The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team will start the inaugural Friends Life Women’s Tour on Wednesday with Brits Hannah Barnes & Sharon Laws
Team News – UnitedHealthcare Racing Inaugural Friends Life Women’s Tour
TEAM PRESS RELEASE
Beginning May 7th and concluding on May 11th, the Friends Life Women’s Tour will take the riders through the roads of Great Britain’s East Midlands and East Anglia for five stages.
The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team goes into the race with a talented squad and incredible momentum following overall victories in the Tour Femenino de San Luis, Vuelta a El Salvador, and most recently, last week’s Tour of the Gila.
Sports Director Rachel Heal summarized the team’s sentiments towards the new event, “We’re really excited to bring a team to the inaugural Friends Life Women’s Tour. We have been talking all year about setting a new standard for women’s racing by treating the women’s team in the same professional way we do the men’s. It’s great that race organisers are also raising the bar and running races to the same professional standard that they set for the men’s race.â€
Hannah Barnes, winning the Novant Health Invitational Criterium earlier this season. British cycling star and UnitedHealthcare Blue Train rider, Hannah Barnes, is especially looking forward to stage 1, as the race will finish near her hometown and offer Hannah the opportunity to race before her friends, family, and local fans for the first time since signing with the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team.
She commented, “I’ve been looking forward to this since hearing that the team would participate in the Women’s Tour. The prospect of racing on my training roads in front of all my friends and family made me so motivated. I have loved racing with these girls and to be able to do so in Britain makes it even more ‘awesome!’ I can’t wait to get on that start line and race”.
“This is the biggest event I have ever done and hearing all the details about the cameras, TV coverage, and media- it’s going to be amazing for women’s cycling not just in Britain, but all around the world.†View Hannah’s video interview about the race here. Also from Great Britain, Rachel Heal concurred, “For me personally, being able to also return home and lead a team in the first British UCI women’s stage race is pretty special.â€
Read an interview here with Hannah
In terms of the route and the team’s goals in the race, Heal added, “The race in Britain is set to be a tough one, with no major mountains but a lot of tough roads. Fortunately, we’re bringing a really strong team to match. Hannah has already enjoyed sprinting success this year and with the experience that Lauren Tamayo, Ruth Winder, and Cari Higgins bring to the leadout, I am looking forward to the team being competitive in the sprint stages.”
“Sharon has already proven to be riding strongly with some great form, so she’ll be our go-to rider when the road tilts uphill. For Katie Hall, this will be her first European racing experience but I’m confident the has the strength and skill to jump right into it.†Stage 1 begins in Oundle and finishes 93.8 kilometers later in Northampton, with two intermediate sprints and two climbing competitions along the way.
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Roster, 2014 Friends Life Women’s Tour
Hannah Barnes (GBR)
Katie Hall (USA)
Cari Higgins (USA)
Sharon Laws (GBR)
Lauren Tamayo (USA)
Ruth Winder (USA)
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Chris Lawless Joins Saint Piran Team
- Youth Result: Milton Keynes Youth Development Races
- TT Result: Southern Counties CU Sporting 21
- TT Result: Manchester & District TTA 10m TT
- TT Result: Northampton & District CA 10m TT
- TT Result: Knockhill Mountain Time Trial
- Youth Result: Lawford Youth Series
- TT Result: Bristol South CC Hardriders
- TT Result: Newmarket Cycling & Triathlon Club TT
- Paracycling Track Worlds Day 4
- Para CyclingWorlds Final Day
- Startlist: National Youth Circuit Series Rd 1
- TT Result: Orwell Velo 15m TT
- TT Result: Hull Thursday RC Hard Riders 2Up
- TT Result: VC Sevale 10m TT
- TT Result: Maldon & District CC Hilly 22m TT
- Youth Result: SCC Youth Races
- Youth Result: ERC Ben Forsyth CRY Youth Race Day
- Report/Result: Azets Spring Classic
- Track Result: Manchester Regional Track League
- Startlists: RCR Fat Creations Road Races
- Crit Result: Not the Portsmouth Easter Circuits
- Crit Result: March Hare Classic
- Crit Result: Haus RT – Darley Moor #3
- Crit Results: Spring MK Bowl Series #3
- Crit Result: No Nonsense Circuit Races 1
- Crit Result: Salt Ayre Spring Series #3
- RR Result: NCRA Handicap RR #3
- RR Result: Halesowen Academy Road Race
- RR Result: Primavera Pursuit Road Race
- Startlist: Capernwray Road Race (March 31)
- TT Result: VTTA Kent 8 mile TT
- TT Result: Kernow Racing Team TT
- TT Result: Banbury Star CC 21m TT
- TT Result: Velo Club St Raphael 16.5 TT
- TT Result: Port Talbot Whs 13m TT
- TT Result: Cleveland Whs Sporting 21.7m TT
- TT Result: Velotik RT 15m TT
- TT Result: Border City Whs Hilly 20.2m TT
- TT Result: Hemel Hempstead CC 16m TT
Other News on VeloUK
- Chris Lawless Joins Saint Piran Team
- Paracycling Track Worlds Day 4
- Para CyclingWorlds Final Day
- Startlist: National Youth Circuit Series Rd 1
- Report/Result: Azets Spring Classic
- Startlists: RCR Fat Creations Road Races
- Startlist: Capernwray Road Race (March 31)
- Team Report: Fensham Howes MAS Design Junior Team
- Team Report: CiCLE Classic Junior Men
- RIDER REPORTS – Zoe Parker (Solihull CC)
- GB News: Two World Titles for GB at Para Worlds
- Team News: Alba Development Road Team
- News: British Road Champs Return to NE
- THIS WEEKEND: Peaks Two Day is Back!
- News: Laura Kenny Retires
- Team News: Lee Valley Youth Cycling Team
- 2024/25 CYCLO-CROSS CALENDAR
- Startlist: Cardiff Ajax CC 10 Mile TT
- Startlists: 16th Gifford Road Races (Scotland)
- News: Ellingworth is new Tour of Britain Director
- Startlist: Circuit of Ingleborough TT
- STARTLIST: Evesham Vale Road Race 2024
- Mammoth fields for Women’s/Junior Men’s CiCLE Classics
- Saturday: Fusion Media Women’s Series Rd 1
- Saint Piran’s Global Women’s Project
- Ribble Rebellion: The Riders
- Team News: Ribble Rebellion Team Launch
- British Classics – 64th Wally Gimber Trophy
- Startlist: 62nd Eddie Soens
- Startlist: 10th Junior Men’s CiCLE Classic (March 17)
- Startlist: 8th Women’s CiCLE Classic (March 17)
- Startlist: 40th Jock Wadley Memorial RR
- Riders: Azets Spring Classic (March 24)
- Bike News: DJ Spoony’s Special & unique Ribble Ultra SL R
- GB Team News: Helen Scott now Men’s Sprint Podium Potential Coach
- Startlist: Royal Navy Cup 2024
- News: Halesowen Academy 2024
- Report: Day 3 British Track Championships
- New Women’s Series in the Midlands
- News: RideLondon Classique