As the cyclocross season approaches, there’s a new team that’ll be appearing on start sheets this year at Superprestige, X2O and World Cup events, as well as many others. With the British champion as their rider, OGT p/b USE are launched into the cyclocross world, providing the high visibility that comes from having a national champion in their colours. 

Xan spoke with us ahead of the team launch. “The whole purpose of this set up is to start providing opportunities for British cyclo-cross riders to race full time," she said. "After winning National Champs in January I knew I really wanted to commit to my racing and whilst working a 9-5 job, that was always going to be a big ask. So that's when I really started to push to find my own sponsors, to be able to transition to being a professional cyclist and be able to really focus on racing my bike to see what I could achieve.

“We have such a depth of cx talent in the UK but currently without a spot on a world tour team, it’s tough to race cross full time as a British rider. I'm hoping this set up helps forge opportunities for British riders to focus on cyclocross. I'm hoping whilst we're starting small, that we can step up over the course of a few years and have a full professional British cyclocross team to help support that talent. Of course it's a bit of a pipedream but if you asked most people early last year they'd probably say me winning National Champs would have been a pipedream too.”

Xan is a prominent name within the British Cyclocross scene, having raced for multiple years under the Spectra-Cannondale banner. She has won races both at home and in Europe and has a vast array of top-10 results and top-20s in the World Cups. 

OGT p/b USE’s key sponsors are the eponymous brands. OGT has a focus on sustainable fuelling options for cyclists and provides key race and training nutrition, and USE components are a UK-based company that makes bike components for both road and off-road adventures.

Also joining the team are seven sponsors: Worx, Lake Cycling, HJC Helmets, Flowbio, Schwalbe, Bioracer and Exposure Lights.

OGT p/b USE revealed their colours and the national champion’s kit that Xan will race in at their launch last night at VIA in London; and she will begin her season at the Hope SuperCross series before turning her attention to the Derby round of the National Trophy before trips to Sweden, World Cup races and the Belgian heartlands of the sport.

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