Whereas there are extra British riders than ever within the males’s WorldTour, the home racing scene within the UK continues to take hits, with the final remaining Continental group asserting their closure yesterday.
Saint Piran, the Cornwall-based group named after the county’s patron saint, has competed within the UCI’s third racing class since 2021 however will not function in 2025 after a tricky season and struggling to safe sponsorship.
They introduced their closure on Tuesday night, simply two weeks after Biking Weekly reported that Trinity Racing, the event group which oversaw Tom Pidcock and Ben Healy’s bounce to the WorldTour, would additionally shut.
Regardless of 34 riders being set to compete in males’s biking’s prime division subsequent season, the Continental stage is left teamless.
“There’s a shiny future for UK biking. However that thrilling future will occur with out Saint Piran Professional Biking. With a tricky season behind us, and extra lately turbulent media protection hitting sponsorship alternatives for subsequent 12 months, it has been determined that Saint Piran Professional Biking UCI Continental Crew won’t take to the startline in 2025,” learn an announcement from the group.
“Over the previous six months, the senior group has undertaken a strategic evaluation analysing how we will enhance the alternatives for among the UK’s brightest skills and encourage extra to get on bikes. To realize each we’ve got to maneuver to the following stage. It’s not doable for any skilled sports activities group to face nonetheless.”
Saint-Piran have been on the centre of controversy all through the latter phases of 2024, after it was reported that they’d been utilizing unmarked Chinese language frames with faux UCI approval stickers utilized to them, in accordance with stories by Biking Weekly. A proper investigation by the UCI is reportedly ongoing.
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Throughout the peak years of British biking from 2010-2019, there have been no less than 5 UK-based Continental groups working. The final time there have been none was in 2004.
4 British girls’s Continental groups are set to be operational in 2025.
Saint-Piran was the earlier group of present WorldTour Brit Jack Rootkin-Grey and is at present residence to a number of former Observe Biking world champions akin to Will Tidball and Ollie Wooden. Lots of their 21 contracted riders’ futures from 2024 will probably be plunged into doubt.
“This has been an extremely troublesome choice for all at Saint Piran however one which we consider is correct. Sadly for us, the celebs didn’t align in 2024 and it has taken its toll. Dangerous luck, poor well being and an unfair reminder we’ve got made errors over the eight years of improvement have contributed to this choice,” continued the assertion.
“Earlier than some in our sport rejoice and little doubt sensationalise the closure of the group, you will need to perceive how a lot has been invested in getting this small group to a spot on the UCI desk. Our choice has a a lot wider influence that deserves extra dialogue than simply sensationalised headlines.
“We want to take this chance to thank everybody who performed a component in our development and success over our eight years. It couldn’t have been doable with out you.”
