Nicola Cranmer Joins Virginia’s Blue Ridge Sports Council

Virginia’s Blue Ridge Sports Council has announced Nicola Cranmer, general manager of the UCI Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24 Pro Cycling Team, as its newest member.

As a member of the Council, Cranmer will bring her perspective and experience in athlete development. Cranmer has two decades of experience leading one of the United States’ most successful women’s cycling teams.

“We’re excited to welcome Nicola Cranmer, general manager of the UCI Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24 Pro Cycling Team, to the VBR Sports Council,” said Doug Blount, assistant Roanoke County administrator and chair of the VBR Sports Council. “Nicola’s professional career experiences in cycling around the globe will be a wonderful addition to our mission.”

The Virginia’s Blue Ridge Sports Council is composed of representatives from various jurisdictions and organizations, including the City of Roanoke, City of Salem, Botetourt County, Franklin County and Roanoke County.

“I feel very inspired by being in Roanoke,” Cranmer said. “It’s a small town without big professional sports teams and yet it’s rich with grassroots efforts and dedicated communities who pour their hearts into developing athletes and sports tourism activity. Traditional and nontraditional sports are deeply valued here and that resonates with me. There’s a monumental effort happening in Virginia’s Blue Ridge to create world-class athletes and hosting nationally recognized sport championships.”

Originally from England, Cranmer’s father played soccer and cricket, rugby and was All-England in javelin, while her mother played collegiate lacrosse and worked for the Football Association, the governing body of soccer in the UK.

“I’m excited to bring value to Virginia’s Blue Ridge by helping position it as an athlete development incubator,” Cranmer said. “Whether it’s Roanoke College’s cycling team led by Olympian Shelley Olds, all of our regional Parks and Recreation organizations, the Roanoke Star Cycling programs, YMCA Sports Leagues or LAB Sports Performance’s dedication to developing baseball, lacrosse, and soccer athletes, this is just a few examples of the incredible commitment here in Virginia’s Blue Ridge.”