Georgia Williams joins the team

Changing teams was not originally on Georgia’s radar but as she spoke more and more with the team, she found herself excited by the idea. A new team would mean new opportunities, both as a racer and as a leader.

“Going out of my comfort zone, trying something new, a challenge and something exciting. It was really enticing,” Georgia said.

Not only was Georgia impressed with EF Education-TIBCO-SVB’s management, she appreciated the team’s trajectory.

“The vision of the team, the goal of becoming a top-five WorldTour team, and how they saw me fitting in the team as sometimes a domestique and sometimes a leader, it was all really cool,” Georgia said. “I have almost ten years’ experience and I’d love to pass it on. If I retired in the next few years and didn’t get to pass it on, it’d be a waste. To have worked my way up and to now be able to be a mentor like past riders have been to me, that’s really special for me. On the road, I’m not only looking for opportunities for myself. I love to be a domestique and work for others. I get such satisfaction out of that. I talked to Linda and realized this team would be something good for me.”

Linda Jackson, the founder and owner of EF Education-TIBCO-SVB, was equally excited to sign Georgia.

“Our main priority for next season was to hire a rider that had the personality and the desire to be a mentor to the incredible talent that we have on our team. Someone that is not focused solely on getting results for herself, but someone that had a genuine interest in mentorship. As soon as I talked to Georgia, I knew we had a good fit. She has a lot of experience and I think she is as excited about her role on the team as we are. Georgia will play a vital role in helping us grow into a top-five WorldTour team in the next few years.”

The 29-year-old has been racing bikes since she was a teenager, first coming to the sport through the track when a national talent ID program discovered her engine. She had been a cross country runner but permanently swapped her running shoes for cycling cleats when her early experiences training on the track showed promise. To complement her track racing, Georgia picked up road cycling and discovered she had an aptitude for that as well. After racing on the track at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Olympics, she was ready to focus full time on the road.

”I’ve just loved road cycling since then. I’ve never wanted to go back to the track. I liked the track but I felt like I was done with it. I made it to the Olympics and also to the Commonwealth Games on the track. New chapter, the road. Now the question is: can I make it to the Olympics on the road?”

While Georgia has an eye on the Paris 2024 games, she is eager to get the 2023 season underway.

“I want to start the season quite well in Australia just because it’s close to home and I have the New Zealand national championships so I’d like to be in good form for those races. Then I’ll fly to Europe and be good for the hillier classics like Strade Bianche, Trofeo Binda, and all the Ardennes races. They’re really fun for me.”

In addition to loving one-day races, Georgia has proven that she is a strong and consistent stage racer.

“I’m pretty flexible. I like time trialing. That’s a strength of mine. I’m good on the flat and I can also climb decently well. I’m versatile.”

Her versatility has earned her a silver medal in the road race and a bronze in the time trial at successive Commonwealth Games, four time trial national titles, a pair of road race national championships, and top ten finishes on stages and one-day races in nearly every season of her career.

We can’t wait for you to kit up in pink with us. Welcome, Georgia!