British Cycling launches professional track team

9 comments
By Neil Pedoe, Cycling Plus | Thursday, Oct 30, 2008 10.04am

British Cycling and Sky Sports have unveiled the new Sky+HD Trade Team kit and the track cyclists that will wear it. 

The team will be made up of Beijing Olympic Games heroes Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton, Shanaze Reade, Jamie Staff, Ross Edgar and Jason Kenny. The striking new skinsuits, which give the team a comic book superheroesque flavour, will be seen in competition for the first time in this weekend's UCI World Cup at the Manchester velodrome.

Only four of the six riders will join the rest of the British Cycling squad to secure qualifying points for the World Championships in Poland next March. Hoy will rest his legs for a Six Day event next week, and Reade will attend other cycling commitments.

The jet black suits designed by Sky and Team GB kit suppliers Adidas seem to have taken a leaf out of Italian legend Mario Cipollini's style book, with electric blue muscle tissue graphics in flashes down the sides and backs of the suits. Thankfully, the British team kit does not aim for the same anatomical colour or detail as Cipollini's famous attention-seeking skinsuit.

The new squad within-a-squad seems to like the new kit. "At least it's breathable, unlike that kit we wore in Beijing," said team sprint lead out man Jamie Staff. "But we can't wear that anymore because I think it's been shredded!"

While the British team was already one of the best supported squads in the world, Sky's sponsorship means that top athletes can now train, race and be paid like the professional cyclists they are ­ without having to leave the British Cycling fold."

"Put it this way, it means my cycling can properly support my family now. It's not a football salary ­ but I can pay the mortgage and the bills and put food on the table," said Staff. "At least now the backing's there to make a career of track cycling.

British Cycling Performance Director David Brailsford, who set up the Sky deal said, "Cycling's at an all-time high in the UK, and this partnership with Sky will really help the sport go from strength to strength, from the grass roots entry points up to the highest levels." He knows that having a digital television company on board means more exposure for his sport, which will in turn lead to more commercial opportunities.

It's still early days, but the new trade team, which appears to be more a sponsored section of the GB squad than an independent racing team, is an important step in Brailsford's master plan, where elite cycling of all kinds will needed funding for success ­ be it Olympic medals or Tour de France stage wins.

But British Cycling won't just use the money to pay its trade team or even just to fund the academy and development programs, although Olympic team sprint gold medal winner Jason Kenny is ongoing proof of the success of that program. It will also put the money into leisure riding.

Brailsford's job might be only about elite sport but the Sky deal he has brokered will bring, and has already brought, funding to non-competitive areas of cycling too. ­This summer's 55,000 strong London Freewheel mass participation was the first proof of that commitment.

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User Comments

There are 9 comments on this post

Showing 1 - 9 of 9 comments

  • Gutted theres no room in Vicky's suit for me....

  • Sometimes capitalism can be good....lookin great,. and Vicky u can come for tea any day of the week....fishfinger sarnies...mmmm

  • do they have to look quite so unhappy? ;)

  • alternatively people could recognise Vicky for the professional athlete that she is and not a sex object that she seems to be reffered to as - shes on those pictures to promote her team and the sport of track cycling. If she had taken part in a photoshoot for the sole purpose of satisfying middle aged mens fantasies then she wouldnt be riding a bike - buy the sun to satisfy your needs - dont drag professional female cyclists down with you.

  • Great news and certainly a step in the right direction,the skinsuit looks amazing. Just wonder if it will be available to the general public, or is it only for the team. Good luck Ademort

  • to Bigmiksears,

    this country is being destroyed by PC bullshit like yours, whats your problem, the girl is highly talented and also pretty so if that helps her pension after a relatively shortish pro career, good on here. I dont hear tennis fans complaining about the ladies in short nike skirts that play tennis, or golfers etc. Seems you have a hang up with lycra.

    There are millions of David Beckham tops worn by girls all around the planet, and a few thousand more now that there will be an AC Milan version no doubt, so get a reality check you sad person.

    I hope Vicki ends up a multimillionaire like Paula Radcliffe cos she whole heartedly deserves it, go back to your squat with your trotskyite newspapers.

  • @ - Red

    How you judge me based on one comment - i personally think its a distinct lack of respect for women and the more times people make such comments the less talented female sports athletes are recognised for their sucess and the more they are viewed as sex objects. It has nothing to do with my views on the political correctness of this nation as it is one isolated view that i have. I dont see any women making comments on chris hoys appearance in lycra or any men for that matter - an i bet if there was a singular picture of hoy in such an outfit and a singular picture of Pendleton placed in a newspaper then Hoys picture would be coupled with an article relating to his career achievements and pendletons would be focused on her appearance in the picture. Look at the back of any newspaper - 90% is mens sport all coupled with pictures of them in action shots showing power and determination - a loving of there sport. You see a female sports person, such as your tennis example, and they are immediately sexualised.

    Its funny that as soon as a 19yr old male goes against what is seen as a social norm you get such a response - its not political correctness - its a show of respect that i can see her for the cyclist that she is - not the sex object that she seems to be viewed as. I just think its un-neccesary and pig-like for males to view her in such a way - yes shes pretty but at the end of the day - she isnt stood in those pictures because of that.

    Maybe you could be more polite in your next response - i can appreciate a response using correct english without being cursed - maybe more people would listen to your views aswel.

    Good day

  • Sorry, but I'm with RedAende on this one. Good mornin'

  • I must say Victoria looks good in that Skinsuit, phwwooar. :0

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