The 2025 British Women’s Team Cup is set to kick off on 27 April 2025 with the Florrie Newbury Classic in Essex. This annual series of women’s road races focuses on team performance, where each squad’s top finishers earn points toward a season-long championship.
Below we explain what the Team Cup is, highlight what’s new in 2025, outline how it works, list the 2025 race calendar, and discuss why this series is important in the UK racing scene.
Featured image: Mark James
What is the British Women’s Team Cup?
The British Women’s Team Cup is a season-long competition in UK women’s road cycling that pits trade teams against each other across multiple events. As the official site describes, each team may enter up to six riders in a Team Cup race, with the first four riders’ finishing positions counting towards the team’s overall series points. This team-focused format emphasises strategy and depth: a team’s score in each race comes from how well its collective riders place, rather than just one star rider’s result.
The Team Cup was created to bolster women’s racing at a time when national-level events were struggling, providing a much-needed competitive platform for domestic riders and teams. (It was previously known as the Women’s Team Series until being renamed in 2020.) Over the years, the competition has flourished and many of Britain’s top female cyclists have taken part on their way up the ranks. In short, the Team Cup is an accessible, team-oriented series that bridges the gap between regional-level races and the elite National Road Series, giving up-and-coming riders a proving ground to shine.
FTP – Fulfil the Potential – Racing are the reigning champions and will look to defend their title again in 2025.
British Women’s Team Cup organisers Trevor Hill and Lisa West. Image: Mark James
Why does the Team Cup matter?
The British Women’s Team Cup holds a vital place in the UK racing scene, especially for developing riders and teams. It was born out of a need to support women’s road racing at a grassroots level – as organiser Jon Miles recounted, women’s racing in Britain had “reached an all-time low” in 1999, and the Team Series was devised to revive the competitive scene. It offers a season-long goal for domestic teams, keeping them engaged and motivated to race consistently throughout the year, rather than just targeting one-off events.
One of the Cup’s biggest contributions is how it develops talent. Because the format rewards team depth, younger or less-experienced riders get chances to contribute to results and learn racecraft alongside mentors on their team. Over the past two decades, the series has helped showcase and elevate numerous riders who went on to international success. For example, Olympic champions like Laura Kenny and world-class road riders like Lizzie Deignan and Anna Henderson all cut their teeth in Team Cup races in their early years. A strong performance in the Team Cup can put a rider on the radar for selection to bigger teams.
The Team Cup also strengthens the domestic racing calendar for women. It complements the National Road Series by providing additional competitive fixtures throughout the spring and summer, often on historic or challenging courses that are not part of the National Series. This means more racing opportunities for women overall, which is crucial for the growth of the sport. The existence of the Team Cup pushes for the existence of women’s teams in order to contest the series, thereby increasing the number of women racing and improving the depth of fields. In recent years, as British women’s cycling has grown – with more UCI Continental teams forming and greater media coverage – the Team Cup remains an important stepping stone where riders can make a name for themselves.
Finally, the series brings a team-centric excitement that is somewhat unique at the domestic level. Watching the Team Cup isn’t just about who wins the race; it’s about which team executed the best strategy and amassed the most points. For fans, it adds an extra layer of intrigue, as a rider finishing 8th or 12th might be just as crucial to the team result as the rider who wins. The cumulative points race encourages teams to show up in force at every round and fight for every place, creating a narrative that runs through the season. Come September, the crowning of the Team Cup champions is a celebration of consistent teamwork and perseverance. The winning team earns not only the trophy and prize money, but also bragging rights as the top elite women’s road team in Britain’s domestic scene.
Image: Mark James
Calendar
This year’s Team Cup features six rounds of racing, held between late April and early September at venues across England. The series begins in the southeast and travels to different regions before the finale in Sussex.
Round
Date
Race
Location
1
27 April
Florrie Newbury Classic
Essex
2
18 May
Banbury Star Women’s Road Race
Oxfordshire
3
14–15 June
Ronde Van Wymeswold (2-day)
Leicestershire
4
20 July
Inkberrow Women’s Road Race
Worcestershire
5
10 August
Duncan Murray Wines Road Race
Northamptonshire
6
7 September
Maria Thompson Road Race
Sussex
Three new events join the series this year. The opening round, the Florrie Newbury Classic (Essex, 27 April), is a new addition – it was run as a regional-level race in 2024 and now steps up to Team Cup status. Round 3 introduces the Ronde Van Wymeswold, a two-day stage race in Leicestershire (14–15 June), which marks a unique multi-day format within the competition. And the finale will be the Maria Thompson Road Race in Sussex on 7 September.
Several races from the 2024 series disappear in 2025. Notably, the Twickenham CC Dave Peck Memorial, the RCR Fatcreations Women’s Road Race, and the London Dynamo Summer Road Race (all of which featured in last year’s schedule) are absent from this year’s Team Cup calendar. Meanwhile, other familiar events – such as the Banbury Star, Inkberrow, and Duncan Murray Wines road races – continue on the schedule, maintaining some continuity with previous seasons.
Teams
On the eve of round 1, 16 teams are registered to take part:
FTP – Fulfil The Potential – Racing
Team FTP Fusion
AC O’Shea Development Team
Team Boompods
Raptor Factory Racing
Wolfox CAMS Le Col RT
Brother UK/OnForm Team A
Brother UK/OnForm Team B
Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
London Academy
The Phoenix Collective
Liv CC Halo Films
Loughborough Lightning
Cowley Road Condors
Team Empella
Tactic UK WRT
Image: Mark James
How it works
Team rules
Teams can field a maximum number of 6 riders in each event.
Where teams wish to enter more than 6 riders in a race then they can enter two teams of four riders (Team A and Team B) that will need to compete in differently designed jerseys; in the event that this is used only occasionally during the season, only Team A’s points will be counted for the overall team points total.
Guest riders are allowed where teams are unable to field the full complement of riders for a race but they must be notified to Team Cup admin prior to the race and must ride in the team jersey of the team they are guesting for. Guest riders may only swap between teams up to twice in the racing season.
Scoring
In each race, the first four riders in each team will count for British Women’s Team Cup points, with points awarded as follows:
Pos
Points
1st
150
2nd
130
3rd
115
4th
100
5th
90
6th
80
7th
70
8th
65
9th
60
10th
55
11th
52
12th
49
13th
47
14th
45
15th
43
16th
41
17th
39
18th
37
19th
35
20th
33
Then from 21st place onwards, points descend in one-point gaps down to the rider in 49th place (who gets 4 points). Then from 50th place onwards, each rider to finish gets one point.
Any rider over and above the first four counting riders for a team will have their points discounted.
The winning team will be the team that accrues the most points over each of the six rounds.
Image: Mark James
Eligibility
The Team Cup is open to a wide range of competitive riders, but there are a few eligibility rules designed to keep the playing field fair and focused on developing talent. 4th-category licence holders (the entry-level category in British Cycling) are not eligible to race in Team Cup events. This ensures a certain standard of experience and ability in the peloton, as Team Cup races are National B level and can be quite competitive. Riders with 3rd category (and above) licenses form the pool of typical participants.
On the other end of the spectrum, as mentioned, riders who belong to UCI-registered teams are excluded from the Team Cup’s team competition in 2025. They can still physically enter the races as individuals if the race organiser allows, but any such rider won’t count towards Team Cup points and cannot guest for a Team Cup team. Moreover, if a rider has scored UCI points in the current year, they are not permitted to race in the Team Cup at all. The rationale is to prevent higher-level riders from dominating these events, thereby keeping the spotlight on elite teams and up-and-coming riders.
It’s worth noting that individual entrants (who aren’t part of any registered team) can still take part in most of these races as well. Many Team Cup rounds are open events, so a strong independent rider or a rider from a non-registered club could enter and even win the race outright. However, their result would simply not contribute to any team standing. And if the event is oversubscribed, priority is given to riders from Team Cup-registered teams to ensure those teams can field their squads.
The 2025 British Women’s Team Cup is set to kick off on 27 April 2025 with the Florrie Newbury Classic in Essex. This annual series of women’s road races focuses on team performance, where each squad’s top finishers earn points toward a season-long championship.
Below we explain what the Team Cup is, highlight what’s new in 2025, outline how it works, list the 2025 race calendar, and discuss why this series is important in the UK racing scene.
Featured image: Mark James
What is the British Women’s Team Cup?
The British Women’s Team Cup is a season-long competition in UK women’s road cycling that pits trade teams against each other across multiple events. As the official site describes, each team may enter up to six riders in a Team Cup race, with the first four riders’ finishing positions counting towards the team’s overall series points. This team-focused format emphasises strategy and depth: a team’s score in each race comes from how well its collective riders place, rather than just one star rider’s result.
The Team Cup was created to bolster women’s racing at a time when national-level events were struggling, providing a much-needed competitive platform for domestic riders and teams. (It was previously known as the Women’s Team Series until being renamed in 2020.) Over the years, the competition has flourished and many of Britain’s top female cyclists have taken part on their way up the ranks. In short, the Team Cup is an accessible, team-oriented series that bridges the gap between regional-level races and the elite National Road Series, giving up-and-coming riders a proving ground to shine.
FTP – Fulfil the Potential – Racing are the reigning champions and will look to defend their title again in 2025.
Why does the Team Cup matter?
The British Women’s Team Cup holds a vital place in the UK racing scene, especially for developing riders and teams. It was born out of a need to support women’s road racing at a grassroots level – as organiser Jon Miles recounted, women’s racing in Britain had “reached an all-time low” in 1999, and the Team Series was devised to revive the competitive scene. It offers a season-long goal for domestic teams, keeping them engaged and motivated to race consistently throughout the year, rather than just targeting one-off events.
One of the Cup’s biggest contributions is how it develops talent. Because the format rewards team depth, younger or less-experienced riders get chances to contribute to results and learn racecraft alongside mentors on their team. Over the past two decades, the series has helped showcase and elevate numerous riders who went on to international success. For example, Olympic champions like Laura Kenny and world-class road riders like Lizzie Deignan and Anna Henderson all cut their teeth in Team Cup races in their early years. A strong performance in the Team Cup can put a rider on the radar for selection to bigger teams.
The Team Cup also strengthens the domestic racing calendar for women. It complements the National Road Series by providing additional competitive fixtures throughout the spring and summer, often on historic or challenging courses that are not part of the National Series. This means more racing opportunities for women overall, which is crucial for the growth of the sport. The existence of the Team Cup pushes for the existence of women’s teams in order to contest the series, thereby increasing the number of women racing and improving the depth of fields. In recent years, as British women’s cycling has grown – with more UCI Continental teams forming and greater media coverage – the Team Cup remains an important stepping stone where riders can make a name for themselves.
Finally, the series brings a team-centric excitement that is somewhat unique at the domestic level. Watching the Team Cup isn’t just about who wins the race; it’s about which team executed the best strategy and amassed the most points. For fans, it adds an extra layer of intrigue, as a rider finishing 8th or 12th might be just as crucial to the team result as the rider who wins. The cumulative points race encourages teams to show up in force at every round and fight for every place, creating a narrative that runs through the season. Come September, the crowning of the Team Cup champions is a celebration of consistent teamwork and perseverance. The winning team earns not only the trophy and prize money, but also bragging rights as the top elite women’s road team in Britain’s domestic scene.
Calendar
This year’s Team Cup features six rounds of racing, held between late April and early September at venues across England. The series begins in the southeast and travels to different regions before the finale in Sussex.
Three new events join the series this year. The opening round, the Florrie Newbury Classic (Essex, 27 April), is a new addition – it was run as a regional-level race in 2024 and now steps up to Team Cup status. Round 3 introduces the Ronde Van Wymeswold, a two-day stage race in Leicestershire (14–15 June), which marks a unique multi-day format within the competition. And the finale will be the Maria Thompson Road Race in Sussex on 7 September.
Several races from the 2024 series disappear in 2025. Notably, the Twickenham CC Dave Peck Memorial, the RCR Fatcreations Women’s Road Race, and the London Dynamo Summer Road Race (all of which featured in last year’s schedule) are absent from this year’s Team Cup calendar. Meanwhile, other familiar events – such as the Banbury Star, Inkberrow, and Duncan Murray Wines road races – continue on the schedule, maintaining some continuity with previous seasons.
Teams
On the eve of round 1, 16 teams are registered to take part:
How it works
Team rules
Teams can field a maximum number of 6 riders in each event.
Where teams wish to enter more than 6 riders in a race then they can enter two teams of four riders (Team A and Team B) that will need to compete in differently designed jerseys; in the event that this is used only occasionally during the season, only Team A’s points will be counted for the overall team points total.
Guest riders are allowed where teams are unable to field the full complement of riders for a race but they must be notified to Team Cup admin prior to the race and must ride in the team jersey of the team they are guesting for. Guest riders may only swap between teams up to twice in the racing season.
Scoring
In each race, the first four riders in each team will count for British Women’s Team Cup points, with points awarded as follows:
Then from 21st place onwards, points descend in one-point gaps down to the rider in 49th place (who gets 4 points). Then from 50th place onwards, each rider to finish gets one point.
Any rider over and above the first four counting riders for a team will have their points discounted.
The winning team will be the team that accrues the most points over each of the six rounds.
Eligibility
The Team Cup is open to a wide range of competitive riders, but there are a few eligibility rules designed to keep the playing field fair and focused on developing talent. 4th-category licence holders (the entry-level category in British Cycling) are not eligible to race in Team Cup events. This ensures a certain standard of experience and ability in the peloton, as Team Cup races are National B level and can be quite competitive. Riders with 3rd category (and above) licenses form the pool of typical participants.
On the other end of the spectrum, as mentioned, riders who belong to UCI-registered teams are excluded from the Team Cup’s team competition in 2025. They can still physically enter the races as individuals if the race organiser allows, but any such rider won’t count towards Team Cup points and cannot guest for a Team Cup team. Moreover, if a rider has scored UCI points in the current year, they are not permitted to race in the Team Cup at all. The rationale is to prevent higher-level riders from dominating these events, thereby keeping the spotlight on elite teams and up-and-coming riders.
It’s worth noting that individual entrants (who aren’t part of any registered team) can still take part in most of these races as well. Many Team Cup rounds are open events, so a strong independent rider or a rider from a non-registered club could enter and even win the race outright. However, their result would simply not contribute to any team standing. And if the event is oversubscribed, priority is given to riders from Team Cup-registered teams to ensure those teams can field their squads.
Find out more
Follow the British Women’s Team Cup on Instagram.
Follow the British Women’s Team Cup on Facebook.
Visit the British Women’s Team Cup website here.
Share this:
Discover more from The British Continental
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.