The Ceratizit Pro Cycling Women's WorldTour team is to close at the end of the year, it announced on Tuesday.

The German-registered outfit, which has existed for 11 seasons, features riders including Sandra Alonso, Kristýna Burlová and Sarah Van Dam on its roster.

In a message on its website its manager Claude Sun said that a challenging economic climate had made it impossible to go on.

It revealed in May that engineering company Ceratizit would no longer sponsor the team beyond this season, but at that point the team had hoped to secure a new title sponsor to keep it moving forward. That, it seems, has not been possible and it will now close.

It means a Women's WorldTour slot will now be automatically available for next season.

Team boss Sun said in a statement: “The current economic climate has significantly impacted the ability to maintain a WorldTour team. Despite our best efforts to secure new sponsorship, escalating costs and current conditions have made it impossible to continue.

"It is with deep regret that we confirm the end of Ceratizit Pro Cycling after this season.

"Our heartfelt thanks go to the Ceratizit Group, Orbea and all of our sponsors for a decade of unwavering support, and to all of our riders, staff, and fans for their dedication and passion over the years.”

Among the victories its riders have netted over the years include a Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift stage last year thanks to Cédrine Kerbaol, 16 track world titles and four Olympic medals.

Kerbaol, one of the team's most successful riders, has since left. She moved to EF Education-Oatly for 2025 and this summer won the French national championship as well as placing eighth on GC in the Tour de France Femmes.

The team was originally established back in 2016 and based in the UK, with WNT and then WNT-Rotor Cycling as title sponsors. The team became Ceratizit-WNT in 2020 and was a ProContinental-level team until last season, when it became a Women's WorldTour outfit.

Over the years, the team has been the home for Lisa Brennauer, Lizzy Banks, Katie Archibald and Marta Lach among other famous names.

The team will "cease operations at the end of the current season", it said on its website, with its final race, the Maryland Cycling Classic in Baltimore, USA, set to take place on September 6.

Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) held on win the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift  in an instant classic battle with Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) on Alpe d'Huez, claiming the final yellow jersey by just four seconds.

Vollering won the stage, but didn't close enough time on Niewiadoma to win overall. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) was second on the day and finished third overall.

Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) had already done enough in the previous stage to take home the green points jersey.

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) was second overall coming into the final stage, but faded out of the top-ten. She still did enough to hang on to the youth classifiaction ahead of Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek).

Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) scored more points on the final day to take home the polka dot jersey for best climber, twelve points ahead of Vollering.

Lidl-Trek won the team classification ahead of FDJ-Suez and Movistar.

Tour de France Femmes 2024 stage eight: Le Grand-Bornard to Alpe d'Huez

1. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime in 4:34:14
2. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +4s
3. Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ, +1:01
4. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM, same time
5. Gaia Realini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +1:31
6. Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT, +3:15
7. Valentina Cavallar (Austria) Arkéa-B&B Hotels, +3:34
8. Sarah Gigante (Aus) AG Insurance - Soudal, +5:10
9. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) SD Worx-Protime, +5:14
10. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Lidl-Trek, +7:06

Tour de France Femmes 2024 general classification after stage eight

1. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM in 24:36:07
2. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +4s
3. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +10s
4. Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ, _1:21
5. Gaia Realini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +2:19
6. Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT, +2:51
7. Sarah Gigante (Aus) AG Insurance - Soudal, +7:09
8. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Lidl-Trek, +8:06
9. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich-PostNL, +8:07
10. Thalita de Jong (Ned) Lotto Dstny Ladies, +8:12

Tour de France Femmes 2024 points classification after stage eight

1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, 170pts
2. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, 110pts
3. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM, 86pts
4. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, 85pts
5. Blanka Vas (Hun) SD Worx-Protime, 65pts

Tour de France Femmes 2024 mountains classification after stage eight

1. Justine Ghekiere (Bel) AG Insurance-Soudal, 46pts
2. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, 34pts
3. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, 25pts
4. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM, 25pts
5. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, 23pts

Tour de France Femmes 2024 youth classification after stage eight

1. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, in 24:44:35
3. Shirin van Anroij (Ned) Lidl-Trek, +1:07
3. Marion Bunel (Fra) St Michel-Mavic-Auber93, +4:12
4. Neve Bradbury (Aus) Canyon-SRAM, +23:05
5. Maeva Squiban (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels, +38:52

Tour de France Femmes 2024 teams classification after stage eight

1. Lidl-Trek, in 74:07:21
2. FDJ-Suez, +11:52
3. Movistar, +35:09

Two-time Olympic champion Katie Archibald will miss next week’s European Track Championships, the Great Britain Cycling Team (GBCT) has revealed. 

Archibald holds the record for the most European titles, having earned her 18th, 19th and 20th in 2022, but will not be part of the GBCT squad in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands on 10 January. 

A press contact from British Cycling told Cycling Weekly that the 29-year-old’s focus in the first half of this year will be on the UCI Nations Cup events. 

There will be three Nations Cup rounds before the Olympics this August, each worth more qualifying points than the European Championships. 

Speaking to the media at the UCI Track Champions League last year, Archibald said “the big one” will be the Nations Cup round in Adelaide, Australia, scheduled for 2-4 February. She is then expected to compete at the round in Milton, Canada in April. 

Currently, Archibald is on a road training camp with her trade team Ceratizit-WNT. 

Besides the Scot's absence, GBCT will take a full strength women’s endurance squad to the European Championships. 

Team pursuit world champions Josie Knight, Anna Morris, Meg Barker and Elinor Barker will all travel to Apeldoorn, alongside Madison world champion Neah Evans, Sophie Lewis and Jess Roberts. 

The men’s endurance squad will also be charged with firepower, with Ineos Grenadiers rider Ethan Hayter returning to the boards for the first time since 2022. He will be joined by fellow former team pursuit world champions Dan Bigham, Ollie Wood and Ethan Vernon as the quartet look to gain qualifying points for the Olympics, following a disastrous crash at the 2023 World Championships. 

Women’s sprint world champion Emma Finucane will lead the sprint squad’s hopes, along with Olympic silver medallist Jack Carlin. 

In a press release, head coach Jon Norfolk said: “The track squad enters 2024 with strong momentum from the previous season which saw nine world and 12 European medals won, and I’m excited to see what a good block of winter training produces out in Apeldoorn."

Norfolk added: “There is real strength and depth in our current track squad, and the European championships will provide good competition experience as well as an opportunity for riders to showcase their abilities as we head towards Olympic selection.” 

The European Championships will be held from 10-14 January at the Omnisport velodrome in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. 

The 23-rider GBCT squad is listed below. 

Women’s endurance 

Meg Barker 
Elinor Barker  
Neah Evans 
Josie Knight 
Sophie Lewis 
Anna Morris 
Jess Roberts 

Men’s endurance

Dan Bigham 
Ethan Hayter 
Will Perrett 
Mark Stewart 
Charlie Tanfield 
Will Tidball 
Ollie Wood 
Ethan Vernon 

Women’s sprint 

Sophie Capewell 
Emma Finucane 
Katy Marchant 
Lowri Thomas 

Men’s sprint

Jack Carlin  
Ali Fielding 
Joe Truman 
Hamish Turnbull