Wightlink Cycle Racing Team: Celebrating 30 years of supporting Island cycling

From a small group of ambitious young riders to a team competing at regional, national and international level, Wightlink Cycle Racing Team is celebrating 30 years of racing with Wightlink.

For three decades, Wightlink has been behind the wheels of some of the Isle of Wight’s most talented cyclists, helping riders get off the Island, gain experience and compete against some of the best riders in the country.

What started in 1996 as an ambitious idea from cycling enthusiast and local businessman Chris Weston of Mobile Cycle Services (MCS) has grown into one of the Island’s best-known cycling teams, with around 20 to 25 regular racers and a growing following both on and off the Island.

And while there have been plenty of race wins, podiums, championships and individual successes along the way, perhaps the team’s biggest achievement is the number of riders it has helped develop over the last three decades.

From MCS to Wightlink CRT

When Chris Weston formed the original team in 1996, he could see the potential among the talented young riders emerging from Island cycling clubs. But there was an obvious problem: to progress, those riders needed to race regularly on the mainland – and the cost of getting there could quickly become a barrier.

Wightlink stepped in to help, and the Wightlink-MCS team was born.

Financial backing from SP Systems from 1999 helped the team take another step forward, with the Wightlink-MCS/SP Systems partnership supporting riders for many years. Later, the team raced as Wightlink-LCM and, from 2017, as Wightlink-Wight Mountain CRT.

Today, it is known as Wightlink CRT, continuing a relationship that has now spanned three decades.

For Wightlink, the sponsorship is about much more than putting a name on a team jersey.

Sam Woodman, who manages Wightlink’s sponsorship of the team, said: “There has always been a huge amount of cycling talent on the Isle of Wight, and we’re proud to have supported the team in helping that talent flourish over the past 30 years. It’s fantastic to see riders getting the chance to race beyond the Island, gain experience and compete at higher and higher levels.”

A roll call of Island talent

Over the years, the team has provided a launchpad for riders who have gone on to achieve at local, regional, national and international level.

Among the most successful is Kieran Page, widely regarded as one of the Isle of Wight’s finest all-round cyclists. As a junior, Kieran held the Island 10-mile time trial record and built an impressive collection of wins and podiums before being selected for the Great Britain racing squad. He later moved to France to race professionally, where he still lives today.

Nic Hutchings also progressed through the Island ranks and went on to race for Great Britain, while Simon Ambrosini, one of the original members of the 1996 team, enjoyed a long and varied racing career across road, circuit, mountain bike and time trial disciplines.

Simon developed into a specialist time triallist, competing against some of the UK’s and Europe’s leading riders in the famous Duo Normand in 1999 – a race won that year by cycling legends Chris Boardman and Jens Voigt. Closer to home, he went on to dominate the Island’s local time trial series in the Veteran categories.

Other riders have enjoyed success in a remarkable variety of disciplines.

Jerry Cooper, who first raced for SP Systems in 2001, remains involved with the team today as part of its management structure. He has also played an important role in developing younger riders and organising local cycling events.

James Ebdon is another example of a rider whose association with the team has stretched from youth racing into adulthood. A former member of the SP Systems youth and junior squad, James raced in Belgium as a junior, represented the Isle of Wight at the Island Games and won bronze in 2011. He continues to race in Wightlink colours today.

Breaking records and making Island history

More recently, riders have continued to put their names into the Island’s cycling record books.

Kev Chant joined the team as a talented all-rounder before specialising in time trials. He remains unbeaten in the local Evening 10 series and, in 2022, broke Kieran Page’s long-standing Isle of Wight 10-mile time trial record – more than 20 years after Kieran had originally set it.

Then, in 2023, Kev achieved another first when he became the first cyclist to win a gold medal for the Isle of Wight at the Island Games, taking the Individual Time Trial title in Guernsey.

Matt Allsopp, meanwhile, established himself as a formidable circuit racer, including winning the RCR Fat Creations Series in 2021.

The team’s more recent riders have continued that tradition.

Nick Earley enjoyed a particularly strong 2024 season, combining road and mountain bike racing and securing wins and podiums in the Gorrick and Southern XC MTB Series. He achieved MTB Expert status in the U23 category and finished in the top 20 nationally.

Oli Nolan has competed across road, circuit, mountain bike, cyclo-cross and time trial racing, finishing third overall in the Wessex CX League and helping the team to a top-10 finish in the 2025 RCR team time trial.

Charis Jones quickly made her mark after taking up racing, earning her third-category licence during her first season in 2024. She went on to win the Women’s Overall title in the local Evening Time Trial Series and set a new 10-mile record on the Ningwood course, before taking on major challenges including the Granfondo in the French Alps and Mallorca 312.

And perhaps most importantly for the future, a new generation is already making its presence felt.

The next generation

Ewan Cook joined the team in 2022 and has developed into one of the Island’s standout young all-rounders. His achievements include national-level time trial success, mountain bike victories, cyclo-cross podiums and selection for trials for the British Track Sprint Squad.

His 2025 season saw him competing successfully at regional, national and international level, including a second-place finish in the South Regional MTB Championships, overall victory in the Southern XC MTB Series and a team bronze medal in the road criterium at the Island Games in Orkney.

He also secured Elite MTB status – becoming the first Island mountain bike rider to hold an Elite licence.

But the team isn’t only looking at riders already winning races.

Eight-year-old Finley Manser-Grundy is one of the latest signs of what could lie ahead. Already making an impression in MTB downhill and cyclo-cross, Finley won his first U10 Southern XC race this season, finished third overall in the series and won the MIJ Downhill Series at the Forest of Dean on his first appearance. He has even already stepped onto the road racing scene, finishing third in his first criterium in Guildford.

New juvenile rider Sonny Shuttleworth is also beginning his racing journey, improving with every mountain bike cross-country and downhill race.

Building a pathway for young riders

For team manager Julie Cooper, this is where the future of Wightlink CRT lies. She said:

“When you look back over 30 years, what stands out isn’t just the results, but the number of riders who have come through the team and gone on to achieve things they might never have imagined. We’ve seen young riders develop, gain confidence and progress through different levels of the sport, and that’s something we’re incredibly proud of.”

Heading into late 2026 and 2027, the team’s priority is to build a genuine pathway for young Island riders aged five to 16 – including those who have never raced before.

The team now has three qualified British Cycling coaches and has secured a local car park venue which will provide a safe, traffic-free environment for youngsters to learn and develop.

Rather than formal, high-pressure training sessions, the aim is to create fun and accessible entry points into cycling, with cone courses, skills zones and short circuits that can evolve as riders gain confidence.

It is a natural progression for a team whose history has always been about giving Island riders the opportunity to see just how far they can go.

More than just a race team

Wightlink CRT’s contribution to cycling on the Island extends beyond its own riders.

In 2019, the team took over the organisation of local time trials and a Hill Climbs Championship. The Thursday evening series now regularly attracts more than 60 riders.

The team has also helped bring an annual regional road race back to the Isle of Wight after an absence of around 20 years.

Its community has grown considerably too, with more than 400 riders from the Island and mainland now involved in the events and more than 1,000 people following the team on social media.

Thirty years after the first Wightlink-MCS riders pulled on their jerseys, the team is therefore in a very different place – but its original purpose remains remarkably familiar.

Give talented Island riders an opportunity. Help them get to the mainland. Give them the experience to compete. And, perhaps, help the next Kieran Page, Kev Chant or Ewan Cook discover where cycling could take them.

As the Wightlink CRT looks towards its next 30 years, there is plenty of evidence that the road ahead is looking bright.

Wightlink’s Sam Woodman said: “Reaching 30 years is a fantastic milestone, and we’re hugely proud of the part Wightlink has played in the team’s journey. Supporting Island riders and helping them access opportunities beyond the Isle of Wight has always been at the heart of the partnership. It’s particularly exciting to see a new generation coming through, and we’re pleased to be alongside the team for the next chapter.”

Julie Cooper added:

“We’re incredibly grateful to Wightlink for believing in us and being with us for three decades. That support has made a real difference to generations of riders, helping them travel to races, gain valuable experience and develop their confidence and ability. As we look ahead, our focus is on making sure even more young Islanders have the chance to discover cycling, enjoy the sport and see what they might be capable of achieving.”

Anyone interested in joining the team should contact [email protected].