BAILE HOMES LOVE TO SUPPORT CYCLING
With so many keen cyclists working at Yorkshire based Baile Homes it seemed a natural fit to become a supporting sponsor of a cycling team.
We chose Cycling Sheffield, because they are Yorkshire based too, because of their ethos and approach and because one of our directors, Rob Hudson, knows the founder and team manager, Dave Coulson. Rob and Dave go way back, racing together in the 1980’s and 90’s at the Beighton Wheelers cycling club in Sheffield. Dave had the ability to pursue a career in cycling, whereas Rob’s talent level meant he was best suited to be an avid fan of the professionals and a regular club level rider in his leisure time, but the pair have kept in touch for over 30 years.
When Dave retired from racing, he wanted to pass on his expertise to other, younger riders so he set up what has now become Cycling Sheffield. The team look to support and develop the young riders making their first steps into senior level racing and are therefore predominately riders between the ages of 18 and 23. Through sponsorship the team can support the riders with Team Bikes, Racing Kit and even a Support Car, to supplement the guidance on training and nutrition, provided by Dave as team manager and coach. From his years of racing experience, Dave is able to select races throughout the year in both the UK and abroad that are best suited to the team and the riders’ individual talents. But this can only be delivered with the funding that comes the sponsorship provided by Baile Homes and the other partners, whose names are emblazoned on the team car and rider’s kit.
Dave has every right to be proud of the Team’s success and the pathway it creates for riders to show their full potential, take a look at Connor Swift – National Road Champion and Tour de France Rider
But Cycling Sheffield is not just focused on its racing team and finding the stars of the future from the Yorkshire region. Its ethos is firmly based on promoting all aspect of cycling for, a healthy lifestyle, making friends, travel sustainability and creating a positive mental attitude. There has been much publicity about the benefits of sport and physical activity, particularly around mental wellbeing. Cycling certainly offers all that and more.
Cycling Sheffield are also involved with British Cycling and their Go Ride initiative. Go Ride aims to introduce young riders to cycling as a sport and the program is delivered by British Cycling Affiliated clubs and their volunteer coaches. The cycling community can always be relied upon to get involved; most riders are quite evangelical about the sport!
Rob as a club rider, for example, is not only linked with Cycling Sheffield, he also volunteers as a coach at Wakefield’s Calder Clarion Cycling Club. Calder Clarion have been running Go Ride since 2012, organising events on traffic free routes to build the confidence of riders and learn vital skills for all aspects of cycle racing. In fact, the sessions they run at Thomas – a – Becket school proved to be so successful that the head teacher (a cyclist too they are everywhere) secured funding from British Cycling to support the construction of a road circuit in the school grounds, which is now used every week by Go Ride and the wider cycling community.
Although the Go Ride coaches will tell you, it’s not all about finding the medal winners of the future, plenty of kids come along just to enjoy the ride.
We spotted an opportunity to bring all our contacts together and get Cycling Sheffield involved in a Calder Clarion Go Ride event. We helped to deliver an evening session: The riders were split into 3 ability-based groups for the first hour and it was fantastic to see the Cycling Sheffield riders participating in each group to share their experience and skills which added value to the sessions. Dave was also there with the team car which along with the riders being in their full Cycling Sheffield team kit and riding their team bikes gave a real professional feel to the night.
The Baile Homes team also got fully involved Rob was there in a coaching capacity and site manager Jason Albrecht joined in with the second hour, where the more experienced riders stay on for a more intense session, noting the high level of talent coming through the Go Ride club riders. Mike Williamson our development manager, who is also a keen cyclist was unable to ride on the night but came along to offer vocal support from the side lines.
This event certainly won’t be the last one we support – we’re committed to sponsoring Cycling Sheffield and our staff continue to lend their knowledge to local clubs and riders.
For more info on Cycling Sheffield: www.cyclingsheffield.com