Edinburgh Road Club announce 2026 youth squad as Tour de France Grand Depart inspires next generation
The Edinburgh-based Cycling club has also confirmed a new sponsorship deal for the upcoming season.
With the Tour de France’s Grand Depart set to be hosted in the Capital next year, Edinburgh RC president Alastair Webb is hoping that some of their finest young talents can emulate the success of previous alumni who’ve went on to compete in the world-renowned sporting event.
The club, who celebrated their 100-year anniversary in 2025, have developed a reputation as Scotland’s most successful youth programme, giving their young talents a clear pathway into the WorldTour. An example of this is Sean Flynn, a product of Edinburgh RC, who became only the seventh Scottish rider ever to compete in the Tour de France last year.
As the club looks for the next Flynn, the 2026 youth squad contains 14 riders aged between 12 and 16, with emphasis on gender balance. With multi-discipline development an essential part of the selection process, a mix of track, road, mountain bike and cyclocross riders have been chosen.
Edinburgh RC announce 2026 youth squad
Here’s a list of the 2026 Edinburgh Road Club youth squad as well as each rider’s preferred discipline(s):
U16
- Izzy Barbour – Track / Road
- Tymek Chmielowski – Road / Triathlon
- Micah Myles – Track
- Lucy Sweeney – Track / Road
- Blake Ainslie – Track / Road
- Aarna Dhokia – Road
- Sarah McCormac – Track / Road
- Oscar Tanski – Mountain Bike
U14
- Eilidh Coutts – Mountain Bike
- Danny Farrell – Road
- James Park – Mountain Bike / Track / Road
- Ruaridh Cook – Mountain Bike / Cyclocross / Road
- Alex Faraday – Cyclocross / Road / Track
- Dara Levinson – Track / Road
The young lineup already have experienced success, with Sarah McCormac winning the National Youth Time Trial Championships in August, while Izzy Barbour took silver in both the Madison at the British Youth Track Championships and the Scottish Youth Circuit Championships.
History-making Grand Depart offers inspiration
The 2027 Grand Depart signifies an exciting time for Scottish cycling and Webb wants to take full advantage. The Edinburgh RC president is eager to see how the next generation fare in the upcoming season and hopes one day to see them compete on cycling’s biggest stage.
He said: “Back in 2012, my son was in the Race Team and loved it, making lifelong friendships whilst racing across the UK and Ireland. So it is fantastic to see the team flourishing, with the tireless support of the club, coaches, sponsors and of course parents and carers. Maybe we’ll see some of these riders in action the next time the Grand Depart is in Scotland”
Along with the squad announcement, Edinburgh RC also confirmed Rockstar Games as their new primary sponsor. They will join Zwift, Kalas, Fettle, TORQ Fitness and The Bicycle Works as organisations which support the team.