elite sport

Jan 29 2026 0 Comment

Episode 3: Values-led leadership – Team Talk podcast

SherryBPodcast

What does it take to build – lose – and rebuild a high-performance team without losing belief or values?

In this episode of Team Talk, Sherry Bevan speaks with Doug Ryder about leadership, resilience and community in professional cycling. Doug shares the journey from an “impossible” Olympic-era dream to leading the first African team at the Tour de France – and how Q36.5 Pro Cycling rebuilt after losing all sponsorship during Covid.

This is a candid conversation about belief, trust and what really sustains performance when results disappear.

Listen to the episode here:

Episode 3: Values-led leadership

Guest: Doug Ryder, Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team

Sherry Bevan: Welcome to the Team Talk podcast. This is the show where we discover how to build high performing teams using lessons learned in the world of sport. I’m your host, Sherry Bevan and in today’s episode I’m absolutely delighted to be talking to Doug Ryder, who’s the General Manager at Q36.5, the Pro Cycling team. Welcome, Doug, a very warm welcome to you.

Doug Ryder: Thank you very much Sherry.

Not everyone listening to this podcast is a big cycling fan. Could you start by telling me a bit more about your personal background in the world of cycling as a professional.

Thank you. I was a professional cyclist and rode for South Africa. I was very lucky. I rode at a time when Mandela had just come out of prison. It was a beautiful time to be a sportsperson in South Africa, because we were banned from international sports for a time. When Mandela came into power, that whole “sport has the power to change the world”, that empathy, that purpose, that came through with him as a leader. It was an inspirational time to be a person from South Africa, particularly in the sporting world.

I was fortunate enough to go to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and represent South Africa. That’s where the dream of this team started – to take an African team to the Tour de France. We were a special and small group of athletes that competed together at the highest levels in sport. The cycling was amazing in Atlanta. It was the first professional amateur race at the Olympic Games for cyclists. Previously the Olympics was just for amateurs. We had all the big guns from cycling there, including Lance Armstrong.

I didn’t make it as a pro ultimately. In the late nineties and early 2000s the sport was in a different place; it was like racing motorbikes.

My dream was to take an African team to the Tour de France. I went into the corporate world and worked in IT for 11 years, which helped me plan, strategise, understand business, and putting big deals together.

In 2012, I went to the ASO, the owners of the Tour de France, and I put a plan together to take an African team to the Tour within three years.

They thought I was completely mad. I raised some backing, and I had some riders that believed that they could do it, too. Three years later we were at the Tour de France as the first African team in 2015. It was epic. They made history. It was a remarkable time. It was a beautiful Tour de France.

Wow – that’s so inspirational. When I speak to people in sport, I often hear the same story: “Everyone thought I was mad” or “It was an impossible dream.” I love hearing that, because it proves that impossible dreams aren’t impossible. You just have to set your mind to it.

In the modern world, people sometimes think that if a dream hasn’t happened yet, it never will – that everything’s already been done. That’s simply not true. There are still opportunities to do something uniquely different, something that’s never been done before. If you stick with it and truly believe in it, anything is possible.

I talk about this a lot, and people often say, “Wow, that gives me hope.” It’s inspiring – but it’s not easy. It took me 15 years to make this happen. It didn’t happen overnight, but it was absolutely worth it.

1996 in Atlanta feels like a long time ago now. How does performing at the Olympics in a cycling team compare to racing on the road, not in a national team but in a professional one?

There’s always incredible national pride. Riders love representing their countries – that’s a huge motivator. Going to the Olympics is an absolute privilege. That’s the one percent of the one percent.

Wearing your national colours at a World Championship is special, but working in a professional team environment is different. You’re building something together. You’re on the road 200 days a year. It becomes a family.

Endurance sport isn’t a job – it’s a lifestyle. Everything you do, everyone around you, has to believe and sacrifice for you to exist at this level. When you succeed, the celebration belongs to everyone – from the bus driver to the chef to every single person on the team.

With national teams, those moments are rare. In professional cycling, we lose far more than we win. There are 180 riders on the start line – you have a one-in-180 chance. I always tell my kids to play tennis. They ask why, and I say, “You’ve got a 50% chance of winning.” In cycling, you’ve got weather, crashes, traffic, mechanicals – everything working against you.

That’s why the team becomes your second family. And that’s incredibly special.

Especially because you travel constantly. You’re not all based in one place – you’re moving around the world together.

That’s one of the beautiful things about cycling. Our stadiums are the open roads of the world – the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Netherlands, everywhere. But there’s also loneliness. Riders train alone a lot. They make huge sacrifices, each with very specific roles.

When they come together at races, connection becomes essential. Understanding each other, trusting each other – that’s what makes the sport unique.

Tell me about the team you’re working with now – both on the road and behind the scenes.

We have 25 riders and about 50 staff – roughly 70 people in total. Around 55 of them are travelling ten months a year, across 220 race days in more than 20 countries. It’s a moving billboard, a moving circus.

We run double programmes for most of the year, with separate infrastructure, vehicles, and staff.

It’s amazing – and it’s incredibly complex. Getting everyone to the right place, on time, healthy, in form, with the right equipment, is a logistical nightmare.

And the team is relatively young compared to others?

We’ve got history. We started as MTN-Qhubeka in 2010, grew into a WorldTour team, and then Covid hit. We lost all our sponsorship and didn’t exist in 2022. That was devastating.

But we fought back. Q36.5 is now in its third year. We restarted in the ProTeam division, with incredible partners – UBS, Scott, Q36.5. Our legacy helped us rise again.

Signing Tom Pidcock was a game-changer. He’s a double Olympic champion with global presence. For him to choose us showed that our values, organisation, and support structure are real.

Like many British fans, when Tom joined, I paid much closer attention.

Many people thought he was mad. But it was a calculated risk. He knew our history. He knew we’d support him fully and let him race the way he wants.

And you can see it – he’s enjoying it.

When we’re recording this, you’ve just received a wildcard for the 2025 Giro d’Italia.

It’s huge. So much work went into that. We haven’t ridden a Grand Tour since 2021, and not in our new colours.

I’m thrilled – especially for Tom’s UK supporters. I asked him if he likes pink. He looked at me strangely. I said, “Well, let’s go for pink.”

How do you keep such a large, distributed team aligned?

We rely on experience. Heads of Performance, Racing, Logistics. We plan weekly. Technology is critical – software platforms, messaging tools. Things change constantly: crashes, injuries, last-minute swaps.

People work incredibly long hours. It’s tough. Communication is everything. We trust decision-makers. When decisions are made, we move – no debate in the moment. We review later.

We don’t work in silos. Everything is connected. That makes us fast and resilient.

How do you build trust in the first place?

Loyalty. Honesty. Respect. Understanding people as humans.

Someone once told me: “Your staff are more important than your riders.” At first, I didn’t believe it. But it’s true. Staff drive culture. Riders feed off it.

Cyclists live on a knife edge emotionally. The support system matters more than people realise.

With such long seasons, how do you prevent burnout?

It’s hard. People care deeply, sometimes too deeply. I constantly remind them to protect themselves.

We hold monthly all-team calls – 70 people on Zoom, just talking. Family, life, direction. During Covid, we even did full weekends like that.

This isn’t my team. It’s our team. People feel heard, valued, respected. That sense of belonging keeps people going.

Your website talks about Ubuntu. Tell me more.

Ubuntu means “I am because we are.” It’s at the heart of everything we do.

There’s a sign at our service course in the Netherlands that says it. It reminds us to care – on the road, in our work, with each other.

It’s not marketing. It’s behaviour. That value system has attracted incredible talent and held us together when times were hard.

What have you learned over the past few years?

We failed – hard. But we didn’t change our values. We focused on impact, not ego.

Coming back with the same principles mattered. Partners believed in us because of that.

In a world that became very individualistic during Covid, we doubled down on community. That gave us energy to rise again.

What are your ambitions for the next few years?

Big ones. Bringing Tom in shows that.

He’s 25 – not winding down, just getting started. His leadership, detail, and professionalism lift everyone. Other riders are noticing. That’s exciting.

We want to return to the top – sustainably, credibly.

Many leaders in cycling are very young. What are your reflections on that?

Experience can’t be bought – it’s earned. We balance young talent with experienced riders who can guide them.

Tom is extraordinary. Riders like him come once a decade. Our job is to maximise everyone’s potential – not turn people into roles.

I don’t want a “climber” or a “domestique.” I want a human being with a dream.

That probably makes cycling more fun to watch.

Exactly. Big teams can buy talent. Smaller teams back belief. Tom chose freedom over security – and that matters.

Before we finish, what’s your favourite sporting moment?

I have two but one leads into the other. In 1996, Josia Thugwane winning Olympic gold in the marathon – that sparked my belief that Africa could produce world-class cyclists.

Then, nearly 20 years later, Steve Cummings winning on Mandela Day in our first Tour de France in 2015. That was the dream realised.

Where can people follow the team?

Instagram: @Q36.5_procycling. Our website at https://www.q36-5procycling.com/  and you can follow me on LinkedIn as well. It’s a pretty special journey we’re on.

It’s been brilliant to talk to you Doug. Thank you so much for joining me today.

If you’re listening to this and wondering how your team could be more effective, please get in touch. I work with the teams behind the sports teams to perform at the highest level so the team on the road or on the pitch makes winning headlines. Thank you for tuning in today, and please do join me for future episodes.

Important links

About Doug Ryder

Doug Ryder is the General Manager of Q36.5 Pro Cycling and a former Olympic cyclist who represented South Africa at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Doug is best known for founding the team that became the first African squad to compete in the Tour de France in 2015. After the team collapsed during Covid, he led its return to professional cycling with Q36.5, grounded in the principle of Ubuntu – “I am because we are.”

Doug is widely respected for his values-led approach to leadership and his belief that sustainable high performance is built through community, trust and shared purpose.

About your host: Sherry Bevan

Sherry Bevan helps teams in transition perform at their best – without the fluff. A former Global Head of IT Service in an international law firm, she now works across technology, professional services and the charity sector. Through her Team Kickoff Accelerator, Sherry supports new and changing teams to build trust, strengthen collaboration and set the foundations for high performance. A former grassroots cyclist and still a runner, Sherry is fascinated by what sport can teach us about teamwork, leadership and sustainable performance – and it’s these ideas she explores with leaders and experts on Team Talk.

Connect with Sherry

Jan 29 2026 0 Comment

Episode 4: Culture beats resources – Team Talk podcast

SherryBPodcast

What does it really take to take a football club into the Football League for the first time in its history?

In this episode of Team Talk, Matt Hall, Head of Football Operations and Administration at Bromley Football Club, shares the club’s journey from non-league football to promotion in 2024, and what it means to be part of the “team behind the team”.

This conversation reveals powerful lessons about leadership, alignment and culture – particularly in organisations with limited resources but big ambition.

Listen to the episode here:

Episode 4: Culture beats resources

Guest: Matt Hall, Bromley Football Club

Sherry Bevan: Hello and welcome to the Team Talk podcast. This is a show where we discover how to build high performing teams, using lessons learned from the world of sport. I’m your host, Sherry Bevan, and in today’s episode I’m delighted to be talking to Matt Hall from Bromley Football Club. Welcome, Matt.

Matt Hall: Thank you very much for having me.

I’m especially excited to speak to you because Bromley is my most local football club. For anyone not so familiar with the club, could you share a bit of background – where Bromley sits in the Football League and some of the exciting things that have been happening recently?

This is Bromley Football Club. You can see the crest behind me – we were formed in 1892, so we’ve been around a long time. We’ve made real strides over the years, particularly in the last handful.

We’re a fully professional club based in the London Borough of Bromley – though some might prefer to say North West Kent, and I’ll leave that debate there. It’s the largest borough in London and Bromley deserves a football club it can truly be proud of. I think over the past few years we’ve shown that we can be exactly that.

We play at Hayes Lane Stadium, we’ve got a fantastic group of players, and this season we’re in the Football League for the first time in our history. That’s a huge moment for us. We’ve spent our entire existence in non-league football, most recently in the National League, and last May [2024] we were promoted to the Football League for the very first time.

It was a groundbreaking achievement – not just for the club, but for the borough as a whole. To have witnessed that journey, and to have played even a small part in it, is incredibly special for me, especially as a Bromley supporter. It makes it all the more meaningful.

Are you local? Were you born and brought up in the area?

I was – an Orpington boy. I grew up there and lived there very happily with my family. A couple of years ago I moved to North Kent with my partner, but I still work in Bromley, still spend a lot of time with my family in Orpington, and I’ll always consider myself an Orpington and Bromley boy wherever I am.

I really bought into everything the club was doing in the community early on, and Bromley and Orpington will always feel like home to me. Being a local person involved in this journey means a great deal.

You’ve set the scene brilliantly. Tell us a bit about you now – your background, your role, and how you ended up here.

I first started watching Bromley when I was about 15 or 16. This was before social media, so I’d read match reports in the back of newspapers and think, I’ve got to go down there. Eventually, in 2011, I did. My first game was against Eastbourne Borough.

We lost 3–1. The players were part-time, there were probably about 250 people in the ground – but something about the place just grabbed me. I was hooked.

It felt more real to me than top-level football. You could relate to the players; they weren’t earning millions. It felt accessible. My support grew and grew, even though it took three or four months before I saw us win a game. That tested my patience – but I loved it regardless.

Eventually I became programme editor for a season, editing the matchday magazine. Around the same time, I got the opportunity to take over stadium announcing as a teenager. That was a huge moment for me. I fell completely in love with the club.

I got to know the Commercial Manager, became more involved, started commentating for what was then a small club radio station, which has grown significantly since. In 2018, I was offered a full-time role while finishing a university degree in education. I spent two years teaching before moving fully into this role.

It’s been an incredible journey. I’ve done almost every job at the club – everything except pulling pints behind the bar. Nothing really phases me anymore.

You haven’t been called up to play on the pitch yet, then?

If that happens, we’re in serious trouble.

You’re very much running the team behind the team. What does that involve?

I report into our CEO, Mark [Hammond], who’s been here a similar length of time to me. We’ve also got a chairman and owner who’s a Bromley boy himself. When I first became full-time, we were working out of a portacabin. Before that, it was literally a bar.

Now we’re in a state-of-the-art facility, which is a huge credit to the leadership of the club.

My role is Head of Football Operations and Administration. Everything that happens off the pitch for the players and coaching staff comes through me – administratively and operationally. That includes player registrations, contracts, compliance with league regulations, and ensuring we’re operating within the rules.

Since promotion to the Football League, the learning curve has been steep. The regulations are completely different. I manage player eligibility, transfers, travel logistics, matchday operations, audits, kit compliance – you name it.

I’m essentially the main conduit between the footballing authorities and the club. If you hear from me publicly, it’s usually because something’s gone wrong somewhere.

It’s a wide-ranging role. Hundreds of emails a day. But it’s also incredibly rewarding. Out of 72 Football League clubs, we’re the only one who’s never been here before. The workload has been immense, but making sure we meet every requirement is my responsibility.

I also support the integration of academy players, sit on the board of the Community Trust, and previously led it for several years. In short, I do a bit of everything – and I do it because I love the club. No job too big, no job too small.

How does what happens off the pitch affect performance on it?

Our manager, Andy Woodman, is brilliant at reinforcing this. There has to be mutual respect. The players can’t do their jobs without us, and we can’t do ours without them.

The goal is simple: remove distractions. Players should only be thinking about football – not travel, kit, logistics, or admin. Every department works together – sports science, medical, coaching, analysis, kit, operations – so players can perform at their best.

Andy has created a culture where everyone understands their role. That alignment is why we’re where we are today.

What have you learned about high-performing teams?

Culture is everything. Andy brought Premier League-level professionalism with him, and we’re very deliberate about recruiting people who fit our culture. He talks about a team “DNA” – looking after each other, working for the team, being punctual, respectful, and representing the club properly.

That clarity matters. People know what’s expected. Andy is exceptional at understanding individuals and motivating them differently. He’s also very good at spotting characters who might disrupt the group – and we’ve never signed a bad egg.

We’re a small club with limited resources, but we’re incredibly tight-knit. Everyone gets stuck in. “That’s not my remit” doesn’t exist here. That mindset is mirrored on and off the pitch.

How has the community embraced Bromley as the club has grown?

The change has been remarkable. Years ago, only a handful of kids recognised the badge. Now, you hear people say, “That’s Bromley FC – Michael Cheek’s my favourite player.”

The real penny-drop moments were our FA Trophy win in 2022 and our promotion. The open-top bus parades were unforgettable. As we came over the hill into Bromley High Street, the bus went silent. Streets were lined with people. Some of us were genuinely emotional.

When we arrived at The Glades and I stepped onto the stage, the crowd just kept going – floor after floor of people. That outpouring of support was overwhelming. It showed what the club truly means to the community.

Community is at the heart of everything we do. The Trust runs projects for everyone – from toddlers to people in their 90s, including dementia support. That matters deeply to us.

How have you grown through all of this?

Massively. I was incredibly shy growing up. I never imagined speaking in front of thousands of people. This club has helped me find confidence, resilience, and purpose.

It’s broadened my skills, strengthened my character, and given me something I truly care about. I’ve learned how to deal with complex personalities and professional footballers – who, despite stereotypes, are some of the most grounded people you’ll meet.

Players like Carl Jenkinson, a former Premier League and England international, are incredibly humble. Others like Michael Cheek – our record goalscorer – prove that talent and mindset transcend levels. When he told me, “The goal never moves,” that really stayed with me.

My aim is simple: to be the best possible ambassador for what this club represents. I’m incredibly proud of that responsibility.

Finally – your favourite sporting moment?

It has to be Bromley. That winning penalty at Wembley in 2024. Byron Webster – our captain – stepped up. A centre-back, not a striker. The composure, the confidence, the smirk. It was iconic.

What that moment meant to the club, the borough, and everyone involved is impossible to describe. He went down in history that day. I don’t know if anything will ever top it – unless we reach the Premier League one day.

What a moment. And what a story – not just about the team on the pitch, but the team behind it too.

Thank you so much for joining me today, Matt. I’ve really enjoyed talking to you.

Important Links

About Matt Hall

Matt Hall is Head of Football Operations and Administration at Bromley Football Club. A lifelong supporter and local to the area, Matt has grown with the club – moving from volunteer roles and matchday announcing to leading football operations at League level.

He is responsible for all off-pitch operations supporting players and coaching staff, including compliance, logistics, registrations, and league relations. Matt also sits on the board of the Bromley FC Community Trust and is a passionate ambassador for the club’s values and its role in the borough.

About your host: Sherry Bevan

Sherry Bevan helps teams in transition perform at their best – without the fluff. A former Global Head of IT Service in an international law firm, she now works across technology, professional services and the charity sector. Through her Team Kickoff Accelerator, Sherry supports new and changing teams to build trust, strengthen collaboration and set the foundations for high performance. A former grassroots cyclist and still a runner, Sherry is fascinated by what sport can teach us about teamwork, leadership and sustainable performance – and it’s these ideas she explores with leaders and experts on Team Talk.

Connect with Sherry