The elite ranks of top-tier professional team, Orica-BikeExchange (now Orica-Scott), have been given a new lease of life with The Peloton Club’s exciting launch last week! The chosen venue to welcome a very special announcement was the smart and vibrant 29 Park Place bar and restaurant, just a stone’s throw away from the city’s museum.

Many riders in Cardiff’s tight but spectacularly successful cycling scene will be familiar with the names of Haydn Pryor and Eifion Weinzweig; two ambitious faces in the pedal-powered community looking to turn their passion into a savvy business venture at the heart of our sport.

Cue the welcome birth of The Peloton Club, a hospitality partnership to grant fans access to the Australian super-team along with packages to many of the continent’s biggest races. Orica-Scott have existed at the top of the sport (under various guises) since their inception in 2011, and while their focus has changed over the years, their consistent roster and fun-loving attitude have been two rock-steady constants in otherwise turbulent years for cycling. With the signing of prodigious Mancunian twins, Simon and Adam Yates, British fans have much to look forward to in the upcoming Grand-Tours and Ardennes Classics.

Joining Hayn and Eifion on the night were a flurry of signature inflatable guitars, an array of stylish branding materials and the twin-engined powerhouse of the team’s success; Neil Stephens and Matthew White– both current sports directors and former pros- the former even boasting a stage in 1997’s Tour de France. Unwilling to hog the limelight, they shared the stage with another Tour de France stage winner and (literal) giant of the sport, Magnus Backstedt who was fresh from commentating on the Road World Championships for Europsport.

The Q&A that followed was fun, light-hearted and gave us all a very honest glimpse behind the curtain of the Peloton. From inter-team relationships, the challenges of managing your former teammates, and the downright hilarious miscalculations that will keep you smiling after six hours in the saddle, the event held something for everyone.

The evening was very well attended and shone a delightful insight into a world few outside the realms of super fandom would otherwise be exposed to. I for one am very excited for the upcoming season and if the professional contracts start coming my way, I’ve got a good idea which antipodean team is top of my list!

Related:

http://thesprout.co.uk/info/things-to-do/

http://thesprout.co.uk/blog/2017/02/08/protest-at-a-power-station/

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