Team De Ver started in the late 1980s as a small group of cyclists led by Maurice Burton, following his retirement from professional racing. At that time in London, cycling was a sport in which only a very narrow section of society participated.
The riders would meet on Sundays to ride 35-50 miles, and the basic theme was “all are welcome regardless of your background, as long as you can ride 50 miles, otherwise you will be dropped”. Thankfully we’ve all mellowed since then and avoid the dreaded “drop” by having a re-group rule at the end of each climb or descent. But the “all are welcome” still remains core to our values.
Over the 1990s and early 2000s our riders really “caught the bug” and cycling became their long term passion. They matured into a more organised group of cyclists who wanted to improve their bike fitness, test their cycling potential and learn from one another.
In 2006 Maurice invited the group to join him and his family for a cycling holiday in Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands. With great roads and warm weather it was an instant success and gave the group a real appetite to build on their friendship and common interest. The Maurice Burton Lanzarote Training Camp has continued to operate every year since (except 2020/21) and remains a regular calendar staple for many members of Team De Ver.
The original rule of joining our rides was pretty simple – “If you wear a De Ver jersey, you’re on the ride” – but as the number of riders increased the group needed more structure and coordination. In 2008 we put the cycling group on a more formal footing and the Team De Ver Cycling Club was formed and registered with British Cycling, with a register of members, a club committee and chairperson, annual membership fee and regular weekly club rides.
Over the years our iconic yellow De Ver jersey has been worn by TV presenter and sports commentator Ned Boulting, and riders from the club have competed in and won races, time trials and hill-climbs.
We now have a core group of ten ride leaders and around 80 members, many of whom have been with us for over 10-15 years. Team De Ver is a friendly family and it’s common for our members to stay active within the club when they move away from London, or even outside the UK.
Cycling has made leaps and bounds in popularity since our club’s inception – through British riders’ successes in high profile events such as the Olympics and Tour de France, plus increased investment in cycling infrastructure. However, a lot of people are intimidated by the big step from casual cyclist to joining a cycling club. We’ve gained a strong reputation as an inclusive and welcoming club for everyone and every ability. So be assured we are there for you – We hope you will join us.
Founder – Maurice Burton
Maurice, the founder of Team De Ver Cycling Club, was born in London to an English mother and Jamaican father. Maurice was the first black British champion in cycling. He spent his early years in track cycling, training at the Herne Hill Velodrome. His first taste of success came when he won the Junior Sprint National title in 1973. He won the amateur scratch title the following year and was booed as he crossed the line. Such was the racial prejudice in the sport at the time. In spite of inspiring his team to a British record in the team pursuit a year later Maurice was not even considered for that event when the squad was selected for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. It is now generally recognised in the cycling world that the reason for this was racial prejudice which was rife in the sport at the time.
At the UK’s loss, Maurice became frustrated by the racism pervasive in Britain and in 1976 moved to Belgium basing himself in Ghent. From there he proceeded to have a very successful professional racing career, riding during the winter months in the indoor track Six Day Racing events and in the summer months road racing. Maurice’s professional cycling career came to an abrupt end in 1984 following a serious racing accident in Argentina. Maurice returned to the UK and started his own cycling business, with his wife Mia. He acquired De Ver Cycles and transformed it into one of the best cycling shops in London and the South East.
Maurice and Mia’s eldest son Germain followed in his father’s footsteps, happily without the problems of the prejudice Maurice had to contend with. As part of the Under 23 British Cycling Academy, he successfully represented his country on several occasions – winning a bronze medal for Team GB in the Team Pursuit at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Columbia, January 2015, and a gold medal in the Team Pursuit in the Under 23 and Junior European Track Championships in Greece, July 2015.
Maurice aims to increase the accessibility of the sport to all sections of the community – irrespective of race, gender, background or ability – and encourage a wide and diverse group of people into cycling for the sheer pleasure of riding a bike. Team De Ver has this ethos planted at its core.
Maurice released his biography “The Maurice Burton Way” in March 2024. It is published by Bloomsbury and is available from De Ver Cycles and all good book retailers. Check our exclusive interview for a taster.
