Meet Tony Orrell, the Simon Cowell of the cycling world…
Since former professional cyclist Tony Orrell formed the Torelli Women’s Professional Cycling Team eight years ago, he has created four World Tour riders, numerous national champions and helped more than 60 women take the leap from amateur to professional status.
And some of his current and former protegees were among those taking part in the Championships (until 13 August) – billed as the biggest cycling event in the world.
Among them are New Zealand’s Niamh Fisher-Black, current Under 23 World Road Race Champion, recent winner of the final stage of the Tour de Suisse Women and lead rider for Team SD Worx in the women’s Giro d’Italia, South Africa’s Hayley Preen and British cyclist Kim Baptista.
His current team comprises 16 riders including women’s national champions from as far afield as Morocco, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, France, Sweden, Norway and South Africa.
Picture caption: The Torelli Women’s Cycling Team at the start of stage 2 Princess Anna Vasa Tour of Poland. Left to Right Francesca Selva, Camilla Ranes Bye, Bronwyn MacGregor, Hayley Preen, Amalie Winther Olsen, S’annara Grove
But when Tony, from Manchester, decided to form the Torelli Women’s Cycling Team back in 2015, even he could not have foreseen just how integral to the development of the sport it would become.
Or that his ability to spot emerging talent would create so many cycling stars – not just in the UK but throughout Europe and the rest of the world.
A former professional cyclist himself, Tony, 60, comes from a cycling dynasty. “Both my parents were cyclists at the highest level,” he said, “and so I grew up in that world. It’s all I’ve ever known.”
When Tony stopped cycling professionally, he started organising sportive cycling events, before a chance conversation with a coaching company led to the formation of the Torellli team.
“We started off with four riders,” he said, “And it just grew and grew. We’re very much a development team. We take young cyclists who are starting out in their careers and nurture them.
“We help them improve every aspect of their sport – from the cycling and training to nutrition and mindset. Thet get the whole package from us.”
Every year around 200 female cyclists apply to join the team and Tony relies almost entirely on instinct when deciding who has “that special quality, that X-factor, if you like, to go all the way in the sport.
“In some instances, I don’t even have to meet them,” he said. “We took on one Norwegian girl Camilla Ranes Bye and I knew just from talking to her on the phone that she had something special; she had potential.
“She’s now the Norwegian Under 23 road race champion and has just won the opening stage of the Princess Anna Vasa Tour of Poland. She is also one of the favourites for next month’s European Road Race Championships.
“Someone in the same business as mine once told me that when you’re looking for the next champion, you’re actually looking for yourself in that athlete and I think that’s probably true.”
In the cycling world Torelli Women’s Professional Cycling Team is very much punching above its weight – competing at international level despite still holding amateur status.
“Unfortunately, though, that means that although I produce the best riders, I can’t keep them,” said Tony. “They get poached by bigger teams.
“So my next goal is to make us bigger – and that’s a completely achievable goal.”