AGM with Matt Stephens
2018’s AGM featured a very special speaker, Matt Stephens.
A racing cyclist at heart, Matt’s career as an amateur saw him win the prestigious Junior Tour of Wales, twice, as well as finishing eighth at the Amateur World Road Race Championships in 1995. Fast forward three years and Matt was crowned British National Road Race Champion, which provided him with the opportunity to turn professional with the Harrods Racing Team in 1998. The next step was a move to the Linda McCartney Racing Team, where Matt raced the 2000 Giro d’Italia. Battling through the three week race, with a series of nasty injuries after crashing, the Brit won over the hearts of the tifosi with this brave ride, in one of the sport’s toughest races.
Since retiring from racing, he has written for various websites as well as being the ‘specialist’ on ITV4’s Halfords Tour Series and Tour of Britain coverage, and commentating on live races for British Cycling’s Premier Calendar and Eurosport and has worked as a presenter for Global Cycling Network (GCN).
Over 50 people joined the Club for the AGM with 130 members and non-members at Matt’s talk. The AGM reflected on 2018’s achievements, including:
- Enabled club members to participate in local time trials, road racing, cyclocross, mountain biking and sportive events
- Assisted in providing marshals for the Tour of Britain, Fred Whitton and various races
- Worked with Wheels for All in creating Kendal Wheels for All
- Held the Tour de Staveley Sportive event attracting 350 participants
- Held a Family Sportive event attracting 80 participants
- Arranged various social events – annual dinner and awards, screening of Paris Roubaix, screening of Tour de France and end
of summer BBQ - Organised weekly evening rides and mountain bike rides
- Organised a club trip to Mallorca
- Organised a ladies Castle to Castle weekend