One of the great things about working in the cycling industry is the chance to go out and give our support to the cycling and triathlon communities. From the Herne Hill Velodrome to local leagues and competitions, we have made it part of our business to support the growth of competitive cycling in the UK. From our perspective, money spent on these projects is better than advertising in magazines or the TV any day of the week; not just for us, but for the hobby that got us into this business in the first place.
Something we are particularly proud of is our support for talented riders’ right through from gifted juniors to professional level competition. We have seen Sophie Coldwell rise from junior competitor to British Triathlon Champion, Ben Thomas build a successful mountain bike team earning his British Champion jersey in the process, and Matrix Pro Fitness raise the profile of Women’s Cycling while providing Laura Trott and Elinor Barker a launch pad for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
We are very happy to have signed up RAF triathlete Luke Pollard as one of our newest ambassadors. Having worked with RAF triathlon for some time we were well aware of his successes, particularly as Luke seemed to have a habit of winning the races we sponsor and attend. His performance this summer saw him win the Dambuster at Rutland Water and the Geneva ETU triathlon Europe Championships. At the Constanta-Mamaio ETU European Cup Luke finished 24th , competing against a field of full time, elite triathletes.
Armed with a list of successes and goals for next year, Luke approached the RAF sports board to request ‘Elite Sportsman Status’. Out of over thirty three thousand people currently serving with the RAF, Luke will be joining just 2 others on this prestigious scheme. As an ‘Elite Sportsman’ Luke will be given the opportunity to train full time in triathlon and fully explore his potential in the sport, while continuing to be supported by the RAF. With the results he has managed to achieve while training in his spare time, we are excited to see how far Luke Pollard will go in 2016.
The second new ambassador joining the Yellow Jersey team this month is Robbie Ferri (@LTDRF), a Norfolk based road and touring cyclist. While most of the cyclists we work with we get to know through racing, Robbie won us over with his pure enthusiasm.
With one hundred pounds in his pocket and needing to get a wedding present for his sister, Robbie decided to buy himself a bike, cycle to Paris, and leave a ‘lovelock’ for her on the Pont des Arts bridge. Robbie has since gone on to complete both London to Brussels and London to Paris 24 hour rides, and an unsupported 10 Countries in 10 Days ride from England to Italy.
Robbie documents each of his challenges, big or small, through his blog and YouTube channel. Documenting his adventures in his individual and incredibly enthusiastic voice, Robbie has begun to grow significant following, raising thousands of pounds for his chosen charities in the process. And never wanting to be out done, after sending him one of our team Jerseys Robbie has taken it upon himself to have his bike re-sprayed in the Yellow Jersey colours. We look forward to seeing it.