'We have to set the example that sustainable travel is possible': The pro team travelling by train for the environment

A Dutch pro cycling team has called on other squads to do more in an attempt to cut carbon emissions and improve the sport’s impact on the environment, following their example.

BEAT Cycling, a Dutch UCI Continental squad, travelled by train on Monday from Amsterdam to Girona for a training camp for the second year in a row and believe that their example should encourage more teams to do the same, even at WorldTour level.

"As people working in professional sport, we have a great opportunity to set an example," Twan van Schie, the team’s sustainability manager, told Cycling Weekly.

"As pro cyclists you get the chance and the opportunity to inspire. By this I mean there's a lot of people that want to ride around like Mathieu van der Poel, with the same helmet, same glasses, you name it. So we as pro cyclists also have to set the example that more sustainable ways of travel do exist and are easily accessible and possible too."

"Yes, it takes a bit longer, but also it's a bit more comfortable and way better for the environment. I think if cycling as a whole grabs this opportunity, we can have such a positive influence."

BEAT Cycling operates on a tight budget, but Van Schie explained that with plenty of planning he was able to avoid travelling by plane. He said that he believes there is nothing holding back major European WorldTour teams from attempting to follow suit when travelling to camps in Spain. Even that, he says, will help the sport make a small, but positive, difference to the climate emergency.

"I think 100% it will be possible for other teams," he said. "We don't have the budget to normally do this, and we really have to look for sponsorships and partners to work together to get this all together. Whereas I think the big teams with the huge budgets, they can make these kinds of decisions a bit easier."

Less stressful than the plane

Last year, the team used a shipping container on a freight train to transport their bikes and other gear to Girona ahead of the riders and staff making the trip. This year, a small truck containing the equipment had to travel by road. However, Van Schie's findings show that even with one vehicle travelling by road to Spain they still cut their emissions as a group.

"I spoke a lot with the riders about their opinions and their experiences, and what they mostly noted is that in cycling there is no perfect way to travel," Van Schie added, revealing that the majority of the group were sold on the new means of transport. "So if you go by plane, yes, you're in that chair for a shorter time, but you're all cramped up and it's often quite stressful."

"By train it takes a little less than 12 hours, which means there's no time for a shakeout ride when we get there," he said. "But the riders did admit it was so much more relaxed during the trip. You have way more leg room. You can just stand up whenever you please.

"It was kind of a team building event too, because you were with the entire team in the train for like 10 hours. You could speak with everyone, play a game, move around a bit more. The leg room is way more luxurious on the train, you're not all cramped up. We definitely do believe more people should do this in cycling."