Great Season for Sport Beans-Wilier RT

December 04, 2008

Source: Clive Richardson – Team Sport Beans UK

Sport Beans - Wilier were a brand new Elite Road Cycling Team in the UK in 2008 and went out with a stated objective to aim high and compete in the Elite Races including the Premier Calendar Series and the Elite National Circuit Race Series.

With an experienced nucleus of reigning National Veterans Champion Ben Luckwell and consummate pro Grant Bayton, strategy and know-how were beyond doubt. Joining them were Marcin Bialoblocki and Billy-Joe Whenman who at the time were both emerging stars and they combined with talented riders Marc Perry (pictured right), Dave Coulson and Mark Thwaites.

After an exciting launch at the London Eye attended by top Jelly Belly management from the US and several big names from the world of UK cycling, Sport Beans-Wilier hit the ground running. By mid-April the team had no less than 3 top-10 places in Premier Calendar events, getting good mentions on TV from Eurosport/Cycling.tv commentators, two of whom attended the launch. Billy-Joe Whenman took a magnificent first place in the Dengie Marshes Tour, 'The Hell of the East', on muddy farm tracks and rural roads, where he was in his element with his background in MTB.

Ben Luckwell celebrates Marcin's victory.

By mid-season, the team were lying 4th in the National Team Rankings. Marcin was positioned 6th in the National Individual Rider Rankings and Ben was 9th - a truly magnificent effort. Marcin proved to be the revelation of the team, seemingly able to get a top-10 placing in every Premier Calendar event throughout the season.

Ben had bad luck with sudden illness preventing an almost certain successful defence of his National Vets' title in September, but his guiding hand in the big races proved invaluable and a high placing in the Individual Rankings proved that he is still a class rider. Grant Bayton's style is non-stop attacking and he flew the team’s flag large over the roads of England.

Marcin finished the year in fourth place in the National Rankings and the team was placed a very creditable 9th in the National Team Rankings. Billy-Joe finished off a wonderful year personally and for the team, by winning the GP of London against a class field and in front of tens of thousands of spectators in the centre of our capital city on the opening day of the Tour of Britain (photo below).

The 2009 Season
For 2009, Sport Beans Wilier have retained Ben, Grant, Marcin and Billy-Joe who will be joined by three powerful new riders. Will Bjergfelt, a phenomenally strong rider from Mountain Biking who will cause a big stir when he gets his road head on; Richard Wilkinson, who finished the 2007 Premier Calendar in 8th place, and Mark Perry, who has been an Elite rider for three years and is very motivated for his big chance in such fine company.

With no fewer that four truly “big guns”, Sport Beans Wilier can look forward to making a very big impression in 2009. The team is particularly looking forward to supporting Billy-Joe, who by any standards is genuine prospect for the London Olympics in 2012 – and still just 20 years of age.

Throughout 2008, Sport Beans - Wilier's profile has been high. Coverage of the team and race participation has meant almost continual on-line exposure as well as extensive TV coverage of the Premier Calendar. Cycling Weekly also featured the team riders in several articles. Sponsors of Sport Beans-Wilier will be well satisfied with this extensive PR payback. These included Sport Beans UK importers Best Imports, ATB-Sales distributors of Wilier bikes UK, Red Planet Bikes of Swindon who supplied the helmets and shoes, Champion Systems the supplier of the kit and Schwalbe tyres and tubes from Bohle UK.