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What does it take to build - lose - and rebuild a high-performance team without losing belief or values?
In this episode of Team Talk, Sherry Bevan speaks with Doug Ryder about leadership, resilience and community in professional cycling. Doug shares the journey from an "impossible" Olympic-era dream to leading the first African team at the Tour de France - and how Q36.5 Pro Cycling rebuilt after losing all sponsorship during Covid.
This is a candid conversation about belief, trust and what really sustains performance when results disappear.
What you'll hear in this episode
- Building belief against the odds
- Leading through failure and uncertainty
- Life inside a globally distributed team
- Why culture is a performance advantage
Key leadership takeaways
- Values matter most in adversity
- Staff culture underpins results
- Belonging fuels performance
Final thought
High performance is human - and belief travels further than budget.
Important links
- Q36.5 Pro Cycling: @Q36.5_procycling (Instagram)
- Website: Q36-5procycling.com
- Doug Ryder: LinkedIn
About the guest
Doug Ryder is the General Manager of Q36.5 Pro Cycling and a former Olympic cyclist who represented South Africa at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Doug is best known for founding the team that became the first African squad to compete in the Tour de France in 2015. After the team collapsed during Covid, he led its return to professional cycling with Q36.5, grounded in the principle of Ubuntu - "I am because we are."
Doug is widely respected for his values-led approach to leadership and his belief that sustainable high performance is built through community, trust and shared purpose.
About your host, Sherry Bevan
Sherry Bevan helps teams in transition perform at their best – without the fluff. A former Global Head of IT Service in an international law firm, she now works across technology, professional services and the charity sector. Through her Team Kickoff Accelerator, Sherry supports new and changing teams to build trust, strengthen collaboration and set the foundations for high performance. A former grassroots cyclist and still a runner, Sherry is fascinated by what sport can teach us about teamwork, leadership and sustainable performance – and it's these ideas she explores with leaders and experts on Team Talk.
Connect with Sherry
- Website: https://www.sherrybevan.co.uk/
- Sign up for news and updates.
- Apply to join the Team Culture Club.
- Connect on LinkedIn.
