Testing, training, teamwork and fun
How the Ribble Weldtite team has stuck together through 2020
2 020 has been one of cycling’s most challenging years, so how has one team, working on a tight budget with a bunch of British riders who mostly work or study, come out of the last six months with motivation in abundance? “We like to try and do things a bit differently,” said Ribble Weldtite head of sport Jack Rees. “They love riding their bikes, but the guys have been out discovering routes and doing some big gravel rides, and we’ve been using Zwift events and Strava segments as extra motivation.” Having started their season with a lastminute call-up to the inaugural Saudi Tour, where they mixed it with the Worldtour teams, Rees and his riders quickly reassessed their options when racing stopped. “We took the time to solidify what our riders are good at, with a lot of time devoted to getting things we can control right. “Our internal ‘project speed’ has seen our TT specialists working hard at aero testing as soon as the local outdoor track opened, and our road specialists have been getting in the miles in case racing returns. We wanted to replicate the training volume this year so no one would be impacted physically, and also make sure riders would be ready to transition into race fitness when the time came. We’ve also made sure to keep things interesting.” Key to motivation was riders setting themselves a mad challenge every 10 days or so. It gave them something to focus on, like a race would have done in a normal season. “We’ve got a really active Facebook group where someone would come up with an idea.” The challenges included a 200km ride on Zwift, a big point-to-point ride and discovering more gravel and off-road routes. Jacob Tipper even considered doing a triathlon before discovering he couldn’t run without injuring himself. With a fan base looking for inspiration
and ideas, Ribble Weldtite were able to capture the imagination of many with their approach, something they found refreshing. “Rather than just focus on the next big race, we were able to spend a bit more time planning and have a bit more fun with these other challenges.” Rees said. “We weren’t forcing anyone to do it, they were just enjoying themselves riding their bikes.” The approach has reinforced a plan to run an alternative calendar, like the EF Education First team, albeit on a smaller scale, with the Dirty Reiver and mountain bike national championships on the 2021 planner. So while some companies might be rethinking their involvement in the sport, all the team’s partners are committed long term. “The team are great to work with and their value stretches way beyond their ability to win races across multiple disciplines. The engagement we get through the creative content from their exploits, personalities and experiences as pro athletes and riders is just as important. They are brand ambassadors and test pilots putting our product through its paces and providing valuable R&D feedback and insight,” said Andy Smallwood, CEO of Ribble Cycles. But there are still results to be chased. Expect John Archibald and Dan Bigham to be near, if not at, the top of the podium for the national 10 and 25 this year. Then there’s 2021 and the plan to continue the team’s growth and earn selection for the Tour of Britain. “We want to provide a platform that gets the best out of our riders,” Rees says. “We’ve got a core group that we’ve built up over time and we’ll remain committed to developing their maximum potential.”