Cyclist
Lifeplus-Wahoo women’s team to fold at the end of 2024
British Continental team Lifeplus-Wahoo – the longest running UCI women’s squad in Britain – will fold at the end of the season, citing an inability to sell naming rights.
In a statement, team managers Bob and Tom Varney said, ‘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 ProTeam licence application. A second division in women’s cycling, the ProTour, is being introduced from next year, with minimum salaries a requirement.
‘Our aim has always been to progress to ProTeam level and ultimately become a WorldTour 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.’
Lifeplus-Wahoo was founded in 2015 and has been a home for riders such as Joss Lowden, who set the women’s Hour record in September 2021, and has helped many riders to the WorldTour including Ella Wyllie to Jayco-AlUla in 2024.
The team have faced sponsor issues in the past, previously turning to crowdfunding before the 2019 season after a title sponsor pulled out. A sponsor also backed out just prior to the 2023 season, leaving a budget shortage of around €400,000, meaning riders were told to look for other deals. Holistic wellness brand Lifeplus then joined as lead co-sponsor for 2023 and 2024.
Recently, the squad experienced a theft of all 14 Ribble Endurance SLR bikes from their mechanic’s van after Stage 1 of the Tour of Britain Women. Other teams came to their aid with spare bikes for Stage 2 before replacements could be sent by Ribble.
This now leaves only five British UCI Continental women’s teams: Alba Development Road Team; DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK; Dolticini-O’Shea; Hess Cycling Team; and Pro-Noctis-200° Coffee-Hargreaves Contracting.
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