'My end goal is to ride with the WorldTour team' – young star of a viral 2021 Tour of Britain clip signs for Visma-Lease a Bike talent development team

Xander Graham, a young cyclist who gained fame through a viral video from the 2021 Tour of Britain, has signed with Visma-Lease a Bike's talent development team, JEGG-SKIL-DJR. The encounter, which occurred during stage seven of the event when Graham kept pace with a breakaway group as it rode towards his hometown of Edinburgh, led to Eenkhoorn handing him a bidon.

Now 17, Graham still possesses that bidon, which he keeps on a shelf in his garage. He has been working diligently over the past five years to make his dream of riding with a WorldTour team a reality. Graham is currently a key member of Yorkshire-based Prologue Cycling Team and is halfway through a two-year programme with the Manchester Cycling Academy.

Additionally, he benefits from the Braveheart programme in Scotland, which provides financial support for transportation and other costs to enable him to race in Europe. Graham's talent was evident from an early age, having ridden a bike since he was four years old and participating in various disciplines, including mountain biking, cyclocross, road, and track.

After being spotted at a young talent day held by JEGG, Graham was invited to a training camp in Germany, where he received news that there was a space on the team for him. He will be based in Edinburgh but will travel to races and training camps, with his first meeting with the team coming later in the year during a training camp.