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 cycling in the UK. From our perspective, money spent on these projects is always money well spent; not just for us, but for the hobby that got us into this business in the first place.
This week we announce our latest new rider, British National Time Trial champion Hayley Simmonds.
Photo credit UCI Graham Watson, Doha WIT 2016
Our sponsorship coincides with the 2016 UCI Road World Championships where Hayley has been representing GB in the individual time trial.
While not the result she had been hoping for having had difficulty adapting to the extreme heat, a middle table 25th is a positive step early in Hayley’s cycling career.
25th in the time trial for @hayleyrsimmonds – the GB Cycling Team rider says she’s disappointed with the result #UCIDoha2016 pic.twitter.com/QQUsPjwUxi
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) 11 October 2016
Hayley’s team mate Hannah Barnes fared slightly better, placing 14th in the individual time trial, although still lower down the table than GB would have liked.
The UCI has come under some criticism this year for their choice of location, knowing the extreme temperatures the riders will face on the roads. That said, they have done their best to support teams, publishing advice on coping with the heat, and allowing time trial cyclists to ride with hydration backpacks for the first time in a UCI competition. Although this hasn’t been enough to satisfy some of their detractors, they kept on top of the situation as best they could and produced yet another world class cycling event.
Great Britain’s best result in the elite competition so far has come from Team Sky’s team time trial 4th, finishing just short of a minute behind Belgium’s ETIXX – QUICK STEP team. The elite road races are yet to come however. The highest point in the whole of Qatar is just 103m above sea level, creating a pan flat course over which Mark Cavendish is in with a particularly good chance of taking the win. Watch this space.
Next year’s event takes place in Norway, and anyone who has been near Norwegian corner on the last day of the Tour will know that they don’t lack enthusiasm.
We’ll catch up with Hayley in due course and introduce you to her soon.