Halfords announces sponsorship of British pro cycling team
 

Halfords has announced that it is sponsoring an entirely British professional cycling team. World Champion Nicole Cooke will lead the squad with the stated aim of giving both her and the team the ideal performance environment, sufficient support, focus and UK based training to put them in top contention for a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

The team, to be called Team Halfords Bikehut, will consist of ten women riders but will also be supplemented by two top male riders, Rob Hayles and Tom Southam, who will ride a full domestic season of Premier Calendar and National Criterium Series events under the new team colours. Reins With Dave Brailsford, performance director of British Cycling, taking the reins as general manager, the innovative new approach is being seen as the first step on the road to a full British professional team. Brailsford was upbeat about the new development: "Being able to work with a British company on a project such as this in the run up to the Beijing Olympic Games presents not only the perfect performance environment for Nicole Cooke and her team mates but is also a fantastic commercial opportunity for British Cycling to work with a company whose heritage in the sport and accessibility in the British market will enable us to grow what we hope will be a successful and productive partnership in years to come." Cooke, who went to Beijing in early December to ride the Olympic course on her new Boardman bike, is just as excited about the opportunity. "It's absolutely fantastic. This will be the first ever British professional women's team and I believe it's the biggest step forward in women's sport in this country for many, many years." This deal between British Cycling and the UK's leading cycle retailer will see the team riding bikes designed by   Olympic champion Chris Boardman MBE. The range of bikes were launched last year in a joint venture between Halfords and Boardman and the team will ride the bikes which are already on sale in Halfords Bikehut stores around the UK. Reputation Halfords chief executive, Ian McLeod, said: "This is a brilliant opportunity to support our key athletes in their preparation for the Beijing Olympics and to field a world class all British team riding on the international circuit. The partnership with British Cycling is also key in reinforcing Halfords' reputation as a credible retailer for enthusiast cyclists. "We have been working with Chris Boardman over the last three years to develop his range of bikes, bringing them to the market in 2007. The fact that they have been chosen by the team is the highest accolade for the quality of the product."