Katie Scott: from East Cleveland Classic to the Amstel Gold Race in seven days
The Oxford-born rider won the first road race of her career last Sunday. By Saturday, she had signed for DAS–Hutchinson and was preparing to line up at one of cycling's most prestigious one-day races.
Seven days. That is the distance between Katie Scott’s first road race win — a hard-earned triumph at the East Cleveland Classic in North Yorkshire — and her appearance at the Amstel Gold Race, one of the most prestigious one-day races on the women’s calendar.
DAS–Hutchinson announced on Saturday that Scott has signed for the UCI Women’s Continental team and will race in the Netherlands on Sunday. It is a return as much as an arrival: Scott raced with the squad between 2020 and 2023 before stepping away from the sport for a time. “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind week,” she tells The British Continental. “Winning East Cleveland last weekend put me into the lead of the National Series, and things moved pretty quickly with teams off the back of that.”
The pace of events belies how considered Scott’s comeback has been. A training block in Andorra earlier this season helped lay the groundwork; the results have followed. “My goal this year was to enjoy racing again and ideally step up to Continental level,” she says, “so it’s nice to see things heading in that direction, even if it’s happened quite quickly.”
Katie Scott at the 2023 ANEXO/CAMS Women’s CiCLE Classic. Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
At East Cleveland last Sunday, Scott spent the majority of the 105-kilometre race in a two-up break with Anna Flynn (Handsling Alba Development Road Team), before out-powering the national cyclocross champion on the final ascent of Saltburn Bank. It was the first road race win of her career — a result she had lain awake the night before imagining. The victory moved her to the top of the Women’s National Road Series standings, four points clear of Melanie Rowe.
The DAS–Hutchinson move carries particular significance. When Scott stepped back from racing in 2023, it was this team that stood by her. “It’s a team that has always had my best interests at heart and genuinely wants the best for me, both on and off the bike,” she says. “When I took a step back from racing in 2023, they were really supportive.” She is equally warm about her departure from Paralloy RT. “I’m really grateful to Paralloy Racing Team for giving me the opportunity to race with them. I’m glad I could contribute my experience and share some good results with the team.”
The speed of the turnaround is striking even by the standards of a sport that can move quickly. Days before the DAS–Hutchinson announcement, Scott had launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund her racing and go all-in on cycling — the kind of self-financing that remains a reality for riders competing at the top of the domestic scene. Within days, she had a Continental contract and a start at Amstel.
Scott arrives in the Netherlands in confident shape. “I’ve raced at this level before, but I feel like I’m coming into it in the best shape I’ve ever been,” she says. “I’m excited to get stuck in at Amstel and see how it goes.” Given the week she has just had, that seems a reasonable position to take.
Seven days. That is the distance between Katie Scott’s first road race win — a hard-earned triumph at the East Cleveland Classic in North Yorkshire — and her appearance at the Amstel Gold Race, one of the most prestigious one-day races on the women’s calendar.
DAS–Hutchinson announced on Saturday that Scott has signed for the UCI Women’s Continental team and will race in the Netherlands on Sunday. It is a return as much as an arrival: Scott raced with the squad between 2020 and 2023 before stepping away from the sport for a time. “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind week,” she tells The British Continental. “Winning East Cleveland last weekend put me into the lead of the National Series, and things moved pretty quickly with teams off the back of that.”
The pace of events belies how considered Scott’s comeback has been. A training block in Andorra earlier this season helped lay the groundwork; the results have followed. “My goal this year was to enjoy racing again and ideally step up to Continental level,” she says, “so it’s nice to see things heading in that direction, even if it’s happened quite quickly.”
At East Cleveland last Sunday, Scott spent the majority of the 105-kilometre race in a two-up break with Anna Flynn (Handsling Alba Development Road Team), before out-powering the national cyclocross champion on the final ascent of Saltburn Bank. It was the first road race win of her career — a result she had lain awake the night before imagining. The victory moved her to the top of the Women’s National Road Series standings, four points clear of Melanie Rowe.
The DAS–Hutchinson move carries particular significance. When Scott stepped back from racing in 2023, it was this team that stood by her. “It’s a team that has always had my best interests at heart and genuinely wants the best for me, both on and off the bike,” she says. “When I took a step back from racing in 2023, they were really supportive.” She is equally warm about her departure from Paralloy RT. “I’m really grateful to Paralloy Racing Team for giving me the opportunity to race with them. I’m glad I could contribute my experience and share some good results with the team.”
The speed of the turnaround is striking even by the standards of a sport that can move quickly. Days before the DAS–Hutchinson announcement, Scott had launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund her racing and go all-in on cycling — the kind of self-financing that remains a reality for riders competing at the top of the domestic scene. Within days, she had a Continental contract and a start at Amstel.
Scott arrives in the Netherlands in confident shape. “I’ve raced at this level before, but I feel like I’m coming into it in the best shape I’ve ever been,” she says. “I’m excited to get stuck in at Amstel and see how it goes.” Given the week she has just had, that seems a reasonable position to take.
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