Handsling-Alba
Handsling-Alba, winning in May
Handsling-Alba are having an amazing spring with two major victories and a podium in the month of May. The victories came from Kate Richardson, who took the overall in the the Tour de Feminin, a stage-race in the Czech Republic. Meanwhile Lauren Dickson won the Lincoln Grand Prix and came second at the Pointe Du Raz Ladies Classic.
Handsling-Alba are a Scottish based, UCI Continental Women’s team. Their prime objective is one of providing support, guidance and mentoring to help team’s riders achieve their potential. The team had an incredibly successful 2024, winning British Cycling’s national road and circuit series. With that success the team have taken on new riders and sponsors allowing them to tackle an expanded Continental race calendar. May has seen the first of what will hopefully be many more victories.
Pointe Du Raz Ladies Classic
First indications of May’s successes was the Pointe du Raz Ladies Classic. This takes place on a course around Plouhinec, in Brittany. The course is a tough, undulating one taking in many of region’s coastal roads and features ten gravel sectors. Lauren got into a break on the final finishing circuit, which would have to be raced six times. She attacked the break on a slight rise on the penultimate lap, holding off the four other escapees until the final two kilometres. At that point Spain’s Paula Blasi of UAE Team ADQ got across and passed Dickson. It was then touch and go as to whether Lauren would bring her back, in the end the gap was only seven seconds; a sign of what was to come?
We spoke to Lauren after her ride, here’s what she had to say about the race.
Coming into the race after a block of 1.1 races did you feel you could do something?
I was hopeful that I would get a breakthrough performance soon, as I’d had good legs at the Elsy Jacobs – a 1.1 race in Luxembourg – but maybe not ridden as efficiently as I should have done.
My coaches and I had been working really hard since winter, and we’ve seen some big improvements both technically and physically, so I was hopeful I could get some good results on the continent. Watching Mouscron back after the race and seeing Kate [Richardson] at the front also gave me a lot of confidence.
The course looked to be an interesting one with gravel and presumably wind off the sea, did you feel it suited you?
I hadn’t ever really ridden on gravel before, so I wasn’t too sure how I’d do. That said, I love attritional racing and the 140km course looked set to be very challenging, so I was really excited for it.
With the gravel sectors did you make any changes to your bike set-up?
Yes. With the gravel sectors being quite gnarly at some parts we lowered our tyre pressure down to around 50 PSI to maximise our grip on the sectors. We also used Vittoria NXT tyres as they’re more puncture resistant.
The TV didn’t show how you got into the break, could you tell us how it happened?
Coming onto the finishing circuit, where we had six laps, I knew that attacks would start coming as the bunch was reduced but not fully splintered. FDJ-Suez were very active and it was clear the elastic would snap on an attempted break soon. I made sure I was well positioned and alert to counterattacks; it didn’t take long before one stuck. We rode clear with five riders after a handful of attempts.
Did the break work well?
Initially yes, the girls were very strong and everyone was pulling through hard. We had 50 km remaining so we needed to collaborate to build the gap up to a safe margin. After a couple of laps and with a gap of 75 seconds, one of the riders stopped pulling through, which wasn’t ideal. The cohesion went for a few kilometres, but after some attacks from the rest of us she started working again.
The TV missed the moment you attacked the break, presumably on that sharp rise by the coast? What made you feel it was the right time to attack?
I attacked coming off the gravel sector and I knew I had to seize the opportunity of having opened up a gap that nobody wanted to chase. My legs felt good so I was willing to try and go long. I wasn’t sure how the others wanted to play the final laps, so I chose to play my cards early.
Were you hoping for some help?
Not really, I was quite happy to try and see how I could do solo. I think if somebody else had followed then the rest of the break would have also been chasing hard from the get-go.
You held off the rest of the break, were you getting any info as to what was happening behind you?
In UCI 1.1s we’re allowed race radios and our DS, Bob Lyons, was giving me updates as to the situation behind. It’s good to know when they’re chasing or attacking amongst themselves. I also got time-gaps from the commissaire, although they can change quickly so you can’t rely 100% on them. Once I had the solo break, it was full commitment to the line really.
Looking at Procycling stats, you seem to have been racing in Europe since the East Cleveland Classic, was this a solid block away from home? If so, how are you finding life on the road?
I love it. Being around others is great fun, we all get along very well, and I learn lots from them. Everything is well organised in advance by the team, so the travel isn’t stressful. Sometimes it’s hard to get the best recovery and nutrition on the road, but planning ahead and making the most of what’s on offer helps. I miss my partner when I’m away, but this is my dream and these opportunities aren’t something that comes around every day!
Lincoln Grand Prix
After coming so close in the Point Du Raz, Lauren knew she had the form going in to the Lincoln Grand Prix. This is what many consider to be the UK’s cycling ‘monument’. While it’s ‘only’ 12.9 kilometres, the circuit is tough. There are sections that threaten crosswinds and climbs that sap the legs when ridden eight times. However, it’s the notorious climb of Michaelgate that truly shapes the race. Just 200 metres long, it’s cobbled, claustrophobic and savage. The slopes average 12.9%, but tops out at a knee-popping 27.6%!
Handsling-Alba were on the attack from the start with Marie Porton getting into the early break. She worked well with her four fellow escapees, before they were caught by a diminished bunch midway through the race. As the race continued riders continued to be dropped as the pressure was kept on each passage of the Michaelgate. Lauren Dickson and Kate Richardson of Handsling-Alba were noticeable on the front applying the pressure.
On the final ascent of Michaelgate six riders went clear, with Dickson and Richardson flying the Handsling-Alba flag. As the riders made the final ascent it was Dickson who soared clear of the the others, to take the win on a brutal course. What makes her win even more impressive, is that she rode her first road race in April 2024! Previous to that she had been a triathlete, until friends saw her Strava files and said she should give road racing a go. After receiving a Breakthrough Rider of the Year Award, she joined Handsling-Alba, where she has benefited from the team’s development ethos.
Tour De Feminin
The Tour De Feminin is a UCI 2.2 women’s stage race which takes place in the Czech Republic. The race was first held in 1988, and is held over four days in and around the town of Krásná Lípa. However, this year’s edition almost didn’t happen, with the organisers making a last minute appeal for help with funding. Fortunately the cycling community weighed in and the funds were raised allowing to race to continue for another year.
Stage one TTT
This year’s race started with a TTT, which teams would tackle on road bikes. This was to ensure technical parity between teams, which at Continental level can vary a lot. Handsling-Alba sent a six rider squad and they finished 7th overall at 43 seconds behind the leaders. The team said that the course had “some punchy climbs and steep descents” and that it would be “key to deciding GC standings for the following days.“
Stage two, Krásná Lípa-Krásná Lípa 121Km
Stage two was affected by ‘unpredictable weather’. Sunshine alternated with overcast skies, strong winds, and frequent downpours. Out of 162 riders who started the race, 40 did not finish due to the tough conditions. However Handsling-Alba riders Kate Richardson and Lauren Dickson weren’t amongst them. They had managed to get into a twenty rider break that finished in a sprint. That moved Kate and Lauren up to 10th and 11th on GC at 45 seconds back. Lauren also moved to 4th in the polka dot jersey competition.
Interesting side note; the stage was won by Canadian Anabelle Thomas. If that name is familiar, you may have seen her coming second in the Zwift Academy Experience.
Stage three, Rumburk-Rumburk 110Km
Stage three was to prove to be a decisive one for Handsling-Alba with Kate Richardson escaping with twenty kilometres to the finish. Before that the riders had to deal with another tough route whilst being battered by strong winds and rain.
The first half of the race saw multiple small moves attempting to escape the clutches of the bunch. However the course and the conditions, plus a watchful bunch saw them all pulled back. It wasn’t until the final twenty kilometres when Robyn Clay, Emilie Fortin, Kate Richardson, Tamsin Miller and Esther Wong escaped the bunch.
With eleven kilometres to go Clay attacked on a descent and opened a gap. Only Fortin and Richardson were able to chase, catching Clay just before the line setting up a sprint finale. Coming into the final Clay had the best kick with Richardson second. While she may not have won the stage the Handsling-Alba rider was now in yellow, with only one more stage to go.
Stage four, Varnsdorf-Krásná Lípa 105Km
Stage four was described as a “demanding stage with six mountain primes and many other climbs in the Lusatian Mountains.” This would mean the Handsling-Alba team would have their work cut out to keep Kate Richardson in the leader’s yellow jersey. Early moves on the climbs saw GC contenders attempting to get away from Handsling-Alba, but the team and bunch worked to cancel them.
As the race approached the final climb, the peloton began to fragment under pressure from the Austrian national team. They moved to the front with twenty kilometres to go, the pace stretching the bunch out on the climb. With ten kilometres to go Malwina Mul – second in the GC – attacked, trying to wrest the jersey away from Richardson. The Handsling-Alba rider remained calm however and was present in the lead group of sixteen riders that flew downhill to the finish.
In the sprint finish, Lente Boskamp beat Malwina Mul and second-stage winner Anabelle Thomas. Richardson finished 14th on the stage with team-mate Lauren Dickson accompanying her in 15th. That gave her the overall by 12 seconds from Mul.
Handsling-Alba, Kate Richardson on the Tour de Feminin:
If you had told me back in January that I’d be back at the front of a bike race of any kind again, I would have struggled to believe you. So to pull off the best result of my career so far four months later feels pretty surreal. To say the last year has been difficult would be a massive understatement.
Through times of huge uncertainty Handsling-Alba welcomed me back into the team with open arms and have gone above and beyond to get me back onto a start line feeling like myself again.
The way these girls sacrificed their own personal goals and destroyed themselves all week for me was truly inspiring and really got me through any tough moments on the road. This win is very much ours.
Home is where the heart is, and my heart is certainly full on this team.
What’s next for Handsling-Alba?
Next up is the 2.1 Tour of Norway. The team are sending six riders to this two day stage race, where they will compete against UCI World, Pro, Continental and National teams. The competition will be fierce, but Handsling-Alba have shown they’re up for the challenge. We’ll keep you up to date on how they fare over the coming season.
Handsling-Alba are sponsored by Handsling Bikes and are riding their A1R0evo aero road frame, that we reviewed previously.
