Is this Britain's next great rider? Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider Imogen Wolff reveals her journey so far in the professional peloton: "I’m still absolutely kicking myself"
Cycling
At just 18 years old, Yorkshire’s Imogen Wolff has already
begun making waves in the cycling world. Riding for Team Visma | Lease a Bike,
Wolff’s journey to the top has been anything but conventional, and she is
clearly one of the most talented up and coming British riders right now.
Wolff recently spoke to Cycling Weekly about her
unique path into professional cycling and the remarkable achievements she’s
already chalked up on the world stage.
For many young riders, securing a place in a WorldTour team
requires patience and careful planning. Wolff, however, took a different route.
“I messaged every single DS from every single WorldTour team
on Instagram, which I wouldn’t recommend you do,” she admitted. “It’s not very
good for negotiating power. When I told my agent, he was like, ‘Why have you
done that?’ But from then on, I started having conversations.”
While unconventional, Wolff’s direct approach opened doors,
setting her on the path to a professional career with Team Visma | Lease a
Bike.
Wolff’s passion for cycling stems from her family, where the
sport has always been a cornerstone of their lives. “Cycling’s always been a
big part of our lives as a family,” she said.
Wolff is the second of three siblings, and followed in her
mother’s footsteps, starting with triathlon and cyclocross when she was still a
child. By her early teenage years, she turned her focus to track cycling, despite
the closest velodrome to her being over an hour away.
“My dad was like, ‘You might as well do deep-sea diving, the
sea is pretty much as far,’” she said.
Fresh off the
back of completing her A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, and Maths, Wolff played
a key role in Great Britain’s team pursuit squad. The team not only claimed the
gold medal but also shattered the world record in the final at the Junior Track World Championships.
“I’d not really slept the night before, and I woke up with a
chesty cough,” she revealed. “I can’t really remember the second half of the
race. I was vomiting up blood and just in a mess.”
While Wolff has achieved remarkable success, her journey has
not been without setbacks. At the World Championships time trial in Zurich, she
experienced a moment of frustration despite finishing with the third-fastest
time and taking home a bronze medal.
“I just completely lost my head and panicked,” she admitted.
The experience still weighs heavily on her. “It’s difficult to speak about,”
she said, groaning in exasperation. “It still gets my back up thinking about
it. I’m still absolutely kicking myself.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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