Nicole Frain, the 32-year-old Australian cyclist, will make an interesting move in 2025, joining Ridley Racing Team to concentrate on gravel racing and, potentially, cyclocross. Frain shared her enthusiasm for the move, describing it as a perfect fit. Speaking about the move she said, “The ideas the team has about cycling and the objectives align closely with mine. That’s why I was particularly excited when the team approached me. I love the philosophy behind the team, which wants to combine all disciplines.”
Frain, a professional road cyclist since 2021, has an impressive palmarès. She claimed the Australian road race title in 2022 and participated in the Tour de France Femmes the same year. More recently, in 2024, she embraced gravel racing and secured second-place finishes in major events such as RADL GRVL, The Gralloch, Gravel Grit ‘n Grind, and Houffa Gravel. Her success in these events caught the attention of Ridley Racing Team, whose general manager, Rik Verbrugghe, expressed high hopes for her development. For some, however, her most notable act on the road will forever been the infamous Tour de France Femmes crash with Marta Cavalli.
In a team statement, Verbrugghe said, “The combination of Nicole’s talent and the expertise within our sporting staff can lead to something special. We will support her in every discipline as much as possible. By allowing Nicole to switch between various terrains, we hope she can grow as a complete rider.”
Frain will start her 2025 season in Australia, competing in both the national road championships and the RADL GRVL. Later in the year, she is set to debut at milestone gravel events such as the Traka, Unbound, and the Rift, with the gravel World Championships in Nice also on her schedule. “Gravel is something I only truly discovered in 2024,” she revealed. “Since then, I’ve wanted to make further progress. The interest from Ridley Racing Team came at the perfect time. I’m looking forward to these new challenges and hope to improve after often finishing just short of the win last year.”
Frain acknowledged the challenges of learning cyclocross, an area she is eager to explore with the team. “Cyclocross is new for me, and it’s a very tough discipline to master. I still have a lot of work to do, but I’m surrounded by the best people and want to make the most of it,” she said.
Richard Groenendaal, Ridley Racing Team’s sporting director, also expressed confidence in Frain’s potential. He commented, “Nicole has already shown she has the physical capabilities to deliver top performances. We will fully support her in her offroad journey and help refine her technique for gravel races. Cyclocross is in the DNA of this team, so we’re ready to assist her there as well. It’s exciting to have a top-level female rider in our ranks. Her experience will also make her a great mentor for Lore Sas.”
Although the team’s focus for Frain will be on offroad disciplines, she plans to continue some road racing to maintain her speed and build fitness. “I still aim to ride some UCI road races to keep my form and speed,” she explained.
