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!
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.
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.
Proven on the World Stage: Ribble Outliers at the 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships
A season-defining finale in Limburg: fast, technical racing, a dominant Dutch display, and the Ribble Outliers closing 2025 with grit, heart, and standout rides.
Gravel Worlds 2025: One Last Dance for The Outliers
The Ribble Outliers take on the biggest race of the season - the Gravel World Championships in Limburg, Netherlands - after a year of relentless racing, preparation, and grit, all leading to this final showdown.
Unfinished Business: Jenson Young Returns to the Three Peaks
Ribble Outlier Jenson Young heads back to the legendary Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross, chasing redemption on Britain’s toughest one-day race after heartbreak on Pen-y-ghent in 2024.
Outliers at the British Gravel Championships: Grit, Glory & Podiums
The British Gravel Championships at Dalby Forest delivered a weekend of all-out racing, changing weather, and fierce competition. For the Ribble Outliers, it was a chance to test themselves against the country’s best—and they rose to the occasion. From time trial victories to championship podiums, the team showcased grit, strength, and the performance.
Backing British Gravel: Ribble at the British Gravel Championships
At Ribble, cycling has always been more than just bikes. It’s about community, progression, and giving back to the sport that shapes us. That’s why we’re proud to be the presenting partner of the 2025 British Gravel Championships – an event that showcases the very best of one of cycling’s fastest-growing disciplines.
Dorset Divide: Metheven’s Review - Notes From The Trails With The Ribble Outliers
The idea was simple. Two days. 540 kilometres. Almost 8,000 metres of climbing. The reality was far tougher than it looked on paper.
Out There, Somewhere: The Ribble Outliers Midseason Review
Half a season in, the Ribble Outliers have gone from quiet contenders to a team making noise on gravel’s biggest stages.
UCI Summit Suisse: Notes From The Trails
From a puncture on the A1 to a commanding victory atop the Col de la Croix, the Ribble Outliers' Summit Suisse story is one of grit, strategy, and Sophie Wright’s unforgettable UCI win.
Meet the Ribble Outliers: Hayley Simmonds
National champ, TT queen and a PhD in chemistry. Hayley’s experience in all-out speed is now set to shine on the dirt roads. With years spent at the pinnacle of the sport, she brings a precision mindset and explosive power that few can match.
Notes from the Trails: Unbound Gravel
The Outliers were in action at Unbound last weekend, and Team Manager Rich has pulled together his 'Notes from the Trails' update to give you a taste of what went on….
Meet the Ribble Outliers: Metheven Bond - The In-House Expert Who Tests, Races, and Pushes The Limit
By day, Metheven helps shape the bikes the team rides, providing the precision and performance that fuels top-level racing. And then he races them—fast.
Meet the Ribble Outliers: Sophie Wright – Freedom Found On Gravel
From the Giro to the Worlds and La Vuelta, Sophie has proved she can perform at the very top. Her early start in the WorldTour built the resilience that now powers her gravel ambitions. With the Ribble Outliers, she’s ready to channel that top-tier experience into a fresh challenge.