Oct 29 2024 22 mins
Bjoern Koerdt is the latest rider supported by The Rayner Foundation to graduate to the UCI WorldTour. The charity, which funds young British riders to pursue their dreams of a professional career by racing abroad, is one of the most cherished in British cycle sport. In 2018, Phil Jones MBE, Brother UK’s Managing Director and this podcast's co-host, rode the entire length of the Tour of Britain with endurance rider James Golding, raising around £20,000 for the foundation.
Koerdt, a 20-year-old from Leeds, will start a three-year contract with DSM-Firmenich-PostNL in January. There, he’ll join Rayner alumni Oscar Onley and Sean Flynn. The Dutch squad’s development team is home to Rayner riders Jacob Bush, Oliver Peace and Benjamin Peatfield. Max Poole, a former British junior champion and our guest in episode 49, is among the team’s most valued riders.
In this interview with co-host Timothy John, Koerdt describes the early days in his cycling career as a member of Yorkshire’s White Rose Youth League, his Rayner-supported move to France with CC Étupes, the alma mater of Tour de France stage winner Adam Yates, and a relentless but rewarding finish to the season as a stagiaire with DSM-Firmenich-PostNL that included a rare outing on home roads at the Tour of Britain.
From early showings in domestic races like the junior CiCLE Classic to competing in professional races in countries as far flung as Norway and Malaysia, Koerdt offers insights into the life a young rider learning his trade and determined to reach to the top. Broken bones, foreign languages, golden opportunities and the sweet taste of success are among his formative experiences.
A winter in Girona followed by a move to his new team’s Keep Challenging Centre in The Netherlands will continue the international flavour of Koerdt’s burgeoning career. Enjoy this interview with the latest young British rider to reach the professional ranks in an era that has witnessed a generational shift in the peloton’s demographic.