Last year, Pauline Allin evolved as a professional cyclist. After seven years spent with different UCI teams – most recently with the American UCI Women’s Continental Team Cynisca Cycling – the 29-year-old French athlete is opening a new chapter in her career by becoming a coach.
It’s a new stage in the career of a young cyclist passionate about new challenges. Over the years, Pauline Allin has participated in prestigious races such as the Tour de France Femmes with Zwift, Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, Paris-Roubaix Femmes with Zwift, and the Giro d’Italia Women.
Her challenge for 2025: to lead the UCI Women’s Continental Team, the WCC Team*, based at the UCI World Cycling Center (CMC) in Aigle, Switzerland. The particularity of this team lies in its composition: its 10 members come from 10 different countries spread over four continents. Another specificity: all the runners live together in the same residence and train together throughout the season. For their new coach, this represents a major advantage.
“It’s very rare in a team and it’s fortunate! We will use this to create true union and progress together. Some were already part of the team last year. But, for those who arrive from countries where cycling is poorly developed, there is a risk that they will consider it as an individual sport. At a high level, cycling is a team sport, and they will learn this through group training. And having fun. It’s so important. If you have fun, the rest will follow. »
As team members gradually arrive at the UCI WCC, Pauline Allin prepares for the upcoming season by organizing a training camp for the month of February and develops the competition calendar, which will include a mix of regional and national events. in Switzerland and France, as well as certain international UCI races.
She is looking forward to using her own experience in her new role: “I was still in the peloton last year, so I know the races, the courses and the riders. It’s really an advantage. »
-In parallel with her cycling career, Pauline Allin has already worked as a coach: two years in DN1 (Team U Cube 17) and three years at the Pôle Espoir of the Xavier Bichat high school in Nantua, in France.
She sees her new role as a unique opportunity: “I will be exposed to many different cultures. It’s also an exciting challenge, because some arrive with little experience, and I will be able to introduce them to high-level sport. I consider myself lucky, because this profession is based above all on passion. When you love cycling, being able to make a living from it is a real privilege. »
*The UCI WCC registered a women’s team with the UCI for the first time in 2019, with the mission of providing young women from around the world the opportunity to compete with the best riders. Over the years, some athletes have joined professional teams, while others have returned to their countries to contribute to the development of cycling as athletes, inspiring figures or coaches.
The team’s roster for 2025 – although some are still waiting for their visas – includes six returning athletes from the 2024 season, as well as four new recruits. They come from Afghanistan, Belarus, Colombia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Slovakia, South Africa, Switzerland and Ukraine.
