A first UCI win on stage 4 of the Ronde de l’Isard, a week of donkey work in the Alps and eight summits’ worth of climbing points at the Giro d’Italia Next Gen — Mattie Dodd on the best month of his season, and the prize he has since mislaid.
At 22, Sheffield’s James Hartley is learning fast in France with Team Bricquebec Cotentin – a Rayner Foundation-backed stage winner at the Tour de la Manche, now turning early-season momentum into a simple, uncompromising mission: win, and progress.
The Rayner Foundation has named the ten British junior teams selected for its 2026 Gateway Project, which provides targeted funding to help squads access European racing and offset the rising costs of cross-Channel competition.
From BMX to elite road racing in France, Alastair Gardner reflects on his first under-23 season, the realities of the French club system, and how patience and perspective are shaping the next phase of his development. Part of our “Getting to know” series with riders supported by the Rayner Foundation.