Fensham Howes – MAS Design confirms 2025 roster 🇬🇧
The UK junior team that developed some of the best British talents returns with six riders
Hi Subscribers,
Today was a bit of a slow day. I think that all that shuffling around at Rouleur Live finally caught up with me but I didn’t want to go a day without a story, and for the first time in a few weeks, there’s some positive news coming out of the UK with Fensham Howes – MAS Design returning for 2025 with a six-rider roster.
If you don’t know, the team is run by Giles Pidcock and is responsible for developing some of the best young British male talents in the last few years. Sam Watson (Ineos Grenadiers), Bob Donaldson, (Jayco AlUla), Max Poole (dsm), and Fin Pickering (Bahrain Victorious) are among those who have come through the Fensham system.
This is just a short story, and it’s based on a press release that Giles sent out this morning, hence it’s free for all readers.
Tomorrow we’ll be back with a couple of exclusives.
Have a great day/evening, and thanks always for your continued support.
Dan ❤️
Fensham Howes – MAS Design has announced its roster for 2025 with six riders confirmed for next season. The British team was founded in 2019 and has forged a reputation for finding and developing young talent through regular racing stints in Europe.
The team for next year includes three riders from this year’s roster, Luca Bednarek, Max Hinds, and Harrison Dainty. The new signings are Henry Hobbs and Seth Jackson from Willebrord Wil Vooruit Juniors, and Leon Atkins from the 258 Protégé system that has managed several young stars, including Cat Ferguson, Josh Tarling, and Lorenzo Finn.
Read more: Discovering diamonds in the rough with Fensham Howes
The team’s first race in 2025 will be the U19 Kuurne Brussels Kuurne Classic in Belgium. This year’s biggest star on the team, Sebastian Grindley, has already signed with Lidl-Trek Future Racing.
“We’re really happy to have brought this group of young riders together. We now have a national champion, a world champion and between them a team that can be making the racing wherever they go. We are looking forward to going wheel to wheel with the world tour development teams, their money and their expertise. We’ll be bringing talent, great bikes, determination and a sense of adventure,” said team boss Giles Pidcock.
The influence that Pidcock’s team has on the UK scene cannot be downplayed, and with the recent demise of Trinity Racing due to a lack of sponsorship funds, Fensham Howes – MAS Design has become one of the last few pathways for British riders to gain experience in mainland Europe and pick up traction with Under 23 and WorldTour teams.
The team is run entirely by volunteers and parents willing to chip in and help with the day-to-day elements of running the squad.
I actually spoke to a parent of one of the riders who has come through the team a few days ago and they told me that the WorldTour athletes who have developed in the system still keep in contact with Giles Pidcock and that he’s one of the first people they text after they finish a WorldTour race.
I just thought that was a lovely anecdote, and that it showed the relevance and imprint that junior teams can have on these young riders.
We’ll be interviewing all of next year’s roster as part of our Next Rider Up series.
I’m Daniel Benson and I’m the former Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews, GCN, and VeloNews. I’ve recently set up a Substack with the aim of delivering you regular news, interviews, rider transfers and race analysis. To subscribe to my Substack please drop your email in the box below, and to find out more about what I’m doing please click here.