The Dave Rayner Fund Supports Aspiring Racers
ABOUT THE FUND
Over the last few years, it has become the norm to see riders from the British Isles animating the biggest bike races on the sporting calendar. From the Tour de France to Paris-Roubaix, there is no terrain on which our men and women can now not excel. Many of these riders have taken a path from velodrome to the road, supported by the proven programme that has delivered the many medals of recent Olympic games. For others though, the route to success follows a more traditional path, which for now remains an effective alternative for those that choose it. It is the latter choice that the Dave Rayner fund aims to support aspiring talented riders with.
Dave Rayner began his career as a cyclist in the same way as many of today’s aspiring juniors, racing in the UK and demonstrating his talent on the domestic racing scene, taking the 1984 National Junior Road Race championship. Dave faced a stark choice at that point in his career, to stay at home and pursue a career in the UK, or to eschew home comforts (remember, these are the days before the internet, mobile phones and widely spoken English) and pursue a career by winning his way to a pro contract against the best European amateurs on their own turf.
Dave took the latter choice and signed up to ride for the G.S.Porcari-Fanini-Berti Team where his alumni included Mario Cippolini and from there his career flew, reaching its peak with a stint in the leading Buckler Team, who today would be part of the World Tour.
After his tragic death, the cycling community wanted to support his memory by giving other young riders the chance to follow in Dave’s footsteps and since then over £600,000 in grants have been given to riders to enable them to race abroad. Among the riders supported have been Dave Millar (one of the very first recipients of a grant), through to more recent champions like Adam Yates.
About Dave Rayner
Dave Rayner was born in Shipley, son of John and Barbara. John was a first category racing man in the 1960′s part of the well known ‘Rayner’ cycling family.
David’s first club was the East Bradford CC which he joined in 1979 as a 12 year old. He went on to join the Bradford Wheelers in 1984, and won the National Junior RR Champs at Stoke on Trent.
His development progressed further when he went to Italy at the beginning of 1984 and rode for the G.S.Porcari-Fanini-Berti Team. He was riding with the likes of Mario Cipollini and Andrea Tafi and remained there until the end of 1986. In 1985 Dave came 14th in the Junior World Road Race Champs and 5th in the World Junior Team Time Trial Champs at Stuttgart.
In 1987 Dave won the under 22 award in the Milk Race and then turned pro for the Interent-Yugo Team in Britain. In 1988 he joined the Raleigh-Banana Team, won the under 22 award again in the Milk Race and came 8th overall.
1989 Raleigh-Banana again, 8th overall again in the Milk Race and for the 3rd year running he won the under 22 award again. He joined the Banana-Falcon Team in 1990 and in that year won the Scottish Provident Criterium Series overall.
In 1991/2 he went to Holland and rode for the Buckler Team under former World Champion Jan Raas. He went to the USA for 1993 joining the I.M.E-Health Share Team which was not very successful so for 1994, his final season he came back to Britain and joined the Lex-Townsend Team, coming 2nd in the National Criterium Champs in Milford Haven.
http://www.daveraynerfund.co.uk/about/
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