Accent Inns-Russ Hay’s team lay the ground work for future successes

As the end of 2016 approaches, the Accent Inns-Russ Hay’s Cycling Team based in Victoria prepares to close its doors. A program that was founded in 2012 to help grow and develop competitive cycling in British Columbia, the team helped young riders make steps in their cycling careers. Rider who went through the program onto UCI continental teams included Oliver Evans (H&R Block), Danick Vandale (Silber Pro Cycling),  Jacob Schwingboth (H&R Block), Jordan Cheyne (Jelly Belly) and Chris Prendergast (H&R Block).

The team was founded by Jon Watkin and David Strasser in partnership with the Russ Hay’s bike shop and Accent Inns. The team was entirely volunteer based operating on a small budget giving elite and development riders support and opportunities to travel and race.

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Looking back at what the team accomplished, team co-founder Watkin who is now the cycling manager at Westin Bear Mountain Resort said, “First and foremost we kick-started the careers of some talent athletes. We gave mainly under-23 riders a full turn-key platform to make it to the next level. We paid for race entry fees, clothing and equipment, bikes, and travel,” he said. “It was as close to pro team as you could get and we did it all on a shoestring budget.”

The team managed to win national titles in a number of disciplines including Curtis Dearden’s win at the 2013 Canadian championships in the elite men’s ITT.  With a background in entrepreneurial management, Watkin sought to run the program like a business with a clear marketing and sponsorship plan. Closing the team to focus on his role at Bear Mountain which acts as a venue for the national mountain bike team’s athletes to train and hosts a Canada Cup event was sad but Watkin said it opens up opportunities for other programs to fill the gap.

He also had some sound advice for teams as they seek to gain a strong financial foothold in a sport that is notoriously volatile hoping the lessons he learned can help other teams to success. “The big thing is communication and relationship management with sponsors,” explained Watkin. “What I learned was each sponsor have different reasosn to support cycling and it’s important to take the time to understand and ask about those reasons. Sponsors want to feel they are part of something.”

Watkin sees cycling as a sport that has room to grow thanks to its accessibility and as a means to living a healthy lifestyle. Watkin points to the lack a sustainable business model in the sport, a shortage of major cycling events and mistrust amoung the general public as reasons why it can’t gain a larger foothold. “The lingering negative perceptions of the sport means that the business community is reluctant to get into cycling,” Watkins explained.

“There needs to be a bigger emphasis on the health benefits of cycling,” he said. “If we measure success by medals won at the Olympics, you don’t get the complete picture of what the sport has to offer.”

While the WorldTour teams, major race organizers and the UCI struggle at the top of the sport to find a model that puts the sport on more stable ground, Watkin point to how Canada could help develop a sustainable business model. “Cycling Canada and the provinces need to develop a pyramid structure  where the foundation is the average person who rides a bike. With a critical mass of people who would pay into a membership into club’s you can build elite programs and develop riders.”

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While Watkin closes shop on his team to contribute to helping Canada’s national mountain bike program built towards success in the next Olympic cycle, he said he has immense satisfaction from what was accomplished with the Accent Inns-Russ Hay’s team over the years. “It was extremely rewarding working with talent athletes and I feel very fortunate to have helped some of them get to the next level in their cycling careers.”