British Womens Team Cup
About Us
The British Womens Team Cup (previously known as the Womens Team Series until it was renamed in 2020) is a series of races run throughout the calendar year. Each team may enter 6 riders in an event with the first 4 rider’s finishing positions scoring points that count towards the team’s placing in the overall series. The riders still score their normal BC points individually but registering their team enables their performance to be included in their team scores for the overall series to win the prestigious Team Cup.
Also each race organiser sets aside prize money for the first second and third placed teams for each race which is presented at the end of the season. Plus, depending on how many teams register each year, there is also prize money for at least top 3 placed teams in the overall series.
History
"Women's racing reached an all time low in 1999 when the BCF decided to handicap the Bruton Series, an action that saw a general decline in the number of riders, followed by a decline in the number of races (3 Bruton Series events scheduled for 2000); indeed in August 2000 the general feeling was that the Bruton Series should be allowed to 'die'.
Following a meeting with the BCF in Leicester in 1999, Jenny Gretton and I met in the car park and spoke about the poor state of women's racing; and after about 30 minutes an outline of the Women's Team Race Series was formed.
This discussion was followed in the weeks afterwards, by Jenny and I by thrashing out a few rules, contacting potential organisers and the first ever Women's Team Race Series was held on 30 April 2000 in Bedford - there were 2 other races in the Series that year with the much missed Maurice Broadbent organising in Bangor and David Gretton in Nottingham.
From those small beginnings arose the Team Series that we know today, a Series that has seen more women racing than ever before in this country, a Series that is 'owned' by the riders themselves who, each year, have a say in the way the Team Series is run.
The Women's Team Race Series continues to evolve and will in following years; it was the right format at the right time but the ethos behind the Team Series remains - to allow women to race in a welcoming atmosphere, to develop their skills and fitness in a team environment.
From it’s inception when the first race had 36 riders entered to the full fields we see today, a lot has been achieved over the last 20 years and I look forward to the continuing development of women's racing although there is still much to do. Some cycling magazines still see women's racing as a minority and rarely worthy of report, there are not enough women officials on Division Committees and only this year have the BCF acknowledged that women should receive points on the same basis as the men – these are the goals to be worked on in the coming years."
Jon Miles
Hall of Fame
Famous riders that have taken part over the years
Team Luciano-Kuota
Winners of the Womens Team Series for 5 years from 2003 to 2007; Jeanette Caldicott, Diane Moss, Helen Gutteridge, Heather Summers, Melissa Mather, June Storey, Carrie Bedingfield and Hannah Bussey
Previous Winners
2000
Western Division
2001
Cottingham Coureurs
2002
Surrey League
2003
Team Luciano-Kuota
2004
Team Luciano-Kuota
2005
Team Luciano-Kuota
2006
Team Luciano-Kuota
2007
Team Luciano-Kuota
2008
Surrey League
2009
Mischief.com
2010
Motorpoint Marshals Pasta
2011
Motorpoint Marshals Pasta
2012
Scot Contessa Epic
2013
Abergavenny R.C.
2014
Epic Cycles-Scott
2015
Army Cycle Race Team
2016
Les Filles Racing Team
2017
Cycle Team OnForm
2018
Brother UK Fusion RT
2019
Cycle Team OnForm
2020
Not Held due to COVID
2021
Pro-Noctis - Redchilli Bikes - Heidi Kjeldsen