Apprentices get set to ride Tour de Coke

Engineering apprentices Polly Hetherington, Harry Ainsworth and business administration apprentice Caitlin Simper will represent Team Wakefield when they battle it out with more than 100 Coca Cola employees from across the country at Mallory Park, near Leicester.

The tour sees employees from three regions come together to take part in a day of cycling competitions, which include sprint and endurance events on the 1.3 mile track.

John Eastwood, Wakefield College’s head of apprenticeships and commercial training said: “We’re delighted to be backing team Wakefield in the first ever Tour de Coke and it’s great to see our apprentices are involved with the competition as well. We work closely with Coca Cola Enterprises and we’re proud to be a headline sponsor on the shirts.”

The popularity of cycling has dramatically increased, thanks in part to the recent success of the Summer Olympics and the Tour de France. Employers including Organiser Pat Smith, operation excellence team leader at Coca Cola Enterprises said: “This is the first time we have organised anything like this and we’re all looking forward to a really good day. It’s great we can promote cycling, team-building and competition all at the same time. I’m hoping we get plenty of friends and families down to the track to cheer our teams on.”

Prizes up for grabs include signed goodies from double Olympic gold medallist Laura Trott.

Wakefield College and Coca Cola are also signed up to the Cycle to Work Scheme – a tax free imitative which promotes healthier journeys to work and helps reduces environmental pollution.