News: HotChillee appoints Dean Downing as team manager

HotChillee, a cycling events company, appoints professional Dean Downing as its Team Manager to manage all sponsorship for the squad of HotChillee Ride Captains.

Having Downing on-board as Team Manager will give all Official Teams access to a Pro-Cyclist, allowing them to gain useful advice on training, nutrition, kit and even mental preparation for a staged cycling event. He will attend all HotChillee Training Rides where teams will be able to ride with and get to know the professional cyclist in the lead-up to the events. Dean will act as the teams’ first point of contact, making sure they are equipped with everything to make their ride an unforgettable experience.

With Dean’s appointment, HotChillee is also adding Official Team briefings to the pre-event experience. During these briefings, all teams will be given information and advice on event logistics and kit. It will give them the chance to meet HotChillee partners and other teams.

HotChillee’s official team concept has grown from strength to strength since it began with The London-Paris in 2008. The opportunity provides businesses with a good CSR and fundraising platform. It delivers increased brand awareness, a stage for client engagement, product launches and new business. Some companies have used the team allocation to incentivise employees.

This year a record number of teams, 125, applied for the 35 team places on The London-Paris 2013 and there’s set to be 15 teams on The Alpine Challenge 2013 and 10 on HotChillee’s new addition to its Global Event Series, The Cape Rouler 2013. With competition between teams getting fiercer, gaining valuable information from Downing could mean the difference between winning or losing the race towards The Best Team award.

Downing says: ” I’m pretty excited to be working with the HotChillee teams. The teams are becoming more and more like Professional Teams. They all have the best looking equipment, training programmes and they are getting faster. I look forward to meeting up with the teams and passing on my experiences and knowledge from being inside the Pro peloton for the last few years.”

Downing will also take on the role of Ride Captain Partnership Manager. HotChillee’s squad of Ride Captains is an essential part of the success of its events. All rides are split into seeded Speed Groups and each of those groups has 2-3 dedicated Ride Captains to look after them during the ride, helping all riders meet their goals and providing professional advice on technique, nutrition, gear and kit. Dean will head up the squad of Ride Captains and develop relationships with partners in nutrition, technical kit and on and off the bike clothing.

Sven Thiele, HotChillee’s founder says: “Each year our events feel even closer to the professionals’ experience. It is our aim to get enthusiasts, current professionals and cycling legends – all with a passion for the sport – cycling together, giving them the chance to get to know each other on a safe, fun and well-organised event. Having Dean join us in an official capacity gives our team community the chance to really fulfil their ambitions on the road and allows them to get to know one of cycling’s professionals on a personal level.”