Fans Save Cycling Team Doomed by Failed Sponsorship

In July, Australian cycling team InForm TMX Make announced it was folding due to lack of financial sponsorships. Team founder and managing director Cameron McKimm said the team had grown too large to sustain itself without commercial support. But one month later, the team has been saved by its fans.

Riders at the 2022 Festival of Cycling in Australia.

Team director sportif Pat Shaw launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $100,000 and keep the team afloat. As of today, the campaign has raised over $120,000 from almost 1,700 donors. Shaw says the donations will go towards supporting the team's riders and staff as well as growing the women's program. He says he wants to use the team as a platform to make a difference for current and future generations of young female cyclists.

The InForm TMX Make cycling team may be small, but it seems they have big hearts - and even bigger supporters.

After the news broke that their cycling team's sponsorship had fallen through, the riders of InForm TMX Make were left scrambling. But their fans quickly came to the rescue, raising over $20,000 in just a few days to keep the team afloat. Shaw says that while they still need more money to stay afloat long-term, the fan-funded campaign has bought them some time.

InForm TMX Make has already secured tentaive sponsorships for bikes, components and clothing, and they're hoping to return to racing as early as next month. Ella Bloor, one of the team's riders, says she was blown away by the outpouring of support from fans. "It really shows that people care about women's cycling and want to see us succeed," she said.

With this show of support from fans around the world, it looks like InForm TMX Make is here to stay - at least for now.

The GoFundMe campaign was launched with an initial goal of raising $50,000 to keep the team afloat, before later being increased after passing the goal. As of this writing, over 150 donors contributed to keeping the team cycling. The team’s mission is to offer a pathway for young women to reach their potential in cycling. If successful, the GoFundMe campaign will help keep the team’s dream alive and allow them to continue competing at the highest level.