Every fall, it can be disorienting to see new kits, new teams, and riders wearing the "wrong" jersey in the cyclocross races. For 2024/25, one of the new teams you'll see for the first time is Ridley Racing. Ridley has been a popular bike sponsor of other teams in pro cyclocross for some time, notably for Pauwels Sauzen–Bingoal, which presumably will continue in 2024/25, but now they lend their name as the title sponsor for the new team Ridley Racing.
Let's take a look at the initial Ridley Racing roster, the other secondary sponsors of RIdley Racing, and the 'cross bikes they'll be racing on in 2024/25.
Which riders are on the new Ridley Racing team?
The initial Ridley Racing roster:
- Joris Nieuwenhuis
Current Dutch national champion moves on from Baloise Trek, he's coming off 2nd at Worlds and is the star of this team for sure - Felipe Orts
Fan favorite Orts has worked his way up and often finishes in the top 10 in World Cups -
Daan Soete
Belgian Daan Soete rounds out the Ridley Racing men's team, having moved over from the Group Hens–Maes Containers squad
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Lore Sas
Sas is the lone woman, and only 18 as of this writing, but has already competed in some classified crosses at the Elite level, so shows a lot of promise for the future
Ridley Racing kits
Ridley Racing has shown a concept jersey on social media, with a predominantly white jersey that fades to green at the waist. We'll see if that's the final artwork when the season starts.
Ridley Racing sponsors
In addition to Ridley bikes, based on the concept jersey the new team will be riding Vittoria tires, Shimano components, and has Toyota as a sponsor as well.
How about the Ridley Racing bikes?
With the increasing popularity of gravel racing, bikes from many brands are doing double duty. The popular Specialized Crux, for example, used to be a dedicated cyclocross race bike, now it's marketed primarily as a gravel bike - although sponsored riders still use the Crux for 'cross.
Ridley, in contrast, has continued to focus on making 100%-pure cyclocross race machines, which I like. The team will presumably use the flagship X-Night SL Disc, which features a sleek, integrated cockpit with hidden cables, disc brakes, and carbon construction. Unless something changes, likely the same bike Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal has been riding, with different livery.
Where to watch Ridley Racing
The Euro pro season kicks off October 12 with the Exact Cross in Beringen. Start lists haven't been published yet, but keep an eye out to see when Ridley Racing makes their first appearances.
Oddly, the Ridley Racing team seems so new, they don't have social media setup yet! Until then, keep an eye on the pages of the individual athletes for updates.