VeloVeritas

Kristian House (Rapha Condor & GB) is one of those riders who ‘looks the part,’ dark skinned and stylish, he just looks like he can win races.: 

: When we heard about him riding very strongly in the pre season Bay Criterium Series in Australia, we thought we’d better ‘have a word.’: 

: I believe you hail from Lanceland?: 

"Yes, I grew up in Austin but used to come back to the UK for the summers; my step dad was a computer programmer out there.: 

"I started racing in Texas when I was 16 — road and mountain bike.: 

"I got to a good level in the US and was on their Olympic training plan, but then we found out that I was actually English — they wanted me to change nationalities, but I didn’t know if I wanted to do that.: 

"I rang up the GB national coach and in 1996 I rode my first race for GB, the junior Tour of Wales."

Kristian after Stage 4 of last year's Girvan - check that mud.

: You had a couple of good seasons in Belgium in ’00 and ’01.

"I rode for the Lombarden squad; I was getting offers from smaller teams, but not the big teams — I was winning, but the races weren’t big enough."

: You had a varied couple of years after that.

"Yeah, I rode the track, I was on the WCPP but eventually they let me go — ‘I wasn’t winning enough,’ but most of the time I was working for Chris Newton or Paul Manning."

: 2006 was your ‘breakthrough’ year.

"I was with Recycling; it was a great team, all or nothing, one goal — win!: 

"I won the Tour of Tasmania, the Ras, the Lincoln and Girvan.: 

"The result that really set me up was to win a stage in Ruban Granitier; it just gave me so much confidence."

: In 2007 you rode for Navigators, how did that come about?: 

"They were a US team who came over to race in Europe; they were looking for English speaking riders who knew the Belgian scene.: 

"Charlie Jackson and John Herety from Recycling said that I should ‘go for it,’ so I did."

Kristian in the leader's jersey at the 2006 tour of Tasmania.

: How was it?: 

"It was an enjoyable year, I rode De Panne for them and as well as Belgium, we raced in Britain, Ireland, Germany and the US; that was good because I saw a lot of old friends.: 

"At the Tour of Ireland they told us that the team wasn’t continuing; it was one of the oldest teams on the circuit — 18 years."

: Last year was Rapha Condor.: 

"I really enjoyed it, there was a good group of riders and the sponsors are just so ‘into’ it — I’m always receiving emails from them."

: The squad is bigger and better for ’09, I believe?: 

"Things have changed, we have more riders; guys like Dan Craven and Darren Lapthorne have joined us and the programme is really ambitious — with races like the Qinghai Lakes."

: You’ve won most big British races, what’s left?: 

"In every race, I’m there to win; but Lincoln is my favourite race, it’s as close as you’ll get to Belgium in this country with it going from the gun and the crowds on the climb.: 

"I’ve won most of the Premiers, but I’d love to win the Nationals and a stage or a jersey in the Tour of Britain would be fantastic.: 

"I have a lot of supporters in Ireland, so a good ride in the Tour of Ireland would be pleasing."

Kristian's Rapha team control the bunch on Pibble Hill, Ayreshire.

: You have track medals and have ridden summer sixes.: 

"Those were pretty tough, I was thrown in at the deep end with Tony Gibb — I had the ‘numbers’ to perform, but not the experience."

: Good early season form in Aus, this year.

"I was surprised by that, I’d only done base work until then.: 

"Graham Brown (Rabobank) was in our team for the Bay Crits and he said; ‘just do your own thing, guys.’: 

"But when he found himself in the yellow jersey, we got together and said; ‘we can win this for you!’: We controlled the last two races and Brownie won — he was so full of thanks for us at the end, I’ve never seen him like that!"

: How did the first Rapha camp go?: 

"We did plenty of kilometres and the guys all gelled; it gave us a feeling for who’s going — I think that Tom Southam and I are a little ahead of the rest."

Winning a stage in the Girvan 3-day in Scotland.

: After your next camp you’ll be going to South Africa?: 

"We’re back to Malaga, then it’s the Giro del Capo — it’s a race I’ve heard good things about."

: You’re racing a lot, early in the season.

"I like to race, especially if I’m on form, but I’ll appraise my programme once I’m fully into competition.: 

"If I feel I need a break then I’ll take one — you don’t want to over-cook it."

: What are the ‘peaks’ for 2009?: 

"I haven’t finalised them, but I’d say — the Capo, the Nationals and the Tours of Ireland and Britain."

Whatever they are, he’ll certainly look good enough to win.: With thanks to Kristian for his time and wishing him and Rapha Condor, every success for 2009.

Related articles

1. Le Tour de France, Stage 17: Pau – Col du Tourmalet; Top Two Ahead, Big Gaps Behind
2. Adam Hansen’s Vuelta a España – Prologue to the Rest Day
3. Allergic to Stairs: Rest Day 1
4. World Road Champs – Day 4, rest day
5. Fedor Den Hertog – Amateur Colossus, Rest In Peace
6. Giro d’Italia – Day 3: Rest Day
7. Le Tour de France 2010, Second Rest Day
8. Le Tour ’11, Second Rest Day – or not
9. Le Tour de France, First Rest Day Rant
10. Giro d’Italia – Day 4: Rest Day

(4 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

 Loading ...