Dave Rayner Fund alumni — James Shaw
The most recent success of the Fund is James Shaw who rose to the elite level of cycling after two years of support. Even though he is very happy with his progress, Shaw looks back on his days on the fund with great appreciation: “I don’t know if it’s the best cycling years I’ve ever had but it was certainly up there. I’ve met some fantastic people being an amateur in Belgium with the Rayner fund, and I kind of miss it,” he says.
Having been on the fund for 2015 and 2016 when riding for Lotto-soudal under-23 team, Shaw last year shared the Rider of the Year award with current Sky rider Tao Geoghegan Hart.
“Each year they give the award to the rider who has progressed the most. I think it’s great because it’s not always about who gets a professional contract and who doesn’t. Often a lot of guys will find themselves in that year and go from being an average club rider to finding their feet with two or three wins. It may not be the highest level but they experience something unique by moving to a different country, living the life and meeting people from different cultures,” he says.
This chance to race and live abroad is one of the key aspects Shaw believes young riders should embrace.
“If you go to Belgium you get one experience, if you go to France you’ll have a completely different encounter, and if you go to Italy you’ll get something unique again,” Shaw explains. “The fund gives you that worldwide option. If you wanted to go and race in a remote corner of Kazakhstan and can prove it’s not just a jolly, then the Fund’s support is there.”
Looking ahead to the 2018 season, Shaw is keen to get stuck into racing after a year of learning the ins and outs of the Worldtour. Despite not having a confirmed race schedule lined up there are a few races he has his eye on to progress his talents onto the next level.
“I did a good range of races this year, from Het Nieuwsblad to the Dauphiné, which was one extreme to the other. I’m pretty keen to ride more climbing stage races than the one-day Classics, but we’ll see what happens.”