A group of Australian cycling legends is helping the next generation of champions reach the world stage.
This year, the Maillot Jaune Club donated $1,000 to each of the 22 junior track and road riders selected to represent the ARA Australian Cycling Team at the recent UCI Junior Track World Championships in the Netherlands and the upcoming Road World Championships in Rwanda.
Fletcher Medway will race at the upcoming road world championships in Kigali. Image: Damien Thomas/La Flamme Rouge.
Formed in 1998, the club’s stated aims are to foster camaraderie among past and present professional riders, and to support the development of cycling in Australia.
Their fundraising activities include, for example, auctioning signed memorabilia by club patrons, who include Tour de France winner Cadel Evans (winner of the namesake yellow jersey), three-time green jersey winner Robbie McEwen, and yellow jersey wearer Simon Gerrans.
Last year, the club donated $34,000 to a range of junior cycling programs, including the under-19 riders who raced at the UCI Road World Championships in Switzerland.
The club was founded by Olympic cyclists Gordon Johnson and the current president, John Trevorrow, who is also a three-time national road champion. Trevorrow said they were proud to give junior riders a helping hand on their way to achieving their dreams.
“We are always looking to help fund junior cycling. We sponsor junior events and we are always looking at how we could best support young riders,” said Trevorrow.
“We’re all former cyclists, and we just feel that junior cycling just needs a bit of a hand, and cycling in general.”
He said the future of Australian cycling was bright with some promising riders coming through the ranks.
“It’s exciting, we’ve got some very good youngsters. We were so glad to see the junior girls go so well at worlds recently,” he said, referring to the three medals Australia’s junior women won on the track at Apeldoorn – including Anna Dubier’s victory in the points race.
Many of the junior beneficiaries have expressed their thanks to the Maillot Jaune Club, writing personal messages of gratitude.
“Competing on the world stage, wearing the green and gold has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl... I had a fantastic experience! Thank you” wrote Ebony Robinson, who was part of Australia’s team sprint that won bronze last month.
Ella Liang, Ebony Robinson and Olivia Wright won bronze in the team sprint in Apeldoorn. Image: SWpix.com
“It means so much that there are people and organisations who believe in and want to fundraise for young cyclists like me,” wrote Fletcher Medway, who will race in Kigali for the junior road world championships.
“I’m so grateful and this will certainly help ease the financial expense of my trip to Rwanda for Junior Road Worlds. Thank you to everyone involved at the Maillot Jaune Club.”
AusCycling Director of Pathways Donna Rae-Szalinski thanked the Maillot Jaune Club for their generous donation.
"Like many other nations, Australia's junior cyclists face a high component of self-funding when they compete at World Championships. It's inspiring to see our former professional riders giving back so generously to the next generation through the Maillot Jaune Club."