Eddy Merckx, Vincenzo Nibali, Jason Kenny, Sean Kelly and Alex Dowsett join a wealth of Olympic medallists, world champions and inspirational figures appearing at The Cycle Show in Birmingham, UK, next week.
The Cycle Show organisers have announced that Jason Kenny CBE will open the 16th edition of the show next Friday 21 September. Joining Kenny at the NEC Birmingham is Tour de France record-holder and cycling legend Eddy Merckx, quadruple grand tour winner Vincenzo Nibali, seven-time Paris-Nice champion Sean Kelly and world hour record holder Alex Dowsett, as well as former MTB downhill World Champion Tracy Moseley and reigning Olympic champion Joanna Rowsell Shand.
Six-time gold medal winner Jason Kenny CBE, the joint holder of the highest number of Olympic golds for a British athlete, will open The Cycle Show next Friday morning before making his appearance on the stage at 11:00 GMT that day. Having gripped the nation in last year’s Rio Olympic Games, Kenny will share his experience and perspective with the show’s visitors.
Movistar team rider Alex Dowsett is one of the UK’s most popular cyclists, and with a world hour record, multiple national TT championship wins and a commonwealth gold medal, he is recognised as one of Britain’s best-ever time trialists. Appearing on the Canyon stand (K63) for a signing session on Friday 22 September (13:00), Dowsett will grace the Wattbike stage for a Q&A with Tour de France commentary favourite Ned Boulting later that afternoon (14:00).
Considered one of today’s finest grand tour riders with Tour de France, Vuelta a España and two Giro d’Italia titles under his belt, Vincenzo ‘The Shark’ Nibali will be the first special guest of the day on Saturday 23 September. He will appear on the Wattbike stage in the morning for a Q&A and will host signing sessions on the FSA stand (G65) afterwards.
Vuelta a España winner, seven-time consecutive Paris-Nice champion and winner of nine Monument Classics, Sean Kelly will take to the show’s stage on both Saturday (13.15) and Sunday (14.00). With 193 victories over a 17 year professional career, the organisers add that ‘Sean’s sessions are not to be missed’.
From modern day heroes to cycling icons, the legendary Eddy ‘The Cannibal’ Merckx will be taking to the stage at 11:30 on Sunday 24 September. Generally considered as the greatest cyclist ever, the joint record holder for Tour de France titles has 525 career wins under his belt and defined his era of cycling.
Joining Merckx, Nibali, Kenny, Kelly and Dowsett at the show are: British former mountain bike world champion, Tracy Moseley; former British and World Champion mountain bike trials rider and the Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN) presenter, Martyn Ashton; reigning Olympic and European team pursuit champion, Joanna Rowsell Shand; Belgian former road racing cyclist, Nico Mattan; former NFTO and Rapha Condor team racer, Dean Downing; the inspirational James Golding, who overcame an inoperable cancer and set a massive endurance cycling record; and Cannondale-Drapac’s Head of Nutrition, Nigel Mitchell.
Olympic champion Jason Kenny, said “With the ever-growing number of people taking to the saddle in the UK, it’s so important to have events like the Cycle Show to raise awareness of the sport and the people within the industry. It’s a great chance for people to really see the work that goes into being a cyclist competing at the top level, and the highs and lows that go along with it. For me, it’s also an opportunity to see some of the new products the cycling world is creating.”
Trials bike legend, Road Bike Party star and presenter of the Global Mountain Bike Network Martyn Ashton, said “The Cycle Show has always been a highlight in my year. A time to go and check out all the new bikes, catch up with friends and hang out. The guest list this year looks amazing so I can’t wait to see what they have to say.”
Stephen Morgan, The Cycle Show’s Event Director, said “We are thrilled to welcome such a roster of talent to this year’s show. To have the support of so many big names from within the sport shows just how highly regarded and anticipated this event is to the cycling community.”
Wattbike stage at this year’s Cycle Show:
Friday 22 September
11.00-11:45 – Jason Kenny CBE
11:45-12:30 – Tracy Moseley
12:40-13:15 – Journalistic Panel Session featuring Jeremy Whittle (The Times) and Richard Moore (The Telegraph)
13:15-14:00 – Meet the Madison Genesis Team
14:00-14:45 – Alex Dowsett
14:45-15:30 – Simon Warren
15:30-16:15 – The ACT’s “Suspension setup and care” with Cytech trainer Julian Thrasher
16:15-17:00 – Nico Mattan
Saturday 23 September
11:00-11:45 – Vincenzo Nibali
11:45-12:30 – Wattbike with Dean Downing
12:30-13:15 – Meet the Crit teams
13:15-14:00 – Sean Kelly
14:00-14:45 – Wattbike with Dean Downing
14:45-15:30 – Ed Shoote
15:30-16:15 – Cycling UK
Sunday 24 September
10:00-10:45 – Martyn Ashton
10:45-11:30 – Wattbike with Jo Rowsell Shand
11:30-12:10 – Eddy Merckx
12:30-13:15 – James Golding
13:15-14:00 – Nigel Mitchell
14:00-14:45 – Sean Kelly
14:45-15:30 – Wattbike with Jo Rowsell Shand
15:30-16:15 – Cycling UK
The Cycle Show is billed as the UK’s premier event for the cycling industry and will be open to the public from 22-24 September at the NEC in Birmingham. Now celebrating its 16th edition, the show had a record number of stands last year – with 301 companies taking part and its highest-ever attendance with 27,526 visitors.
