 Gravel Bikes ahead of the Gravel Worlds. The bikes 

will debut at the competition by four Ribble Collective Riders - Mikey Mottram, Metheven Bond, George Hodgkinson and Maddy Nutt, who we caught up with about her journey from working in finance to the Gravel Worlds - keep reading for the Q&A. 

The all-new Stone Collection is a set of three custom colour paint schemes designed in-house, and hand-painted by the Ribble team of master painters. Bringing gravel to life, each marble, slate, and granite colourway is a work of art. Every finish is unique, representing the ultimate expression of bicycle customisation. The complexity of each design ensures no two bikes will ever be the same.

We caught up with Maddy Nutt, on her journey from working at Goldman Sachs to gravel racing, how she discovered the sport and the Ribble Collective, her typical race prep and much more. 

From finance to podiuming at the earth series and being selected for team GB for gravel worlds. How did you get here? 

From the outside, I definitely think my progression in gravel racing has appeared rapid, but behind the scenes there has been a lot of hard work and commitment. I left my job at Goldman Sachs at the end of 2021, and began training in January after a break to reset.  

Over the past almost 2 years I have gradually dialled in my training, nutrition, recovery, race craft etc to transition from city finance to professional athlete. Countless hours out on two wheels; time in the gym and effort putting together balanced nutritious meals have all played a part in my development, as well as the influence of those around me. A particular influence has been my current coach Tom, who I began working with in April this year, just as the racing season kicked off, and I have made huge progress working with him, despite the risky decision to switch coaches at this point in the season.

I agreed to participate at Grinduro in the Isle of Arran a few years ago and borrowed a steel gravel bike. I had never ridden off-road before, and although overall I had a great day and ended up on the podium, I definitely had a little cry when I struggled through a technical root section. The prizes for the event were saddles, and I joked at the start of the day that if I won a saddle I would have to buy a gravel bike for the saddle...alas I spent my summer earnings on a gravel bike and began to build up skills and confidence on my new gravel bike. 

After we emerged from the covid era I decided to enter a couple of gravel races, and with the newly improved skills found I enjoyed them greatly and was naturally quite good at them. Last year I entered my first endurance gravel races, and found that I loved the challenge of completing longer distances and that the endurance element suited my physiology. After bonking and cramping in my first gravel race by simply not taking on anywhere near enough fuel or hydration, I have slowly built up the experience, knowledge and fitness to pace and race some of the toughest international gravel races.

Ribble Collective - what is it and how does it work? 

The collective is a group of privateers supported by Ribble. We are a diverse group focusing on different disciplines, whilst encouraging and supporting each other. 

How has your season been - what events have stood out and why?

This season has gone better than I could have hoped, with my highlight being the Gravel Earth Series and finishing on the podium. I've taken my Ribble bike to some incredible locations around the world, from the lava fields of Iceland to the Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya and without a doubt these races have been two of my highlights simply due to their location and the uniqueness of their gravel.

You’re garnering a large following on socials how important is connecting and communicating with your community?

Sharing my experiences and stories with my community is hugely important to me, and I find what I get back from my community extremely rewarding. Racing can often be seen as intimidating, and I am keen to break down that barrier by sharing what the races and experiences are like and encourage others to participate in gravel events/races, particularly women. One thing that is unique and amazing about gravel racing, is that amateurs can participate in the same races as pros, and so I think this makes sharing experiences on socials even more valuable, and the connections built with the gravel community even stronger.

I have also really enjoyed building a YouTube channel this year and using it as a platform to share my adventures. I think the best way to encourage people to get into cycling and gravel, in particular, is to offer opportunities that have low barriers to access, such as social rides over less technical terrain or events that have shorter distance options so that they are more accessible. 

I am always keen to encourage people into gravel because it is something that I love and enjoy greatly and I would love for other people to be able to experience it also.

You've been selected to represent Team GB at the Gravel World Championships, is this the icing on this year's cake?

I'm thrilled to be racing in the Elite Gravel World Championships again, as it allows me to race against the best riders in the world. It is also a huge privilege to be able to represent GB, and definitely is a way to end my season with a bang.

Do you have any specific preparation for the Worlds, or do you keep to the same plan?

With Worlds 3 weeks after my key race of 2023 (the Gravel Earth Series final), I am entering a de-load block before a training block ahead of the championships. My main goal is to keep my fitness for this race, but also add some sharpness to be able to cope with the more intense nature of a shorter race.

Can you give us an idea of a typical training day for you?

Typically I wake up naturally without an alarm to ensure I have had enough sleep and allowed my body to recover. After life admin and a carbohydrate-dense breakfast, I head out on the bike and ride from anywhere between 2 and 6 hours, depending on what my target races are that are approaching. At the start of the season, I did have some rides up to 10 hours in advance of a 360km race, but in the latter part of the season I have been doing shorter rides with more intensity built into them. After riding, I refuel with a balanced meal and a protein shake. Some afternoons I have a gym session, but typically I train once a day and use the rest of my day to do some work, before I cook dinner and relax in the evening.

What works for you with regards to race prep? Do you like to recce the course in order to put together a strategy for the race?

In terms of race prep, I like to be on the more prepared end of the spectrum and ideally travel out to races several days before the actual race. Recce-ing the course allows me to mentally prepare myself for race day, as well as make sure I make no wrong turns in the race itself, which can be costly. It is also good to check any technical or bottle-neck sections and note where these are, so I am able to position myself on race day to respond proactively to these. I also prepare for the race by eating a larger volume of carbohydrates to ensure my glycogen stores are fully topped up on race day.

Getting women into the sport is hugely important - what words of advice and encouragement would you offer? 

I always think it’s such a shame when young women stop sport. Sport is so empowering and can be life-changing, and I think if everyone can do their part to encourage and inspire women to keep participating, regardless of what the sport and the level is, that’s the best thing we can do. If I could ever be a role model for young women, that would really fill me with joy.

In 3 words how would you describe yourself

For more about the Ribble Collective, watch below:

Ahead of the UCI Gravel World Championships in October in Veneto, Ribble, launches its new Stone Collection Gravel Bikes which will debut at the competition by four Ribble Collective Riders. One of these riders is Maddy Nutt who shares her journey from working in finance to the podiuming at the Earth Series and being selected for team GB for the Gravel Worlds. 

 Q&A with Ribble's Gravel World Championship rider, Maddy Nutt

Liverpool ONE has reiterated its commitment to innovation and visitor engagement with the launch of its latest activation, ‘Liverpool ONE Innovation Challenge’, in collaboration with investment and innovation firm, True.

Searching for partners to undertake a paid proof of concept, Liverpool ONE Innovation Challenge aims to identify disruptive technologies and innovations that will drive visitor awareness, engagement and advocacy to the destination.

Always seeking to strengthen customer loyalty and enhance community engagement, Liverpool ONE is welcoming proposals that provide solutions to one, some or all components of the brief. Focusing on the three key themes of 

, example enablers include (but are not limited to), experiential retail, storytelling, gamification and community.

In the destination’s continual efforts to champion innovation and support entrepreneurship, Liverpool ONE and Grosvenor will be funding the partnership, providing an incredible opportunity for budding businesses, with the winning concept tested on-site and potential for full rollout and scalability across the estate.

The submission date for the Liverpool ONE Innovation Challenge is 2 October with successful applicants presenting their final proposition to a panel of Liverpool ONE and True stakeholders on 30 October.  

This latest partnership with True follows an ongoing collaboration with Lone Design Club to create 

, a creative initiative that utilises the façade of the soon-to-be store, replacing traditional vinyls with tech-enabled windows using QR code surveys to capture customer sentiment. The technology provides a cost effective alternative to traditional hoardings that adds significant value to Liverpool ONE’s marketing and understanding of visitors.

Head to the Liverpool ONE Innovation Challenge page to find out more: 

https://www.true.global/partner-challenges/liverpool-one-challenge/

Liverpool ONE is looking for innovative solutions to further elevate the customer experience to ensure the open-air destination is a must-visit for those who love to shop, eat, drink, be entertained and relax.

Liverpool ONE Launches New Innovation Challenge

Revolutionising Advertising: The Rise of Retail Media

In today's ever-evolving advertising landscape, retail media networks are making waves. As Helen Thomas 

in the FT this morning, "the idea of 'retail media' is an old one." As the adage goes, everything old is new again, however this time round, the difference is how digital has unlocked new areas of growth. Retail giants like Walmart, Target, and Kroger have stepped into the spotlight by offering robust advertising platforms, providing consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands with direct access to shoppers. As Thomas 

In the more developed US market, Walmart has mentioned an aspiration of roughly 6 per cent of sales, compared to less than 1 per cent last year. Kroger’s media income sits within “alternate profit streams”, which includes other businesses like financial services. It accounted for a quarter of operating profit last year."

With over $50 billion in ad spend up for grabs, retail media represents one of the most significant opportunities in advertising today. 

This blog explores the growth, benefits, and future of retail media networks.

Retail media networks leverage retailers' first-party data and strategic ad placements to help brands enhance awareness and drive sales. By targeting shoppers based on purchase intent and history, CPG brands can deliver personalised messages at the perfect moment, overcoming the challenges posed by the planned phase-out of third-party cookies. Investing in retail media allows brands to achieve two critical goals: gain valuable customer insights and maximise return on ad spend. Early adopters who fully embrace this trend and build scalable strategies to maximise this medium will secure key partnerships, data advantages, and cost efficiencies that competitors will find hard to match.

The emergence of digital retail media is advantageous for both brands and retailers. Brands gain access to new consumers, enabling them to expand their reach and influence. On the other side, retailers benefit from a new revenue stream that offers higher margins compared to traditional product sales. This mutually beneficial relationship is further strengthened by the democratisation of technology, as a larger number of retailers can now provide retail media solutions. Previously, only tech giants had the resources to build their own in-house ad exchanges, whereas now there is growing access to off-the-shelf capability allowing more businesses to take advantage.

Looking ahead, the future of retail media is poised for exciting advancements. Here are five key ways in which retail media networks will evolve:

The rise of retail media networks has ushered in a new era of targeted advertising, providing brands with unprecedented opportunities to engage shoppers on a personalised level. As the retail media landscape continues to evolve, CPG brands must prioritise these partnerships to shape tailored experiences, offerings, and messaging that align with individual shopper needs. In her article, Thomas cautions that "

...supermarkets need to tread carefully in using customer data, even when they have permission via loyalty schemes, as retail media expands its horizons... 

the biggest test may be whether retailers can resist the temptation of high-margin advertising sales in the name of preventing food customers’ from feeling overwhelmed by marketing, either in-store or online."

If you're interested in exploring this space further, our Innovation team is here to help.

The future of advertising lies in the hands of those who embrace innovation and leverage the power of retail media networks. Are you ready to revolutionise your advertising strategy?

In today's ever-evolving advertising landscape, retail media networks are making waves. As Helen Thomas mentioned in the FT this morning, "the idea of 'retail media' is an old one." As the adage goes, everything old is new again, however this time round, the difference is how digital has unlocked new areas of growth.

Hello, we’re True. We’re reimagining business through innovation and investment.

A unique model for investing, innovating & growing

Meet the changemakers

A portfolio that excites us. Every day.

True stories

News

Q&A with Ribble's Gravel World Championship rider, Maddy Nutt

News

Liverpool ONE Launches New Innovation Challenge

Opinion

Revolutionising Advertising: The Rise of Retail Media