News: Brother UK-Tifosi

Brother UK will extend its support for the Brother UK-Tifosi p/b OnForm squad into a second season next year, as the dominant team in British women’s cycling considers UCI classification.

News: Brother UK-Tifosi

Brother UK will extend its support for the Brother UK-Tifosi p/b OnForm squad into a second season next year, as the dominant team in British women’s cycling considers UCI classification.

The elite women’s squad, home to the prodigiously talented Anna Henderson, 20, has enjoyed a superb debut campaign, winning some of the most prestigious races on the HSBC National Road Series calendar, and sealing overall victory in The Tour Series team classification. At the weekend, Henderson won the British U23 road and time-trial titles.

Managing Director Phil Jones MBE said that the success enjoyed by Brother UK-Tifosi p/b OnForm was only part of the reason that Brother UK had decided to sponsor the team again in 2020, citing its values, spirit and supportive culture.

“I’m delighted to announce that Brother UK will extend its support for the Brother UK-Tifosi p/b OnForm elite women’s team into a second consecutive season in 2020. Riders like newly-crowned British U23 road and time-trial champion Anna Henderson and double Lincoln Grand Prix winner Rebecca Durrell have carried the Brother UK logo onto the podium numerous times this year,” he said.

“Success is only part of their story, however. The spirit in which the team conducts the business of racing, the ego-less environment in which its riders perform, and the willingness of every team member to give everything for each other echoes the values that exist inside Brother UK. Further, their desire to explore classification that could place them in world-class events like The OVO Energy Women’s Tour speaks volumes for the team’s ambitions, and its desire to become an important stepping stone for some of the country’s most gifted elite female riders.”

Brother UK-Tifosi p/b OnForm was formed in the closed season of 2018. In April, the squad made a victorious debut in the opening round of the HSBC National Road Series, courtesy of the hugely gifted Henderson. Durrell added a second consecutive victory at the Lincoln GP to the team’s win tally a month later. Despite intense competition from Team Breeze, they recorded back-to-back triumphs in the closing rounds of The Tour Series to seal overall victory in the team competition.

Team manager Simon Howes said the team would explore UCI classification for 2020, in a bid to secure entry to the most prestigious races in women’s professional cycling, notably The OVO Energy Women’s Tour. One of only two British events on the elite UCI Women’s World Tour calendar, the six-stage race has gone from strength-to-strength, and this year’s sixth edition drew hundreds of thousands of spectators to the roadside in June.

“Brother UK’s continued support is hugely important to the team,” said team manager Simon Howes. “Phil’s decision to commit at this early stage to an extended partnership gives the team stability and predictability. Changes to UCI regulation of the women’s sport means that classifications are still being refined, but with Brother UK’s support, we can now pursue a status that would make us candidates for a place next year in The OVO Energy Women’s Tour.”