Olympic gold medallist to get Jersey cycling

Saturday 29 June 2019

An Olympic gold medallist is coming to Jersey this weekend to support a community cycling event which hopes to make the sport accessible to everyone.

Olympic gold track cyclist Jason Queally has been announced as the British Cycling Ambassador at HSBC’s ‘Let’s Ride’ event where he will be taking part in rides, setting the time to beat in the sprint challenge and offering encouragement and advice to islanders of all abilities and ages on their cycling technique.

Despite suffering a serious crash early on in his career, Jason – who started competitive cycling aged 25 – went on to win Britain its first gold medal in the 1km time trial at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Ahead of the event tomorrow (Sunday 30 June), Jason said: “Cycling has taught me a lot over the years about persistence and the joy of having fun outdoors. The sport is soaring in popularity because of the many benefits it brings and it is inspiring to see the people of Jersey come together and celebrate cycling – the island is really perfect for it. I look forward to coming over and enjoying a summer cycle with everyone.”

Commenting on Jason’s involvement in Let’s Ride Jersey, Sue Fox, CEO, HSBC Channel Islands and Isle of Man, said: “It is such a privilege to welcome Jason as part of our second HSBC Let’s Ride event in Jersey. He is clearly a man of great determination and strength, which is inspirational for anyone who is either cycling competitively or having a go for the first time. The event is all about having fun and learning to enjoy the sport, which is good for our physical and mental wellbeing, as well as the health of our beautiful island.”

Pictured: The initiative is part of a campaign to get more people cycling.

‘Let’s Ride’ is the second event of its kind taking place in Jersey, but it’s a national movement to get more people on their bikes.

As part of the campaign, several ‘Breeze’ groups have been gaining momentum in Jersey which are women-only cycle rides to allow female cyclists to gain confidence on their bikes.

HSBC Breeze Jersey has seen around 80 women sign up for the rides, enjoying a selection of five different rides throughout the week. The initiative has been so successful that one participant, Geeta Pankhania, who earlier this year couldn’t ride a bike at all, will be taking part in the ‘Let’s Ride’ event this weekend. 

Pictured: Geeta has gone from not knowing how to ride a bike to taking part in the 'Let's Ride' races this weekend.

Tomorrow’s event promises to be a “fun, family-friendly day that celebrates cycling for all ages and abilities.”