Swift Racing Team Launch
National Boat Caravan & Outdoor Show
NEC 23rd Feb 08
Report & Images: Richard Robotham
Finding their sea legs, the team try out one of the boats at the show
Saturday 23 Feb 2008 saw the launch of the Swift Racing Team which was formed when the Global Racing Team secured a major sponsorship deal with the Swift Group who coach build Motorhomes. The main aim of the new sponsorship of the Team is to support as well encourage up and coming talented Riders who are at the stage of their racing careers where they need further encouragement and motivation to keep them in the Sport of Cycling.
The team line-up in front of the team's Swift mobile home
The sponsorship deal will enable Swift Racing to set high standards of Training and Racing both at home and at European level. The Team will further the careers of the Riders with their sight set firmly on the Olympics in London 2012 and the following Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014. Swift Racing currently has a talented team of Riders with wealth of experience which can be tapped by the Riders entering into the Sponsorship Initiative.
Riders like: Helen Wyman current National Cyclo Cross Champion who has raced on the continent for several years and has represented GB during World Cups and World Championships. Emma Davies Jones who competed for GB at two Olympics Games and the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and Melbourne, Emma has taken National Championship Glory in the Points Race and Pursuit; she also won podium places at World Cup events.
One of the newest Riders within Swift Racing is Alice Monger Godfrey who was 3rd in the U23's National Road Race Championship in 2007 and she also won the National Road Race Series as a Junior. Also in the Team is Ireland's Louise Moriarty who won the last two National Time Trial Championships, she also won medals in the last three National Road Race Championship and won the GP Tielt-Winge in 2007.
Right - Alice Monger Godfrey & Sarah Reynolds on the Climbing wall at the show
Speaking at the team launch at the National Boat and Caravan Show at the NEC, Team Manager Stefan Wyman said:
For us the new sponsorship is invaluable. To start with we've been doing things as best we can over the last few years. We've put ourselves into a great position in Women's Cycling and were very well respected and now the backing from Swift Group allows us to move things forward by many steps and we can bring into play the things needed to take the team to the very top.
We are looking at a very varied program of events for the Team. We have Juniors in the UK as well as many Senior Riders like Emma Davies Jones and Toni Bradshaw from New Zealand. Our program goes from the National Cup Races in England and National Cup races Belgium and Holland up to World Cup racing. Our second European Cup race of the season is in Italy which is the first round in Europe. We currently have 3 Riders riding a tour in Australia so we have a very wide program which should cater for all abilities.
One of the main objectives for me over the next couple of years is to show British female Riders that there is a legitimate alternative to the British Cycling plan: it has some of the best Managers and Staff but not everybody suits that plan. We've got backing from Swift for the at least the next 5 years so we have backing up to and beyond the London Olympics. We've got Riders aged from 16 to 29 on our team at the moment, so we are looking to build a team for the future. The 16 year old on our team is Sarah Reynolds who is an outstanding young Junior and Alice Monger Godfrey who is only 18. I envisage these Riders being on the team long term.
I am certainly committed to do what I am doing for a very long time, its where I see my future I think 2012 is perfect for us with the backing we've got the foundations of something that's very long lasting. Immediately after the 2012 we've got the Commonwealth games in 2014 in Scotland, which is fantastic in terms of sponsorship in the UK.
We are based in the middle of Belgium and logistically means all the top pro races on the road are within an hour and half journey. Other teams have to travel from the UK, or Italy or Spain, it takes its toll on the budget and on the Riders and staff, over a season. Where we are based we are able to keep everyone motivated and keen right to the end of the season which is also good for the sponsor as it reduces costs in the long run. The most important thing for us is that people keep looking at us as a team that they would like to join, including Riders of all ages in Britain. We are very committed to British Riders and giving them a route into our sport.
We are predominantly a Road Team, we are registered as a Pro RT and we are quite unique in the fact that we also have a Cylco Cross Team. Some of the Dutch & British girls ride the track. There is an increasing 6 day scene for women, who has come on over the winter and we have invitations to ride the 6 days with the team so we'll ride pretty much the whole season."
The team's best known rider in the UK is Helen Wyman. She spelled out her vision for the team and her own ambitions:
"Swift Group are committed for the next five years, so that's really good with stability we can develop Riders from a younger age and we know that we can carry them through for the next four to five years.
My goals for this season are to do well in the stage races particularly my ambitions lie a lot with Cyclo-Cross next from September. I am planning to do a full season from September to February whereas this year I started in October and finished in January. I'm living in Belgium and I will be concentrating on European races as there are no UCI races in Britain in Cyclo Cross. It's very important to have a high UCI standing because if you are in the first 8 then you're on the first row. So my ambition is to win more Cyclo Cross races and really concentrate and do well and have a good Worlds and continue after the Worlds as there is a very good series in Belgium the GVA series where there is good money to be won to help maintain what we do.
The team is aiming for the 2012 Olympics because most of the team will be eligible to ride them and the ambitions for the team to get Riders together to ride as team no matter whether it's a World Championship or National Series in Britain they will ride together and results will come, you can have 6 of the best Riders in world but wont get results but if you get 6 Riders working as a team you'll get the best results in the World and that's what's important to me."
Gabby Day (pictured), another rider well-know to GB fans, has similar plans to Helen for her season:
"This is only my second season riding in Belgium so I'm still getting used to it as well. When I first started there were a lot of Riders more experienced than me who helped me a lot so I can pass on what I have learned.
My main aim is the Cyclo Cross so I use the road a lot to help me with Cyclo Cross, I will ride the national UK series but the main aim is Cyclo Cross next year ideally I want to be top 10 consistently in World Cups and a World Champion at some point."
The team's youngest rider is Sarah Reynolds:
"It's a really good opportunity for me because being so young I can gain valuable experience from them and they are involving me. All the girls are great as a Team. Ultimately I want to be World Road Champion and road based team will help me get there. There is so much experience to gain from this Team which to me is awesome. I am still in full time education so I will try to get to race in Belgium when I can. London 2012 and Glasgow 2014 would be good for me because of being at home so fingers crossed."
TEAM LAUNCH OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
Global Racing Team are pleased to announce a major sponsorship partnership with Swift Group which will fund a significant new initiative to find and train top riders from the UK in the build up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Swift is basing the sponsorship around it's market leading ranges of Bessacarr, Ace and Swift of coachbuilt motorhomes, and has committed to a long term sponsorship package that will see the Global name change to Swift Racing from 1 January 2008.
The sponsorship will open a new route to young riders wanting to reach the top and hopefully be able to compete for a medal for Britain. The team behind the venture, Global Racing, has been established for three years and has already gained a good reputation in Europe since becoming the first ever British women's professional team in 2006.
Under manager Stefan Wyman, 2007 has seen the women professional team undertake an impressive race programme including the Tour of Flanders, Tour de L'aude and Het Volk. 2008 will see the team use the UK National Series to help develop its youngest riders, whilst also giving them the opportunity to race against the world's best in Europe.
In 2007, the team has worked alongside British Cycling with it's under 23 academy riders where it has gained experience of working with riders balancing the cycling and studying demands of young riders. Swift Racing will provide another path for those talented riders who do not fit the profile of other programs available to riders from the UK.
"One of the major differences in this programme is that we will constantly be reviewing new talent and feeding riders into the team on a phased basis so that we can give as many people as possible the chance to make it to the top of the sport," Manager Stefan Wyman commented.
"British Cycling is doing a great job to take its selected riders forward and provide them with opportunities to succeed. We intend to continue to allow other riders to have an alternative route in cycling."
Swift Racing has resigned several leading riders for 2008 including Helen Wyman, Louise Moriarty and Debby van den Berg. Olympic rider Toni Bradshaw joins them along with Commonwealth Games Medallist Emma Davies Jones.
The most recent addition to the squad is Alice Monger-Godfrey, one of the most exiting talents of 2007. With a bronze medal in the national under 23 championships, she went on to win the National Road Race Series whilst still a junior.
Swift Racing will announce how young riders can apply to join the squad shortly, but Manager Wyman assured prospective candidates that anyone with real potential will be considered.
Swift Group Chairman, Peter Smith, explained why the company is making this major investment in British cycling.
"Cycling is one of the most popular sports in the UK but probably one of the most under funded. British Cycling does a great job, but clearly focuses on the cream of British cyclists. Quite often the best stars take time to develop and the main aim of this sponsorship is to provide Swift Racing with enough support to enable Stefan and his organisation to spread the net a little wider and help more youngsters achieve the dream of riding for their country and hopefully go on to win a medal in the London games."
The Swift Group also sponsor amateur time trial specialists, Team Swift, who are based in Yorkshire, and have won both the National 100 mile Championship and 12 Hour National Championship this year.
2008 Riders
Emma Davies Jones UK
Alice Monger-Godfrey UK
Gabby Day UK
Helen Wyman UK
Louise Moriarty Ireland
Jenny Fay Ireland
Toni Bradshaw New Zealand
Marina Duvnjak New Zealand
Ine Beyen Belgium
Lien Beyen Belgium
Debby van den Berg Holland
Sigrid Jochems Holland
Sarah Reynolds UK Junior
2008 Race Program (Selected Major Events)
16 March Het Volk (Belgium)
6 April Tour of Flanders (Belgium)
23 April Fleche Wallone (Belgium)
27 April Cheshire Classic (UK)
11 May Olverston Road Race (UK)
16 May Tour de L'aude (France)
7 June Omloop Humsterland
19 June Ster Eilanden
2 July GP Gerrie Knetemann
16 July Tour of Brittany
1 August World Cup Sweden TTT
3 August World Cup Sweden
10 August Holland Hills
24 August GP Plouay
Websites
www.teamswiftracing.com
www.swiftleisure.co.uk
www.gabbyday.com
www.helenwyman.com
www.emmadaviesjones.co.uk
