Scottish Cycling Award Nominations

Scottish Cycling Award Nominations

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We're pleased to reveal the full list of shortlisted nominees for the Scottish Cycling Awards, which are set to take place on the 26th November.

After a thorough deliberation process, we have whittled down the nominees to three very deserving nominees per category.

Female Rider of the Year

Shortlisted for this award are:

  • Katie Archibald
  • Neah Evans
  • Anna Shackley

Katie Archibald claimed the inaugural UCI Track Champions League title last winter with back-to-back special performances. The tail end of last year also saw Archibald win the World Championship Omnium as well as three golds at the European Championships. Despite an injury-affected summer, the Scot was part of the Great Britian squad that claimed silver in the Team Pursuit at the World Championships in Versailles.

A fellow member of that Team Pursuit squad, Neah Evans' Birmingham 2022 Games was spectacular, winning three medals in the Individual Pursuit, Road Race and Points Race to become Scotland's most successful female cyclist at a single Games. The Road Race silver medal came in Evans' first road race in several years. The University of Glasgow student finished her excellent season by winning the coveted Rainbow Jersey in the Points Race in at the World Championships in Versailles.

Anna Shackley has gone from strength to strength in 2022 for Team SD Worx. As well as making the Team Scotland squad for Birmingham and supporting Evans to her Road Race silver, the Scot has consistently been strong on the Women's WorldTour. A seventh-place finish at the Ceraztizit Challenge by La Vuelta is the best-ever finish by a Scot in a Women's WorldTour race, and was followed by a 5th place in the Under 23 category at the World Championships in Wollongong.

Male Rider of the Year

Shortlisted for this award are:

  • Finn Crockett
  • Fin Graham
  • Oscar Onley

Finn Crockett's debut season as a UCI rider with the Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling squad saw him qualify for the Commonwealth Games at the final opportunity with an excellent victory at Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic, the UK’s premier one day race. The Highlanders' effort in the Road Race in Birmingham was nothing short of phenomenal, as after great teamwork he timed his sprint to perfection to come away with a well-deserved bronze medal - the medal that broke Scotland's cycling medal haul record at a single Commonwealth Games

It has been an exceptional season for Fin Graham; building on 2021's Tokyo success, the paracyclist enjoying an amazing year. Over the past 12 months he has become National, European and World Champion on the road. He also won the National jersey in the TT along with silver medals at European and World champs. Finally, on the boards in Versailles, the Strathpeffer man won three world titles in the Scratch Race, Individual Pursuit and Omnium, claiming a further silver against the clock in the Kilo.

Oscar Onley has had a breakthrough season on the road with the Development squad at Team DSM, claiming a fantastic victory at a stage of the U23 Valle d'Aosta. However, his promotion to the main WorldTour team in the late season saw the RACE National alumnus revel in some excellent aggressive racing at The Tour Of Britain before going toe-to-toe with Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard in an enthralling battle at the CRO.Race.


Braveheart Trophy

The Braveheart Trophy is awarded to the Breakthrough Rider of the Year, and the three shortlisted riders are:

  • Phoebe Gale
  • Aimi Kenyon
  • Kate Richardson

Downhill rider Phoebe Gale won three UCI World Cup events in her sophomore year as a Junior rider, the Scot who rides for Canyon Collective FMD built on her great 2021, and will no doubt look to improve even further in the Senior ranks next season.

Aimi Kenyon made her debut on the UCI Downhill World Cup this season as she stepped up to the Junior level. The former Black Isle Mountain Bike Club rider claimed an excellent third-place finish on the home slopes of Aonach Mor - and later bettered that result stateside in Snowshoe. Kenyon topped off her season with a fantastic fourth place at the World Championships in Les Gets - we cannot wait to see what 2023 brings.

Kate Richardson went from riding the track for the first time in December 2021, to riding for Great Britain in the Track Nations Cup in April. On the road, the Alba Development Road Team rider claimed the National Criterium Championship victory in Aberdeen just off the back of her dominant display in Ireland - winning every jersey at the Rás na mBan and becoming the second Scot in successive years to win the prestigious race.

Club of the Year presented by Digby Brown

  • Elgin Cycling Club
  • Falkirk Junior Bike Club
  • Glasgow Gals
  • Vanelli-Project GO

We received a range of great applications, but ultimately only so many clubs could make the shortlist – in fact we actually made an exception to our usual shortlist of three.

Elgin have enjoyed a fantastic 2022 and is truly welcoming and inclusive club that opens it’s arms to anyone. From those getting on a bike for the first time through to racers, there is something for everyone. Notably the club has a 50:50 gender split, putting a lot of work into attracting and retaining females. Such activity this year included women’s taster racing to help remove the barriers to getting into road racing. They hosted a number of other great events and continue to innovate and push the boundaries.

Falkirk JBC use cycling to improve people’s lives, be it children who have never owned a bike through the Rock Up & Ride scheme, to holiday hunger programmes in the Falkirk area – both of which encourage people to make cycling a lifelong habit and be part of their growing club. Running multiple sessions a week, the club is focused on young people, so much so that a large part of their coaching workforce are under 18s. Whilst participation is their biggest focus, they do still have a number of riders competing well at a national level, and they have also hosted multiple events across different disciplines this year, from grassroots to elite level.

Glasgow Gals encourage women to get on a bike, no matter their ability level, confidence level or prior experience. Covering the whole East End of Glasgow, the club work in partnership with Women on Wheels, Cycle Roots, Cycling Sistas and The Glasgow Women’s library to offer new cycling opportunities for women who are new to cycling, or may not have considered it before. Club rides and events can be both social and/or aimed at increasing activity levels, all aimed at having a positive impact on women’s mental and physical wellbeing.

Vanelli Project-Go has historically been known as a men’s race team, but this year they have pushed their boundaries and significantly enhanced the women’s racing scene in Scotland. Now with a 28 strong female section, the club have achieved racing success at a local and national level, inspiring others to give racing a try.

Peformance Coach of the Year

  • James McCallum
  • Sarah Rowe
  • Edd Shackley & Steven Moore (School Games)


One of the stalwarts of the Scottish Cycling community, James is a selfless, enthusiastic coach and supporter, who always wants the best for the riders he coaches, but also for everyone in the community. A former pro, who still races at a high level, Jimmy as he is known by many, has enjoyed a standout year, with notable successes being Finn Crockett’s Commonwealth Games Road Race medal, and Cameron Mason’s fifth place finish at the World Cyclo-Cross Championships. James is also a driving force behind The Cycling Academy, which provides a development environment for talented junior and U23 riders, who between them won multiple Scottish titles and medals this year in an array of different disciplines.

Following her transition from professional rider and Olympian to coach, it would be hard to look beyond Sarah as someone in the mix for this award. One of the driving forces behind Deeside Thistle CC, the largest club in the country, Sarah is leading the way as a female coach, working with a large group of athletes, a number of them female. Her groups success this season has been particularly impressive, with multiple British and Scottish champions and medallists across a range of disciplines. She also supports the Scottish Cycling RACE programme at various points in the year.

Edd and Steven managed and coached the track and road team at the 2022 School Games, building a brilliant team atmosphere, which led to phenomenal success. Both great coaches in their own right, at Glasgow Riderz and Stirling Bike Club respectively, they already give up hundreds of hours a week, but put on extra sessions in the lead up to the School Games – ultimately, this and some great tactics, saw them come away with the overall trophy. They also support the Scottish Cycling RACE programme at various points in the year.

 

Volunteer of the Year

Shortlisted for Vounteer of the Year are:

  • Matthew Ball
  • Colin Chisholm
  • Carol Thompson

A serial volunteer, Matt Ball is one of the founding members of West Lothian Clarion, and one of the visionaries behind the creation of the clubs youth section. He also spent many years as Club Secretary and Head Coach, before focusing his time and energy on championing the West Lothian Cycle Circuit, which after £1.25 million of funding, is now nearing completion. His energy and passion for the sport know no bounds, and he continues to coach and support riders and the club each and every day.

Commissaire extraordinaire, Colin Chisholm is well known for his officiating, but his volunteering spans many facets of our sport. A stalwart of the off-road scene in Scotland, Colin is also an event organiser, SCX committee member, coach and rider - it's hard to fathom how much he gives to the sport. He was recently crowned Community Champion of the Year for Sport and Recreation at the Cycling Champion Awards 2022.

A founding member of Glasgow Gals, Carol Thompson has driven club membership to over 150 members in five years, her voluntary efforts making the club a truly welcome and inclusive one for women of all abilities. A friendly, welcoming face, Carol inspires and encourages so many recreational cyclists across Glasgow.

Community Coach of the Year

  • Phillip Bertram
  • Andrea Pogson
  • Hubert Przychodzen

Philip, or Bertie as he is affectionately known, has led Annan Youth Cycling Club for many years, gives up his time freely to help ensure the club runs smoothly and continues to build and offer opportunities for young people. His cheery disposition and passion for cycling and working with young people is evident daily. Post COVID he has worked tirelessly to ensure sessions returned as soon as they could, whilst he also ran grassroots events that everyone was so desperate to be involved in. Everyone is made to feel so welcome by Bertie, who as a coach gives so many young people the opportunity to enjoy our wonderful sport.

Andrea has dedicated a lot of time and effort to helping Hawick CC and Gala CC set up dedicated women’s parts of their clubs, coaching regular sessions focused on improving both skills and confidence. In fact Andrea is passionate about all things cycling, particularly in helping to develop others, with a primary goal of ensuring they enjoy riding their bike. A former elite rider herself, as well as coaching, Andrea also gives back a lot of time as a Breeze Champion, leading both on and off-road rides and is about to hit her 100th ride.

Hubert is a young coach who makes a significant contribution to the work that Falkirk Junior Bike Club does in the community. Despite being just 16, he secured his Level 1 Coaching qualification at the age of 14. Hubert is a key deliverer of community activity, delivering within the club’s Rock Up and Ride and Community Holiday Hunger programme sessions. His commitment goes beyond just the core delivery within the sessions, though, often going down to the club container hours in advance to build and check bikes. He has also volunteered to support the delivery of RACE National CX coaching sessions. Hubert has taught countless individuals how to ride their bikes for the first time, whilst many appreciate his infectiously positive personality and can-do attitude.

Event of the Year

  • Scottish National Criterium Championships & Aberdeen Cycling Festival
  • Cycle Speedway Home International
  • British National CX Trophy - Falkirk

Held the day before the Tour of Britain Grand Depart in Aberdeen, the Scottish National Circuit Champs saw the centre of the Granite City taken over for a day of exciting elite criterium racing. With large crowds in the city centre and very enthralling finishes to many of the races, it was an event organised to a sterling standard, with local clubs provided a brilliant opportunity to set up in the City Centre.

The Cycle Speedway Home International was hosted by Fife Cycle Speedway for the first time in a decade. It was significant for the club as it recognised all the good work and progress that has been made by the club since its establishment in 2016. The event showcased the best riders in the UK participating across four categories - Women, Juniors, Veterans and Seniors. This was evident as the track record was broken four times on the day in front of 300 spectators. The club has gone from strength to strength with increased sponsorship and membership in the period since.

Taking place over two days, Falkirk Junior Bike Club hosted the best of cyclocross racing from across the UK and Ireland. Working in partnership with the Local Authority, the club delivered the biggest-ever field for a Scottish series round, with over 700 riders racing over the weekend. There was also Go-Ride Racing for Under 8s-12s under floodlights, which wasn’t included in the main event's schedule, receiving over 130 entrants.

 

Recreational Cycling Award

Shortlisted for the Recreational Cycling Award are:

  • Pauline Capaldi
  • Graham McCallum
  • Kirsteen Ross
A Breeze Network Scotland Champion since 2018, Pauline Capaldi has led over 150 rides and dedicates a lot of personal time and energy to supporting women to cycle. Pauline works hard to promote Breeze and her rides via the Breeze Scotland social media pages. Her rides are incredibly popular because of their regularity and wonderful and encouraging nature, making cycling a safe, enjoyable and sociable experience for women who are nervous about getting started on a bike. Not done there, Pauline is also a member of our Women’s Development Group, which aims to encourage more women into the sport.
 
Since attending his first Scottish Guided Rides Ride as a participant two years ago, Graham McCallum has become a powerful advocate for cycling in his local Burnside community. Despite the pandemic slowing progress, he became a Ride Leader in October 2021 and has since built a group of men and women, who did not cycle much beforehand, boosting their fitness and confidence through his Guided Rides – some of his rides also include children as well. In just two years, Graham has led an astonishing 152 rides, 50 as a Guided Ride leader in the past 12 months, engaging with over 600 participants.

Kirsteen Ross champions female cycling in the Kinross area by creating Breeze and women’s only club rides, and making sure everyone, no matter their ability, feels welcome. Constantly growing the numbers on her rides and encouraging people to go that bit further of faster, Kirsteen is an inspirational figure, who has also recruited a number of other females who have gone on to become Breeze Champions. She has also driven up the number of female members of Kinross CC, using Breeze as the perfect platform to facilitate this.

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