News: Ashcombe student a picture of success for Tour of Britian

Ashcombe student George Barton-Wood (14) wins competition to design the 2012 ŠKODA King of the Mountains jersey

Milton Keynes, 11 July 2012: Surrey student George Barton-Wood, 14, proved himself picture perfect this week as he claimed top prize in the ŠKODA King of the Mountains jersey design competition. In May, official jersey sponsor ŠKODA teamed up with Surrey County Council to launch the county-wide competition, challenging Surrey students to design the famous ŠKODA King of the Mountains jersey – awarded to the best climber in the elite British cycling race.

George Barton-Wood will present the King of the Mountains overall winner with the official jersey, sporting his design, at September’s Tour of Britain. More than 700 Surrey students aged 7 to 16 submitted entries to the competition, to win the chance to have their designs used on the Tour of Britain King of the Mountains jersey, presented to the successful rider at the Tour’s official prize ceremony on 16th September. Packs were issued to all 417 Surrey schools, and teachers were urged to encourage their classes to get involved.

Other winners selected by the panel of judges include Max Charles, 11, of Powell Corderoy School in Dorking, who scooped the top prize for the Key Stage Two category. Max and his family will receive tickets to attend the final stage of this year’s Tour of Britain as guests of ŠKODA. Ella Woods, 10, of Reigate Priory School and Charlotte Ainslie, 16, of Sir William Perkins’s School, both received Highly Commended awards and will also receive prizes.

Emily Dymond, Communications Manager for ŠKODA UK, comments: “We have been overwhelmed by the response to the jersey design competition, and the standard of entries has been exceptional. It’s great to see so many children taking such an interest in cycling, and as official vehicle sponsor and official sponsor of the King of the Mountains jersey, ŠKODA is tremendously proud to be playing a part in raising the profile of cycling within schools.”

The competition follows the announcement that Surrey will host the final stage of the national cycle race on 16th September, just weeks after the Olympic cycling road races and road cycling time trial events take place in the county.

Helyn Clack, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Services and the 2012 Games, said: “Picking a winner was a tough task for the judges as there were so many excellent entries. George’s artwork was outstanding and the fact that the Tour of Britain’s best climber will be wearing a Surrey design is pretty special.

“We’re already hosting the Olympic cycling road races and time trials in Surrey, and hosting the final stage of the Tour of Britain will inspire even more people to try out cycling.”

The eighth and final stage of the Tour of Britain will cover more than 90 miles of Surrey roads, starting in Reigate before finishing on Guildford’s cobbled High Street. Dorking, Shere, Mayford, West Horsley, Ockley, Cranleigh, Dunsfold, Witley and Bramley are also on the route.

ŠKODA has a long association with cycling, dating back to the start of the company in 1895 when the founders Vaclav Laurin and Vaclav Klement began manufacturing bicycles in their home town of Mladá Boleslav in the Czech Republic.