Friday, April 19, 2024

Interviews

Toby Perry – Racing with Hagens Berman Axeon in 2022

Since we spoke to Toby Perry in April things have moved on apace for him and by happy coincidence we caught up with his coach, former British champion on road and track, Dean Downing at the Hawick start of the Tour of Britain stage. ‘Deano’ advised us that it might be a good idea to ring Toby in Spain - he had some good news to share.

Calum Johnston – Turning Professional with Caja Rural for 2022

Despite an interrupted season thanks to Covid and visa tribulations, Calum Johnston's results came and so did a contract for season 2022; he joins the full Caja Rural ProTeam and will joust in the same arena as the likes of Alejandro Valverde and Enric Mas. 

Kathy Gilchrist – the New Scottish Cycling President

The name ‘Gilchrist’ is a famous one in Scottish Cycling with Mr. Sandy Gilchrist, star of road, track and time trial, as one of its most lauded sons. And now there’s another Gilchrist making the headlines in Scottish Cycling, Sandy’s US born wife, Kathy was recently elected President of Scottish Cycling.

Rory McGuire – National Trophy Cyclo-Cross Series Round 4 Winner

Cameron Mason isn’t the only Scot, ‘on the up’ in the washing powder-challenging world of cyclo-cross; 19 year-old Perth man, Rory McGuire (Wheelbase-CabTech Castelli) recently took round four of the National Trophy Cyclo-cross Series near Sunderland.

Steve Sefton – Pro in the 80’s and 90’s; “I love Belgium and loved to race there”

British Cycling in the 80’s and 90's: televised Kellogg’s city centre criteriums, the Milk Race, the Nissan Tour of Ireland; and to go with Sue Ellen’s big hair and shoulder pads on the TV, those Campag Delta brakes – and then there were... Kirk Precision magnesium frames. Steve Sefton was that soldier…

Tom Bell – British Hill Climb Champion for 2021

Every year, VeloVeritas catches up with the CTT National Hill Climb Champion, this year the man who best defied gravity was 31 years-old Tom Bell who rides in the colours of his own coaching concern, High North Performance.

Cameron Mason – “Elite level is the benchmark”

21 year-old Linlithgow ‘cross man’ Cameron Mason who rides for Trinity Racing has been cementing his place as one of the top u23 ‘cross riders in the world. Cameron wasn’t among the frozen cabbage fields and sand dunes of Flanders when we spoke, he was down in sunny Calpe on the Mediterranean to ‘top up’ on his endurance training.

Bruno Cornillet – French Star of the 80’s and 90’s

Bruno Cornillet rode for some of the most famous teams of the 80’s and 90’s, alongside some of the sport’s best known names – fellow Breton, Bernard Hinault, Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle, Greg Lemond, Viatcheslav Ekimov, and a certain Scot named Robert Millar.

Mark Stewart – Targeting Winning Races with Kiwi Team Black Spoke Racing

When we saw Mark Stewart’s recent post on social media that he’d moved on from the Ribble Weldtite team – who he’s been with for three seasons - and joined his ‘local’ New Zealand continental team Black Spoke Racing, it reminded us that it had been a while since last we spoke to the Scotland’s reigning Commonwealth Games Points Race Champion who’s been based on the other side of the world these last two years.

Sally Ashbridge – British TT Champion in the Early Noughties

A lady we had let the mists of time envelope was Sally Ashbridge, who won the RTTC/CTT ‘10’ in 2001 and 2002, the ‘25’ in 2001 and ‘50’ in 2002.

Josh Quigley – “The Greatest Distance Cycled in One Week – Unpaced”

Scotland’s Josh Quigley rode an average of 311 miles every day for a week to establish a new Guinness world record for the Seven Day Cycling Distance Record.

Stuart Balfour – Back to Blighty with Ribble Weldtite

After six years racing on the continent, Stuart Balfour has decided to head back to Blighty and a change of race scene with the Ribble Weldtite team for 2022.

Finn Crockett – Thrilled to be Racing for Ribble Weldtite Next Season

We always try to spotlight young Scotsmen who are ‘just doing it’ – especially if they come from one of our favourite parts of Scotland, The Brahan and wearing the Ribble Weldtite squad’s blue jersey – or perhaps it will be ‘Tour of Britain Splatter?’ - for 2022 will be Scotland’s Finn Crockett.

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.

Oscar Onley – “I can get on with the business of training, racing and seeking to improve”

We recently ran an interview with a young Scotsman who’s ‘just doing it,’ over the in Heartlands of Flanders, France and The Netherlands – 21 years-old Mr. Sean Flynn. Another even younger Scotsman who’s out there in the similar arenas, not to mention Norway, is 19 years-old Oscar Onley. 

Sean Flynn – the Young Scot with Top 12 and Top 20 in UCI 1.1 Races

In a solid 12th place at the British Road Race Championships in Lincoln was 21 year-old Scot, Sean Flynn, riding for top Dutch development team SEG Racing, in what was one of the team’s last races before sadly, it folded. We caught up with Sean not long after another fine ride, this time in the last race of the European season, the  188.5 kilometre UCI 1.1 Ronde van Drenthe.

Andrea Pogson – British 100 Mile TT Champion in 1998

Has a Scottish based woman ever won the British 100 mile time trial title championship before? The answer is ‘yes,’ in 1998; Andrea Pogson riding for Midlothian Racing Team did that very thing and kindly consented to delve back into her memory banks and give us her recollections of a highly successful time trialling career. 

Joss Lowden – the New Women’s World Hour Record Holder!

When we spoke to Britain’s Joss Lowden back in July she told us about her intention of attacking the world hour record. She’d already exceeded Bussi’s 48.007 kilometres in a ‘test’ ride. She turned intent into action on the boards of the Grenchen Velodrome in Switzerland with 48.405 kilometres on 30th September, well in excess of her own ‘test’ ride distance and Bussi’s record.

Vittoria Bussi – on Breaking the World Hour Record in 2018

We thought it would good to talk with the previous ‘Woman of the Hour,’ Ms. Bussi about her record of 48.007 kilometres set on September 13th 2018 at high altitude on the boards of the Aguascalientes velodrome in Mexico.

Dan Bigham – British Hour Record Breaker!

Ribble Weldtite track and chrono man, multiple British Champion and aero guru, Dan Bigham [Ribble Weldtite] produced a stunning 54.723 kilometre ride on the boards of Switzerland’s Grenchen Velodrome on October 1st, breaking the British Hour Record and recording the fourth fastest World Hour ride. 

Gifford Road Race 2024 goes to Tom Martin

Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) rode strongly to bridge a near two-minute gap to the leading duo of Alex Luhrs and Will Taylor (Moonglu RT) then solo away from them on the final rise to take the win in today's Gifford National B E/1/2/3 Road Race around the bonny, quiet roads of East Lothian.