Halesowen Academy presents strongest line-up to date for 2024

Going into its 10^th year in 2024 Halesowen Academy is proud to present its strongest line-up yet, increasing rider numbers to 17 with a 6-rider junior squad and a five-man under-23 team thanks to the support of local companies led by Mapei UK.

Five new riders join the squad, including two of the strongest under-16 racers in the UK, Ryan Oldfield and Hudson Hendry, who will race in 2024 as first-year juniors. Oldfield, a regular at the Halesowen track since his formative years, joins from Team Cystic Fibrosis after a stellar season which included victory in the InterRegional road race plus bronze and silver medals at the national track championships.

Hendry, meanwhile, took silver in the national pursuit championship and won the Icebreaker omnium series earlier in the season. Wales Academy rider Ryu Roberts-Hayamizu completes the junior squad along with current Halesowen riders Luke Mannings, and Kaleb and Isaak Herbert.

Also new to the team for 2024 is Devon-based first year under-23 Piers Mahn, while Joe Egan steps up from the Halesowen youth riders. Among the under-23s Luke Harris moves up from junior after a fine comeback year culminating in his victory in the national junior gravel championship; he will join Charlie Genner, Rowan Schaack and Aaron Mansell in the national under-23 series next year.

“We enjoyed one of our best ever seasons in 2023, and the prospects for 2024 are pretty exciting too with these new arrivals,” said team manager Peter Hall, referring to a 2023 campaign in which Joe Brookes was the stand-out performer, winning seven times, including the elite national race at Fougerolles in France, and finishing fourth in the National under-23 series in his first year at senior.

Brookes also finished 8^th in the Beaumont Trophy, and will ride in 2024 for the AVC Aix team in southern France with the support of the Rayner Foundation. Additionally, under-14 Rose Lewis produced a stellar season, winning the national cyclo cross series for her category and taking four medals in four different national championship disciplines.

“We were delighted to see Joe step up to AVC Aix after one season as an under-23 in which he proved he was one of the best first-years in that age group in the UK,” said Hall. “That comes after Tomos Pattinson’s progress the year before; the fact we can help local athletes of this calibre move up the ranks gives us confidence that we provide a pathway for young riders which is a bit different to most British feeder teams.”

“We added substantially to our race programme in 2023, with the Ras Mumhan, Ras Tailteann and Cicle Classic – we would like to thank those race organisers for giving us the opportunities there – and we would like to thank those companies and individuals that continue to support us.” The team returns to Ras Mumhan in a few weeks.

In addition to providing a pathway for young cyclists, the Academy is a major contributor to the West Midlands race scene, running six days of road racing this year including the BikeStow 3-day which is now in its third year. “The equation is pretty simple to me, if teams don’t actively support racing, they will end up with nothing to race,” said academy founder William Fotheringham, who doubles up as road racing lead for the West Midlands region board. “With the support of parents and sponsors we’ve helped to revitalise local racing, and there must be food for thought there for pretty much any team in the UK.”

HACC Academy-Mapei for 2024
Ryan Brookes
Joe Egan
Patrick Fotheringham
Charlie Genner
Luke Harris
Hudson Hendry
Isaak Herbert
Kaleb Herbert
Joe Homer
Rose Lewis
Piers Mahn
Luke Mannings
Aaron Mansell
Ryan Oldfield
Ryu Roberts-Hayamizu
Rowan Schaack
Will Simons

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