In 2023, Australia will have a new women's continental team. With the help of crowdfunding funding, a large anonymous donation of $100,000, the plan to address the dwindling development opportunities for domestic riders has become a reality. The new Australian-based women's continental team will play a part in rebuilding a foothold for the global rise of the top level of women's cycling. The team will operate alongside the Team Bridge Lane men's team, which in various ways has provided an important pathway to the European peloton for more than 20 years.

This new team began to take shape when Pat Shaw launched a crowdfunding campaign. He was told that he would soon join the NRS team, which was disappearing from the scene, as he became the director sportif of the women's team of Inform TMX make-up. a national and international cyclist until his retirement in 2016, Shaw was determined to help those athletes left behind. In an effort to help, he came up with a plan to combine crowdfunding and sponsorships to bring about a team with a budget of $250,000 to $400,000, enough to provide meaningful opportunities.

Crowdfunding was widely supported by the Australian cycling community, with the added benefit of providing a broad base of supporters. Pro riders such as Chloe Hosking, Grace Brown, Amanda Spratt, Luke Plapp, and Simon Clark quickly got behind the idea and donated money.

"And in a moment of coincidence, as if it were fate, I realized that an incredibly generous human being was reading an article in The Guardian written for this project," Shaw said in an update on the GoFundMe page." Inspired and wanting to help, they donated $100,000 and our project instantly went from a possibility to a probability."

With a key piece of the puzzle in hand, Shaw turned to Andrew Christie-Johnston, who had already played a pivotal role in the development of cycling for many prominent Australian cyclists, including Richie Porte, Jack Hague, and Ben O'Connor The project was a great success. Christie-Johnston was already trying to find a way to add a women's team to Team Bridge Lane, and this proved to be the way to do it.

"For years, our goal and that of our key partners has been to play a more significant role in supporting women's cycling here in Australia, and the time has finally come," Team Bridge Lane announced the addition of a women's continental team for the 2023 season and beyond in a statement announcing the addition of a women's continental team for the 2023 season and beyond.

Donna Rae Zalinski also brings a wealth of experience in development pathways to the team, from her days as a young athlete heading overseas with the Australian team to her role as coach, director of Direction Sportif, and now pathways director for AusCycling. He has joined the leadership of the team.

"I'm excited about what our combined experience can offer the players," Shaw said. 'I'm eager to sign some of the players and share the news with them--the U19s, the U23s, and the elites.' They are all riders who share important core values such as teamwork, culture, a willingness to sacrifice for each other, and a desire to achieve the best possible results as a team."

"Working with Andrew Christie-Johnston to create new opportunities for women cyclists in the country is incredibly exciting news." Now that my dream has become a reality, I can't wait to put on my number for the first time in January."