You’ll need more than two hands to count the number of British riders turning pro next season.
On the women’s side, there’s Cat Ferguson and Carys Lloyd, who have both joined Movistar, as well as Imogen Wolff, a new recruit for Visma-Lease a Bike. In the men’s ranks, eight young talents have signed their first pro contracts, six of whom with WorldTour teams.
The latest to be announced is Oli Stockwell, 22, who has signed a two-year deal with Bahrain Victorious from 2025. His path to the top level is a well-trodden one for British riders, having spent the last three years overseas, cutting his teeth with a European team.
“I’ve been living in Udine, which is in the Friuli region [of Italy],” Stockwell told Cycling Weekly. “It’s pretty quiet in the team house, but it’s good for riding, and the weather’s nice, so you can’t complain too much, really.”
You'd be forgiven for not having heard Stockwell's name before. Since the start of 2022, he has been part of Cycling Team Friuli (CTF), Bahrain Victorious's development arm, racing mostly in Italy.
During that time, he has been supported by the Rayner Foundation, a charity that helps fund young British riders racing abroad. He’s now one of four fund recipients joining the men’s WorldTour in 2025, alongside Bob Donaldson (Jayco AlUla), Bjoern Koerdt (dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike).
“Rayner have been pretty amazing really, I think for all the guys,” Stockwell said. “The advice they give you, you can’t beat it. Also, the cost side, they give a little bit, which for a lot of guys makes the difference. I know for me, when I first got to CTF, that probably made the difference. It meant that I was able to do it.”
Born in Welwyn Garden City, 20 miles north of London, the Brit’s introduction to cycling came when he noticed riders training at the outdoor asphalt velodrome near his home. He began competing himself when he was 10, taking part in local cyclocross events. “It was the first racing that I did,” he said, and ever since, “I’ve always done road and cross”.
Already in his young career, Stockwell has competed in key calendar events, like the World Championships, the Tour de l'Avenir and the Tour of Britain. His pro step-up was originally scheduled for the start of this season, but at the end of 2022, an innocuous leg break during a training camp put a halt to his plans.
“It was a really small crash, just on the flat, really easy riding, and I broke my femur,” he said. The injury left him sidelined for months, and he didn’t return to racing until August 2023.
“[The team] were really good with me, and we kind of decided that it would be better to step back for a minute, to use a bit more time as an under-23 to develop and recover from the injury, and then step up later, which is now,” he said. “I feel like I’ve learned so much in the last three or four years [in the under-23 ranks].”
As he now heads onto the WorldTour, what sort of riding can we expect from Stockwell? “I’d say I’m a climber, but maybe not an out-and-out climber. I feel like the team really want me to be a climber, but I don’t know if I’m fully a climber,” he said. “I feel like I’m still fairly young, so I still need to find out exactly what my strengths are.”
Stockwell’s plan in his first year is to continue developing. “There’s a lot to learn,” he makes clear. It’s the same attitude, no doubt, as the 10 other Brits who are turning pro, some as young as 18, and all looking forward to long careers in cycling.
“I think it will be a big step, but hopefully I’m ready,” Stockwell said. Now, as he prepares for a team camp next month, his last of the season, the overwhelming feeling is excitement. “I’ve used my under-23 years well, I hope,” he said.
“I’ve been waiting a while, so I think I’m ready. I guess I’ll see.”
The Rayner Foundation will be celebrating its riders' successes this season at a charity dinner in Leeds on 23 November. Tickets are on sale until 9pm this Friday, available to buy through the foundation's website.
