Sharon Laws and Hannah Barnes join UnitedHealthcare for 2014

Former British road race champion Sharon Laws and criterium specialist Hannah Barnes will ride for the new UnitedHealthcare women's team in 2014, it was announced today.

Laws, 39, joins from Lotto-Belisol after a season affected by a horrendous crash during the Cape Argus Cycle Tour in March, while 20-year-old Barnes makes the switch from the MG-Maxifuel team after enjoying the best season of her career.

She won the Johnson Health Tech GP Series overall, as well as taking three of the five round victories, and kept her 100 per cent record at the IG London Nocturne in June by defeating double Olympic champion Laura Trott.

The team will be managed by Briton Rachel Heal, silver medallist in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

Seven riders were previously unveiled by the team, including 2013 Giro winner Mara Abbott and Lauren Tamayo, who took silver in the team pursuit for USA at London 2012.

"We are pleased to have these five outstanding professionals join our team," said General Manager and Team Director, Mike Tamayo. "These additional five women complete a great line-up that we expect to be a force in the sport.

"When hiring this year's team, I wanted more speed and more climbing strength. Bringing Sharon on gives Mara a lieutenant in the mountains, while Hannah gives us a 1-2 punch in the sprints with Coryn Rivera. And you can never have enough depth, and Cari, Katie and Jackie just bolster that for us."

UnitedHealthcare 2014 roster

Mara Abbott (USA)

Hannah Barnes (GBr)

Rushlee Buchanan (NZl)

Jacquelyn Crowell (USA)

Katie Hall (USA)

Cari Higgins (USA)

Sharon Laws (GBr)

Alison Powers (USA)

Coryn Rivera (USA)

Alexis Ryan (USA)

Lauren Tamayo (USA)

Ruth Winder (USA)