Team Spectra Wiggle P/B Vitus might seem like another ordinary road racing team, but that’s not quite the full story, and we’re super excited to be working with them all this year.
A break from the norm with a gender balanced team
Spectra is an innovative new team that has big plans to do things differently. They field a super-strong gender-balanced team, with 6 female and 6 male riders. These riders will be competing across many different cycling disciplines including MTB, Cyclo-Cross, Road and Gravel. However, racing isn’t everything. Team Spectra will also be aiming to tackle cycling based challenges all over the UK and further afield such as the Trans-Pyrenees.
So, what’s the plan?
Team Spectra began in late 2020 with to aim of building an elite team of Cyclo-Cross riders to race some of the best UCI events in the world. This quickly turned into a much larger scale operation with the help and backing of Wiggle and Vitus bikes. Starting officially in April 2021, they are a non-professional team but don’t let this fool you, Team Spectra have the target of holding full UCI Licenses in all major disciplines by 2024. Plans are already in motion to become a UCI Cyclo-Cross registered team by September this year, and they are ready to compete throughout the 2021-2022 season all over Europe.
Team Spectra boasts a diverse mix of hugely talented riders, the unique thing here is they are from varying disciplines of cycling. Ian and Amira are both decorated UCI Cyclo-Cross riders, Chris is the World number 1 ranked Zwift racer and Abbie has represented Great Britain in BMX Racing… Oh and that’s just scratching the surface. The impressive roster is below:
Beth Crompton
Abbie Taylor
Hannah Larbalestier
Hannah Payton
Xan Crees (U23)
Amira Mellor
Mikey Mottram
Ian Field
Ben Chilton (U23)
Dan Barnes (u23)
Bruce Dalton
Chris McGlinchey
Coming out of 2020, (Which was a tricky year for competitive riding and racing.) Team Spectra are eager to get started in their quest of becoming UCI ranked across multi-disciplines, and they make no apologies about their aim of challenging cycling’s imbalances. The team’s primary focus will be on traditional races such as the Tour Series, National Points Series, and CX World Cups however, Team Spectra will also run a program of more unusual events and challenges. These will include gravel races like Grinduro, the previously mentioned Trans Pyrenees, as well as attempts to break established records such as the British Coast to Coast, Pennine Bridleway, and South Downs Way.
We are very proud to be supporting Spectra and can’t wait to share their journey over the coming year and beyond.