Wheely great funding boost for Matthew

Banbridge Cycling club’s Matthew Teggart, who is a member of French cycling team Amicale Cycliste Bisontine in Besancon, has been awarded a £2000 grant.

The Trust alongside Bluefin Sport annually recognises young sports people who are reaching the top of their game and require additional funding to help them cross the line to the next level in their chosen sport.

Matthew (24) has competed twice in the Tour of Britain as part of Team Wiggins and by 2021 aspires to ride with a professional cycling team and ultimately take part in the Tour de France.

He said: “Signing a year-long contract for a top French amateur team and fully immersing myself in cycling, will ultimately help me reach my potential and hopefully long-term secure a full-time professional team role. Obviously under the current situation and restrictions which everyone is experiencing I have to keep up to speed with physical and mental fitness so that I am in a good position to push forward with my sporting goals.

“This Bluefin Sport grant will be of huge benefit to my overall sporting career and I want to throw all that I have at this fabulous opportunity to push myself forward. As well as helping to cover travel and living costs the funding award has enabled me to purchase my own power metre – a vital piece of technology to measure and evaluate my training. Knowing that I have significant financial backing also allows me to fully concentrate on cycling as opposed to dealing with any ongoing financial challenges. I’d like to thank the Mary Peters Trust and Bluefin Sport as their support is hugely significant and I simply wouldn’t be able to chase my ultimate dream of one day riding in the Tour de France without this funding.”

Eilish Rutherford of the Mary Peters Trust said: “We’re thrilled that Bluefin Sport continues to support the Trust in helping to make these important funding grants.”

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