Knight Frank Cycle to MIPIM 2023: Meet the Knight Frank team
We're looking forward to taking to the road again for Knight Frank Cycle to MIPIM 2023, our epic relay from London to Cannes. In this blog post, we meet the seven riders from headline sponsor Knight Frank's team.
Introduce us to the team:
Robin Stevenson – Partner, London HQ. I am one of four partners in the Central London Property and Asset Management Team. We concentrate on managing high quality office buildings across London, providing Property, Facilities and Asset Management. The team manages over 6m sq ft. My focus is on client and occupier care.
Mark Sutton – Office Agency & Development, Cardiff. I work with occupiers, landlords and developers specialising in the office sector in Cardiff and South Wales.
Rian Strauss – Residential Development, City & East New Homes, London. I work with a variety of developers small and large to optimise developments and then take them to market for end users.
Craig Frost – I head up the commercial Project Management team, supporting both occupier and landlord clients in office fitting out and building repositioning.
Natasha Hole – ESG Engagement Manager, London HQ, working with the Executive Office on the development of our ESG strategy and engagement plans for bringing this to life.
Beth Cass – Senior Internal Communications Executive, London HQ – supporting the corporate business with internal communications and engagement.
Megan McGregor – I am the Product Owner for the Knight Frank websites. I work with both the UK as well as our Global stakeholders
What does your training look like?
Mark – We don’t all work in the same location so I'm doing some solo training but managing to fit in some larger group rides with the rest of the team.
Robin – Hours in the basement on a wahoo for me 😊
Craig – Sunday social club rides and some weekday spinning - trying to ramp it up with team rides
Natasha – A mixture of virtual morning Zwift sessions, Richmond Park Laps when working from home, and longer team rides on the weekends!
Beth – Sunday club rides and weekday Zwift sessions with some group rides mixed in too.
Megan – Cycling to work most days and then a longer ride on the weekend.
What are the best tips that have been shared amongst the team?
Mark – Eat, drink and be merry. Spend money on your hands and feet.
Rian – Eat more than you think you should and then eat some more.
Craig – Recommendations on how to save your under carriage from the saddle: various !
Natasha – Drink a lot more than you think. The first time I did a long 140km+ ride I felt very hungover the next day from the dehydration!
Beth – Just keep pedalling, don’t give up even when your mind is telling you to.
Megan – Learn how to drink and cycle and get your drinks bottle back in its holder.
What appealed to you about doing the charity relay?
Mark – The opportunity and a big enough task to request donations. I rode Day 1 last year in memory of my colleague Will Monk and I was inspired to take on the 2023 challenge.
Rian – The experience is what first drew me to it, very much a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and then added to that, the opportunity to help raise money for a great cause is just fantastic.
Craig – I've tried three times before and been thwarted by an accident, a global pandemic one week before the off, and then a ban due to timing with my daughter's 21st birthday.
Natasha – I have always been a runner and into all outdoor sports, but never given road cycling a go… I was craving a new challenge so thought, why not cycle to the bottom of France?
Beth – The opportunity is a oonce-in-a-lifetime and since my best friend passed away few years back, I've learned life’s too short to not take the jump!
Megan – I have always loved cycling but had a cycling accident in 2021, which really knocked my confidence. This will be a wonderful experience and it is already helping to get me back into cycling – and raising money for such a worthy cause is a great motivator too.
What are you most looking forward to?
Mark – The last two days in the south of France and some sun!
Rian – Challenging my limits and seeing what I am capable of.
Craig – Forgetting all the healthy eating, drinking and training 30 seconds after I step off the bike in Cannes!
Natasha – Completing it! And being able to do this challenge with new friends and colleagues.
Beth – Completing it with my team. It will be my biggest achievement yet.
Megan – Feeling proud of hopefully completing the ride, without being the slowest in the peloton.
What are you dreading?
Mark – Days 3-4 because consecutive days in the saddle will be a bit ‘tender’.
Rian – Room sharing.
Craig – The rain - I hate wet feet !
Natasha – The lack of sleep… I need a solid 8-9 hours which I have been told I will never get!
Beth – Lack of sleep, bad weather and the mental toughness required.
Megan – HILLS!!!!
Tell us a bit about your cycling background:
Mark – I do Sunday rides locally and a few spin sessions. My longest consecutive ride to date was a week in Majorca and involved some time on the beach and a few beers.
Rian – I used to race bikes quite competitively but prior to picking up the ride to MIPIM, I hadn't touched a bike in 18 months.
Craig – I've done the BCO rides for the last few years and enjoy the training / club rides from early spring to the ride (to get fit), then enjoying my life (getting unfit) until the cycle begins again in early spring 👍
Natasha – I’ve cycled casually but didn’t even have a road bike until December, so I've gone from a complete amateur to semi-pro in four months! 😉 I’ve definitely got the cycling ‘bug’ and will be continuing.
Beth – I would say I was your typical Sunday cyclist in the spring/summer months – nothing on this challenge. I got my bike in lockdown and loved cycling so much. I would say the level of intensity and frequency is a whole new experience for me and although I’m super scared, I do have the cycling bug!
Megan – I would commute to work most days and have done a couple of European cycles with friends, but nothing as challenging as this
Robin is back to take on Cycle to MIPIM for a second time. Here's his take on the event:
What did you most enjoy about the last time you rode / the times you have ridden previously?
The atmosphere. It is electric and the peloton is so friendly, everyone wants to help each other out. The event is so well organised, you really do just need to turn up with your bike and ride!
What are you most looking forward to this time?
Finishing this year. Last year COVID caught me after day 5 so I never reached the finish line.
Anything you are dreading?
The dark times when your legs do not want to go round, you just have to dig deep and find those happy thoughts.
What are the changes at Knight Frank do you expect to see over the next year?
Over the past 12 months, the business has had to be more flexible in its approach. We expect to see that continue as market conditions continue to change.
Why is Knight Frank sponsoring the event again this year?
Knight Frank is incredibly proud to sponsor the event because it changes peoples lives. Knight Frank has a huge history with the ride and Club Peloton, and we wish to continue this relationship into the future. Our partnership is built on our people and the more we can help people who are going through hard times, the better. Our business is built on helping others.
Find a link to Knight Frank's JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/team/KnightFrank2023
