Fiona Mangan has already ridden for Irish club Greenmount Cycling Academy and for three UCI Continental teams and now the double national champion is set to step up to UCI ProTeam level next year.
And she will be joined by one of the other revelations of Irish cycling in recent years, Megan Armitage, who competed as an EF-Oatly-Cannondale rider this year.
Limerick woman, Mangan, claimed the road race and TT titles at the National Road Championships on home roads during the summer. She is now assured a full season of pro racing in Europe in 2025, having already ridden very strongly for US team Cynisca Cycling over the last 18 months.
Mangan has signed for French team Winspace Orange Seal, which competed as a UCI Continental team this year. But the squad had been working towards ProTeam status - between Continental and World Tour - and has now been granted that ranking by the UCI.
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Armitage's team was also a Continental squad this year but will also step up to ProTeam level for 2025 after it's upgrade was also approved by the UCI.
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The move, which was anticipated but had not been confirmed before now, will ensure the two Irish riders' teams get first option on higher level races compared to rival outfits competing at Continental level.
In October, when the UCI released the list of 2025 ProTeam squads, Winspace was not included, even though it was working towards being upgraded for some time. However, the team said at the time its omission from the list was not a major concern.
"Our team is currently in the final stages of administrative processing with the UCI for ProTeam status," it confirmed at the time. "While we’re not on the initial published list, we are already in active communication with the UCI to ensure all formalities are completed.
"We remain fully on track and confident that this minor delay will be resolved in the coming days. Our focus and commitment to the upcoming season remain stronger than ever, and we look forward to making exciting announcements soon."
That confidence its upgrade would soon come to pass has now proven well founded as it has been announced by the UCI as a ProTeam for next year, alongside EF-Oatly-Cannondale, Cofidis, St Michel - Preference Home-Auber93, Arkéa-B&B Hotels, Volkerwessels and Laboral Kutax.
