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Search forRise of the girl racers!
Thursday, August 28, 2008, 00:01
A year ago, the Dean Forest Cycling Club had just one female member.
Now, the club has a flourishing ladies' section, which continues to grow, month by month.
Sports therapist Louise Insall, from Pope's Hill, was given the job of getting more females into the club. Louise cycled to a high standard before working as a squad facilitator and masseur for the GB cycling squad.
She used to look after stars of the track such as Nicole Cook and Bradley Wiggins, and also worked with Ross Edgar when he was a teenager, competing at the Junior World Championships.
Louise said: "The profile of the sport is definitely rising, the World Track Championship in Manchester is sold out already on the back of the recent Olympic success.
"Here in the Forest, Josie Luckins used to be the only competitive female rider, but now there are many more.
"Debbie Pearce recently broke a club record for a 2km ride by 11 seconds, while Emily Ravenhill is very close to the 10-mile record.
"The club pro-actively encourages women – I've knocked on doors and gone to pick people up to take them racing.
"The Olympics will help, it's a big motivation."
Last weekend, a Sky Sports TV crew came to the Forest to film Louise and her fellow female cyclists. She added: "Sky Sports sponsor British Cycling and they'd heard about the rapid growth of our club.
"Cycling used to be a minority sport but I'm not sure it is anymore. We're getting more male riders as well as female riders, and the club membership has just gone through the 100 mark for the first time."
WHEEL DEAL: Forest of Dean Cycling Club member Carol Jones being filmed by a Sky Sports TV crew at Symonds Yat this week. INSET: Louise Insall.
It's £1.14 round our way. I can hardly afford to get to work!
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