Lisa Bone WorldTour progression will become reality in 2027 after the South African signed a two-year contract with EF Education-Oatly.
The 27-year-old Cycle Nation rider will join the women’s WorldTour squad for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. The move follows a standout campaign across road and gravel racing.
Bone’s signing marks a major step in her career and a notable moment for South African women’s cycling. It also highlights Cycle Nation’s role in developing riders for international competition.
Lisa Bone WorldTour move follows breakthrough season
Bone built her WorldTour opportunity through a series of high-level performances in 2026. She opened the year with silver in the elite women’s road race at the South African National Road Championships in February.
In March, she delivered one of the biggest wins of her career at the Cape Town Cycle Tour. That victory confirmed her status among South Africa’s leading female cyclists.
Bone then expanded her programme into international gravel racing. At The Ceder, a UCI Gravel World Series event in the Western Cape, she finished second against established gravel specialists.
Her season also included European racing at The Traka in Spain and Marly Gravel in the Netherlands. Those events gave her valuable experience outside South Africa.
Bone returned home and claimed another silver medal at the South African Gravel Championships in June. In August, she produced a dominant ride at Around the Pot in Swellendam.
Racing the UCI Gravel World Series event, Bone attacked clear and won solo. She finished more than 16 minutes ahead of the chasing riders.
Her results also extended beyond South Africa. She recorded a top-ten finish at the Bucks County Classic in the United States.
Together, those performances showed her ability across different disciplines, race styles and conditions. They also helped attract WorldTour attention.
Cycle Nation sees milestone for women’s pathway
For Cycle Nation, Bone’s contract carries significance beyond one rider’s success. The team has worked since 2009 to support women’s cycling in South Africa.
Its programme aims to provide riders with racing opportunities, development support and a route beyond domestic competition. Bone’s step into the Women’s WorldTour reflects that pathway.
Cycle Nation Team Manager Lincoln King said the team has always viewed its role as broader than results. He said its responsibility “extends beyond winning races” and includes helping talented women develop.
King credited Bone’s performances, commitment and determination for earning the opportunity. He described her move to the WorldTour as a “wonderful affirmation” of the team’s purpose.
The signing also offers a clear example for aspiring female riders in South Africa. It shows that domestic racing can still lead towards the highest level of the sport.
Cycle Nation measures success not only through wins achieved in team colours. It also values the opportunities riders earn as their careers advance.
European racing brings next challenge
Bone’s move will introduce a new set of demands. Much of her racing experience has come from one-day events.
In Europe, she will face more stage racing, longer climbs and deeper tactical racing. The international peloton will test her development in new ways.
Bone has identified short, high-intensity efforts as one of her strengths. She has been particularly effective across efforts lasting between one and five minutes.
She remains open-minded about the rider she may become. Training and racing with experienced professionals will help define that next stage.
The move will also bring personal changes. Bone will relocate to Europe and spend long periods away from family and friends in South Africa.
Her journey has already included balancing professional employment with competitive cycling. It has also included wins at major South African events and successful steps into gravel.
Now, her next chapter will unfold in the women’s WorldTour. Bone will carry South African racing experience into her first EF Education-Oatly season in 2027.
For Cycle Nation, the moment brings pride and a renewed focus. The team’s work to build opportunities for the next generation continues.
Related Cycle Nation stories
- Paula Blasi Movistar deal gives Spanish squad a new grand tour leader
- Big Sugar Gravel brings wins for Kongstad and Hobbs as Grand Prix titles are decided
- Marzaan Mellett wins Free State Challenge after long-range Cycle Nation attack
- Lisa Bone Reflects on UCI Road World Championships on Goeiemôre, Good Morning
- Marzaan Mellett Controls Elite Women’s Race at Brits Gravel Grinder