Cycling and multisport online retailer Wiggle has got on board with a new UK-based cycling team – Team Spectra Racing. The new multi-discipline cycling team, sponsored by Wiggle and ‘powered by Vitus’, the retailer’s own bike brand, has been set up by Team Principal Bruce Dalton.
With a gender-balanced line-up of riders competing across varying cycling disciplines, the team has ambitions to shake up the status quo. In addition to racing, it will be taking on challenges ‘with the aim of creating compelling stories that will inspire others.’
Team Principal Bruce Dalton said “We think that building a different path for the sport starts with teams taking the step to do things differently. We want to inspire others to do the same and for riders to look beyond riding just one style of cycling.”
Team Spectra Operations Manager Josh Hand added “We were keen to try and get out of the rut that cycling has been in, repeating the same thing with an expectation of different results.
The team line-up features Zwift world number one Christopher McGlinchey and UCI Cyclo-Cross Race winner Amira Mellor. Entering onto the UK racing scene in 2021, although the team is currently non-professional, the ultimate aim is to hold UCI licences to all major disciplines. Firstly, the team will be targeting UCI cyclocross in September, with road and mountain bike to follow.
In addition to traditional races such as the Tour Seriesand CX World Cups, fans can follow Team Spectra through a more unconventional calendar of events and challenges. These will include Grinduro and the TransPyrenees as well as attempts to break established records such as the British Coast to Coast, Pennine Bridleway and South Downs Way.
The team will be riding Vitus bikes – a brand that goes back to Sean Kelly’s illustrious career in the 1980s. Vitus Bikes Brand Marketing Manager, Alex James said “Vitus are excited to be working with a team that’s going out with the intention of doing something different within cycling. As a brand, we are keen to support real racing, and are looking forward to seeing the team compete across a variety of disciplines on our bikes.”
Team Spectra Wiggle’s Head of Marketing Sarah Pain said “Wiggle has huge respect for amateur and pro racing teams, but the ethos of Team Spectra offers something new and valuable to the sport. It’s an exciting new perspective and way of doing things that makes elite cycling more accessible to everyone. We hope cyclists of all stripes find the launch of Team Spectra just as inspirational as we do.”
Rider line up
- Beth Crumpton
- Abbie Taylor
- Hannah Larbiester
- Hannah Payton
- Xan Crees (U23)
- Amira Mellor
- Mikey Mottram
- Ian Field
- Ben Chilton (U23)
- Dan Barnes (u23)
- Bruce Dalton
- Chris McGlinchey
www.spectraracing.com
www.wiggle.co.uk
