Former WorldTour skilled Harry Tanfield and his Olympic silver medallist brother Charlie face a race in opposition to the clock to kind a brand new males’s British UCI Continental workforce after the demise of Saint Piran.
As first reported by The British Continental, the Tanfields and a bunch of shut mates are at the moment making a last-ditch try to kind a brand new squad, in a bid to cease the British scene being left with none Continental groups for the primary time since 2004. Because it stands, the 2 remaining groups, Saint Piran and Trinity Racing, are each closing their street squads in 2025.
The Tanfields got a ten-day window to current paperwork to British Biking.
In keeping with the group, there’s optimism across the workforce turning into a actuality. Constructive talks with sponsors have taken place, and greater than 30 riders have stated they’d be excited by getting concerned.
“We have been talking with some large firms already and the help has been actually superb. I am actually overwhelmed with all of the messages and all of the individuals attempting to assist out,” Harry Tanfield, who rode for Saint Piran in 2024, advised Biking Weekly.
“This wasn’t the plan to start out a workforce at the moment of 12 months, however there’s nothing else for the UK. British Biking aren’t going to make a Conti workforce, are they? So we simply felt we should always attempt it.”
The Tanfields have been advised they’ve till 6 December to ship some agreements in precept to British Biking for a UCI licence utility. “They do not must be something formal, just a few letters of intent,” he stated.
“It is type of simply commitments of excellent religion, which can assist us meet the British Biking deadline for the UCI utility. We have now a extremely optimistic plan for the workforce and simply need to get to a good stage.”
The 30-year-old defined that the price range he has calculated for the undertaking is across the £300,000 mark.
“It’s totally laborious as a result of we do not know with bike sponsors but, I am speaking with just a few. However getting bikes is admittedly laborious, doubtlessly that might value us as much as £30,000-40,000, perhaps even £50,000, which might clearly be a giant a part of the price range,” he stated.
“Some manufacturers can supply us actually good costs in order that we then have these bikes – they change into ours as a result of we purchase them. We purchase them at low value, however we nonetheless purchase them so it takes price range.”
The main focus now’s on turning the goodwill he has felt from the broader UK biking neighborhood into significant sponsorship offers.
“It is a good alternative for those who are passionate in regards to the sport and captivated with UK biking,” he stated. “We might successfully be the one UK males’s workforce. It is a actually nice alternative for somebody to come back ahead and assist us make a reputation for ourselves within the sport.”
