Stolen Goat Race Team unveils 2026 squad: a stronger, deeper team with development at its core
A larger, deeper squad and an expanded U23 cohort signal a more ambitious 2026 for Stolen Goat RT, with renewed focus on development, National Series racing and overseas campaigns.
Stolen Goat Race Team have confirmed their roster for 2026, unveiling what team manager Simon Jodrell calls “our strongest squad since 2018”. It is not just the number of riders – the biggest squad the team has ever reported – but the breadth of those capable of racing at a higher level that Jodrell believes marks 2026 out as a significant step.
With us finally having the depth of talent we’ve lacked over the past years we’ll be focusing on the National Series and of course Nat B. I feel we have far more options now
After several seasons where only one or two riders could consistently compete in the National Road Series, Jodrell says the balance has now shifted: “With us finally having the depth of talent we’ve lacked over the past years we’ll be focusing on the National Series and of course Nat B. I feel we have far more options now.”
Alex Murphy. Image: Mark James
That depth is anchored by returning standout Alex Murphy, whose first season at under-23 level this year established him as one of the domestic scene’s rising young riders. His 11th place at the Witheridge Grand Prix – one of the most selective rounds of the National Road Series – was one of the team’s headline performances of 2025, backed by a Clive Tiley Memorial Stage Race stage win and multiple top tens in Nat Bs. “By rights he should have moved up,” Jodrell says, “but there was nowhere for him to go. So we’re providing him with a platform this year, with more support.”
We now have three more under-23 riders, which I want to see develop in the same way Alex did
Murphy is now part of a four-strong under-23 cohort – the largest in team history – alongside newcomers Hugh Aubrey (Beeston Cycling Club), Huw Watkins (Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club) and Reuben Dando (Unattached), a trio Jodrell hopes will follow a similar developmental arc. “We now have three more under-23 riders, which I want to see develop in the same way Alex did.” Meanwhile, New elite signing Mohammad Ganjkhanlou (Reading CC) adds power and experience to the team’s circuit racing ambitions.
There is continuity too. Jack Bartholemew, who only took up road racing at the Portsdown Classic this season and ended the year having raced in Belgium, French National races and with a Nat B result to his name, returns for a second season. As do Ben Goodwin, the Welsh National Time Trial Champion, and Daniel Piercy. Ross Fawcett, one of the team’s most dependable performers over the last two seasons, also re-joins, as does Melissa Denman, who caught the eye this year with her second place at the North Lincolnshire Women’s Classic.
Ross Fawcett (left). Image: Mark James
Supporting the squad behind the scenes will be Jo Bates, Tom Kirk and Stephen Bradbury, strengthening the team’s operational backbone as their ambitions widen.
The team’s international aspirations also grow. In 2025, Stolen Goat RT dipped into two French National-level races and a weekend in Belgium – something they aim to expand significantly in 2026. “All of our riders now have experience of racing overseas,” Jodrell explains. “We’d like to explore more French Nationals, plus more weekends in Belgium, building on what we’ve done before.”
I’ve got more confidence in this group than I ever have
What stands out is not simply the size of the squad, but a belief that it can collectively step up: “The actual number of riders able to compete is much broader throughout the squad than before,” says Jodrell. “I’ve got more confidence in this group than I ever have. The aim is to help develop young riders – that’s really where I want to be – and I feel every one of them can progress in 2026.”
Stolen Goat Race Team have confirmed their roster for 2026, unveiling what team manager Simon Jodrell calls “our strongest squad since 2018”. It is not just the number of riders – the biggest squad the team has ever reported – but the breadth of those capable of racing at a higher level that Jodrell believes marks 2026 out as a significant step.
After several seasons where only one or two riders could consistently compete in the National Road Series, Jodrell says the balance has now shifted: “With us finally having the depth of talent we’ve lacked over the past years we’ll be focusing on the National Series and of course Nat B. I feel we have far more options now.”
That depth is anchored by returning standout Alex Murphy, whose first season at under-23 level this year established him as one of the domestic scene’s rising young riders. His 11th place at the Witheridge Grand Prix – one of the most selective rounds of the National Road Series – was one of the team’s headline performances of 2025, backed by a Clive Tiley Memorial Stage Race stage win and multiple top tens in Nat Bs. “By rights he should have moved up,” Jodrell says, “but there was nowhere for him to go. So we’re providing him with a platform this year, with more support.”
Murphy is now part of a four-strong under-23 cohort – the largest in team history – alongside newcomers Hugh Aubrey (Beeston Cycling Club), Huw Watkins (Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club) and Reuben Dando (Unattached), a trio Jodrell hopes will follow a similar developmental arc. “We now have three more under-23 riders, which I want to see develop in the same way Alex did.” Meanwhile, New elite signing Mohammad Ganjkhanlou (Reading CC) adds power and experience to the team’s circuit racing ambitions.
There is continuity too. Jack Bartholemew, who only took up road racing at the Portsdown Classic this season and ended the year having raced in Belgium, French National races and with a Nat B result to his name, returns for a second season. As do Ben Goodwin, the Welsh National Time Trial Champion, and Daniel Piercy. Ross Fawcett, one of the team’s most dependable performers over the last two seasons, also re-joins, as does Melissa Denman, who caught the eye this year with her second place at the North Lincolnshire Women’s Classic.
Supporting the squad behind the scenes will be Jo Bates, Tom Kirk and Stephen Bradbury, strengthening the team’s operational backbone as their ambitions widen.
The team’s international aspirations also grow. In 2025, Stolen Goat RT dipped into two French National-level races and a weekend in Belgium – something they aim to expand significantly in 2026. “All of our riders now have experience of racing overseas,” Jodrell explains. “We’d like to explore more French Nationals, plus more weekends in Belgium, building on what we’ve done before.”
What stands out is not simply the size of the squad, but a belief that it can collectively step up: “The actual number of riders able to compete is much broader throughout the squad than before,” says Jodrell. “I’ve got more confidence in this group than I ever have. The aim is to help develop young riders – that’s really where I want to be – and I feel every one of them can progress in 2026.”
Read the domestic team guide here.
Featured image: Mark James
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