Oliver Knight, a promising British rider at the age of 22, has taken a big leap in his career by signing his first professional contract with the Cofidis team;
Knight is no stranger to the French team, having joined as an apprentice over the summer. However, his cycling history began much earlier, when he was just ten years old.
The Briton took his first steps in cycling at the AVC club in Aix-en-Provence, France, where another English cyclist, Harisson Wood, also trained. Supported by the Dave Rayner Foundation, Oliver honed his skills and grew as a cyclist for four seasons, from 2020 to 2023. Jean-Michel Bourgoin, the club's sports director, recalls those years: "We quickly realized that Oliver was an excellent rider. He has undeniable qualities in time trial, he also takes punches like a puncheur, he likes to take risks.... He's a real classic rider!
Oliver Knight's journey with Team Cofidis began this summer, and the young rider has adapted impressively to the demands of a UCI World Tour team. He participated in the Tour du Poitou-Charentes in Nouvelle Aquitaine, where he made his mark by finishing 14th in the time trial. In addition, he competed in the Tour de Luxembourg, standing out for his participation in a long breakaway of 119 kilometers in the third stage and achieving the 15th place in the last stage.
At the end of his training period, Oliver signed his first professional contract with the Cofidis team for the next two seasons. With this new step in his career, he hopes to continue progressing and exploring new races, particularly excited about the possibility of competing in the prestigious Belgian classics.
Oliver Knight expressed his excitement: "I am so happy. I worked for years, I fought to be professional and to get there today. It's a dream come true! Having an internship with the team was very positive. I feel like I learned a lot. It's very special to wear the colours of a UCI World Tour team. But all the runners were very welcoming and I had the impression of being quickly integrated into the collective. It is also important to me to thank the Aix-en-Provence team who contributed to my training and the Dave Rayner Foundation who helped me upon my arrival in France. From now on, I want to continue my learning at the highest level, to know more precisely the type of runner I can be and, why not, discover the Belgian classics which I really want to do with the Cofidis jersey!"
Cédric Vasseur, General Manager of the Cofidis team, also expressed his satisfaction with the arrival of Oliver Knight: "We detected quite extraordinary abilities in Oliver from his first arrival with the team during this winter's training camp. On the Tour du Poitou-Charentes and the Tour du Luxembourg, Oliver was able to stand out. So a new life will begin for him. Our objective is to introduce him to different worlds of the professional world and above all to support him and enable him to progress to play leading roles. I am convinced that Oliver, with his abilities and his mentality, will very quickly establish himself in world cycling."
Really happy to share I’ve signed for @TeamCOFIDIS for the next two years. A massive thank you to all who have supported to me up to this next step. Especially to @RaynerFnd for giving me the chance to race in Europe for the past 4 seasons.
Nous sommes très heureux d'annoncer la signature pour 2 ans de notre talentueux stagiaire @OKnight49 😃 equipecofidis.com/fr/actualites/…
