Former Penge Cycle Club rider signs for Lotto Dstny

Lucy Bentzet Minns has been signed  as a pro-cyclist in the Lotto Dstny ladies’ cycling team.

Penge Cycle Club was where she got started, aged eight.

Penge Cycle Club and SE20 Cycles were her sponsors at the Recent UCI Track Championships, where she was riding for Ireland.

The youth section of the club is for anyone aged five to 16 who wants to get better, fitter and faster on a bike.

Ninety per cent of the current  Great Britain cycling team started out in Go-Ride registered clubs like PengeCC, so this is a winning formula for aspiring racers.

Winnie Farquarson, Penge Cycle founder and owner of SE20 Cycles, said: “When we founded the club back in  2008 we wanted to give local young riders of all abilities the chance to ride bikes in a safe, fun environment.

“We are very proud of Lucy, of course, but we are just as proud of every young rider that pulls on a Penge CC jersey.”

Minns, 18, said: “I’m really excited for this new step. It will be special to try out some bigger races.

“As I come from the juniors, I still need to learn and discover a lot. I became national road and time trial champion in Ireland, which was nice. I had a good end of the year with winning the points race on the Junior Track European Championships.

“I want to discover more about which type of rider I am and try out as many courses as possible.

“Probably I’ll keep combining track with road. Next year I’ll fully focus on cycling for one year, and then after that I’ll see if I will start my university studies, history and politics, maybe from remote.”

Lotto sports manager Kurt Van de Wouwe said: “This signing fits perfectly in our vision to give a chance to young talents.”

PICTURE: DAVE WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY