Kate Courtney is heading to the Women’s WorldTour, and no, that is not a typo.
FDJ United-SUEZ announced that Courtney will join the team immediately, with a contract running through the end of 2028 (right after the LA Olympics). It is a big turn for the American rider. But it totally makes sense as she recently became USA Cycling Pro Road Champion after dabbling in road racing this season.
Courtney has built most of her career on dirt. First in cross-country, then marathon MTB, then gravel, and now road racing at the highest level. She brings a serious off-road (and now road) résumé. Courtney is the reigning XCM world champion, a former XCO world champion, and a former overall UCI Cross-country World Cup winner.
Kate Courtney – WorldTour Debut
Courtney is expected to make her WorldTour road debut with FDJ United-SUEZ at La Périgord Ladies on July 18. She is also listed for the Tour of Britain Women (TOBW) from August 19 to 23. TOBW just a few days after Leadville Trail 100 MTB, which Courtney won (and crushed the course record) last year. Whether she goes back to defend that title is still unclear, but the overlap says plenty about where her season has gone.
This has not been a normal pathway to a WorldTour contract, but we’re very excited to see where this goes.
Courtney’s last year has been a full reset. After fracturing her scaphoid at the Nové Město short track World Cup, she returned with a different approach to racing. Doing more of a multi-disciplinary program and returning to all the bikes, not just XCO.
What Does FDJ United-SUEZ Think?
FDJ United-SUEZ general manager Stephen Delcourt pointed to Courtney’s ability on short to mid-length climbs and hard, demanding efforts as part of the appeal. Courtney’s engine has never really been in question, but this new challenge might be the push she needs to get back to the absolute top.
It’s a smart roll of the dice for FDJ United-SUEZ. The team gets a rider with world championship pedigree, a fresh US road title, and a very different background from a standard road development pipeline. Courtney also fits the team’s recent direction of bringing in athletes who can race aggressively and handle hard, selective courses.
Expect more as this story develops, but for now, we’re excited to see one of our favorite XCO stars hit the World Tour.
