Ben Mewes - Now or Never!

Having graduated from Loughborough University this year I was left trying to make sense of my future and what it holds despite the global pandemic.

As an avid sportsman at school I participated in rugby, athletics, swimming and cross country. It wasn’t until 2016 that I found cycling.

As a fresh faced 16-year-old I heard about a local cycling group, not officially a club yet, but more a gaggle of MAMILs (Middle Aged Men in Lycra), meeting on the market square in Ripon for a bash round the local lanes. Moonglu CC was born…

Cycling is a sport that has strong roots in Yorkshire especially since the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2014. It is also the epitome of the saying – ‘all the gear, no idea!’. With that in mind, picture the scene…. me a young lad, hairy legs, classic oversized kit that your mother says you will ‘grow into’, second-hand shoes and a helmet that was no doubt sat askew on my head! I rock up to the market square that evening in 2016, and for all those waiting to ride that night I must have appeared as a bit of a chopper (for my non-cycling friends, chopper is a derogatory term used by the cycling community to describe an individual who lacks skill, panache and generally looks shocking on a bike). I cannot remember exactly quite how that first ride went, but I won’t forget the nerves I had as I pulled up to the square. A feeling I am sure many a cyclist can relate to when attempting their first group ride. Since then it has become my passion and I now have the opportunity to live my dream that is professional cycling. It is a big ask but there is only one way to find out if I have got what it takes…

Having come to the sport late, at the age of 21, I now have one last chance to race at U23’s level. Racing in Europe presents far more opportunities currently than in UK, and is proven pathway for young Brits looking to progress. I was therefore delighted to be offered a chance by Zappi Racing Team to race on the continent!

For those who have not heard of Zappi, they are a British U23 team based out in Italy. Their roster this year has been reduced to 14 riders mainly from the UK. The team has a race calendar like no other which, includes UCI and National races in Italy, Belgium, UK, Spain, Netherlands, and France. Scheduled races include:

• Tour of Rhodes

• Milan San Remo U23

• Giro Ciclistico d'Italia – Baby Giro

• Il Piccolo Lombardia U23

• Tour of Bulgaria

• Giro della Valle d'Aosta

• Giro del Belvedere

Exposure at this level of racing is something that will take me to the next level and hopefully open doors to my future and my dream to go Pro.

As ever, all this comes at a cost. To race on the continent, I need to raise between £10,000 - £15,000! Since leaving Uni I have been working, doing three jobs most weeks, and come the end of this difficult year I will have saved £4,000. I have applied to the Rayner Foundation who support young cyclist looking to race abroad, but to date no funding has been granted .

Supported by committee members of my local club (Moonglu CC), the idea of crowd funding was discussed, and with their help, that idea has become reality.

I hope that you may be able to help support me to try and achieve my dream of becoming a pro-cyclist. Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Without this support the chance to pursue my ambitions in this sport will fade.

All the funds raised will be used to cover overheads such as travel, accommodation, food, and equipment.

Many thanks,

Ben