Friday, March 29, 2024

James McCallum – on Fatherhood and a New Team

-

HomeInterviewsJames McCallum - on Fatherhood and a New Team
James McCallum
James McCallum.

It seems just like yesterday we were asking James McCallum if he’d ever consider turning pro – but that was back in 2006 after his second Commonwealth Games and a bronze medal in the scratch race.

The following year he did indeed turn professional for Plowman Craven and since has ridden for Endura, Rapha Condor; and for 2014 he joins new – and much talked about – NFTO.

Not For The Ordinary’ is an outdoor clothing company based in Hereford with ex-military man John Wood behind it.

Wood has numerous business interests, including a bike shop and his team already have their clothing and bikes – always the sign of a good set up.

We spoke to ‘Jamesy’ soon after the birth of Penelope, the new Miss McCallum was four days early but weighed in at a healthy three kilos.

Our first question had to concern her arrival.

Congratulations; are you enjoying being a dad, James?

“Yeah, and there’s a hidden advantage – we’ve been so busy with her that I keep forgetting to eat!”

How did you get the ride with NFTO?

“Dean Downing spoke to me earlier in the year about it – initially it was going to be just him and I chaperoning younger riders, which is a role I’m familiar with from Rapha.

“But the man behind things, John Wood wants to do it right and now we have Adam Blythe, both the Downing brothers, Sam Harrison, Jon Mould and James Williams.

“I have a meeting in Hereford next week to get to know everyone – it’s going to be cool having Sean Yates as DS. It’s a very strong team but names on a bit of paper are one thing, I’ll be happier when we start racing and get some results.

“I’ll be playing a selfless team roll with us having those big names but I’m sure I’ll have my opportunities, too.”

What does the programme look like?

“Whilst we’ll support UK races like the Tour Series we hope to ride events like the Tour of Taiwan, the Herald Sun Tour in Australia and races in the US.”

The Tour Series is a big deal in the UK but I believe it’s a costly enterprise?

“I think it’s a grand per round; so to ride the series you’re looking at 20 grand out of your budget with travel and accommodation.

“I’m not sure what the UK scene will be like in 2014 – Rapha will be less of a development team, Madison are there and Sigma despite IG pulling out but I’m not sure about Node 4.”

How’s the team hardware coming along?

“We already have our road bikes – Swift carbon – and clothing, John Wood doesn’t mess around, he decides what he wants and goes out and gets it.

“I may have to ride an unbranded track machine initially but track frames are currently being developed by Swift.”

James McCallum
James’ steed for 2014, a very smart looking Swift.

When’s the first training camp?

“I was due to go to our camp in Majorca from 23/11 to 7/12 but with having the baby that’s not possible.

“Scottish Cycling has a camp from the 5th to 15th December with Andy Fenn, David Millar, Evan Oliphant as well as the MTB guys – so I’ll be attending that.”

How was 2013 for you?

“Not the best; albeit we were second in the Tour Series.

“I didn’t have much personal success but fulfilled my roll as a team player and mentored the young guys.

“It was my driest year for results in a long time but I had a lot of bad luck – crashes, illness and a bad ear infection.”

James McCallum
James is at home on the road or track.

The Games?

“I want to ride road and track – points, scratch and maybe team pursuit.

“That’s something we’ve been working on with Gary Coltman – me, Evan, Silas Goldsworthy, Michael Nicholson and perhaps Ben Peacock.

“To qualify you need a top five in a British championship – which Michael and I achieved with fourth in the British Madison Championship.

“There’ll also be a timed standard to achieve which will involve a short distance sprint effort and an endurance distance to be ridden back to back.

“These Games will be my fourth (at VeloVeritas we reckon this will make James our most capped Games rider?) and I they’ll be very hotly contested.

“Not only do you have the Aussies, New Zealanders and Canadians; you have four home nations to contend with; England, Isle of Man, Ireland and Wales – and are all strong.

“NFTO have me for Scotland, Sam Harrison for England and Jon Mould for Wales; we should all be there which is good publicity for the sponsor.”

2014 will be your eighth as a pro?

“Yes, PCA, Endura, Rapha-Condor and now NFTO.

“It’s early days yet but the signs are all good – there’s a great level of support and to have all the team kit and bikes for November speaks for itself.

“We have great sponsors; Castelli, Bontrager, Kask, Oakley – no half measures.”

Glasgow track, is it getting faster as the boards dry?

“If they’d switch the air conditioning off then maybe I’d be able to tell you – it feels like you’re riding into a constant headwind!

“It’s hard to say without being in competition where it’s warmer – it’s certainly a trickier track to ride than Manchester, you have to think about your line all the time. It’s made a massive difference with SC training sessions twice a week and the track league – albeit the squad members are restricted to 91.8” gears.

“I think the way the league is structured is better now with more distance races and not so much sitting about between events – it makes people learn how to go fast.

“There’s a Revolution meet coming up and that’ll be good, very competitive – they’re now UCI World Cup selection races so it’s all for real with the World Cups being the qualifiers for the Worlds.”

James McCallum
The Commonwealth Games next year in his home city of Glasgow are a major objective for James.

Life after racing?

“My contract is for one year but I’m thinking now about the side step into another area of cycling – I’ve done a lot of work with kids and I love to help people grow within the sport.

“I think I’ve made myself employable within the sport; but not as a DS, that way you spend even more time on the road.

“But for the moment I’m going to concentrate on being an athlete and squeeze the most out of it.”

Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed's been involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he's been a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He's also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months was often working in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed remains a massive fan of the sport and couples his extensive contacts with an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the minutiae and the history of our sport. In February 2023 however, our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed suffered a devastating stroke and faces an uncertain future; Ed has lost his ability to speak, to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He's working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation, but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time. Ed ran his own business installing windows, and will probably not be able to work again. Please consider joining us to make a contribution to Ed's GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure his future.

Related Articles

Timmy Duggan – Calls Time On His Career

Season 2013 wasn't great for Timmy - his contract with the Canadian Spidertech team came to naught when the team collapsed, and his year ended almost before it started with a bad crash in the Tour Down Under and a season spent trying to find his real form with Saxo-Tinkoff. Despite a verbal agreement with Cannondale for 2014 the man from Colorado decided to call ‘time’ on his career. Duggan took time chat to VeloVeritas as the races he used to ride started without him...

James Shaw – You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down

This season James Shaw was racing the UK at continental level with the Ribble Weldtite team but next year he’s back to the World Tour, this time with EF Education Nippo.

James Spragg – Back in the Groove with Strong European Results

“James Spragg,” now there’s a name which hasn’t appeared in our pages for a while - but he’s back in harness and doing nicely thank you with some solid performances. We first came across James back in 2010 when he rode for the Qin Cycling Team and he's with Continental Team, Champion System for 2015 and back in the groove with some good results – like 10th on GC in the recent Baltic Chain stage race in Estonia.

Dan Patten – ASFRA-Flanders and a Solid Start to the Season

We spoke to Dan Patten a couple of times last year, when he was a member of the Magnus Maximus team. This year, he's off in search of cobbles, riding for a famous name - ASFRA-Flanders, the team started by the late and sadly missed, Frans Assez.

At Random

Paul Rowney – at the British Elite Cyclo-Cross Championships

'Scottish Aussie,' Paul Rowney (Velo Ecosse) rode Sunday's British Elite Cyclo-Cross Championship; we caught up with him [hands"“free, of course] as he chased the cat's eyes north after the race.

Le Tour de France 2006 – Day 7: Stage 4, Huy (Belgium) – Saint-Quentin

We were spoiled at Strasbourg those first two days of Le Tour de France 2006 with the hotel just a couple of minutes from the press room and the action all within easy reach until the start on Monday. The driving is a killer now en route Saint-Quentin, not just because it’s boring and tiring but because of the time you waste. If I do a Grand Tour again, I’ll definitely organise a driver so as I can write as I travel.

Fan lessons 101: The Lance Armstrong situation, Heroes, Heroism and Amorality

I was chatting to a friend the other day who expressed how sad he was about the whole Lance Armstrong situation; I think that is something we can all agree on... Heroes, Heroism and Amorality. Then later in the conversation he went on to say how he hoped Sky were clean, thus setting himself up for more potential sadness and disappointment.

Andy Fenn – Winner of the Gullegem Koerse 2013

One of the biggest professional kermises in Flanders is the Gullegem Koerse, first held in 1942 when Belgian legend Marcel Kindt claimed victory. Since then it’s been won by many of the hardest kermis riders in the game – Willy Tierlinck, Wilfried Nelissen, Nico Eeckhout, Gert Omloop to name a few. Not to mention some of the best roadmen of their eras; including Nico Mattan, Peter Van Petegem and Philippe Gilbert. And for this year’s edition we can boast of a Scottish winner in Andy Fenn – well, his mum is Scottish and he rode the Commonwealth Games for us in Delhi.