Rayner Foundation backs ten teams for 2026 European junior racing programmes
The Rayner Foundation has named the ten British junior teams selected for its 2026 Gateway Project, which provides targeted funding to help squads access European racing and offset the rising costs of cross-Channel competition.
The Rayner Foundation has confirmed the ten British teams selected for its 2026 Gateway Project, a grant scheme designed to help junior squads access racing in mainland Europe by subsidising the additional costs of cross-Channel travel.
For British junior teams, the financial and administrative friction involved in racing abroad has increased markedly in recent years. The Gateway Project, now a central strand of the foundation’s work, is intended to ease those pressures by providing targeted grants to men’s and women’s teams planning European race programmes.
According to the foundation’s press release, the selected teams were chosen for their “proven track record of developing young talent” and their ability to use European competition as a development tool, particularly on what it describes as the “tough, character-building roads” of Belgium, the Netherlands and France.
The Rayner Foundation is historically associated with supporting individual British riders based overseas, with former beneficiaries including David Millar, Tao Geoghegan Hart and Adam Yates. The Gateway Project, however, is designed to address a different challenge: enabling teams, rather than individuals, to gain sustained exposure to European racing.
While the UK domestic scene continues to provide a valuable physical platform for junior riders, many coaches and performance staff argue that the skills required for progression – racing in large pelotons, positioning through narrow roads and street furniture, and coping with crosswinds – are most effectively learned in continental competition.
Harrogate Nova and Shibden Apex riders in the mix at the 2026 Portsdown Classic. Image: Mark James
The foundation says the grants are not intended to cover the full cost of a European programme, but are specifically earmarked to offset the “extra costs of cross-Channel travel” that often prevent British teams from committing to races abroad.
The 2026 cohort features a balance of men’s and women’s development squads, including a mix of long-established academies and more recent junior programmes.
Shibden Apex Racing Team and camsmajaco will both receive support for their men’s and women’s teams, while the wider list also includes established development pathways such as Halesowen Academy and Velo Club Londres.
The full list of supported teams is as follows:
Brother UK – On Form (Women)
camsmajaco (Women)
camsmajaco (Men)
Halesowen Academy Cycling Team (Men)
Harrogate Nova Racing Team (Men)
Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club (Men)
Prologue Racing Team (Men)
Shibden Apex Racing Team (Women)
Shibden Apex Racing Team (Men)
Velo Club Londres (Men)
With the European road season approaching, the Rayner Foundation expects the funding to be deployed early, including for races in Belgium at the start of the year.
As a charitable trust, the Rayner Foundation continues to rely on public donations to sustain both the Gateway Project and its wider rider support programmes. Find out more about how to donate here.
The Rayner Foundation has confirmed the ten British teams selected for its 2026 Gateway Project, a grant scheme designed to help junior squads access racing in mainland Europe by subsidising the additional costs of cross-Channel travel.
For British junior teams, the financial and administrative friction involved in racing abroad has increased markedly in recent years. The Gateway Project, now a central strand of the foundation’s work, is intended to ease those pressures by providing targeted grants to men’s and women’s teams planning European race programmes.
According to the foundation’s press release, the selected teams were chosen for their “proven track record of developing young talent” and their ability to use European competition as a development tool, particularly on what it describes as the “tough, character-building roads” of Belgium, the Netherlands and France.
The Rayner Foundation is historically associated with supporting individual British riders based overseas, with former beneficiaries including David Millar, Tao Geoghegan Hart and Adam Yates. The Gateway Project, however, is designed to address a different challenge: enabling teams, rather than individuals, to gain sustained exposure to European racing.
While the UK domestic scene continues to provide a valuable physical platform for junior riders, many coaches and performance staff argue that the skills required for progression – racing in large pelotons, positioning through narrow roads and street furniture, and coping with crosswinds – are most effectively learned in continental competition.
The foundation says the grants are not intended to cover the full cost of a European programme, but are specifically earmarked to offset the “extra costs of cross-Channel travel” that often prevent British teams from committing to races abroad.
The 2026 cohort features a balance of men’s and women’s development squads, including a mix of long-established academies and more recent junior programmes.
Shibden Apex Racing Team and camsmajaco will both receive support for their men’s and women’s teams, while the wider list also includes established development pathways such as Halesowen Academy and Velo Club Londres.
The full list of supported teams is as follows:
With the European road season approaching, the Rayner Foundation expects the funding to be deployed early, including for races in Belgium at the start of the year.
As a charitable trust, the Rayner Foundation continues to rely on public donations to sustain both the Gateway Project and its wider rider support programmes. Find out more about how to donate here.
Featured image: Mark James
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