Smith's gravel renaissance

Former Picnic PostNL road pro speaks to Tom Davidson about joining Ribble Outliers

- Tom Davidson

After four seasons on the WorldTour, Abi Smith has swapped slick tyres for knobbly ones, and made a fresh start in gravel racing.

The 23-year-old will ride this year as part of Ribble Outliers, the off-road squad created by the Lancashire-based bike brand. The change comes after two seasons blighted by injury with Picnic PostNL, during which time she suffered three concussions that kept her sidelined for months at a time.

“It was definitely time for a change,” Smith tells Cycling Weekly at her new team’s season launch in London. “It was a big decision. I had to put my brave hat on.”