North cyclists Erin Murphy and Beth Maciver have joined a new elite team which aims to provide a platform for female riders to progress within the sport.
Murphy, 18, hails from Aberdeenshire and was crowned the Scottish Junior Road Race champion earlier this year.
While 20-year-old Maciver, who is from Inverness, only started cycling during lockdown, and most recently raced for the Movistar esports team in her first season.
Both are now part of the new Alba Development Road Team.
Thanks to financial backing from several international organisations and sponsors, the cyclists will be provided with a bike, individual development plan, riding kit and full race programme to help achieve optimum performance.
Financial support means that Alba DRT riders will be able to take on the UK and Europe’s top talent without having to fund themselves – alleviating money worries which might have previously hindered their progress.
‘Natural talent’ should be the difference – not financial worries
The Alba DRT team will compete in the Scottish National Track Championships at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in January, as well as the 2022 HSBC UK National Track Championships later in the month.
The riders will then take part in the UK National road series (road and circuit), the Tour Series and select European stage races, with the hope that the the race programme will present riders with opportunities to ultimately progress to UCI Continental or World Tour Teams.
Alba DRT performance director and team manager Bob Lyons said: “The creation of this team is about more than just wearing the same colours and achieving race results.
“It’s about giving female riders who have demonstrated clear potential to progress in the sport, regardless of current experience or age, the tools and platform to succeed and helping them as much as possible.
“Natural talent, commitment and focus is what should set people apart, not whether they can afford to race or not.
“That is why it’s important to us that all they have to concentrate on is their performance.
“The opportunity to grab the attention of young female cyclists just now should not be underestimated.
“If we can show them there is a pathway to success at a national and international level, and use the talented team we have as the catalyst for that, then this approach will benefit individuals and the sport.”
A strong team
Murphy and Maciver will be joined by four other Scots – Sophie Lankford, Vicky Smith, Kate Richardson and Arianne Holland – with the team also including full-time English rider Sophie Enever and Northern Ireland’s Emma Smith.
Team manager Lyons added: added: “The debut line-up for Alba DRT is full of some fantastic talent, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone in action when the season gets under way.
“This is an exciting time for Scottish cycling, and one we are delighted to be a part of.”
The team is supported by sponsors Trek, Bontrager, John Clark Motor Group, Impsport, Veloforte, Pedal Power, Aramco Ventures, Fifth Ring, Ardoyne Performance Coaching, Anderson Anderson & Brown (AAB), Paradigm Drilling and Rotech Subsea.
