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Despite only forming two years ago FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Race Team have made a big impact on the time trial scene whilst also helping the sport to grow.

The West District team started in December 2020 when a small group of riders wanted to focus on targeting team prizes locally so joined together.

But alongside their goal of winning prizes FTP members also wanted to give something back to the time trial scene.

“When we started the general comment was we would be another team chasing prizes but not giving back to the sport,” said Billy Oliver, team chairman.

“We went against this, holding many events including the first event after Covid which attracted the largest field to date on the course.

“We also worked hard to promote racing in the West District, holding a West DC Best All-Rounder with a 10, 25, 50 and 100-mile time trials.

“We also introduced a new hill climb course and brought back a fast course that had been unused for a while which brought some 46-minute 25-mile time trial times which meant that riders in the West now had a course they could chase a pb on locally.”

FTP Racing have been rewarded for the quality of their events by being selected to hold the National Road Bike Championships in October on a new course which starts and finishes on the Castle Combe Race Track.

The team have national champions amongst their ranks with veteran Tim McEvoy winning the National 12-hour Championships for the second time this year.

Jake Sargent also won the National 100-mile Championship earlier this season leading FTP Racing to team gold alongside McEvoy (6th) and Jonathan Shubert (9th).

“We also focus our targets around the riders and their targets rather than dictate their race seasons and put pressure on them to perform,” added Oliver.

“Success-wise it has been huge; we have won a lot of local events, taking course records on most courses and we set a competition team record over 50 miles.

“We were second fastest 100 team, won the National 12-hour solo twice with Tim McEvoy and won the team prize at the National 100 in 2021 and 2022 and the men’s solo in 2022 with Jake Sargent.

“The team have RRA records as well with Tim and Lee Williams recently taking the Pembrokeshire to London record.”

FTP Race Team are also proud of having an equal number of men and women racing for them and have raised over £1,000 for two charities through fundraising efforts.

“One of our proudest achievements is the promotion of the Women’s side of racing, pushing equality in our events and working towards participation in the sport,” added Oliver.

“We are now over 50 strong with our roots still very much in being a race set-up with pretty much a 50/50 male/female split in riders.

“In 2023 our target is to keep supporting our riders targets, build a stronger social side to the team and to have a club level community alongside having high and ambitious targets.”

For more information about FTP Racing visit www.ftpracing.co.uk online.

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission. This feature by Ben Goddard.