Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24 has announced an intent to return to the professional ranks, having applied for a UCI Continental Team licence in 2023.
It is one of the most successful development teams in the world, led by General Manager Nicola Cranmer and Director Shelley Olds, they aim to compete at the highest level of road racing in the US and possibly South America or Europe while maintaining their commitment to track, mountain biking, gravel, ultra, eSports, and para-cycling.
“To race in North America, you really don’t need to have a UCI licence at the moment, as there are only two UCI races, but with our new partnership with Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge and the Virginia Tourism Corporation, I need to elevate the team’s status as much as possible. I think the media pays a little more attention to the team when we are UCI, as opposed to being domestic elite,” said Cranmer, who is in the process of finalising the 2023 roster.
“We could possibly race outside of the US, later in the year, in South America or in Europe. The goal would be to give the riders the experience because we have a lot of exciting younger riders.”
The two partners that signed on with the team this year, Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge and the Virginia Tourism Corporation, support high-performance cycling and youth development and build awareness of Virginia’s Blue Ridge as a destination for cycling and a unique training ground for athlete development.
“Over the last year, TWENTY24’s long-term partnership with Virginia’s Blue Ridge has produced notable positive economic development in the region while supporting the team with the latitude to explore all cycling disciplines while maintaining a strong focus on Zwift eSports,” Cranmer said.
“Our growth over almost two decades has delivered more opportunities for talent ID, especially in high performance, notably the time trial but also in connecting young women to collegiate scholarships. The time is right for us to return to UCI designation with a mixed season of UCI races, track and gravel/MTB and Zwift racing. I’m excited about our roster of returning athletes and impressive new talent.”
Cranmer’s development program began as Proman-Hitsquad Professional Cycling Team in 2006, and three-time Olympic gold medallist Kristin Armstrong partnered with the team in 2010.
The team flourished to become Peanut Butter & Co-Twenty12 at the beginning of the four-year cycle ahead of the Olympic Games in London, and then changed…
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