The cycling charity, the Rayner Foundation, has announced its roster of supported riders for the 2023 cycle racing season. It had its most successful season in 2022, with two female and five male riders now confirmed as professional bike riders within professional teams.
The Rayner Foundation supports young cyclists from the UK who want to cycle race in Europe. It strives to encourage under-represented groups to engage and succeed in cycling by providing the means for young riders to travel abroad safely and set up a home and function daily whilst pursuing a cycling career.
The assistance provided by the Foundation is not only financial; it also exists to help develop young racing cyclists as individuals both on and off the bike, with many funded riders developing a career off the bike but still within the sport.
A total of 24 riders supported by the Rayner Foundation will join European teams for the 2023 season as part of the charity’s Springboard scheme, which awards a financial grant to individual athletes to enable them to cover their costs whilst living abroad before they can earn a salary from their success.
Joscelin Ryan, a committee member of the foundation and Rider Liaison, welcomed the success of the 2022 season but said she was disappointed the foundation had not been able to find individual female riders at the appropriate level to support. She said:
“It is all the more baffling that this is happening at a time when Womens Professional Cycling has never been so healthy with many opportunities available to women riders. The Rayner Foundation is therefore finding another way to support young females.
The Gateway scheme will operate again this year to support women's teams and junior riders to race overseas on short trips in conjunction with their UK team. We hope that by providing this support they can gain the experience necessary to make a career in the sport.”
Thirteen of the riders supported by the foundation in 2023 will join French teams. Five will go to Spain. Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland accommodate the rest.
Half of the riders will have been abroad before, with the support of the charity, and the other half will be racing full time in Europe for the first time. Three further opportunities have been offered to riders who will go to Europe during the summer months after their exams.
· Ben Askey will follow his brother to Groupama FDJ Conti in France
· Adam Bent will join Eiser Hirumet in Spain
· Max Cushway, first-year u23, will join WB Fybolia in France
· Alfie George will spend a second season with Vendee U in France
· Alex Haines will spend a fourth season with GSC Blagnac Velosport 31 in France
· Tyler Hannay will move from France to MastroMarco Sensi Nibali in Italy
· Oliver Knight will spend his fourth u23 season with AVC Aix in France
· Bjoern Koerdt, first-year u23, will join CC Etupes in France
· Owen Lightfoot will go to Spain to join Previley Maglia Conforma
· Logan Maclean will join AG2R Citroen U23 in France
· Adam Mitchell joins Team U Charente Maritime in France
· Oscar Nilsson Julien will join AVC Aix in France
· Charlie Paige goes to France for his second season with Bourg en Bresse Cyclisme.
· Benjamin Peatfield will spend another season with Vendee U in France
· Isaac Peatfield will continue with VCU Schwenheim in France
· Tom Portsmouth will move up to Bingoal Pauwels Conti in Belgium
· Max Rushby remains in Belgium but switches team to Geofco Doltcini
· Oliver Stockwell returns to CT Friuli in Italy
· Louis Sutton changes location and team from Spain to AVC Aix France
· Lucas Towers remains in Spain but changes team to Caja Rural U23
· Callum Twelves, first-year U23, joins the Fernando Barcelo Team in Spain
· Zac Walker National Junior Road Champ joins Tudor Pro Cycling Devo in Switzerland
· Dylan Westley returns to Equipo Finisher (previous name Equipo Lizarte) in Spain
· Jamie Whitcher joins Basso Team Flanders in Belgium
Follow their progress
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