Eilidh Shaw: rising star on the road to the WorldTour
After dominating the UK scene in 2024, Eilidh Shaw has signed with UAE Team ADQ’s development squad, taking the next big step in her career. She talks to Tim Bonville-Ginn about her standout season, life at a WorldTour team, and her ambitions—including a shot at the Commonwealth Games in 2026
After a stellar 2024 season with Alba Development Road Team, 20-year-old Eilidh Shaw has taken a major step in her career, signing with UAE Team ADQ’s development squad. The young Scot dominated the domestic scene last year, winning both the National Road Series and Circuit Series, while also impressing on the European stage. Her performances caught the attention of top-tier teams, leading to a move that places her among some of the best emerging talents in the sport.
Tim Bonville-Ginn spoke with Shaw about her standout season, the transition to life at a WorldTour development team, and her ambitions for the future.
During the season, you don’t really take it in. You’re always looking to work on the next goal and to get better in each race
“Last year was amazing,” Shaw reflects. “During the season, you don’t really take it in. You’re always looking to work on the next goal and to get better in each race. It’s not until the off season and it calms down. You can look at it and go ‘wow, that was really cool.”
The season got off to a strong start for Shaw with an impressive runner-up finish at the ANEXO CAMS CiCLE Classic, her favourite race.
Shaw in action last year for Alba Development Road Team. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
“I think my favourite race in general is the CiCLE Classic. It’s just so much fun that race and I think it suits me quite well as a rider. So, I’d say that is probably the most fun and when the season really got started.”
In the next round of the National Road Series, Shaw secured another second-place finish at the East Cleveland Classic, strengthening her bid for the Road Series title and also giving the Scot the confidence to perform on the international stage.
Strong performances in races like the Czech 2.2 race, the Tour de Feminin, meant that Shaw found her way into the Alba squad for the Women’s WorldTour race of the Tour of Britain as well as representing Great Britain at the Tour de l’Avenir.
Racing the likes of Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes, Lizzie Deignan and more was quite a daunting but exciting moment for Shaw. “That [Tour of Britain] was a real eye-opener. Seeing that other level that you hope to get to one day and just a really cool experience in general.”
I had never raced up any Alpine climbs before. You go from 3km climbs to something like 15km climbs and it was just a whole new world for me
But it was l’Avenir that was “such a highlight” from 2024. “Just to get selected in the first place. Again an eye-opener to a different type of racing. I had never raced up any Alpine climbs before. You go from 3km climbs to something like 15km climbs and it was just a whole new world for me, really.
“I just tried to take it all in and work for the team. Make sure I learn and take in as much as I could of it.”
Image: UAE Development Team
Shaw credits many people for her success, but she is especially grateful to her former team, Alba which highlights the importance of UK-based UCI Continental Teams. I suggest to her that there is a huge crop of talent in Britain and riders like Shaw are getting to show it because of these teams.
It’s crucial, for sure. The exposure they gave me. The races they chose let me get results that showed other bigger teams what I’m capable of. And with that I got onto UAE
Shaw agrees, adding: “It’s crucial, for sure. The exposure they gave me. The specific races they chose in Europe let me get results that showed other bigger teams what I’m capable of. And with that I got onto UAE.
“They came to me after the East Cleveland Classic, actually,” she continues. “I was in contact with them throughout the year and they were keeping tabs on me and near the end of the summer I signed for them.”
The struggles of UK racing are evident, particularly on the men’s side of the sport where several teams, including the likes of Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing, have folded.
Shaw agrees that things are not looking good: “It’s not great, for sure. They’ve started reducing the amount of races. I think that I am quite a good example that the bigger teams are looking over here. They are watching the racing, so it is definitely important that it keeps on going strong.”
However, this won’t stop the Road and Circuit Series champion from returning to the UK racing calendar when her racing timetable aligns with some of her favourite races.
Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
She doesn’t hesitate when I ask whether we’ll see her racing in the UK this year: “Yes definitely,” she confirms. “I’ll see what my calendar looks like and if I’m not racing abroad then I’ll definitely be signing up for CiCLE and East Cleveland, for sure.”
I’ll see what my calendar looks like and if I’m not racing abroad then I’ll definitely be signing up for CiCLE and East Cleveland, for sure
And with her eyes fixed on the future, the 20-year-old puncheur begins her new chapter with her brand new UAE Development Team.
Kicking her season off on January 26 in Mallorca at the Trofeo Palma, Shaw finished 48th while riding for UAE’s WorldTour team in support of the likes of Eleonora Gasparrini and Alena Ivanchenko. She followed this with an accomplished 17th place at the Vuelta CV Feminas.
But how has she fitted in with her new team, new kit and at the training camps?
“It’s been amazing,” she reports. “Everyone has been so nice and welcoming and I’m really lucky that they all speak English. We had our first camp in December and everybody got to try out our new bikes and then we had our race prep camp in January then flew directly to Mallorca to do our first races.”
Understandably, Shaw only knows what her more immediate races are with no set-in-stone plan for the whole season as of yet.
“I’m getting quite a mix of different types of races, some hilly ones and the one in Valencia was really flat. It’s cool to experience all of that and try out as much as I can from the team’s WorldTour riders.”
Looking further forward it is easy to get carried away with the potential of a rider with the talent Shaw has. Fortunately, she appears to have a very grounded approach to her career and is just fulfilling her dreams. But, what of her future ambitions? now that she has made another step up the pro cycling ladder.
Image: UAE Development Team
“Throughout this year it is definitely just to learn and make that step to the devo team,” she says of her immediate aims. “But yeah, it’s been amazing and it’s exactly where I want to be and I’ll keep learning and developing throughout this year and that’ll go toward aiming to get to the WorldTour at some point, whenever that will be. So, I’d say WorldTour [is the goal].”
It is clear that UAE Development Team has the same sort of idea as well, Shaw’s early promotions to UAE’s WorldTour team gaining her vital experience from the off.
It would be nice to qualify for the Commonwealth Games, with it being in Scotland and on a home track, that would be something I would really like to do
“From a track perspective,” she continues, “I think it would be nice to qualify for the Commonwealth Games, with it being in Scotland and on a home track, that would be something I would really like to do.”
The Commonwealth Games are set to take place in Glasgow in 2026 with a paired-back list of events. With road cycling not on the menu, the velodrome will be the only way competitors could battle it out for their nations. Shaw, unsurprisingly, would love to represent Scotland in her home nation.
The Commonwealth Games, much like UK road racing, has faced significant challenges, with two hosts pulling out (Victoria and Gold Coast in Australia) before Glasgow eventually stepped in to save the event.
Elsewhere in the sport, major changes are also taking place, including Eurosport’s absorption into the £30.99 a month TNT Sports package – meaning there will be no free-to-air live cycling coverage in the UK from 2026 onwards.
For riders like Shaw, who grew up watching cycling on Eurosport, this shift marks the end of an era.
“I’ve always watched cycling from a really young age and through Eurosport I remember watching the Tour of Flanders. I have been watching the sport since I was about 6 or 7 so it is a real shame to see that go.”
While the UK racing scene faces uncertainties, its talent pipeline remains strong.
With Shaw stepping up to UAE Development Team while fellow British prospects like Cat Ferguson and Imogen Wolff embark on WorldTour careers, the future of British women’s cycling looks as bright as ever.
After a stellar 2024 season with Alba Development Road Team, 20-year-old Eilidh Shaw has taken a major step in her career, signing with UAE Team ADQ’s development squad. The young Scot dominated the domestic scene last year, winning both the National Road Series and Circuit Series, while also impressing on the European stage. Her performances caught the attention of top-tier teams, leading to a move that places her among some of the best emerging talents in the sport.
Tim Bonville-Ginn spoke with Shaw about her standout season, the transition to life at a WorldTour development team, and her ambitions for the future.
“Last year was amazing,” Shaw reflects. “During the season, you don’t really take it in. You’re always looking to work on the next goal and to get better in each race. It’s not until the off season and it calms down. You can look at it and go ‘wow, that was really cool.”
The season got off to a strong start for Shaw with an impressive runner-up finish at the ANEXO CAMS CiCLE Classic, her favourite race.
“I think my favourite race in general is the CiCLE Classic. It’s just so much fun that race and I think it suits me quite well as a rider. So, I’d say that is probably the most fun and when the season really got started.”
In the next round of the National Road Series, Shaw secured another second-place finish at the East Cleveland Classic, strengthening her bid for the Road Series title and also giving the Scot the confidence to perform on the international stage.
Strong performances in races like the Czech 2.2 race, the Tour de Feminin, meant that Shaw found her way into the Alba squad for the Women’s WorldTour race of the Tour of Britain as well as representing Great Britain at the Tour de l’Avenir.
Racing the likes of Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes, Lizzie Deignan and more was quite a daunting but exciting moment for Shaw. “That [Tour of Britain] was a real eye-opener. Seeing that other level that you hope to get to one day and just a really cool experience in general.”
But it was l’Avenir that was “such a highlight” from 2024. “Just to get selected in the first place. Again an eye-opener to a different type of racing. I had never raced up any Alpine climbs before. You go from 3km climbs to something like 15km climbs and it was just a whole new world for me, really.
“I just tried to take it all in and work for the team. Make sure I learn and take in as much as I could of it.”
Shaw credits many people for her success, but she is especially grateful to her former team, Alba which highlights the importance of UK-based UCI Continental Teams. I suggest to her that there is a huge crop of talent in Britain and riders like Shaw are getting to show it because of these teams.
Shaw agrees, adding: “It’s crucial, for sure. The exposure they gave me. The specific races they chose in Europe let me get results that showed other bigger teams what I’m capable of. And with that I got onto UAE.
“They came to me after the East Cleveland Classic, actually,” she continues. “I was in contact with them throughout the year and they were keeping tabs on me and near the end of the summer I signed for them.”
The struggles of UK racing are evident, particularly on the men’s side of the sport where several teams, including the likes of Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing, have folded.
Shaw agrees that things are not looking good: “It’s not great, for sure. They’ve started reducing the amount of races. I think that I am quite a good example that the bigger teams are looking over here. They are watching the racing, so it is definitely important that it keeps on going strong.”
However, this won’t stop the Road and Circuit Series champion from returning to the UK racing calendar when her racing timetable aligns with some of her favourite races.
She doesn’t hesitate when I ask whether we’ll see her racing in the UK this year: “Yes definitely,” she confirms. “I’ll see what my calendar looks like and if I’m not racing abroad then I’ll definitely be signing up for CiCLE and East Cleveland, for sure.”
And with her eyes fixed on the future, the 20-year-old puncheur begins her new chapter with her brand new UAE Development Team.
Kicking her season off on January 26 in Mallorca at the Trofeo Palma, Shaw finished 48th while riding for UAE’s WorldTour team in support of the likes of Eleonora Gasparrini and Alena Ivanchenko. She followed this with an accomplished 17th place at the Vuelta CV Feminas.
But how has she fitted in with her new team, new kit and at the training camps?
“It’s been amazing,” she reports. “Everyone has been so nice and welcoming and I’m really lucky that they all speak English. We had our first camp in December and everybody got to try out our new bikes and then we had our race prep camp in January then flew directly to Mallorca to do our first races.”
Understandably, Shaw only knows what her more immediate races are with no set-in-stone plan for the whole season as of yet.
“I’m getting quite a mix of different types of races, some hilly ones and the one in Valencia was really flat. It’s cool to experience all of that and try out as much as I can from the team’s WorldTour riders.”
Looking further forward it is easy to get carried away with the potential of a rider with the talent Shaw has. Fortunately, she appears to have a very grounded approach to her career and is just fulfilling her dreams. But, what of her future ambitions? now that she has made another step up the pro cycling ladder.
“Throughout this year it is definitely just to learn and make that step to the devo team,” she says of her immediate aims. “But yeah, it’s been amazing and it’s exactly where I want to be and I’ll keep learning and developing throughout this year and that’ll go toward aiming to get to the WorldTour at some point, whenever that will be. So, I’d say WorldTour [is the goal].”
It is clear that UAE Development Team has the same sort of idea as well, Shaw’s early promotions to UAE’s WorldTour team gaining her vital experience from the off.
“From a track perspective,” she continues, “I think it would be nice to qualify for the Commonwealth Games, with it being in Scotland and on a home track, that would be something I would really like to do.”
The Commonwealth Games are set to take place in Glasgow in 2026 with a paired-back list of events. With road cycling not on the menu, the velodrome will be the only way competitors could battle it out for their nations. Shaw, unsurprisingly, would love to represent Scotland in her home nation.
The Commonwealth Games, much like UK road racing, has faced significant challenges, with two hosts pulling out (Victoria and Gold Coast in Australia) before Glasgow eventually stepped in to save the event.
Elsewhere in the sport, major changes are also taking place, including Eurosport’s absorption into the £30.99 a month TNT Sports package – meaning there will be no free-to-air live cycling coverage in the UK from 2026 onwards.
For riders like Shaw, who grew up watching cycling on Eurosport, this shift marks the end of an era.
“I’ve always watched cycling from a really young age and through Eurosport I remember watching the Tour of Flanders. I have been watching the sport since I was about 6 or 7 so it is a real shame to see that go.”
While the UK racing scene faces uncertainties, its talent pipeline remains strong.
With Shaw stepping up to UAE Development Team while fellow British prospects like Cat Ferguson and Imogen Wolff embark on WorldTour careers, the future of British women’s cycling looks as bright as ever.
Featured image: UAE Development Team
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