Robin Morton (cycling)

Robin Morton is an American former cycling team manager and was the first and only female manager in men's professional cycling. She also created the first Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) registered American professional road racing team in 1984. Cycling in Europe is a traditionally male sport and includes rules prohibiting women from the race caravans. At managers' meetings prior to races in Europe, the race organization would vote on whether Morton would be allowed to ride in the team car. Robin was elected to the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in 2016.

Morton's first involvement with cycling was with the amateur racing team of the Pennsylvania Bicycle Club (PBC) of Germantown, Pennsylvania assisting with team management and race organization.

Morton managed a US pro cycling team sponsored by GIOS bicycles for the Tour of America with Roger De Vlaeminck and John Eustice, two time USPRO National Criterium Champion and USA Cycling Championships in 1982 and '83 and Jeff Rutter.

Later that year she managed the 7-UP team with John, Jeff Rutter, Dag Selander and Ian Jackson that participated at Superweek and other races on the domestic calendar.

Morton registered the first American professional road race team thus becoming the first woman in the history of cycling to own and manage a men’s professional team.

That year the team, sponsored by Gianni Motta, became the first U.S. team to enter the 1984 Giro d'Italia, Giro di Puglia, Giro di Toscana, Giro del Trentino and Tour de Suisse and other European races.

Morton put together another U.S. based team, the Philadelphia Lasers, sponsored by Rank Xerox and Benotto. This was the first U.S. professional team to compete in the 1985 Vuelta a España and other races on the European calendar including Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Midi Libre, Tour de Luxembourg and the Vuelta a Colombia.

...
Wikipedia