The Ribble Outliers - Ribble’s Gravel Racing Team

The Spirit of Gravel. The Pursuit of Adventure. The Ribble Outliers.
Meet The Ribble Outliers - a gravel racing team that isn’t just about podiums or polished perfection; it’s about pushing limits, embracing chaos and proving what’s possible on two wheels.

Our team of six riders will take on some of the toughest gravel races on the planet, putting a brand-new gravel platform set to launch in the summer of 2025 through its paces. This bike is built to handle whatever the trail throws at it, and The Ribble Outliers are here to prove it.
RECENT NEWS
As 2025 winds down, it’s safe to say the Outliers made one hell of a debut on the gravel scene. From March through to October, the team were flat-out, finishing the year in Limburg at the Gravel World Championships. Now they’re grabbing a well-earned breather.

A short breather, mind you. The bikes are already coming back out. Cold-weather endurance miles, a bit of off-season cyclocross, and the first steps toward a 2026 season that’s going to hit quicker than any of us expect.

Thanks to everyone who followed the team, turned up at races, sent messages or shouted from the tape. The riders genuinely felt the support. A huge nod as well to the mechanics who kept the wheels turning and the parents who pitched in throughout the year.

2026 is shaping up to be big. The team are setting their sights higher again, so keep an eye on this page for race updates, stories from the road, and everything the Outliers have planned. Until then, here’s a look back at what they achieved in 2025.

European Championships – Avezzano

Silver – Sophie Wright

UCI Gravel Races

Gold – Summit Suisse – Sophie Wright

Gold – Graean Gravel – Jenson Young

Silver – Singen, Germany – Sophie Wright

Bronze – The Gralloch – Sophie Wright

Gravel Earth Series

Gold – Megre Gravel – Sophie Wright

Gold – Gravel Weekend Prologue – Jenson Young

Gold – Gravel Weekend Prologue – Sophie Wright

Gold – Gravel Weekend Race – Sophie Wright

GB Gravel Races

Gold – National TT Championships – Jenson Young

Silver – National TT Championships – Sophie Wright

Silver – National TT Championships – Harry Tanfield

Bronze – National Championships Gravel Race – Sophie Wright

Gold – Dirty Reiver – Sophie Wright

Joint Gold – Dirty Reiver – Metheven Bond

Joint Gold – Dirty Reiver – Jenson Young
With 6 races left in the 2025 Calendar, Ribble Outliers are hoping to finish the year on a high. With 7 wins and 3 podium finishes, it’s been a spectacular debut season so far.

Following a clean sweep at Dirty Reiver back in March, Outlier's first UCI win came at Gravel Suisse with Sophie Wright's maiden gold medal at the toughest event in the calendar!

Since then, Sophie has maintained her form winning 2 Gravel Earth Series events in Lithuania and Latvia, she recorded a Prologue win in Latvia to make it 5 wins for the year to add to her 2nd place finish at UCI Singen in Germany, top 10 podium at Traka, top 25 finish at Unbound in the USA and 5th place at The Rift in Iceland.

The other Outliers have also been having a strong year, with momentum building towards the end of season races.

Jenson Young grabbed a win in the Prologue in Latvia, 2nd place at Dirty Reiver, and has a string of top 10 finishes, Ben Thomas finished 4th at Gralloch in Scotland and positioned well at Traka, Unbound and The Rift, Harry Tanfield finished 4th in Latvia, just missing the podium, whilst Metheven Bond won Dirty Reiver and got great results at Unbound and The Rift. Hayley Simmonds returned to form too, coming third in Gravel Earth Mexico.

So, all in all, a very good first season that promises much when the Outliers start the run in to the UCI world Championships in October.

Next week, Ben and Metheven are off to Belgium to race the famous Houffa Gravel Race, then the team assemble for UCI Graean Gravel at the beginning of September.

Then, it's all systems go for the British National Gravel Championships, co-sponsored by Ribble, taking place in Dalby Forest in Yorkshire beginning 12th September.

Watch this space for the upcoming results, photos and stories.
The Gralloch, Scotland
Ribble Outliers continue to impress with a strong set of results from the Gralloch. Set amongst the beautiful rolling hills of Dumfries and Galloway, our Outliers keep raising the bar, this week achieving our first team UCI podium result, with Sophie Wright just missing out on a win but claiming 3rd.

Ben Thomas fought hard having been in the break all day with an outstanding 4th place, while Harry Tanfield and Metheven Bond both posted top 25 finishes. Tom Couzens also gained a category win in the 19-34’s, so all in all a great weekend’s work!
Outliers at Lincoln
A fine day in Lincoln yesterday. No podiums but the Ribble Outliers were ever present at the pointy end of both the men's and women's race. Not bad for single riders from a gravel team.

Sophie bagged 17th after leading the group into the base of the final climb towards the line but faded halfway up and finished 17th. She did take the Queen of the Mountain prize though.

Harry was in the main move of the men's race but was found out two laps to go and ended up 15th in a super attritional day on the bike.
Traka, Girona
Ribble Outliers fought hard throughout the weekend at the biggest gravel event in Europe! In a field packed with the best gravel riders in the world, Sophie Wright continued her brilliant form with a top 10 podium finish in the women's 200 and Ben Thomas finished 22nd fighting all the way to the line in the front group in the men's 200.

There were also memorable performances for Jenson Young who looked set to podium but was very unlucky with punctures but still managed to come in 38th, and Metheven Bond who completed his longest race to date, finishing 32nd in the tough 360.

Also riding at Traka, Ribble sponsored riders Tom Couzens and Amelia Mitchell both achieved fantastic results. Tom came 7th in a field of over 1000 riders in the Traka 100 yesterday, while Amelia finished 16th in the women's 200. These exciting results demonstrate real momentum is building for the Outliers and for our sponsored riders ahead of Gralloch in 2 weeks' time.
Dirty Reiver
The Ribble Outliers delivered a dominant performance at Dirty Reiver 2025, with Metheven Bond and Jenson Young crossing the line arm-in-arm to take 1st and 2nd, 15 minutes ahead of the field. Sophie Wright smashed her longest-ever race, finishing as the first woman home.

The result was a true team effort, built on grit, spirit, and teamwork. A huge thanks to everyone at Ribble who helped make this success possible!
“RIBBLE REBELLION is the next exciting chapter in our long cycle racing history. Crit racing is fast, furious and exhilarating, where every performance advantage counts. When you have the fastest riders in the world riding the world’s most aerodynamically optimised bike, you have something very special. This is an exciting opportunity to see our bikes race in the world’s biggest crit races, getting our brand in front of millions of cyclists – we saw that with the crowds watching as the Ultra-Aero SL R won the UK National Crit Series last year. The team has been created around exceptional riders with ambition and a desire to succeed. It will be an amazing year, and I can’t wait to see the team fly. “
Andy Smallwood, CEO, Ribble
Meet The Outliers
Harry Tanfield – UK
Moving to gravel racing feels like a natural step in my career. I’m excited to compete in this fast-growing discipline and be part of a forward-thinking team. This year, I’m bringing my road racing experience to gravel and aiming to make an impact in major events
Sophie Wright – UK
I am really excited to be starting a new chapter in my career racing a mixed program for the first time with ribble this year, including some of the biggest gravel races in the world. Havht competed in an offical gravel race before to stoked for the adventure it will be.

Coming from the north of England, ribble is well known and It will be awesome to be racing their new gravel and road bikes that are being introduced very shortly. Knowing the amount of work that has gone into developing these over the last few years
Jenson Young - UK
Coming from a Cyclocross and Road background, gravel, to me, is a combination of both that requires different skills from both disciplines. I feel it suits me perfectly so I’m really excited to get stuck into the racing and hopefully achieve some great results

It was a no-brainer to join the Outliers team. Having ridden Ribble bikes in other teams, I knew exactly how they performed when racing. With the new equipment and sponsors, I’m confident we have the tools to compete at the top level of the sport.
Metheven Bond – UK
I’m beyond excited to be racing for Ribble Outliers this year and gearing up for an epic season. Kicking off with Sea Otter in California—a long-time bucket list race—I’ll then take on Traka 360, my longest race yet, before heading to Unbound, where I'm hoping for a cleaner run than the infamous peanut butter mud year. The Rift in Iceland is another major highlight, with its brutal yet breathtaking challenge. Having previously raced with the Ribble Collective, I’m thrilled to now be part of a team that truly supports each other in a solo-driven race environment. With Ribble’s full backing and top-tier sponsors, plus the chance to race for the brand I work with daily, this was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. And with a stunning bike and kit, I can’t wait to take on the world. Bring it on!
Ben Thomas - UK
Having ridden as a privateer for the past few years I'm excited to be a part of a team again after riding for a couple of UCI mountain bike teams earlier in my career. With the athletes riding for Ribble Outliers we have a great chance of being competitive at each event we go to and should have a lot of fun along the way. The event calendar allows me to fulfil so many dreams, we'll be doing all the major UK races, select events from the Life Time Grand Prix in the U.S. including Unbound, the Gravel Earth Series in Europe (including the Traka), and the UCI Gravel Series, culminating in the World Championships. With the support of the team and its sponsors we have everything we need to perform on the race track as well as enjoying some huge cycling adventures away from the race track.
Hayley Simmonds – UK
I'm really excited to embark on the 2025 season with Ribble Outliers! The planned calendar is extensive and incorporates some events I've wanted to do for several years but haven't had the opportunity to race. The team atmosphere is great, and everybody is really enthusiastic about the season; after many years of racing for UCI road teams, I'm looking forward to a change and being part of a group of riders with the same values who want to race hard but also have fun riding bikes at the same time. I'll still be incorporating some TTs into my calendar, but my main focus will, of course, be the gravel races. I always seem to race well at The Gralloch, so I'm excited to return to Scotland in May. I'm also really looking forward to experiencing the US gravel scene, as I think the style of racing will hopefully suit my strengths as a rider.
The Bike: Ribble Gravel Prototype
The Ribble Outliers will compete on the Ribble Gravel prototype set to launch in summer 2025. This bike has been designed to push the limits of speed, control, and resilience across any terrain. Featuring SRAM, Zipp & Schwalbe components, this real-world race testing ensures it meets the high-performance demands of elite-level gravel racing. For training and endurance rides, the team will also utilise the Ribble Allroad SL R, ensuring they are prepared for every challenge ahead.
Team Kit
The Ribble Outliers will compete in a bold, high-performance kit designed in collaboration with LE COL. The kit reflects the adventurous spirit of gravel cycling, with a halftone fade aesthetic that embodies the team’s spirit of pushing beyond limits.
Race Calendar: Where to Find Us
The Ribble Outliers will be taking on some of the biggest and most prestigious gravel races in the world. Here’s where you can follow their journey:

Completed Races:

Turnhout (Belgium) - March

The Hills (Italy) - March

Sea Otter Classic (USA) – April

Dirty Reiver (Scotland) – April

Traka (Girona, Spain) – May

UCI Gralloch (Scotland) – May

Unbound Gravel (USA) – June

UCI Suisse (Switzerland) - June

UCI Gravel Singen (Germany) - July

Up Coming Races:

The Rift (Iceland) – July

UCI Houffa Gravel (Belgium) – August

UCI Graean Gravel (Wales) - September

British National Gravel Championships (England) – September

Sea Otter, Girona (Spain) - September

European Gravel Champs (Italy) - September

Ranxo Gravel (Spain) – October

UCI World Gravel Championships (Holland) – October

Adventures and Challenges:

Dorset Divide

3 Peaks CX Challenge

Follow the team as they push themselves and their bikes to the limits on some of the world’s toughest courses.
Al discovered the joys of cycling at age 14 and turned to racing soon after. After experiencing some success at junior and youth levels, he combined racing across Europe and Africa with his academic studies. A dual UK-Canadian citizen, he moved to Vancouver in 2016 and has since tasted success, winning three provincial championships, two Provincial Road Race Championships, and several stage and criterium wins on the North American racing circuit.

"The cornerstone for a passion in racing is founded on the thrills and speed that only bike racing can offer, along with feeling that success, both individually and as a team, that only hard work brings. More than anything, though, the love of bike racing can be as simple as the fun of travelling to weekend races with teammates and good friends."
Cam's racing journey began at the tender age of 15 before life led him down the path of Biomedical Engineering. With school completed and a renewed passion for cycling, Cam has worked himself back into racing and fitness. He joins the team after finishing as runner-up in the elimination race at the 2024 Canadian track nationals.

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to race with Ribble and learn from an amazing group of racers from North America and Europe."
Hailing from Folsom, California (yes, the same Folsom that inspired Johnny Cash's iconic track Folsom Prison Blues) the 24-year-old has already established an impressive palmarés of race victories in the US and beyond. With his most notable success to date being his US national road race title back in 2017.

"I'm rarely the stongest climber or sprinter at a race, so I have to get creative in order to win. The feeling of outwitting the competition to take a victory is a feeling quite unlike anything else"
Though still only 23, Yorkshireman Jim has already established a reputation for hard riding on the UK and continental race circuit. After racing for two of the UK's top cycling teams from 2021-2023 he boasts an impressive array of race victories, with wins coming at the Tour Series and National Circuit Series. Alongside multiple podiums in Europe, these dominant pefromances have secured Jim's place as one of the finest UK-based riders.

"I love the thrill and speed of cycle races whilst trying to think of the best way to engineer a race win for myself or the team."
Hailing from Grimsby but living in Girona, Joe takes up the lead at Ribble Rebellion as Race Captain. Having raced for some of the world’s best development teams on the road, Joe switched to the ‘privateer’ model of racing his own calendar. In 2024, Joe has high ambitions for the new team, wanting to dominate the Crit scene and podium worldwide whilst combining his ‘privateer’ gravel, road & TT racing in the colours of the Ribble Collective.

"Being part of the team that has put RIBBLE Rebellion together has been a tremendous opportunity. We have a set of talented individuals and on the road we'll be racing as one - wanting to do things very differently. That's what this team is all about. Our goals are quite simple - ride to compete, to podium, to win."
Highly decorated road and track rider, Matt has tasted success at World, European, and domestic level. The manxman's burgeoning palmarés includes being crowned National Crit Champion in 2019 and again in 2019, as well as winning three rounds of the Tour Series and claiming the overall title on two separate occasions.

"I love the tactics, mind games and finding different ways to win, especially when it comes to criteriums. I've been racing bikes since I was 5 years of age, and it just seems ingrained in me now"
Max has been racing for much of his life, and like many cyclists has tried his hand at multiple race discplines. In his case, these amount to cyclocross and track. And its on the track where he's enjoyed the greatest success, claiming a european title at junior level and multiple European and national medals as an U23/Elite.

"I love fast races, and the adrenaline of coming to the last few kilometres with your team, whether it's being the lead rider or part of the lead out, that's the most exciting part of racing for me."
Ex Lotto-Soudal and Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise rider Ruben brings a wealth of experience to the team, having competed in icnonic Spring classics such as the Tour of Flanders, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Paris Roubaix. The Belgian can count his 5th place at the World Time Trial Championships as his best result to date and will be looking to transfer his epic talents to the road and crit racing scene.

"I love the freedom cycling brings and the places your bike takes you."
As a 22-year-old road, gravel, cross and occasional mountain bike racer, Tom is nothing if not versatile. 2023 was a breakout year for the Bicester native, with victory at Gritfest, a superb second at Battle of the Beach and third at the Guildford round of the National Crit Series.

"The variety is what I love most about racing; being able to hook it around the bends of a town centre crit one week to sending it over a rock garden the week after is pretty cool to me. I can't wait to get stuck into some races I've had my eyes on for a while now."
Our Sponsors
The Ribble Outliers are supported by industry-leading brands who share our passion for performance and adventure:

Ribble

LE COL

Restrap

Precision Hydration and Fuel

SRAM

Zipp

Met

Training Peaks

Squirt

Chamois Butter

Schwalbe

Lake

Selle Italia
Follow The Outliers
Stay up to date with the team’s journey, race results, and behind-the-scenes content:

🔗 Instagram – @ribble_cycles/ribbleoutliers 🔗 YouTube – Ribble Cycles 🔗 Facebook – Ribble Cycles

Join us as we celebrate the adventure, the challenge, and the community that defines gravel riding. This is The Ribble Outliers.
During eight days of electrifying racing, Ribble Rebellion stood toe-to-toe with the world's best crit racing teams and proved victorious in four out of eight races. Discover how it all came together in our US Speed Week round up blog.
Want to discover more about the world's fastest aero bike? Click here to explore the Ultra-Aero SL R in more detail.