British rider Noémie Thomson will join AG Insurance–Soudal for the 2027 season after agreeing a two-year contract with the Belgian Women’s WorldTour team. The 23-year-old makes the move from DAS–Hutchinson following two seasons in which she has established herself as a competitive rider in international one-day races.
Thomson’s results include second place at the 2025 Gran Premio Ciudad de Eibar, victory at the 2026 Women’s CiCLE Classic and a series of encouraging performances in Spain. She finished seventh at the Pionera Race and 11th at the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic this year, showing she can compete beyond the British domestic calendar.
The move comes at a particularly important moment. DAS–Hutchinson have announced that their UCI Continental operation will close at the end of 2026, leaving several British riders searching for new opportunities. Thomson has secured a place at the highest level of women’s professional cycling, with a contract running through the end of 2028.
Eibar podium established Thomson’s international credentials
Thomson’s most significant international result came in October 2025, when she finished second at the Gran Premio Ciudad de Eibar in the Basque Country.
The 131.6-kilometre ProSeries race featured repeated climbs and a demanding finale around Eibar. Thomson remained with the strongest riders as the field was reduced, eventually finishing on the same time as winner Debora Silvestri of Laboral Kutxa–Fundación Euskadi.
Alice Coutinho finished third, 12 seconds behind the leading pair, while Giada Borghesi and Usoa Ostolaza completed the top five.
For a rider who had joined DAS–Hutchinson only a few months earlier, it was an important result against an established international field.
Thomson had spent the first part of 2025 competing with Southborough & District Wheelers and Brother UK–On Form, before making the move to the Continental squad in July. Her development during the second half of the season was therefore rapid.
She also finished 24th at the Women’s Cycling Grand Prix Stuttgart & Region in September, gaining experience of the more demanding European one-day racing calendar.
Her performance at Eibar demonstrated that she could compete in races featuring experienced professional riders. It also provided an indication that longer, selective events could suit her better than straightforward bunch finishes.
Women’s CiCLE Classic victory and further progress in 2026
Thomson continued developing during 2026, combining British domestic races with an international programme for DAS–Hutchinson.
In March, she won the Women’s CiCLE Classic, one of the most distinctive events on the British domestic calendar. Its mixture of rough roads, narrow lanes and repeated changes of pace rewards riders who can position themselves well and respond to attacks.
The victory was followed by second place at the Lincoln Grand Prix in May, giving her another strong result on home roads.
She also made progress internationally.
Thomson finished seventh at the Pionera Race in Spain before taking 11th at the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic. The latter was a demanding ProSeries race around Pamplona, won by Cat Ferguson after a selective day featuring repeated short climbs and late attacks.
As covered in ProCyclingUK’s Navarra race report, the final kilometres saw sustained pressure from the leading teams before the remaining contenders came together for a reduced sprint.
Thomson finished just outside the top ten against a field containing several established WorldTour riders.
Her other international results included 22nd at Brabantse Pijl and 26th at the NXT Classic, both races requiring riders to manage repeated accelerations and difficult positioning.
At the British National Road Championships in June, Thomson finished tenth, another indication of her improved consistency.
She also gained experience in WorldTour races during 2026, including Amstel Gold Race and the Tour of Britain Women. Joining AG Insurance–Soudal will therefore represent her first season as a WorldTour team rider, rather than her first experience of racing against WorldTour opposition.
Move follows the closure of DAS–Hutchinson’s Continental team
Thomson’s transfer takes place against a difficult backdrop for British women’s domestic cycling.
DAS–Hutchinson confirmed earlier in October that its UCI Continental team would cease operating at the end of the 2026 season.
The organisation cited the increasing financial demands of maintaining a competitive programme, particularly the costs associated with racing and travelling in Europe.
The team has been an important presence in British women’s cycling, giving riders opportunities to progress from domestic events into UCI races overseas.
For Thomson, those opportunities have played an important role in her development. The experience gained in Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands has helped her progress from domestic racing to results against established professional opponents.
Her move to AG Insurance–Soudal ensures that her progression can continue despite the closure of her current team.
The transition also highlights the difference between the resources available to Continental squads and those competing at WorldTour level. As explored in ProCyclingUK’s analysis of Continental teams and WorldTour racing, access to the biggest races and the opportunities they provide remain important issues for smaller teams.
At AG Insurance–Soudal, Thomson will have access to a larger performance operation and a race programme built around competing at the highest level throughout the season.
That should provide a more consistent environment for her continued development.
Thomson joins established WorldTour programme
AG Insurance–Soudal have developed into one of the stronger organisations in women’s professional cycling, combining an established WorldTour squad with a separate development programme.
The team have enjoyed major successes with riders including Kim Le Court-Pienaar, Sarah Gigante, Justine Ghekiere and Letizia Borghesi.
Thomson joins the WorldTour squad directly rather than entering through the development team.
Her signing follows the promotion of Emma Siegers from AG Insurance–Soudal’s development programme for 2027, demonstrating the different approaches the organisation is using to strengthen its roster.
For Thomson, the immediate challenge will be adapting to the demands of a full WorldTour programme. The racing is faster, the fields are deeper and the strongest teams have more options when decisive moves develop.
Her results suggest that selective one-day races could provide a suitable starting point. Eibar, Navarra and the Pionera Race have all shown her ability to remain competitive when repeated climbs reduce the number of contenders.
However, her initial opportunities are likely to involve learning from more experienced team-mates and contributing to collective objectives.
Thomson welcomed the move, describing the opportunity to join AG Insurance–Soudal and race at WorldTour level as a dream come true.
She also emphasised her desire to continue learning and developing within the team, rather than setting immediate targets for victories.
The two-year agreement provides time for that progression. At 23, Thomson has already made considerable advances since moving into international racing, but her experience at WorldTour level remains relatively limited.
Her first season will provide a clearer indication of how those results translate when she is racing regularly against the sport’s leading riders.
For British women’s cycling, the transfer is another example of a rider progressing through domestic competition and a Continental programme before earning an opportunity at the top level.
With DAS–Hutchinson closing their Continental operation, Thomson’s move also marks the beginning of a new chapter for one of the team’s most promising riders.
The immediate task is to adapt to AG Insurance–Soudal’s racing programme in 2027. Her contract through 2028 gives her time to do that while continuing the improvement she has shown over the past two seasons.
