Lifeplus-Wahoo, the UK’s longest-running UCI women’s team run by Drops Cycling, will close at the end of the year, ending their current tenure under this name.
Drops, the organisational entity behind Lifeplus-Wahoo, revealed in a statement, “Despite securing a full stable of premium product partners for 2025, we have been unable to sell the naming rights for a figure commensurate with the budget required for a UCI Pro Team Licence application.”
Their ambitions to progress to the Pro Team level and eventually become a World Tour team have been hindered by several financial challenges. Drops continued, “Our aim has always been to progress to ProTeam level and ultimately become a World Tour team. With uncertainty surrounding the viability of the project at Continental level, we no longer have the appetite to struggle to deliver our professional vision on a minimum budget at this largely unregulated level.”
The team says that it has already raced its last race. This is down to the rising costs of racing, the loss of sponsor bonus income due to non-participation in the Tour de France Femmes this year, the recent bike thefts just before a Women’s Tour of Britain stage, and an ongoing partnership dispute involving unpaid instalments as key factors contributing to their decision to close now.
Expressing gratitude to their supporters, Drops said, “We thank our global fan base for their loyal support over the past nine years and send the international peloton our best wishes for the future.”
The team has been unfortunate over the years, with former partner Le Col being unable to fulfil its sponsorship and forcing the team to release all of its riders ahead of the 2023 season before ultimately being saved before racing began and new riders signed up. Previously, the team was also left looking for a new sponsor heading into the 2019 season when Trek made the decision to no longer support the team and create its own outfit. That last setback saw the team have to release its new signing for 2019, a certain Demi Vollering, who has gone to be the star of women’s cycling.
Big-name riders who have ridden for the team over the years include: Kristyna Burlova, Heidi Franz, Ella Wyllie, Margaux Vigie, Ella Harris, Gladys Verhulst, Marjolein van’t Geloof, Maria Martins, Maike van der Duin, Jesse Vandenbulcke, Alice Towers, Eva van Agt, Joss Lowden, Dani Christmas, Elinor Barker, Megan Barker, Liz Holden, Manon Lloyd, Tayler Wiles, Becks Durrell, Alice Barnes (now Wood).
