EF Education-TIBCO-SVB announced Wednesday that they have signed Lizzy Banks on a two-year contract that will see the British talent racing with the American outfit in 2022 and 2023.
Banks joins the team having spent this season racing with Ceratizit-WNT, however, her season was cut short after sustaining a head injury in a crash at Strade Bianche in March.
Banks started her career in 2018 with the now-folded American team UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, where she raced under director and compatriot Rachel Hedderman, who is now directing the EF Education-TIBCO-SVB team.
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Banks said that after spending two years, 2019 and 2020 with the Bigla and Equipe Paule Ka teams, followed by one year with Ceratizit-WNT, returning to an American team felt like a homecoming.
"Having started my career on an American team in 2018 with Rachel Hedderman as sports director, this move almost feels like I'm coming home. Primarily, I'm just so looking forward to racing my bike again and experiencing the rush of emotions that comes with it and that sensation of pushing harder and going deeper than you ever realised was possible," Banks said in a team press release.
In her four year since turning professional, Banks has had much success securing two stage wins at Giro d'Italia Donne in 2019 and 2020, and second place at the 2020 GP de Plouay-Lorient Agglomération Trophée WNT.
A crash at the Strade Bianche this spring resulted in a severe concussion and left Banks unable to compete for much of the season while she placed a priority on recovery.
"After a challenging year in 2021 overcoming a difficult concussion injury, there is so much to look forward to in 2022," Banks said in a team press release.
"EF Education-TIBCO-SVB are making a huge step up next year, and it's massively exciting to come on board at this moment in the team's history and during such a pivotal era for women's cycling."
Hedderman noted the strength that Banks brings to the team and is looking forward to her continued growth and success at EF Education-TIBCO-SVB over the next two seasons.
"Before her crash at Strade Bianche, Lizzy was proving herself to be one of the rising stars of the women's peloton, and, now that she has recovered, I'm excited to see her continue to make her mark," Hedderman said.
Linda Jackson is the owner and founder of EF Education-TIBCO-SVB and the long-time team has applied for a Women's WorldTour licence in 2022. She said that she is pleased with the addition of Banks to their roster.
"We first made contact in 2018, as UnitedHealthcare was winding down," Jackson said. "I wasn't quick enough to sign her to the team then, so we are just delighted to have this opportunity now," Jackson said.
"Lizzy is an incredibly talented rider, Rachel knows her well, and she is a wonderful personality to have on the team. She'll be a tremendous leader for our development riders, and I expect to see good results from her as she puts her concussion further behind her."
