like Saint Piran, 2025 promises to be a far more open and unpredictable season.

There’ll be more squads now that can challenge for National Series races

“I think not having Saint Piran as this standalone, leading team that dominated everything, I think it will definitely be good for all the other elite development teams and make the domestic scene a little bit more equal,” Reid says. “There’ll be more squads now that can challenge for National Series races.”

2024 Lloyds Bank National Road Series – The Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Open Race. Tom Martin, Wheelbase. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com

Squad for 2025: retained riders and new signings

While other teams scrambled to adapt to the collapse of Trinity Racing and Saint Piran, Wheelbase CabTech Castelli opted for stability. Rather than overhauling the squad with an influx of displaced riders, Reid has prioritised continuity, retaining a core group of experienced riders and making just four new signings. 

Once a rider has come to my team, if they’re decent people, and they get along well with the other guys, if they buy into what we’re trying to achieve, then I’m happy having them on board

“Once a rider has come to my team, if they’re decent people, and they get along well with the other guys, if they buy into what we’re trying to achieve, then I’m happy having them on board,” says Reid.

With only two departures, the team heads into 2025 with a balanced mix of proven performers and fresh talent.

The seven retained riders from last season include a list of proven domestic race winners and protagonists: Tom Martin, Thomas Armstrong, Tim Shoreman, Jacob Smith, Lee Rosie, Aaron King, and David Lines. 

Among them, Tom Martin remains a crucial part of the squad. The Rás Tailteann stage winner brings aggression and tactical nous, capable of seizing opportunities in breakaways when others hesitate. Alongside him, Thomas Armstrong has been a consistent performer in National A races, securing top-ten finishes at the Lancaster Grand Prix and the Beaumont Trophy, proving himself as a dependable rider in the biggest domestic one-day events.

2024 Lloyds Bank National Circuit Series – Otley Cycle Races – E/1/2 The Rayner Foundation GP Race – Tim Shoreman of Wheelbase CabTech Castelli. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com

If there’s one rider in the squad capable of winning any race on the British domestic calendar, it’s Tim Shoreman. A powerful all-rounder with a fast finish, he has already demonstrated his ability to mix it with the best, winning the Colne Grand Prix in 2023, finishing second in the East Cleveland Classic in 2024 and winning the final stage of the Rás last year.  

If Tim’s on it, from as far as domestic racing is concerned, there isn’t a race in the country where he can’t be competitive for the podium

“Oh, yes, if Tim’s on it, from as far as domestic racing is concerned, there isn’t a race in the country where he can’t be competitive for the podium,” says Reid. For Reid, his fourth place at the Lancaster Grand Prix in 2023 – behind only the Saint Piran juggernaut – stands out. For a rider he says is north of 80kg, finishing so high on one of the most attritional courses in the UK says everything about his resilience and racecraft.

Yet, Shoreman’s path to the top has never been straightforward. Unlike many of his rivals, he has balanced racing with a demanding academic career, completing his university studies in Edinburgh before moving north to Aberdeen for a full-time internship in chemical engineering. The transition has required him to adapt both his training and race schedule, but Reid believes he has the ability to find the right balance.

“Last year was quite a transition period, from living in Edinburgh and being able to train whenever he wanted to having a Monday-to-Friday job,” Reid explains. “He had some great results last year, just didn’t quite have the consistency he would normally have had. But hopefully, he’ll bounce back to the level similar to what he was at a couple of seasons ago.”

While his full-time job may limit the number of races he can do, it could also make him even more dangerous on race day. With a more selective calendar, he will be able to focus his efforts on key events rather than burning himself out across a full season. 

2024 Lloyds Bank National Road Series – Lancaster Grand Prix 2024, Open Race – Podium – James McKay of Saint Piran finishes second. Image: Craig Zadoronyj/SWpix.com

New signings: talent, experience, and potential

Reid had no shortage of interest from riders looking for a team after the collapse of other squads. But rather than a wholesale recruitment drive, he was selective in his additions. “Although there were quite a number of riders interested in coming to us, I only had a very small number of places anyway because I was happy keeping the riders that I already had,” he explains.

His potential is fantastic. If I’m honest, I think he was maybe held back a tiny bit at Saint Piran in that the squad was so strong… I definitely think there’s more to come from James

James McKay is arguably the biggest signing for Wheelbase in 2025. The former Saint Piran rider was one of the most consistent performers in the National Road Series last year, picking up multiple top ten finishes, including second at the Lancaster Grand Prix and third at the East Cleveland Classic. However, Reid feels team dynamics at Saint Piran may sometimes have limited his chances of personal success:

“His potential is fantastic. If I’m honest, I think he was maybe held back a tiny bit at Saint Piran in that the squad was so strong… I definitely think there’s more to come from James,” Reid asserts.

McKay’s race craft, endurance, and ability to handle the tough, attritional style of National Road Series racing make him an ideal fit for Wheelbase’s ambitions in 2025. If he can capitalise on the greater tactical freedom he will have this season, there’s every reason to believe he could finally secure that elusive National A victory. “Even with those podiums last year, given a slightly different situation, he could have won them,” Reid says. “I see no reason why that wouldn’t be the case this year. Fingers crossed that’s what happens.”

A more unconventional signing, Mitchell McLoughlin, joining from the All Human – VeloRevolution Cycling Team, brings experience from both road and track racing. As a para-tandem pilot for the Irish Paralympic track team, he has spent much of the last Olympic cycle focusing on the velodrome. However, he has a strong road background and will be a key figure for Wheelbase in the National Circuit Series. 

“He will do a number of Paralympic World Track Cups this spring, but then his focus is to be very prominent on the National Circuit Series with us,” says Reid. “That’s the goal for Mitchell.”

2023 Men’s Lancaster Grand Prix – Dexter Leeming Sykes of Wold Top The Edge Pactimo. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com

Dexter Leeming-Sykes joins the team after a stint racing in France at Team U Charente-Maritime. His most notable result in the UK came at the 2023 Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, where he finished seventh on debut – a clear indication of his talent. However, his 2024 season was derailed by a serious crash that left him with a broken pelvis. “He’s fully recovered from that, had a good winter training,” reports Reid. “As an individual rider himself, as a team rider, the longer climbs perhaps don’t suit him as much at 6ft 4, but in races like the Lincoln and the races that require short power climbs, hopefully, he’ll thrive.”

The final signing, Max Bufton, steps up from the junior ranks. Having raced for Tofauti Everyone Active, he was recommended to Reid by Welsh Cycling’s Rob Atkinson. As a first-year under-23, he remains something of an unknown quantity, but the team is eager to support his transition into senior racing.

“He’s young, he’s a first year in the under-23s now,” says Reid. “He’s a bit of an unknown in that some riders step up to the under-23 ranks very, very quickly and have success very early. Other riders take longer to adapt to the longer races. It’ll be interesting to see how he goes.”

Departures

There are only two exits from the squad. Callum Laborde has stepped away from racing, choosing to focus on other priorities. Meanwhile, Joseph Smith has secured a move to French team ESEG Douai, a transition that was always part of his long-term plan. “Joseph has gone to France through his own choice and that was always the long-term plan for him,” Reid shares. “Callum had a refocus on his life, as such, he stepped away from it.”

With seven retained riders and four key signings, Wheelbase CabTech Castelli has assembled a squad with both continuity and fresh impetus. McKay adds firepower for the National Road Series, McLoughlin strengthens the team’s circuit racing ambitions, and Leeming-Sykes and Bufton bring potential for the future.

2024 Lloyds Bank National Road Series – Lancaster Grand Prix 2024, Open Race – Callum Laborde of Wheelbase CabTech Castelli. Image: Craig Zadoronyj/SWpix.com

Race plans: expanded European programme

With a solid squad in place, the team’s race calendar will combine domestic and international ambitions, though the focus remains firmly on the National Road Series. Reid acknowledges the limitations of a volunteer-run setup, but the team will expand its racing into Europe where possible. 

The Rás Tailteann in Ireland will be a key target after last year’s strong showing, and the team plans to start the season with a stage race in Spain in late March, giving riders valuable early-season racing. The Rás Mumhan and a summer block of racing in Belgium is also planned, all supported by the injection of some cash by some of the team’s sponsors. 

While racing in Europe is part of the plan, Reid says that domestic success remains the priority. The team will contest the National Road Series and National Circuit Series, aiming for consistent performances across the board. Without a dominant force like Saint Piran shaping the races, Wheelbase expects to play a more active role in influencing race outcomes.

The realities of running an Elite Development Team

While Wheelbase CabTech Castelli might now be one of the most experienced squads on the British domestic scene, there’s no illusion of grandeur behind the scenes. The team is still a volunteer-run operation, held together by passion, dedication, and the goodwill of riders, staff, and supporters. Unlike some of the UCI Continental outfits of the past, which had full-time staff, paid riders, and well-funded race programmes, Wheelbase relies on unpaid helpers, family members, and sponsors to keep the wheels turning.

One of the main things that hold us back is helpers and volunteers. I have a full-time job and three young kids. We pretty much need the help of the riders from their friends and family

“One of the main things that hold us back is helpers and volunteers. I have a full-time job and three young kids,” says Reid. “It’s basically myself and Tyler who mechanics it. We pretty much need the help of the riders from their friends and family.”

For Reid, running the squad isn’t just a side project—it’s a constant juggling act. Balancing a full-time job, family commitments, and team logistics, he operates in a vastly different reality compared to the traditional idea of a professional cycling manager. Every race entry, every logistical decision, every support car on the road—it all depends on volunteer effort.

2024 Lloyds Bank National Circuit Series – Otley Cycle Races – E/1/2 The Rayner Foundation GP Race – Wheelbase CabTech Castelli. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com

“Me and Tyler are the consistent team,” says Reid. “Then it’s Tom Armstrong’s girlfriend, she’s actually in the pits for us at the Premier Calendar holding bottles. Phil Walker, he’s actually a team sponsor. He comes to almost every race and hands bottles in, again, just off his own back because of the love of the sport.

“Tom Martin’s dad, he takes time off work to come to the Rás with us and stuff and drive the lads around because logistically it’s hard, isn’t it? Looking after six riders and bikes, it’s definitely hard.”

These constraints inevitably shape the team’s race ambitions. While some squads might aim for a deep European programme, for Wheelbase, every race outside the UK comes with financial and logistical challenges. Sponsors provide some relief, but the reality is that most of the support is built on personal commitment rather than financial backing.

Yet, despite these challenges, Wheelbase continues to thrive. The team’s culture—one built on trust, camaraderie, and development—has allowed it to punch above its weight in recent years. Riders stay with the squad because they believe in what it offers: a platform for progression, an opportunity to race competitively, and an environment that prioritises personal and professional growth over short-term success.

For Reid, the future is about stability, sustainability, and opportunity. The 2025 season may bring its fair share of challenges, but if there’s one thing Wheelbase CabTech Castelli has proven, it’s that it doesn’t take a professional setup to run a successful team—just a committed group of riders, staff, and supporters who believe in what they’re doing.

As the team’s first races approach, all eyes will be on Wheelbase to see if their blend of experience and ambition can turn opportunity into results. Whatever happens, one thing is certain: they will be in the mix.

Read our domestic team guide here.

Featured image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com


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