Afleveringen
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Marc Etches, a race organiser, commissaire and a member of the panel charged by British Cycling with implementing the recommendations of the Elite Road Racing Task Force, exemplifies the can-do attitude of a small coterie of volunteers who sacrifice time and effort to ensure elite domestic road racing continues.
In this detailed interview with co-host Timothy John, Marc discusses this year's edition of his Sheffield Grand Prix, the wider health of the National Circuit Series and his determination to ensure that the efforts of Task Force members, including Phil Jones MBE, Brother UKâs Managing Director, are not âswept under the carpetâ.
Marc reveals the detailed planning behind the Sheffield Grand Prix, the distinct goals backers like McLaren and Cocker and Carr, a local estate agent, seek to fulfil in sponsoring the race, and its role in Sheffield City Councilâs strategic ambition to rebrand an area famed for its industrial heritage as âThe Outdoor Cityâ.
From parking permits to crossing points, commissaire reports to UCI protocols, medical support to crowd control, Marc describes the myriad details that lie behind the biggest event on the National Road Series calendar.
With the Tour of Britain set to visit Sheffield in September, Marc describes his vision for a joined-up approach in which the councils who host Britainâs biggest bike race look further down the pyramid to national series events. He describes the fundamental importance of volunteers to the success of his events and the rewards he is able to provide with support from local businesses like Browns restaurant.
Enjoy this open and engaging interview with one of British cycle sportâs unsung heroes. A passionate cyclist and a committed supporter of his city and region, Marc embodies the volunteer spirit on which the domestic scene depends. -
The National Circuit Series is a key component of the British domestic road scene. Its impact extends beyond racing, however. As road racingâs most immediate and accessible format, crits bring bike racing into town and city centres, serving a range of purposes for councils, communities, sponsors, local businesses and more.
In this new episode of the Brother UK Cycling Podcast, Marc Etches, organiser of the Sheffield Grand Prix, arguably the jewel in the crown of the National Circuit Series, offers valuable insights into the winning patterns behind his successful event. From prioritising rider safety to securing sponsors, Marc takes us inside the race.
Drawing on his experience as a business leader, co-host Phil Jones, Brother UKâs Managing Director, provides an expert commentary on issues ranging from crisis management to commercial sustainability and from chains of command to the changing face of city centres shaped by forces as diverse as pedestrianisation and hybrid working.
Philâs unique perspective is informed by his membership of British Cyclingâs Elite Road Racing Task Force, which recommended a complete review of the National Circuit Series, including the establishment of a âwinning patternsâ playbook and a standardised economic model. Phil offers insights from inside this independent and influential panel.
In a packed episode, co-host Timothy John introduces further topics and interviews. From the recent Olympic Games to the forthcoming Tour of Britain, Tim and Phil discuss the biggest events in cycle sport, with insights from DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UKâs newly-minted Olympians, Tiffany Keep and Alice Sharpe, on their once in a lifetime experiences at Paris 2024. -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Tiffany Keep (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) will realise a dream when she rolls out for the womenâs road race at the Olympic Games in Paris on August 4, 2024.
In this engaging interview, Tiffany describes her lifelong passion for cycling, her formative experiences as a mountain biker in Stellenbosch and her determination to develop her road racing skills in Europe from the moment she finished her degree studies.
Brother UK has been at Tiffanyâs side for the last two seasons, as co-title sponsor of Hutchinson-Brother UK last year and now as one of three companies supporting DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK, a UCI Continental womenâs team that has provided Tiffany with racing opportunities in territories as distinct as East Cleveland and Portugal, Ilkley and Luxembourg.
In this engaging interview with co-host Timothy John, Tiffany describes the value of DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UKâs diverse programme and the progress sheâs made as a rider since joining the squad. She pays tribute to the UKâs thriving domestic scene and reveals how riding alongside world-class rivals in events like the Tour of Britain Women and the Volta a Portugal Feminina has helped her to overcome âimposter syndromeâ.
Sporting events do not come bigger than the Olympics, and Tiffany relives the joyful moment in which she received the email confirming her participation. She shares her thoughts on the 158km course, describes her final pre-race preparations in Tours, just south of Paris, and expresses her determination to give her best for her country, riding in the service of Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio.
From South Africaâs gruelling Cape Epic mountain bike stage race to the Ride London Classique, Tiffanyâs varied and challenging route to the top will reach its climax, if not its culmination, in Paris. Discover her post-Games ambitions, her supportive relationships with friends, family and teammates, and learn how experience gained on the streets of Glasgow at last yearâs world championships might pay dividends in the City of Light when gold medals, rather than rainbow jerseys are at stake. -
Frankie Hall (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) is enjoying the best season of her cycling career. A comparative latecomer to the sport, she has overcome significant hurdles, including crashes, injuries, road accidents and the ongoing challenge of balancing work and sport to compete against the very best in road, track and circuit races.
In this wide-ranging interview, Hall describes how her passion for hockey, her first sporting love, was derailed by an eating disorder. Training with the Great Britain team at Loughborough University, however, ultimately led to an academic career there and membership of the university cycling club. The rest is history.
Tenth place in the elite womenâs road race at the 2024 National Road Championships in Saltburn represented a significant step towards fulfilling her potential. Hall offers detailed insights into her physical and mental preparation and the tactical awareness that placed her at the sharp end as the race approached its climax.
In February, Hall won two medals at the 2024 National Track Championships in Manchester: an achievement made more impressive by the financial constraints that limited her preparation. She talks frankly about the prohibitive costs of indoor racing and the wider financial pressures faced by an elite athlete seeking to turn professional.
Her effervescent style in circuit races had earned her a reputation as a specialist in the discipline, but in this interview, Hall argues that these short, sharp, technical events simply accounted for the bulk of her early opportunities (with welcome irony, she won the opening round of the 2024 National Circuit Series in Otley two days after recording this interview).
Enjoy this revealing conversation with co-host Timothy John, in which Hall offers an inspiring insight into the drive and dedication demanded of an amateur athlete to compete against professional riders. From postponing PhD studies to balancing hospitality work with an international race programme, Hall offers an honest account of her sacrifices in pursuit of sporting success. -
Andy Hawes is the Route Director of the Tours of Britain. In just ten weeks, he has designed and driven the four stages of the 2024 Tour of Britain Women, working alongside Race Director Rod Ellingworth, local authorities and an experienced team of administrators and safety experts.
In this in-depth interview with co-host Timothy John, Andy provides a sporting perspective on each of the four stages, explains the importance of long-standing relationships with councils and offers insights into the logistical complexity of closing major roads, including those around Manchester, to allow the safe passage of the race.
He reveals his uncompromising stance on rider safety and a business-as-usual approach that has seen him drive the entire route on three occasions, despite the tight timescale. His companions on the route recces have included Sergeant Duncan Street of the Central Escort Group.
Andy describes his positive working relationship with Ellingworth, for whom the Tour of Britain Women will be the latest chapter in a decorated career that includes founding British Cyclingâs Olympic Academy road programme and leading the UCI WorldTour team INEOS Grenadiers, formerly Team Sky.
Touching on the transfer of the raceâs ownership to British Cycling Events, Andy describes his determination to uphold the reputation it enjoyed under previous owners Sweetspot; a motivation increased by the federationâs new partnership with Lloyds Bank.
Enjoy this open and engaging conversation with a key member of the team tasked with saving Britainâs leading professional bike races. From detailed descriptions of the routeâs defining features to insights into working relationships, safety considerations, ambitions to expand the race and more, this is an interview not to be missed. -
The Lincoln Grand Prix is the most prestigious race in British cycle sport. Its cobbled Michaelgate climb has become a symbol for the domestic road scene. This yearâs race will be the 68th edition in 69 years. High-quality fields in the menâs and womenâs races promise an exhilarating day of racing on Sunday May 12.
Timothy John and Phil Jones, the Managing Director of Brother UK, host this detailed preview of a cherished race, with insights from a panel of expert witnesses, including two former winners, the race organiser, a sports director, and a veteran journalist who has reported from countless editions of the Lincoln Grand Prix in his 25 years covering the scene.
Dean Downingâs victory in 2007 has come to symbolise the race. The frame-by-frame sequence of his exhausted victory celebrations and the sudden rush of emotion that followed capture the drama of bike racing in a manner few others have matched. Dean shares his memories of an unforgettable day in the saddle and a victory that, while not his most prestigious, has greater personal significance than any other on a palmares crowded with race wins.
Becky Storrieâs triumph in the womenâs race in 2022 could scarcely have been more different. Riding under clear blue skies, she executed a perfect race, soloing away from her competitors with one lap remaining and enjoying the rare pleasure of riding alone up Michaelgate to victory. Enjoy Beckyâs memories of a performance that helped propel her to the UCI Womenâs WorldTour.
Race organiser Gary Coltman compares his responsibilities in ensuring the continued success of British road racingâs blue riband race to being given a gold-plated trophy to polish and protect. He describes the commercial and organisational challenges encountered when organising such a high-profile event and describes the emotional connection between the race and its title sponsor Rapha.
Larry Hickmott, the founder and editor of Brother UK-sponsored VeloUK, has witnessed more editions of the Lincoln Grand Prix than most. The images of Dean Downingâs celebrated victory described above are among thousands he has taken of an event he describes as a photographerâs dream. Larry shares his memories of the race, his plans for this yearâs edition, which coincides with his birthday, and identifies the leading contenders in the menâs and womenâs fields.
Hear too from riders and staff from Brother UKâs sponsored teams, including recent race winner Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK), a former Olympic rower, from her team-mate Alice Sharpe, who will represent Ireland in the womenâs team pursuit at the Olympic Games in Paris, and from Paul Smith, assistant manager of Brother UK-OnForm, on the teamâs successful outing in Belgiumâs prestigious junior Gent-Wevelgem road race. -
The 2024 Womenâs CiCLE Classic, Rod Ellingworthâs appointment as Race Director of the Tours of Britain and Cold Dark Northâs Proper Northern Road Race Series are just some of the topics covered in this new episode, presented by co-hosts Timothy John and Phil Jones, the Managing Director of Brother UK.
Phil shares insights from inside the race convoy of the Womenâs CiCLE Classic: a gruelling, mixed surface event in Rutland. From tyre choice to rider safety, mechanical issues to roadside crowds, Phil gives an eyewitness account of the race gained from inside the DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK team car.
Rod Ellingworthâs achievements as a coach and manager are well known, but his appointment as race director for the Tours of Britain represents a new challenge. Will his previous experience be sufficient in the face of innumerable operational challenges and hugely demanding timescales? Peter Harrison, race director of the Beaumont Trophy and Curlew Cup, gives his assessment.
Toby Cummins and Deb John, co-founders of Cold Dark North, are the architects of the Proper Northern Road Race Series, which Brother UK will serve as prize fund sponsor. We hear from Tobes on the value of prize money to attracting entrants and from Deb on the regulatory and administrative hurdles that are adding to the already difficult task of organising bike races in Britain.
Team Brother UK-OnForm, an Elite Development Team with a cohort of junior and U23 riders, as well as seniors, exemplifies our sponsorship of grassroots road racing. We hear from rider Hope Inglis, her mother Claire, and team manager Mark Botteley on how practical support from parents and financial support from a major business combines to develop resilient and resourceful young people.
Enjoy this episode, which also contains a summary of the recent Peaks 2 Day race, a look ahead to National A and B events to come, and insights from DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UKâs Morven Yeoman on her impressive start to the season, overseas and on British roads. -
Race organiser Chris Lawrence is the man behind the Newark Town Centre Races and Dudley Grand Prix, both National Circuit Series events. As a member of British Cyclingâs Elite Road Racing Task Force, his insights into the mechanics of race organisation proved invaluable to a panel chaired by triple Olympic champion Ed Clancy OBE and which included Phil Jones, Brother UKâs Managing Director.
A lack of races is the principal challenge affecting elite domestic road racing, and several of the 16 recommendations made by the Task Force to British Cycling, including succession planning for race organisers and the creation of âwinning pattern playbooksâ, inspired by successful events, are focussed on addressing this issue.
In this detailed conversation with co-host Timothy John, Chris describes the practical and logistical requirements for staging a race in the UK, from winning the support of local authorities to engaging communities. Sponsorship, networking, and the role of British Cyclingâs Sport Developers are among several other topics discussed.
Chris describes his âlight bulb momentâ, walking across Newarkâs Royal Market Square, having recently moved to the town. He shares his hopes for the Task Forceâs recommendations and the broader pyramid of British road racing. He offers insights into the challenges and rewards of race organisation, from managing people to celebrating a job well done.
Enjoy this in-depth interview and gain a deeper insight into the mechanics of race organisation, arguably the most important piece in elite road racingâs puzzle. From reverse engineering entry fees from event costs to engendering a carnival atmosphere, Chris reveals the practical and social requirements for a successful bike race.
Budding race organisers can watch Chris' invaluable YouTube workshop here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O42K33tfYiU -
Co-hosts Timothy John and Phil Jones, the Managing Director of Brother UK, are joined by special guest Ed Clancy OBE, a triple Olympic champion, to discuss the recommendations of the Elite Road Racing Task Force and British Cyclingâs new vision for major cycling events, including the tours of Britain for men and women.
No one is more qualified than Ed and Phil to discuss the Task Forceâs sixteen recommendations and 40 supporting action points. Ed chaired the panel, and both sacrificed their time over a period of several months to contribute their expertise to a project intended to re-energise elite British road racing.
From succession planning for race organisers to commercial concerns, Ed and Phil lift the lid on months of meetings with their colleagues on an eight-strong panel of handpicked experts. Specifically, they discuss the five-step problem-solving mechanism proposed by Phil and adopted by Ed as the panelâs principal mode of operation.
After more than an hourâs detailed discussion, co-host Timothy John directs the focus of the episode to British Cyclingâs ambition to host major cycling events in Britain, including the Tour of Britain and Womenâs Tour of Britain, following the collapse of race organiser the SweetSpot Group.
The trio discuss the commercial challenges and opportunities the federation might encounter as it attempts to host races that Phil estimates will each require sponsorship of ÂŁ1m. With the British economy in recession, British Cycling has its work cut out, but Ed reports that commercial endeavours have begun in earnest.
Enjoy this fifty-first episode of the Brother UK Cycling Podcast: a special edition that showcases our influence in the domestic sport. With the Elite Road Racing Task Force and the future of Britainâs national tours dominating headlines in the closed season, enjoy insights from experts aable to offer privileged insights. -
Josie Nelson might be the archetypal Rayner Foundation rider: resourceful, resilient and now a fully-fledged professional with WorldTour heavyweights Team DSM-Firmenich-PostNL. With the support of the Foundation and her family, the 21-year-old from Lichfield has progressed from British Cyclingâs mountain bike academy to road racingâs top tier in only a handful of years.
The youngest of four siblings, Josie is the inheritor of sporting genes that propelled sister Emily to world and European team pursuit titles, yet nothing has been presented to her on a plate. Her determination to shape her own destiny is perhaps exemplified by her move to Belgium during the 2020 Covid pandemic to advance her cyclo-cross career as a teenager.
Her palmares might inspire envy among far more experienced riders. She has already ridden â and finished - the Tour de France Femmes and the womenâs Paris-Roubaix, and won two of the biggest prizes in domestic cycling: the British circuit race championships and the womenâs CiCLE Classic.
An all-rounder with a skillset ranging from track racing to Belgian kermesses, Josie has not ruled out becoming a GC rider, but in 2024 is keen to learn and develop with the support of a professional team. Having previously been part of a UCI Continental squad and raced for a Belgian club team before that, her ascent to the Womenâs WorldTour has been both rapid and methodical.
The new season will bring new opportunities for Josie, whose programme includes the Spring Classics and early-season climbing races. The revered Strade Bianche, held on the white roads of Tuscany and concluding with a punchy uphill finish into Sienna, will surely play to the strengths of this former mountain biker with eyes now focussed on the glittering prizes of European road racing. -
Max Poole is among the most exciting new talents in the UCI WorldTour, even in a golden era for young riders. The 20-year-old has already ridden his first Grand Tour, winning the opening stage time-trial with his Team DSM-Firmenich-PostNL colleagues at last yearâs Vuelta a España, before lighting up three stages with daring rides in the breakaway.
From learning his trade with Giles Pidcockâs Fensham HowesâMAS Design junior team and British Cyclingâs Olympic Academy to a valuable year spent with DSMâs vaunted U23 âdevoâ team, Poole describes the separate stages that have underpinned his meteoric rise from British junior road race champion to Grand Tour stage winner.
He shares his desire for continued and sustainable development, describes his team's valued mix of youth and experience, embodied by the Vuelta squad led by Romain Bardet, and celebrates the commitment shown by his Dutch team in agreeing a long-term contract.
On a quiet Thursday afternoon in January, co-host Timothy John sat down with Poole on the sun-soaked terrace of his teamâs hotel on the Spanish Costa Blanca to discuss pre-season training camps, life as a professional, the âdevo teamâ revolution, the continuing challenges faced by Britain's domestic road scene and much more. -
Becky Storrieâs rise from the Brother UK-OnForm development team to the professional ranks with Team DSM-Firmenich-PostNL provides positive proof for the health of British womenâs road racing and the continuing value of Brother UKâs sponsorships.
Five years ago, Becky was a psychology student at Stirling University and an amateur triathlete with no knowledge of professional cycling. Her meteoric rise, begun in the colours of Brother UK-OnForm and continued with sister squad CAMS-Basso (now DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK), provides a fascinating context to our latest episode.
We caught up with Becky at Team DSM-Firmenich-PostNLâs January training camp in Calpe to discuss a range of issues, from her formative seasons with Brother UK-OnForm to the life-changing opportunity presented by the Dutch WorldTour team.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Becky describes the âpinch meâ moments of her first season as a professional, as well as its challenges: notably competing at the highest level of a sport with a team steeped in its heritage, despite having no history in cycling beyond the handful of years she had spent as a competitor.
From advanced training methods to the threat posed to the Womenâs Tour - the platform for her breakthrough in 2022 - Becky and co-host Timothy John leave no stone unturned in this detailed discussion of a career set to fast-forward. -
Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM-Firmenich-PostNL) is the two-time and reigning British womenâs road race champion and the leading rider in a young and talented generation of female cyclists from the UK. Still only 23, Pfeiffer is about to begin her sixth season as a professional. Some of the biggest prizes in the sport are now within her grasp.
In the relaxed and informal setting of Calpeâs Hotel Diamante, co-host Timothy John sat down with Pfeiffer at her teamâs second training camp of the off-season to discuss her route to the top, a transformational period in womenâs cycling and her hopes for 2024 as she attempts to build on the three professional victories gained last year.
Pfeiffer describes her earliest days as a cyclist, racing at Herne Hill Velodrome, her impressive rise through the junior ranks, winning some of the most prestigious races in Europe, and the long-term plan for success conceived by her team: one that has allowed her to develop free from pressure, even after she assumed the role of Classics leader.
From the âdeep and burning desireâ to regain the stripes of British road race champion that saw her crowned national champion for a second time, to guiding Charlotte Kool, arguably the fastest rider in the womenâs peloton, through the melee of a bunch sprint, Pfeiffer offers open and honest answers to questions on a raft of topics, including her competitive desires and time management skills.
With a varied programme ahead, rich in opportunities, from the cobbled Classics to an experimental run at the Amstel Gold Race and, perhaps, even selection for the Olympic Games in Paris, this episode captures Pfeifferâs thoughts at the beginning of what might be a pivotal season in her career. -
Lizzie Deignan is among Britainâs most successful cyclists. A world champion on track and road, an Olympic silver medalist and winner of the most prestigious races in professional cycling, she has consistently been among the pelotonâs strongest riders in a period of exponential growth and transformational change in womenâs cycling.
In a wide-ranging interview, Lizzie describes pivotal moments in her career, from being recruited as a teenager to British Cyclingâs Talent Team to winning the inaugural womenâs Paris-Roubaix with an extraordinary solo victory equal in significance to such a monumental occasion.
Speaking in the week before Christmas from Lidl-Trekâs pre-season training camp in Spain, Lizzie provides fascinating insights into some of the biggest victories of her career and offers an insightful commentary on the female sportâs continuing battle for parity.
From her earliest days as a professional cyclist in Belgium to the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow, Lizzie describes her continuing motivation, her legacy as an inspiration to a new generation of British female cyclists and her return to Yorkshire, where she combines family life with the demands of international sport.
Co-host Timothy John, formerly the editor of RoadCyclingUK.com and Rouleur.cc, discusses a host of topics with Lizzie in a broad and open conversation that offers a revealing portrait of a rider who continues to lead her sport by example in a period of expansion and evolution. -
Co-hosts Timothy John and Phil Jones, the Managing Director of Brother UK, attended the 2023 Rayner Foundation dinner and charity auction. The pair shared a table with former world champion Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) and her husband Phil, a Grand Tour stage winner, and key members of the Foundationâs organising committee.
Despite enjoying the awards ceremony, charity auction and key note speeches, Phil and Tim found time to gather insights from this unique event: one that unites many of the decision makers in domestic and professional cycling with the stars of tomorrow. The Rayner dinner is at once glamorous and authentic.
Committee members Serena Meakin, Tim Harris and Josh Cutler describe their practical and emotional investment in the Foundation and the importance of the dinner to its excellent work. This yearâs event attracted 301 guests: a higher turnout than last year, but still below pre-Covid levels. It must continue to grow.
Listen out for insights and observations from Giles Pidcock, Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), and Oliver Knight (Team Cofidis), the Foundationâs Rider of the Year. Charlie Paige (TDT-Unibet) and Tom Portsmouth (Bingoal WB), other graduates to the professional ranks from the class of 2023, describe their experiences of living and racing abroad.
Hear too from the talented juniors joining prestigious development teams and the young female riders excelling in a new landscape for womenâs cycling shaped to a large degree by Lizzie Deignan. And enjoy Tim and Philâs extended discussion on the Foundationâs work and its intersection with the domestic road scene.
The pair consider the seemingly insatiable appetite of WorldTour development teams for young British riders. They discuss the explosion in British womenâs racing too, with as many as seven UCI Continental womenâs teams mooted for next season. And they reflect on the purpose of the elite menâs National Road Series.
Hear from those at the heart of the most respected charity in British cycle sport: its tireless volunteers, influential supporters and shooting stars. The Foundation has helped more than 90 British riders turn professional. Phil and Tim, experienced guides in the labyrinthine world of domestic racing, provide an informed commentary. -
Lukas Nerurkar is one of a handful of young British riders who will graduate to the UCI WorldTour in 2024. The Brighton teenager is the son of the British Olympian Richard Nerurkar and spent the first seven years of his life in Ethiopia. Mount Entoto hosted his formative cycling experiences.
In June, Lukas won a stage of the Baby Giro, a prestigious U23 race featuring some of the mountain passes used by the Giro dâItalia. He also won the white jersey competition at the professional Gran Camino race, an event won by two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma).
Trinity Racing has aided Lukasâ path to the top as an under-23. The British-registered UCI Continental team offers its riders an early immersion into the lifestyle of a professional cyclist. Lukas shares a house in Girona with Trinity graduate and soon-to-be team-mate at EF Education-EasyPost, Ben Healey, the Irish champion.
In a revealing interview, Lukas describes his childhood in Ethiopia, growing up in a household accustomed to elite sporting success, his journey into cycling via the Preston Park club and VC Londres, and his decision to pursue a pathway to the top from overseas, rather than from the UKâs struggling domestic scene.
He offers insights into the value of a cycling education delivered by former British champions Pete Kennaugh and Ian Stannard, explains how he bounced back to win at the Baby Giro a day after his race derailed on the mighty Stelvio Pass, and discusses his continued evolution as a rider.
Timothy John, co-host of the Brother UK Cycling Podcast and the former editor of RoadCyclingUK.com and Rouleur.cc, leads an engaging conversation with Nerukrar, a talented and engaging young rider on the cusp of a bright future in road cyclingâs top tier. -
From wise heads to rising stars, this episode of the Brother UK Cycling Podcast includes reflections from inside British Cyclingâs domestic road racing Task Force and insights from Lukas Nerurkar, the 19-year-old from Brighton who next year will race in the UCI WorldTour with EF Education-EasyPost.
In a packed episode, co-hosts Timothy John and Phil Jones MBE, the Managing Director of Brother UK, hear too from the managers of Brother UKâs sponsored teams, and from Jos Ryan, mover-and-shaker in chief at The Rayner Foundation, as the rider charity moves closer to its annual dinner and auction in Leeds.
Additionally, Tiffany Keep, the 22-year-old South African whose career is developing at pace with Hutchinson-Brother UK, explains why Britainâs National Road Series is the perfect environment for a young female rider to develop, despite the structural and commercial challenges affecting the menâs scene.
Featuring a round-up of the 2023 National Road Series, a recap of the Brother UK-sponsored Tour of Britain, and a vital update from inside the Task Force, courtesy of Phil, this essential episode brings you up to speed with the latest developments in elite British road racing. -
Sustainability is a critical issue in every walk of life, from business to professional cycling. Major corporations and sports federations alike are committed to addressing issues such as waste and energy usage and implementing new protocols to measure and manage carbon footprint and environmental impact.
In this episode, Ben Barrett, the UCI's Sustainability Consultant, discusses in detail the response of the sport's world governing body to the climate emergency, such as introducing cycling's first dedicated Sustainability Impact Tracker for use by stakeholders, including professional teams and race organisers.
Ben describes the fundamental importance of consistent measurement to establish benchmarks against which progress can be measured. He offers insights into the value of process in reducing environmental impact and celebrates the bicycle as a tool of defiance against systems that lock communities into unsustainable practices.
While professional road racing's dependence on the support vehicles of the race convoy and other items of mobile infrastructure presents a significant challenge, Ben argues that the pelotonâs embrace of innovation and performance metrics to achieve sporting success leaves it uniquely well-positioned to adopt a data-driven approach to sustainability.
From time-trials raced on road bikes at the Tour Down Under, avoiding the travel impacts of transporting separate machines, to the use of mobile EV charging facilities at the Arctic Race of Norway, the sport is already demonstrating its ability to respond to the critical challenges presented by climate change, he argues.
As a member of the UN Sport for Climate Action Framework, the UCI has embraced the same tough targets as other leading sports federations: to halve carbon emissions by 2030 and to become net zero by 2040. Ben says that cycle sport, including its own flagship UCI WorldTours, cannot be exempt from a wider movement towards sustainable sport.
Enjoy this fascinating insight into how the most critical issue of our times affects a sport in which Brother UK is a valued partner. Twice a winner of the Queen's Award for Enterprise (Sustainable Development) and the recipient of a host of independent accreditations for environmental best practice, Brother UK is a credible sponsor of the green zones at the Tour of Britain and Women's Tour. -
This packed preview of the 2023 Brother UK-sponsored Tour of Britain takes you to the heart of Britainâs biggest bike race, as well as considering its economic and environmental context. Co-hosts Timothy John and Phil Jones MBE, the Managing Director of Brother UK, hear from a host of expert witnesses.
Connor Swift (INEOS Grenadiers) will start his sixth Tour of Britain on Sunday September 3. A âgraduateâ of the domestic scene, Connor has long experience of British roads. He shares insights gained from racing Britainâs national tour for teams at every level of professional racing and the national team, too.
Cycling is by no means immune from the depressed economic climate affecting every organisation in Britain, private or public. Race director Mick Bennett describes the various economic headwinds affecting the Tour of Britain. He explains why he and his team decided to hold this yearâs edition without a title sponsor.
Environmental issues are another external pressure shaping the sport. The UCI is the sportâs world governing body. It joined the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework three years ago. Ben Barrett, the UCIâs Sustainability Consultant, describes the sportâs need to change and adapt in the face of the climate emergency.
Brother UK will serve the Tour of Britain as presenting partner of the Green Zones for a second successive year. Phil explains Brotherâs purpose in supporting the raceâs sustainability initiatives. He describes how the companyâs award-winning environmental approach has aligned its business operations with the United Nationsâ Sustainable Development Goals.
Route Director Andy Hawes provides an inside line on the flattest Tour of Britain parcours for many years. Andy offers sporting insights on where the race might be won or lost. He reveals the best locations for spectators, too, with several stages offering multiple opportunities to watch the riders pass.
The Tour of Britain isnât the only stage race weâll be following in the first week of September. Both of our sponsored teams, Brother UK-Orientation Marketing and Hutchinson-Brother UK, will take part in the Ras na mBan, Irelandâs leading stage race for women. Team manager Mark Botteley describes its appeal. -
Who knows more about the Ryedale Grand Prix than 2022 winner Abi Smith (EF Education - Tibco - SVB)? Having grown up just two kilometres from historic Ampleforth Abbey, the race HQ and its start and finish location, itâs fair to say that Abi has local knowledge in abundance.
Not that she needs it. With victories in the three biggest domestic races and experience as a professional in some of the most prestigious races in the womenâs sport - Strade Bianche, the Womenâs Tour and Giro DonnĂ©, to name only three - Abi is a world-class talent who still finds satisfaction in racing on home roads when the opportunity is presented.
In this revealing interview, Abi describes experiencing the Ryedale Grand Prixâs âsmallâ circuit as a young child, before sheâd even heard of the race, practising on her bike with her brother. As the years passed and her infatuation with the sport grew, she attended the 2012 national championships on the Ryedale course and spent some of her time at the circuit gathering autographs.
Her insights into the specific demands of a race widely regarded as the hardest on the National Road Series calendar are well worth hearing. The importance of positioning, the ability to climb out of the saddle on its many testing ramps, and, as importantly, to recover from the effort in the short period before the next one are all key skills, she says.
Abi contrasts the effort with the long, seated climbs of the Giro Donné, ridden at threshold. She also compares the gruelling demands of Ryedale and the even greater challenge of the legendary Strade Bianche. She offers insights into the differing roles she adopts as a professional, riding in service of her team leaders and, effectively, as an independent rider competing on home roads.
Listen now to enjoy Abiâs conversation with co-host Timothy John as she prepares to return to top-tier competition following a knee injury suffered in early spring. The 2023 Ryedale Grand Prix, which she will start as defending champion, will tell us much about her recovery as she makes final preparations for the inaugural edition of the womenâs Tour de lâAvenir. - Laat meer zien
