Women's pro cycling team Velocio SRAM to come to an end after 2015 season

Women's pro cycling team, Velocio SRAM, will cease to operate at the close of the 2015 season, following an announcement from team manager Kristy Scrymgeour on Monday.

After nine years running women's teams, including Velocio SRAM in its early days as Specialized-Lululemon, Scrymgeour has decided to move on to new projects.

US-German team Velocio SRAM proved highly successful in 2015, winning the RideLondon Grand Prix with Barbara Guarischi, the Aviva Women's Tour with Lisa Brennauer, the Tour of California with Trixi Worrack and stage wins at the Giro. Scrymgeour said women's cycling is at an exciting time with the growth in interest.

"It's been a rewarding time," Scrymgeour said in a statement. "I've really enjoyed the challenge and the people I've had the chance to work with and I'm really proud of what we've achieved over the years. It's especially been a pleasure to work with industry partners and media who are supportive of the women's side of the sport.

"The support of SRAM, Cervelo, Global Merino and all of our other sponsors has been phenomenal. It's exciting to see increased interest in women's cycling and I look forward to seeing that interest turn into growth and more opportunities for women in cycling in the future."

Scrymgeour announced the move early to allow her riders to finish the season as well as looking for new contracts. She thanked the fans and personal supporters of the team, and the dedication of the team in its tremendous successes.

After the season she will join Velocio Apparel and Ally's Bar, companies she co-founded last year, which then went on to sponsor her team. For now, she says, the focus is on the remainder of the 2015 racing season.

She said: “We still have two months left of exciting racing, and the team is focussed on trying to defend their World TTT Championship title.”

“This was a hard decision for me, but I’m announcing early to give the riders a clear opportunity to find other teams for next year. I believe in this riders, and I believe in women’s cycling, and I will continue to advocate for growth in the sport.”

Wiggle Honda team manager, Rochelle Gilmore, correctly predicted before this year's RideLondon Grand Prix that Velocio SRAM were the biggest challenge in that race, which Barbara Guarischi won in a sprint finish.