The BIKE Channel is to offer amateur cyclists the opportunity to join a professional racing team
The Coach PRO will see the BIKE Channel offer amateur cyclists a chance to join a professional racing team.
“BIKE Channel and BIKE Channel Canyon are revolutionising the existing model of building a professional team with our commitment to creating a successful team from a grass roots foundation, supported by a media outlet for the very first time.”- Filippo Ubaldini, Founder & CEO of BIKE Channel
BIKE Channel, the first television channel dedicated to the world of cycling, is giving amateur cyclists the opportunity to become a professional rider with BIKE Channel Canyon through its new show, The Coach PRO. The latest original production from the network will see two aspiring road cyclists put through their paces by former World Tour professionals Rob Hayles and Brian Smith. The pair will guide both competitors through a gruelling 10 week training programme, which will include everything from hill climbs to rigorous fitness tests, detailed nutrition plans and insight into race tactics.
“This is an incredible opportunity for aspiring cyclists to learn about what it takes to be a professional in the sport. A huge amount of preparation and sacrifice is required to race professionally. Both contestants are in for a real shock with an exhausting training programme that will push them to their absolute limits, mentally and physically. The opportunity will be extremely rewarding experience for everyone involved, and I’m excited to see how it all unfolds.” – Tim Elverson, Team Manager, BIKE Channel Canyon
The Coach PRO will air this summer, with the series finale taking place at the prestigious Revolve 24, held at Brands Hatch on 16th – 17th September, which will see both riders go head to head alongside three Bike Channel Canyon members in teams of four. The team relay challenge, lasting 24 hours covering the famous 2.4 mile GP circuit, will see one of the two Coach PRO finalists crowned champion alongside their teammates. The finale event is one that will push the mental and physical capabilities of the finalists, and their UCI Continental racing partners, to the limit.
The series winner will become BIKE Channel’s UK ambassador, receive full kit sponsorship and a Grand Tour-winning, custom-painted, Aeroad CF SLX bike. Added to that, they will have further opportunity to become part of Bike Channel Canyon, the brand-new professional UK-based cycling team. With an average age of just 24, this dynamic, young, all-British team, with world-class sponsors, has the ambition to become the most dominant UCI Continental team in the UK, Europe and beyond.
“The Coach PRO is a brand new, unique experience, bringing cycling enthusiasts a unique insight in the world of pro-cycling. We’ll be working with some of the best amateur cyclists in the UK to help one of them realise their dream. From the beginning, BIKE Channel has been dedicated to promoting the very essence of what it means to be a cycling fan, and with the winner of The Coach Pro being offered a place on the BIKE Channel Canyon team, it is evidence that anything is possible.” – Filippo Ubaldini, Founder & CEO of BIKE Channel
BIKE Channel is available on Sky channel 464, Virgin Media channel 552 and FreeSat channel 251. Applications for The Coach Pro are open now. For more details and to apply visit the channel’s website here.
