A change of direction for Matrix Pro Cycling women's team in 2017

Martix Pro Cycling is looking to head in a different direction in 2017, as the team assesses its approach to training and the development of riders.

The British women's team run by Stefan Wyman, husband of champion cyclocross rider Helen, will base riders in either Belgium or the south of France. Their location will be decided by their goals for this season and the longer term.

Wyman says the team's biggest achievement to date was the transfer of Molly Weaver to Liv-Plantur during the 2015 season, putting the young British rider into the Women's WorldTour.

"The 2015 graduation of Molly Weaver to the upper echelons of women’s professional cycling [was] the previous year’s biggest success despite holding jerseys in major races and winning prestigious events," Wyman said of Weaver's progression.

"That leg-up for Molly shone brightly above the other achievements and since 2012 there has been a steady stream of riders that have taken a step, via our team, to a UCI team that matched their ambitions," he added.

It's from this that the team's new focus and direction stem. The outfit will now aim to forge development pathways with two key approaches.

Firstly, it's the aim of Matrix Pro Cycling to create sustainable links with professional teams that allow their development riders to slot into a WorldTour team in a way that suits both rider and squad.

Secondly, Matrix is aiming to continue bringing in the best riders it can, supplying them with the best support possible before helping them make the move up to a higher level team.

"These two clear branches of our operation mean that going forward we will be moving away from the traditional racing team format, and creating a 'performance centre' environment," Wyman said of the team's direction for the coming season.

"We [will] focus on fewer riders, with each rider having a far greater input from us into a fully customised programme," he added.

The team will go into its eighth season with Matrix Fitness as the lead sponsor, but the team management are searching for a co-title sponsor over the winter before racing starts again in the spring.