A proud Yorkshire lass, Robyn comes from a sporting family and in particular one that loves two wheels with both her mum and dad former professionals. She’s been on a bike since the age of three and did some grass track when she was younger but never stayed with that long enough to go onto a fixed gear bike.
Instead, it was football that was her first love, where she played properly as a “solid centre back” until she was 16. However, when the World Championships came to Harrogate in 2019, they “inspired” Robyn a lot and she started riding her bike more and football fell down the pecking order; especially as Covid-19 then stopped play. When things returned to a new normal, she briefly made a re-appearance on the pitch for her team in a cup final in which she proudly scored a goal with a header, but after competing in her first bike race in May 2021 she didn’t look back.
Spoken with true Yorkshire grit Robyn recalls: “It was a test event, I was a first-year junior and got dropped going for 15th place or something. It was hailing that day and just really rubbish weather, but I absolutely loved it. Then the next race I did, I won, so was fully hooked after that!”
Competitive at heart, Robyn enjoys getting stuck in during races, but she also likes the process of getting there and being better, because “in cycling there is always something you can work on, and I like having a goal to build towards.”
After some promising results in the previous two seasons but with setbacks and injuries to recover from, 2025 was a year of “make or break” for Robyn. Giving herself one more year to fully commit to cycling before then searching for another full-time pursuit, the gamble paid off as a spectacular season on the British racing scene saw her take multiple series titles and individual wins.
“I put some pressure on myself. If I didn’t get on a team for 2026 then I would have to find a full-time normal job, and I also believed that I could do it, so that added some extra pressure. Especially as in cycling a lot of things are out of your control, so I only focused on what I could manage and do; and it turned out well!”
Stepping up to the WorldTour will be a big leap for Robyn but it is one that she is looking forward to getting stuck into. Like a lot of the Women’s program, she’ll be spending a good part of her year at the team’s Keep Challenging Center in Sittard. At the time of writing, Robyn has been a bit “slack” with her Dutch Duolingo practice but it’s something she wants to get back into more; especially to be able to order the coffees at the local café.
Away from the bike, the chatty and personable Robyn would describe herself as fun, determined and gritty. All three have helped shape who she is now and where she is in her career, as a driven and professional athlete, she also likes to take enjoyment out of what she does. Of course, with a bit of plucky Yorkshire grit and determination thrown in to make it to the top of the sport in such a way.