Team Halfords-Bikehut Launched

 

January 9, 2007; London

Links: Carlton Reid's press conference Video | MP3 Podcast | iTunes Podcast

 

High street giant Halfords has announced that it will sponsor an entirely British professional cycling team. World Champion Nicole Cooke (pictured right) will lead the squad with the goal of giving her and the team the ideal performance environment, sufficient support, focus and UK based training to put them in top contention for a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Rob Hayles (front left) and Nicole Cooke (Front right) head up the team at the launch event

 

The team, to be called Team Halfords Bikehut, will consist of 10 women riders but will also be supplemented by two top male riders Rob Hayles (double World Champion in 2005)  and Tom Southam (former Great Britain rider), who will ride a full domestic season of British Cycling Premier Calender and Elite Circuit Series road race events in the new team colours.

 

At the launch, in the Mappin Pavilion -- a beautiful Grade II listed building next to Bear Mountain at London Zoo overlooking Regent’s Park, Dave Brailsford  (performance director of the Great Britain Cycling Team) spoke about his role taking the reins as general manager.

 

Dave Brailsford explains how the team works together with Team GB to the assembled media.

 

He said: “Being able to work with a British Company on a project such as this in the run up to the Beijing Olympic Games presents not only the perfect performance environment for Nicole Cooke and her team mates but is also a fantastic commercial opportunity for British Cycling to work with a company whose heritage in the sport and accessibility in the British market will enable us to grow what we hope will be a successful and productive partnership in years to come.”

 

Nicole, who went to Beijing in early December to ride the Olympic course on her new Boardman bike is just as excited about the opportunity. “It’s absolutely fantastic. This will be the first ever British professional women’s team and I believe it’s the biggest step forward in women’s sport in this country for many, many years.”

 

The unique deal between British Cycling and the UK’s leading cycle retailer will see the team riding bikes designed by Olympic champion Chris Boardman MBE. The range of bikes were launched last year in a joint venture between Halfords and

 

Boardman and the team will ride the bikes which are already on sale in Halfords Bikehut stores around the UK. Halfords chief executive, Ian McLeod said: “This is a brilliant opportunity to support our key athletes in their preparation for the Beijing Olympics and to field a world class all British team riding on the international circuit. The partnership with British Cycling is also key in reinforcing Halfords’ reputation as a credible retailer for enthusiast cyclists. We have been working with Chris Boardman over the last three years to develop his range of bikes, bringing them to the market in 2007. The fact that they have been chosen by the team is the highest accolade for the quality of the product.”

 

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Left to right: Chris Boardman, Julian Winn (Director sportif), Dave Brailsford (Manager), Jess Allen, Rob Hayles, Nicole Cooke, Emma Trott and Joanna Rowsell.

Designed By An Olympian, Ridden By Olympians

The Boardman Road bike has been chosen as the kit of choice for Team Halfords Bikehut in the 2008/9 season. Team Halfords Bikehut Team members, including Team Leader Nicole Cooke will ride the Road PRO model in all competitive events throughout the 2008 season. The team will be training on the Road TEAM specification. Designed and developed by Chris Boardman MBE, the full range covers road, mountain and performance hybrid cycles.

 

Built on an Olympic Champion’s vision, with the latest materials and technology, the Boardman range of performance bikes is available exclusively through Bikehut at Halfords. With prices ranging from £400 to £1400, the bikes are accessible to a wide range of cyclists, enabling them to ride the same Olympic machines as the Team Halfords Bikehut athletes. The Boardman Road PRO features an ultra light frame with carbon rear stays, carbon monocoque fork, Dura-ace gearing, carbon brake calipers, Truvativ carbon chainset and a full Ritchey WCS finishing kit and wheelset. It retails at £1,399.99.

 

Components for the Boardman bikes...

 

The Boardman Road TEAM features an ultra light triple butted race spec frame, carbon fibre moncoque front fork, Shimano Ultegra gearing, Tektro R740 brake calipers, Truvativ Rouleur GXP chainset and a Ritchey Pro wheelset and finishing kit, retailing at £899.99. Dave Brailsford, performance director for the Great Britain Cycling Team, said: “The equipment for the team is incredibly important, and the Boardman bike delivers the highest levels of performance and quality. It’s a great endorsement of the product by the team and they are all very excited. Nicole Cooke has already ridden her bike on the Beijing Olympic course and is extremely happy with the way it performed.”

 

Paul McClenaghan, trading director, Halfords, said: “Launched last year, the Boardman range has already proven to be very successful for us. We are extremely proud that the team has chosen to ride the bikes and could well win Olympic medals on them.” Each discipline within the range is available in COMP, TEAM and PRO versions amounting to nine different models and 30 different bikes.

 

On the link up between him and Halfords last June, Chris Boardman says on Halford's company website "I've always been involved with every element of my professional cycling career right through to the bikes and equipment I used. I had the idea and desire to create a range of bikes to cover all disciplines and be available to a wide spectrum of cyclists. The partnership with Halfords is the perfect fit. As well as investing heavily in premium cycling brands they also have a nationwide store network to ensure the bikes will be really accessible to customers."

 

At least three TV cameras were there to talk and film the riders.

 

Three of the young riders, Jessica Allen, Joanna Rowsell and Emma Trott.

 

Team Riders (Halfords Team Rider Profiles)

Nicole Cooke
Catherine Hare
Tanja Slater
Wendy Houvenagel
Joanna Rowsell
Lizzie Armistead
Katie Curtis
Emma Trott
Jessica Allen
Katie Colclough

 

Rob Hayles
Tom Southam