Team News: Riders Staying with Drops for 2017

Twenty3C_Banner2016

In recent announcements, Sophie Coleman, Hannah Payton, Annie Simpson, and Lucy Shaw are all continuing with the team that has had one of the most striking kits in the women’s peloton in 2016, supplied by Prendas

RST Cycle Clothing & Trigon Bikes

Team News: Riders Staying with Drops for 2017

As the next season approaches and riders start their winter training regimes to be ready for 2017, teams are slowly announcing their line ups and Drops Cycling have revealed that four of their riders from 2016 are staying with them for 2017. One of those is Sophie Coleman, who says the team, has produced a number of powerful performances for Drops in 2016, most notably at Bira.

sophiecoleman

Photo: Tom Oldham (@Tommyophoto on twitter)

“This year has been a steep learning curve in the fast and furious game of bike racing,” the 26-year-old said. “I believe I can take forward what I’ve learnt this year into the 2017 season, and continue to build and improve upon it” added Sophie.

“I take great pride in donning my Drops kit. It is a team that not only strives to move up the UCI team ranks, but also promotes the value of women’s cycling and racing, which is hugely positive for the sport. It has given all the riders on the team valuable experience racing against the top female cyclists in the world, and hopefully shall continue to do so long into the future.”

Annie Simpson
Meanwhile, one of the most well known female cyclists in the UK and still only 26, Annie Simpson, who has had success in a number of different disciplines, is pleased to be riding for the team again in 2017.

Prendas_AnnieSimpson

“Being part of this team has revitalised my love of cycling,” said Simpson. “I am looking forward to hitting the ground running and using everything I have learnt this season to help Drops keep making an impact nationally and internationally. I can’t wait to get stuck into the early season Classics, which is something I missed last year but a style of race I think may suit my strengths.”

“It’s exciting to be a part of an alternative pathway to racing some of the biggest races in the world, with age not being a defining factor – Drops to me are game changers in the world of women’s cycling, and I am proud to be a part of it.”

Hannah Payton
Another rider who competes in cyclo-cross with Annie, is Hannah Payton who will also remain in the Drops colours for 2017. The 22-year-old finished last season well, securing a 10th place finish in the Youth Classification at Giro Toscana and now hopes to build on 2016’s results next year.

hannahpayton

Photo: Tom Oldham (@Tommyophoto on twitter)

“I love stage racing so I hope to try and get some results to build on all the experience I’ve had this season” Payton said. “We’ve really created a name for Drops this season, nationally and internationally – it’s great to be continuing with them next year so we can work with what we’ve all taken from last season and improve.”

Payton’s talent on the road is matched by her success in the mud and she’ll be hoping to continue her strong performances during this winter’s cyclo-cross calendar where she’ll ride for Team Kinesis.

The final rider in this news item to be announced as staying with the team is Lucy Shaw. Lucy impressed in her debut UCI season finishing well in a number of races including the Tour de Bretagne Feminin.

Despite her age, Lucy has always been the sort of rider to put pressure on herself to get better performances, and this doesn’t look set to change any time soon.

“Going into 2017 I have a lot more expectation of myself to perform,” said the 19-year-old. “I want to be challenging for some results in specific races next year. 2016 proved a massive learning curve for me and I gained invaluable experience of the UCI peloton.”

lucyshaw

Photo: Tom Oldham (@Tommyophoto on twitter)

“I proved to myself that I can more than ‘get round’ and next year I hope to build on this with some bigger results.” Lucy reveals that it’s not just the races she’s looking forward to getting back to but her teammates as well. “The team atmosphere with Drops is something really special, the whole team get on so well, and I think that reflects in our racing.

“Everybody is really willing to ride as a team and solid unit and to sacrifice their race for another teammate which makes it a great friendly team atmosphere. I miss the racing trips with the girls already! I love being part of Drops. It is the perfect place for me as a young, developing rider – I have a great set of teammates, mentors, sponsors, and team management.

“Everyone is fully committed to the team which makes it a great environment to race in. There is no place I would rather be going into my second season as a senior.”

2016_ShuttVeloRapideAdvert

AlpsCyclesMidstory

 

Send your results as well as club, team & event news here

Cero

Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)

Other News on VeloUK

Tags: