| Home Profile News/Diary Coaching Sports Massage Workshop Bike Fit MTB Leader Gallery Links Contact |
PROFILE I began cycling thirty years ago; like most people, I started by going out with the local club. As my interest became keener, I began to compete. I can still remember my first event, which was a schoolboy race around Walsall Arberetum in 1977. Within four years I progressed to become National Junior Pursuit Champion leading to me representing my country at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games as a team pursuiter. 1985 was the start of my road career; during is year I won a stage of the Milk Race as an amateur. In 1986 I turned pro, riding for ANC and with this team, in 1987, I became one of only twenty three riders (to date) to have completed the Tour de France (yes, it was bloody hard!). At twenty-three, I was one of the youngest tour riders. In the month leading up to the Tour I won a stage of the Midi Libre, one of Fance's biggest stage races next to the Tour. In 1989 I started to mix in a bit of mountain bike racing for the first time, finishing second (to the great Tim Gould) in a National Points Series race. I retired from being a full time athlete in 1996 and had a few years of 'non-racing', during which I managed a few excursions for the GB mountain bike team, gained coaching qualifications and exerience, trained as a masseur and worked as team masseur to the Linda McCartney Pro team and GB mountain bike team. Never one to lie dormant for long, after four years I set myself the challenge to get fit for the Chesterfield Spire Christmas 10 mile TT. completing it in a PB time of 20:20. More recently, I've combined working full-time with competing in cyclo-cross races. 2004/5 was a big year for me as it was my first full season doing cross and also I turned forty - a veteran. I still decided to compete with the elite guys, finishing fourth in the National Trophy, fourth in the UK rankings and competing for GB for the first time at cross in a World Cup race in Belgium. I've competed for Great Britain at world level at road, track, mountain bike and cyclo-cross - hmm, still got BMXing and speedway to try... Road GB World Championship Rider, Junior 1982, Amateur 1985, Pro 1987 & 1988Tour de France finisher 70th 1987 1st Midi Libre Stage 4 1987 2rd Midi Libre Stage 6a 1987 8th Midi Libre Overall 1987 4th Nissan Classic Ireland Overall 1986 2rd Pro Road Race Champs 1986 7th GP Isbergues France 1st Milk Race Last Stage 1985 1st Tour of Lancs 1985 1st Tour of Mereyside 1985 1st Tour of Delyn 1988 1st Sky TV Crit Rochester 1995 Competed in Paris-Nice, Criterium International, Tour de Romandy, Liege Bastonge Liege, Fleche Wallone, Amstel Gold, Het Volk. Track GB World Championship Rider, Junior 1981, Amateur 1983Olympic Games Team Pursuiter LA USA 1984 1st National Junior Pursuit 1981 2rd National Junior Points Race 1981 3rd National Team Pursuit 1981 2rd National Amateur Pursuit 1985 3rd National Team Pursuit 1985 3rd National Pro Pursuit 1987 MTB GB World Championship Rider, Elite 1991 & 19951st National Elite Points Series, Nannerch 1995 1st National Elite Points Series, Castle Combe 1995 2rd National Elite Points Series Overall 1995 3rd National Hill Climb 1994 3rd National Elite Points Series Overall 1992 Cyclo Cross GB World Cup Rider 20041st National Vets Champs 2005 4th Overall Elite National Trophy 2004/2005 4th UK Ranked Rider 2004/2005 Team Manager GB, World MTB Championships 1996 & 1997GB, Tour de l'Avenir 1998 Sports Masseur Masseur to Olympic, World, Commonwealth & National ChampionsGB MTB Team 2001 & 2002 Team England, Commonwealth Games Manchester 2002 GB MTB World Champs Team 2000, 2001 & 2002 GB Cyclo Cross World Champs Team 2005 Linda McCartney Pro Team 1999 & 2000 including Giro d'Italia Cycle Mechanic Cytech qualified mechanic & wheel builder |