Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tom Moses – a Great Start to the Season

-

HomeInterviewsTom Moses - a Great Start to the Season
Tom Moses
Tom Moses.

In the opening race of the British Cycling Elite Road Race Series (what was wrong with ‘Star Trophy?’) recently, the Tour of the Reservoir, Moses tried to steal the second stage victory and overall GC with a late attack but was ridden down by Scotland’s Evan Oliphant (Raleigh).

Evan took the honours on the day with the GC going to stage one winner, Alex Peters (Madison-Genesis) who finished just behind the Wick man in fifth spot.

But on a tough stage one of the Tour of Normandie a week or two ago, the late attack did ‘stick’ and Moses rode in to yellow, which he held for three days.

Originally a ‘crosser,’ he was third in the British schoolboy champs in 2008, moving up to win the junior championship race in 2009 – slipping to the junior silver medal spot in 2010.

That same year there was a sixth spot in the junior Paris-Roubaix behind Belgian, Jasper Stuyven – now a World Tour pro with Trek.

It was 2013 when he turned pro for Raleigh with a stand out ninth spot in Paris-Camembert – behind sly fox Frenchman Pierrick Fedrigo – as perhaps the hi-lite.

But there was also an excellent second place in the 165 kilometre GP Lucien Van Impe at Mere behind QuickStep Classics and Six Day star, Iljo Keisse.

This year he’s moved across to John Herety’s team with the ambition of catching the eye of a Pro Continental squad for 2015.

We spoke to him between his Normandie and the Reservoir results – but before his success last weekend at the East Midlands CiCLE Classic …

Tom Moses
Tom takes the first stage in Normandy. Photo©Jackie Courtin

Congratulations, Tom – we heard that the Normandie stage you won usually ends in a sprint.

“I’ve ridden the race twice in 2011 and 2012 but that particular stage wasn’t included – but I’ve heard that, yes it usually ends in a sprint finish.

“It was wet, cold, narrow and technical and I slipped away with 20 K to go and never looked back – that was from a group of about 30 who had started to look at each other, so I grabbed my opportunity.

“We controlled it well for three days but then I slipped to fourth, I was still in that position when a big break of 18 went away at the start of the last day, it went to four minutes but was down to 50 seconds at the finish; we just couldn’t bring it back and I dropped to 18th – the time gaps on the race were very tight.

“It was a disappointment, but that’s bike racing, sometimes.”

Tom Moses
Tom on the podium and in yellow in Normandy. Photo©Jackie Courtin

You ‘wintered well’ in Australia.

“Yeah, it was good, getting the miles in with no stress in the good weather.

“The thing is that it took us a little while to readjust to the UK weather – I don’t think we’d adapted when the Soens came round for instance but we’re definitely seeing the benefit, now.”

And you rode the Sun Tour?

“It was at a really good race, the Aussie domestic teams are at quite a high level and of course, there were World Tour teams riding.

“Simon Clark of Orica-GreenEdge won overall but the last stage was cancelled due to fire risk, it was red hot, 40/45 degrees and windy.

“They told us that if fire broke out at the bottom of the big climb on the course it would spread up the hill faster than we could ride up.”

Tom Moses
Tom takes the East Midlands CiCLE Classic last weekend. Photo©Rapha/Condor/JLT

How did you get into cycling?

“My dad used to ride so I’d go out with him – and the care taker at our school was Chris Young, the champion cyclo-cross rider.

“He used to organise ‘cross classes after school and I would attend them.

“I started off in ‘cross but moved to the road because there’s more to the road, it’s more popular and higher profile.”

Sixth in the junior Paris-Roubaix?

“With an off-road background it was a logical progression to the rough surfaces and it was held on a wet day – I seem to go well on days like that.”

Top ten in Paris-Camembert was a nice result.

“That’s the kind of race I enjoy, tough, single day with short climbs.

“I don’t go so well on the longer climbs but I enjoy the short, explosive ones.

“I enjoy racing on the continent and I hope my programme gives me the opportunity to move up to Pro Continental for 2015.”

Is that why you moved from Raleigh to Condor?

“The race programme is very strong; we’ll be riding all sorts of big races; and not just in GB and France – we’ll be riding the Tour of Korea and races in Japan.

“After the Reservoir we have the Tour du Loir et Cher in France which is UCI 2.2 then there’s the Lincoln, Rutland, Japan, Durham Tour Series, Korea and that takes me to the Nationals.

“We have a good dedicated criterium team so I don’t have to ride too many – the Durham one is a race which suits me, though.”

Tom Moses
Tom did have some crits to do in Australia at the start of the year. Photo©Mark Gunter

You were a British Cycling Academy man?

“I really enjoyed my time on the Academy, I learned so much there; how a professional cyclist should behave, about training, resting and sleeping, diet – and how to race.”

Do you have a coach?

“When I was on the Academy it was Chris Newton but at Rapha I have Phil West.

“That’s another thing about the team that I think is a level up from last year, there’s such a good support system in place for us.”

I believe you’re a Heinrich Haussler fan?

“That was when I was younger and he was going really well; he’s a hard guy, a one day classic specialist – no gloves, even when it’s freezing.”

And if you could win just one race?

“After watching the Tour of Flanders on the TV, I think it would have to be that one!”

Tom Moses
Tom training in the sun in Australia before the Bay Crits. Photo©Tom Moses
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

Jim McFarlane, Endura MD – “It’s about Cycling, and only Cycling”

He started making shorts on the kitchen table, his suppliers used to manufacture his products inside out; but he's just recruited double world champion, 'Big Bob' Hayles to ride for and manage his UCI Continental team - things have come a long way for Jim McFarlane!

Felix English – Scratch Race Winner at the Glasgow Track World Cup

Felix English gets embarrassed by the memory but he is one of the few men to beat Chris Hoy in a match sprint -back in 2010, in the 1/16th finals of the European Track Championships and now he’s popped back up as a World Cup winner again; in Glasgow he beat some very tasty opposition to take the scratch race.

World Road Championships 2012 – Day Three; U23 Time Trial World Championship

The party’s over at the U23 Time Trial World Championship, there’s no more nice wee room in Valkenburg and ambling down for breakfast, with the patron asking if you’d like a fried egg to go with your rolls, cheese and ham.

James Oram – New Kiwi U23 TT Champion Rides With Axeon for 2015

Racing with Axeon for 2015 is Kiwi, James Oram who we first spotted when he won the 2011 Tour de l’Abitibi in Canada – the ‘Junior Tour de France’ with Bobby Julich, Tyler Farrar and Taylor Phinney all on the roll of honour. Later that year Oram took silver in the Junior Worlds TT and for the last three seasons has been with Merckx. Last season he cracked the top ten in the Tour of Alberta and World U23 TT Championships and he’s kicked off 2015 in fine style with a win in the New Zealand U23 TT Championship – we had a word soon after his Kiwi win.

At Random

Giro d’Italia 2011, Stage 9: Messina – Etna 169km

'Tutti per Vincenzo' said the Gazzetta, on Sunday. 'All for Vincenzo' - but that little blighter from Madrid put paid to that. We got the benefit from the mad breenge after Saturday's stage - the Messina start was just five minutes from the hotel and it gave us time to have a wee skek at the porto, before we headed to Etna.

Bremen Six Day 2012 – Day Five

We had Frank Sinatra for the sprint series last night during the Bremen Six Day 2012, never a bad thing. Bed was just before midnight and I didn't get up until 09:00 - just braw.

World Road Championships – Mads Pederson surprises to win the Elite Mens’ Road Race

Denmark’s Mads Pederson drops to the wet Yorkshire tarmac, a hundred metres past the finish line, he can’t take in what he’s just accomplished. He has out-sprinted one of the foxiest and fastest men around, Matteo Trentin of Italy - the hot pre-race favourites for the title on this horror of a day.

Tom Copeland – An Introduction

Here at VeloVeritas, we encourage you to submit your race results and stories to us, and young Tom Copeland recently did just that.