CLIMBING HIGH CO R N WA L L - B A S E D C YC L I N G T E A M S A I N T P I R A N I S TO CO M P E T E AT T H E TO U R O F B R I TA I N , S TA R T I N G O N H O M E T U R F. ust a few years ago, elite cycling team Saint Piran was a pie-in-the-sky-idea, but thanks to an ambitious plan, well executed, it now boasts some serious accolades and is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the cycling world, brushing shoulders with the best, while inspiring young riders.
WHILE SAINT PIRAN MIGHT BE AN ELITE TEAM, IT IS VERY BIG ON PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES, FROM GRASSROOTS UP, TURNING WHAT COULD BE SOMEONE’S DREAM INTO A REALITY AND MAKING HIGH LEVEL CYCLING MORE ACCESSIBLE Ambition and belief are inarguably two of the key elements of success, whether that’s in business or sport, or in this case, both. Where many wouldn’t have for a second entertained the idea, team principal Ricci Pascoe and elite rider Steve Lampier had the vision for creating a limitless race team built around a sustainable business model, with the base being Cornwall – after-all, why not Cornwall?
16 | FIND THE BALANCE
Beautiful roads, a lovely place to live and eager business partners willing to join the ride and make it happen. Now after six or so years of hard graft, it’s paying off. At the start of the year, Saint Piran announced the news that the team had secured UCI Continental status for the 2021 season. Now entering its sixth year competing nationally and internationally, the team feels that this is the right time to take the next step on its journey and a core group of 13 riders are signed up. Pascoe says: “Competing at the Continental level in the UK and racing against the top teams will be a privilege for Saint Piran. We look forward to bringing our brand of racing to the highest level of the sport here. “We have committed sponsors, a new development team and a women’s team, and a model which will ensure that we are around for a long time to come.” Lampier adds: “Every single rider of the 2020 roster that wanted to stay and be part of this project has been retained. After a year where nobody had the chance to shine on the road, we owed them the opportunity to showcase their talents on a grander stage.”
