19-year-old Eilidh Shaw has made a major step in her young career by signing with the UAE Development Team. The Scottish rider has had an impressive season, finishing 2nd at the Great Britain Criterium Championships and making her mark across multiple stages in the Tour de Feminin. Alba Development Team, where Shaw honed her skills, shared their delight and pride over the transfer.
Alba Development released a statement, reflecting on Shaw’s development: “Whilst it has been a fantastic season for both the team and Eilidh as an individual, this news tops everything. Alba was established three years ago with a clear objective, which was to provide a rider-centric environment with focused individual development plans creating a platform facilitating progression to the top of the sport.”
They continued, explaining their philosophy of rider growth: “The mantra of results donโt matter, get the development piece right and the results will come naturally has clearly been demonstrated this season. By nurturing Eilidh and providing such a developmental environment together with an appropriate race programme, it has allowed her to show what she is capable of and grow into the rider she is today.”
Shawโs season highlights include a 4th place finish in the points classification at the Tour de Feminin, alongside top 5 finishes in individual stages. She also showed strong promise in the youth classification, finishing 5th in one stage and consistently improving throughout the event. She closed the race 11th overall, showing a bright future ahead.
Reflecting on her journey and the transition to the UAE Development Team, Shaw commented: “Iโm very excited to make this next step in my cycling career with UAE Development Team. I think itโs the perfect place for me to learn, develop and continue improving. I would like to thank Alba for all of their support, development planning, and encouragement over the past two years, which, together with a fantastic race programme, has allowed me to grow as a rider and showcase my ability.โ
Albaโs statement concluded with high hopes for the future: “This is just the start of a very exciting career for Eilidh, but this is also just the start for Alba and its quest to develop and deliver exceptional riders. There are more following hot on Eilidhโs heels. The future is very bright.”
Shaw now looks forward to stepping up to the next level with UAE, a team that will provide her with further opportunities to grow and compete at a higher level.