Laura Trott to join Matrix Fitness-Vulpine for 2015

Laura Trott, British road champion and winner of two Olympic gold medals and multiple world titles on the track, is switching road teams from Wiggle-Honda to Matrix Fitness-Vulpine for 2015 as she starts her build-up to the Rio Olympics the following year.

Signing the 22-year-old is a coup for Matrix Fitness-Vulpine, which recently revealed that it plans to register as a UCI professional team for next season, giving it access to the world’s top races. It says that Trott will target key races on the road with her programme designed to dovetail with her commitments on the track.

Team manager Stefan Wyman said: “We’re very proud that Laura has chosen our team to further her cycling career. Her achievements in the sport are so huge they speak for themselves, but I’m personally really excited about the positive effect Laura will have on the development of our younger riders in the squad.

“Whatever race Laura’s in, whether its track, road or criterium, she’s a major contender for a podium place. That’s exactly what we need and want on the team as we look to make our mark in professional racing in 2015. I know the impact a rider like Laura can have on the squad as a whole, and that will help us transition from domestic to international professional racing.”

Wyman said that Trott’s programme next season was likely to include a mixture of domestic and international races. Since joining Wiggle-Honda at the team’s launch in 2013, the Hertfordshire rider has won the inaugural Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix in August of that year, plus the road race at the national championships in Abergavenny this June.

On the track, the Herfordshire rider secured her fourth consecutive rainbow jersey in the  team pursuit at the world championships in Cali, and in 2012 secured Olympic gold in that event in London, where she also took an individual gold in the omnium. In Glasgow this summer, she won Commonwealth Gold in the points race.

“There are so many standout events in the UK now that we want to ensure we still participate in,” Wyman continued. “It’s also safe to say we will be looking to return to the Friends Life Women’s Tour, which was the race that encouraged us to push forward with professional registration.

“It was an incredibly well-run event, and with other races around the world offering a similar return for sponsors, such as La Course by the Tour de France, we know the sport can start to move forward very quickly.”

He added: “In the coming days we will announce further signings to the team, along with details of the initial team sponsors.

“We are committed to a largely British team, and hope that in the coming years we can help provide a stable road-focused structure for up-and-coming British riders. However, in 2015 we will certainly have a few overseas riders too, who will bring us experience and help us balance the team in terms of skills needed in the world’s biggest races.

“The team base will be in Belgium to provide an easy logistical base to European races, while keeping us only a short journey from the UK.”