Halesowen are on the fast track to success

The club have a long and proud history of producing top-level talent through their ranks, with Olympic and Paralympic stars Jess Varnish and Helen Scott both graduating.

The conveyor belt shows no signs of halting either, as Emily Kay and Emily Nelson have both landed junior world titles in recent years and are members of Great Britain's cycling academy.

Despite their success, the club were wary of losing talented youngsters as they progressed through the difficult and costly world of cycling.

Club chairman Dave Viner and fellow committee member William Fotheringham, who heads the academy set-up, believe the addition of an academy gives the riders more of a chance to make the grade.

The academy is open to riders – road, track or cyclocross – between the ages of 16-23, male and female.

Benefitted

The six current members, Charles Walker, Patrick Fotheringham, Oliver Dighton, Jack Stanton-Warren, Tom Swingler and Joe Hobbs have all benefitted form the year or so as part of the Manor Abbey Stadium academy set-up, believes Fotheringham.

The team consists of a first year junior, two first year under-23s and two second year under-23s.

"We've always produced riders to go on and do better things at Halesowen," said road team manager Fotheringham.

"Five of our former women ride nationally and there are three men in really good elite teams. It's astonishing really, the success we've had.

"We've found that the transition, particularly for male riders, from under-14 and under-16 to senior level can be tough and there's a big drop-out rate.

"There's a much deeper pool of talent and a bigger chance to fall by the wayside.

"It's about us providing the support to them and helping them progress in any way we can.

"At the moment, by coincidence, we have six lads on the books that ride road but we will cater for whatever their talent.

"We're desperate to get female members in the academy. There's one we have our eye on at the moment and as soon as she takes that last little step then she's in. If you're good enough to ride in the academy with enough potential, then we'll have you."

The academy has been well-supported since its creation last year, with Wenlock Spring Mineral Water joining as backers ahead of the 2016 season.

The latest sponsor arrives alongside OTE Nutrition, ProVision Clothing and Mark Warren Coaching to help prove to potential academy stars that they will be well catered for at Manor Way.

Last year's establishing of the set-up also received a boost from cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy, whose bike brand provided the starlets with bikes and essential cycling apparel.

"It is such a big thing for us to have a sponsor from outside of cycling involved," Fotheringham added.

"These guys don't go into things lightly and they're really into building things with us and we have a great relationship.

"I gives it a real validity when someone like that gets behind us.

"We had a few workshops on nutrition and people come in to speak to the lads.

"We've been able to expand in the second year and add new talent.

"There's even been our first winner with Charlie winning an event in Milton Keynes."

The academy is mainly, but not exclusively, targetting youth products of the Halesowen outfit.

Youngsters now have something to strive for while going through the ranks at the club, born in the early 1940s, according to Fotheringham.

"There's a point of focus for kids as young as 10 and 12," he added. "They can look at the academy lads and say 'wow we want to do that'.

"One, it'll inspire the boys and girls within the club to stay on and be looked after.

"And two, it's a good selling point for the club as a whole, for older riders in their late teens and early 20s to know that they'll be looked after and catered for."

The primary target for the academy riders will be the Halesowen Road Race on May 8.

Delighted chairman Viner added: "Behind the scenes cycling is very team orientated. I think even more so than rugby and football, there's more that the spectators don't see.

"Decisions and tactics in cycling are so subtle. Things like bridging gaps in times and giving your best riders the easier rides.

"The academy will allow the youngsters to train together more often and improve team bonding. We want to make it as team orientated as possible."