Amy Pullen selected to ride as guest apprentice for Team GB cycling

Top cyclist Amy Pullen in Year 11 has been selected as a guest apprentice for Team GB cycling. Normally, the Great British Cycling Team takes on 15 girls to the programme, but due to Covid-19, Amy’s selection is even more fantastic as they have had to halve the number to 7 guest apprentices. The guest apprentice position will hopefully lead to an apprentice role in the near future, once racing resumes.

What does guest apprentice in Team GB mean?

Acceptance onto the guest apprentice programme carries huge credibility in the field of cycling, which means Amy will be invited to educational workshops and cycling race camps all over the UK, once sport restarts. Coaches have commented that Amy has the potential to ride at a world class level in the future, so this selection has been a great boost to her prospects.

National and Regional competitions

To be selected onto the Team GB guest apprentice programme, riders must reach a specific level at races, covering both National School of Racing and Regional School of Racing competitions. One of the pre-requisites is a 22.5 second standing lap time on the track and a peak power of 800 watts. Competitors must come within the top 15 riders in national races as the coaches from Team GB scout for apprentices at these national and regional events.

Training

Amy started cycling 5 years ago at the age of 11. She trains under coach Rob Wakefield and she rides with Propello Cycling. Training takes up around 9 hours a week, with both long weekend rides and daily strength and conditioning sessions. Training during lockdown has been strange for most athletes, due to the uncertainty around whether races will go ahead or not. To keep her motivation high, she is setting short term goals to keep focused and Amy is now preparing for the 2021 in the hope that some races will take place this year.

Well done Amy: everyone at West Buckland School is very proud of you.