Lifeplus–Wahoo is a UCI women's cycling team based in the United Kingdom, founded in 2015. The team is jointly sponsored by holistic wellness company Lifeplus and fitness technology company Wahoo. In 2023, the team gains automatic invitations to the UCI Women's World Tour owing to its performance in 2022.
 Riders at the 2022 Tour de France Femmes | |
| Team information | |
|---|---|
| UCI code | DRP |
| Registered |  United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Discipline(s) | Road |
| Status | UCI Women's Continental Team (2020–present) |
| Bicycles |
|
| Website | Team home page |
| Key personnel | |
| General manager | Tom Varney |
| Team manager(s) | |
| Team name history | |
2015 2016–2017 2018 2019–2020 2021 2022 2023 | Corley Cycles–Drops RT Drops Cycling Team Trek–Drops Drops Cycling Team Drops–Le Col s/b TEMPUR Le Col–Wahoo Lifeplus–Wahoo |
Sponsorship
editThe team was founded in 2015, using Drops branding for the next 6 years. In 2018 Trek Bikes became title sponsors of the team.[2] In 2019 the team reverted to its previous name as Trek ended their sponsorship after one year in order to start their own team.[3] When a prospective replacement sponsor also pulled out the team launched a crowdfunding campaign in order to stay afloat [4] and raised £25,000.[5]
In December 2020 it was announced that the team's clothing supplier Le Col would step up to co-title sponsor for the 2021 season after agreeing to double their investment in the team. They were joined by American mattress and pillow manufacturer TEMPUR.[6] The team confirmed that funding would not go as far as being able to pay a salary to riders, something Drops has always been transparent about its inability to do.[7]
In August 2021 Le Col signed a two-year extension taking their sponsorship through to 2023. In doing so it was announced that they would be trebling their annual investment in the team.[8] It was also announced that the teams tyre supplier Mavic would extend and increase their sponsorship of the team into 2022.[9] In the following weeks the team announced a number of new rider signings and contract renewals with a number of 2 year contracts confirmed for the first time in the team's history. In January 2022 it was announced that Wahoo would become the teams co-title for 2022 with the team being renamed Le Col–Wahoo.[10]
In November 2022, Le Col did not renew their contract, with funding around €400,000 required to keep the team running.[11] Staff and riders were told to look elsewhere for 2023 contracts.[12]
In January 2023, it was announced that holistic wellness company Lifeplus would join the team as title sponsor, with the team becoming Lifeplus–Wahoo.[13] Former professional cyclists Małgorzata Jasińska and Morgan Kneisky joined the team as team managers.[14] Over half of the 2023 roster is aged under 23.[14] Owing to its performance during the 2022 season, the team gains automatic invitations to UCI Women's World Tour events in 2023.[15]
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Team roster 2023
editAs of 16 August 2023.[21]
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Major wins
edit- 2016
- UCI Track Cycling World Cup – Glasgow (Team Pursuit), Eleanor Dickinson
- Revolution Series – Manchester (Scratch race), Eleanor Dickinson
- 2017
Mountains classification Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, Ann-Sophie Duyck
- Stage 2, Ann-Sophie Duyck
Provincial Time Trial Championship West-Vlaanderen, Ann-Sophie Duyck- Stage 4 Gracia–Orlová, Martina Ritter
- Ljubljana–Domžale–Ljubljana TT, Ann-Sophie Duyck
- Stage 3 (ITT) Tour de Feminin-O cenu Českého Švýcarska, Ann-Sophie Duyck
Youth classification 2017 BeNe Ladies Tour, Alice Barnes
- Stage 1, Alice Barnes
- Stage 2 Tour of the Reservoir, Laura Massey
- 2018
- Youth classification Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Eva Buurman
- Youth classification Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, Abby-Mae Parkinson
Mountains classification Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen Kathrin Hammes
- 2019
- Youth classification Giro Toscana Int. Femminile - Memorial Michela Fanini, Lizzie Holden
- 2021
Overall Tour de Feminin–Krásná Lípa, Joscelin Lowden
- Stage 4 Joscelin Lowden
- Omloop der Kempen, Maike van der Duin
- UCI Track Cycling World Cup – Saint Petersburg (Elimination race), Maria Martins
- UCI Track Cycling World Cup – Saint Petersburg (Omnium), Maria Martins
- 2022
- Veenendaal–Veenendaal Classic, Gladys Verhulst
World & national champions
edit- 2016
British U23 Road Race, Alice Barnes- British Junior Road Race, Eleanor Dickinson
Antigua & Barbuda Time Trial, Tamiko Butler- Antigua & Barbuda Road Race, Tamiko Butler
- 2017
Belgium Time Trial, Ann-Sophie Duyck- British U23 Road Race, Alice Barnes
Austria Time Trial, Martina Ritter- Austria Road Race, Martina Ritter
- 2019
World Track (Scratch race), Elinor Barker
- 2020
Portugal Track (Points race), Maria Martins- Portugal Track (Scratch race), Maria Martins
- 2021
- Portugal Road Race, Maria Martins
European U23 Track (Scratch race), Maike van der Duin- European U23 Track (Omnium), Maria Martins
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- 2022
- British Road Race, Alice Towers
- 2023
- British U23 Time Trial, Madelaine Leech
- European U23 Track (Individual Pursuit), Kate Richardson
- 2024
- British National Track (Individual Pursuit), Kate Richardson
References
edit- ^ O'Shea, Sadhbh (18 January 2019). "Down but not out: Drops team remain ambitious after difficult winter". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
- ^ "Introducing Trek-Drops". UCI.org. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ "Trek-Segafredo confirm women's team set to race on the Women's WorldTour in 2019". Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ "Drops team launch crowdfunding campaign after sponsor pulls out". Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ "Drops women's team saved after crowdfunding campaign". Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ "Drops Cycling Team adds two new sponsors for 2021". Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ "Le Col steps up backing for Drops women's team". Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ "Le Col increase and extend partnership with the team". Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ "Mavic renew with the team for 2022". Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ "Drops transform into Le Col Wahoo team in 2022". Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ O'Shea, Sadhbh (11 January 2023). "Le Col-Wahoo becomes Lifeplus-Wahoo after off-season sponsor drama". VeloNews.com. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ Tyson, Jackie (17 November 2022). "Sponsorship loss leaves Le Col-Wahoo in uncertain position for 2023". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ "Introducing Lifeplus Wahoo". Lifeplus Wahoo. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ a b Weislo, Laura (24 January 2023). "British women's team gets new life as Lifeplus-Wahoo". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ "2023 Squad Finalised". Lifeplus Wahoo. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
The UCI also confirmed the team as one of two Continental teams that gain automatic invitations to all of the races on the Women's World Tour calendar.
- ^ "Drops-LeCol Partners".
- ^ "Ribble to supply Drops-Le Col team bikes for the next two years".
- ^ "Mavic partner drops".
- ^ "POC partners with drops cycling teams".
- ^ "Drops One Pro Nutrition 2020".
- ^ "Lifeplus-Wahoo". UCI. Retrieved 16 August 2023.