Ed Laverack Interview

Ed Laverack - The Interview


Ed laverack is beginning his fifth season at team JLT-Condor. The U23 National Champion of 2014 took some time from his off season to discuss his opinion on 2016, his favorite races and JLT Condor. 

JLT condor have been a massive team in the domestic ranks this year, How much does the team help you to bring out the best in yourself?

'We have a phenomenal work ethic in this Team. John Herety, our support staff, our Coach Tim Kennaugh and all of our key sponsors play a huge role in each of our careers. They are more than just people behind the job titles, they are the brains and power of the outfit. John in particular is very knowledgeable and knows which rider needs to be spoken to in a certain tone. Some can be barked at and they listen, others need to be taken aside and gently told. I think small things like this really help me bring my best to my cycling career.' 

This has certainly been proved over the course of 2016 for Team JLT Condor as there results have been nothing but excellent in the domestic ranks as well as abroad with wins in UCI races such as the Rutland Melton CICLE Classic and the tour series. 

Who are your best mates on the team?

'It's hard to say. They will tell you that I'm a very inward person. I enjoy my own company, I believe it goes back to my college days doing nothing but work and cycling nonstop. We have such a diverse Team. Everyone's got their own opinions and funny sides. The staff are always fun to be around, and they have to be, dealing with worn out athletes everyday requires you to be amusing. The comradeship in amongst the riders is brilliant though I have to admit. The more experienced riders are great company because of their insights and good old stories and how they don't hold back on the 'banter.''

These more experienced certainly have some knowledge of the peloton with some of them being; Ed Clancy (Double Olympic Gold Medalist) and Russell Downing (Former Team Sky rider and National champion).

Do you prefer racing in the UK or abroad?

'Unfortunately I would have to say that I much prefer racing abroad. Going someplace new on two wheels feels like such an adventure. The nature of the exploration encourages you to pedal faster to see more. The races that I have done in Japan, Australia, Korea, Azerbaijan have all taken place in such vast unforgettable landscapes, it's something you can never relate to in the U.K.' 

What is your favourite race to take part in?

'At the moment my favourite race to take part in is my locally organised 10mile time trial with Bynea CC. I say this because unlike a big event it's a very relaxed affair. It usually takes me 20minutes so is a good test for my Power output and there's always friendly encouragement and laughter. You can get a huge amount out of you local Club, time trials are just one of them!'

A very humble answer as these types of races are exactly the sort that we mere mortals can participate in. Ed is not wrong when he says you can get a lot out of a local club. For those of you who aren't already part of a club here is a British cycling link so you can get involved! https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/news/article/20120607-club-static-Join-a-cycling-club-0

We went on to talk of Ed's racing achievements and hopes...

How bigger win for you was the U23 national title and how did it help to advance you in your career?

'It was the biggest achievement of my career. It meant so much to me in the big picture. I'd had a pretty poor Tour of Japan about a month before but I managed to turn it around at the National Championships in Abergavenny which really matured me as a rider. Swings and roundabouts, you are only as good as your last race. Having the Team put their eggs in my basket for the final 40km of the race gave me valuable experience that I have used many times since.' 
Ed put in a fantastic performance that day finishing just under 6 minutes behind Peter Kennaugh and Ben Swift. 

What's your overall opinion about the 2016 season? 

'Better than expected. It was an eye opener yet again. I couldn't start training until January because of a knee injury but within 2 months I was finishing in the front group of the nutritiously wind swept Tour De Normandie, a race I really struggled just to finish a few years ago. Since then I came on leaps and bounds and took some good placings in both the Ras in Ireland and the Tour de Korea, both 8 day races. Korea was another huge step for me finishing 10th overall. I feel like every year I am chipping away and adding one more thing to my 'Palmares.'

What are the goals for next season?

'As of writing this in December, we have yet to confirm which races we will line up at next year. However, I have always, always, had an eye on the Tour of Britain. I have huge ambitions of doing many of the Team's biggest 8 day Stage Races that we will be invited too next year as that is where I believe my strength comes through.'

JLT condor usually get invited to the Tour of Britain but with the UCI world tour ever expanding many Continental teams such as JLT Condor don't really know where they stand. Th Ride-London classic has already been put out of reach for Continental teams as for 2017 this has been upgraded to world tour standard. 

What are the overall goals for your career?

' I believe to be successful you still have to have a little part of you like a child. A naive child at that. One that believes that anything is possible, never to stop and think of the consequences. With that being said, I want to ride some of the biggest races in the World. The Tour, the Classics, the Road Worlds. Being a Team Leader or a Loyal 'Domestique.' Beyond my 'Pro' career, if I'm still healthy, I would love to do massive endurance challenges, Lands End to John O'Groats, Around the World, Transcontinental, RAAM and Gran Fondos. My Girlfriend is not amused by these choices!'

Although not mentioning it we at CNO Cycling reckon he could do better than just ride the tour. With these endurance capabilities and also his shows of strength in stage races give him an opportunity to compete in races such as the Tour de France.


Lastly we would like to say thanks to Ed for his involvement in this and we wish him the best for 2017. 

Lizzie Armitstead

 

Lizzie Armitstead interview

CNO Cycling had the unique opportunity to speak to the current World Champion Lizzie Armitstead after she made a brave attempt to win the Women’s Tour de Yorkshire.

It’s not often that you get the chance to speak with a current World Champion, so we took advantage by asking Lizzie about life in the Women’s peloton, the changing attitudes to Women’s cycling and the highlight of her career by winning the World’s in Richmond Virginia last year.

In what has been perhaps the most tumultuous time in British Cycling in living memory, with accusations of sexism, it was great to get Lizzie’s take on the world of Women’s cycling and her hopes for the future.

With Rio just around the corner, this is without doubt Lizzie's greatest ambition for the year, we are sure that everyone will wish her all of the support to ensure we see a golden return......

We started by asking Lizzie how she got into Cycling, particularly at a time when Cycling was not as high profile as it is now. Lizzie told us how British Cycling had come into her school as part of a talent identification scheme and immediately spotted just how good she could be..

"I was talent spotted at school at the age of 15 by British Cycling when they visited with some bikes as part of a talent ID programme. They were looking for young people with potential and I was chosen. I was given some lottery funding and a coach, joined the Academy programme and went from there"

We have seen ourselves from a very local level, the impact British Cycling can have on local schools, it clearly worked very well for Lizzie, so hopefully the need to continue to identify new talent remains a priority of British Cycling.

Whilst we love to see Lizzie winning on the Road, her background involved Track Cycling, as so many British Cyclists did. Many people possibly fail to remember she was an integral part of the World Championship winning pursuit squad from 2009. Did she prefer the Road or the track..?

"Definitely road racing! Road cycling has a rich history and there are so many iconic races on the calendar. I love the combination of physical ability and tactical decisions. Plus I get to ride and train in different and beautiful places outside every day.

The real highlight of Lizzie's career so far, is without doubt, her fantastic victory in the World Championships on September 26th last year, when she gloriously brought home the world title for Britain. We asked Lizzie about the race and how she planned such a meticulous victory.

 "The race in Richmond went exactly to plan, I was a little disappointed when I first saw the course as I was worried that it was not challenging enough. I knew I had to race aggressively to make the race suit me and I planned to attack in all the places I attacked. I trained several days on the course and did 3 attacks over every climb at the finish followed by a sprint – in the end that is also how I won the race"

Another key moment in the ever advancing career of Lizzie came on the 3rd of April this year. Lizzie had tried several times to win the Tour Of Flanders and had previously come 2nd in 2014, this year she finally cracked it.

"The Tour of Flanders was one of the key races I wanted to win this year – it is an iconic race and it is a dream come true to have won it in my World Championships Jersey."

All of these remarkable acheivements have taken place whilst Lizzie has been wearing the colours of Boels-Dolmans. We asked her whether she felt the set up at the team was integral to her success.

"I really enjoy riding for Boels Dolmans – we are a well balanced team, full of different characters and cultures. The team really motivate me as they are an incredibly strong, inspiring and professional group of women – we race and train incredibly hard as a team."

With the Olympics in Rio in the not too distant future, we asked Lizzie whether she felt this would trigger a turn to stage racing, possibly with the Giro Rosa being a particularly highlighted point.

"I will continue to concentrate on the Classics. Cycling can be such a difficult sport that I really believe you have to chase the races that you are passionate about winning, not the races people expect you to win. I have always dreamed about winning the Tour of Flanders, but I have never dreamt about winning the Giro Rosa. I love the all or nothing aspect of a Classic."

"I am, however, concentrating on my climbing this year. I was lucky enough to recce the Rio course last August and it’s brutal. It’s a real climbers course, the last climb in particular is 8km and average 8%."

We then moved to discussing with Lizzie the changing attitudes to Women's cycling, quite a relevant question in cycling's current climate. 

"I think there are definitely steps in the right direction. It is a massive commitment from the organisers of Tour de Yorkshire to put up the level of prize money. I’m proud that a ‘blueprint’ of how a race should be organised has started at home in Yorkshire. Hopefully it sets a precedent for organisers in the future"

CNO Cycling certainly agree with that, What a terrible shame it was that the plan ASO and Gary Verity had put in place to televise the Tour De Yorkshire was so cruelly taken away by a 'technical' error. This really spoiled a huge opportunity for the ladies to show their talent to a wider demographic of people, live on British Television and across Europe.

Last of all we'd like to say thank you to Lizzie for doing this interview! Good Luck

The Boz- The interview

CNO Cycling caught up with Ian Boswell on his Tenerife training camp with Team Sky. Currently in training for his first Giro d'Italia where he will ride in support of Mikel Landa. "The Boz" took some time to talk to us about Training camps, Safety in the peloton and his buddies in Nice.

'My Dad used to do professional triathlon and cycling back in the 80's, so cycling was really part of my life from the start' Ian says of his introduction to the sport. 'I used to do loads of sports: Soccer, American Football, Skiing and snowboarding and the like. But cycling was really big in my hometown from the start.' Ian grew up in the town of Bend, Oregon on the west coast of the United States where the outdoors really became his life. 'I got into BMX and Mountain Biking and at the age of 12 got onto the road bike.'

I then asked Ian about who he enjoys to spend his time with when in his hometown of Nice. 'there's actually a really good group of guys who I ride with in Nice, there's actually quite a few Americans who live there; Joe Dombrowski, Larry Warbasse and Tejay Van Garderen. In terms of Sky it's probably Pete Kennuagh and a bunch of them live in Monaco so we just meet up with them there.' Ian also spends a lot more of his time now on Team Sky training camps, like the one he spent with Chris Froome in South Africa earlier this year. When asked about how that camp was, Ian replies with 'Yeah, it definitely showed me how much I've come on as a rider. A few years ago there's no way I would have been able to do that, but it showed i have a higher level of fitness.' Ian speaks very highly of Chris's ambition and mental drive with his training, saying ' To see the continual work of a great champion like Chris is definitely inspirational.' Ian is currently in Tenerife with Nicolas Roche, Wout Poels, Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas. 'The atmosphere is definitely different from South Africa, I'd say it's more specific and there are more staff here so it's more focused.' When asked about his relationships with his teammates, he speaks highly of them all. 'There all great guys, I mean look at the success they've all had.' 'Geraint was massive in Paris-Nice and he worked super hard for that and Chris has won two tours, so its pretty elite company.'

Many cyclists struggle with the off-season but Ian has his past times which he has loved since he was a kid. 'I've loved the outdoors since i was a kid. Fishing, Hunting and Hiking are really my favorite things to do in the off season and that's probably what i miss most when i'm off racing in Europe.' Ian also is a prolific user of Strava which you can find here https://www.strava.com/pros/262535 and says that when he's training by himself, he uses this as motivation to better himself on segments and gradually tracking his progress on the popular platform. 

With recent events in the peloton like the death of Antoine Demoitie, I asked Ian about how he feels about the safety of the peloton. 'I think lots of riders can make life easier for themselves. Lots of people make big efforts to get into gaps that aren't there and cause crashes. Also many riders don't have any respect for the motorbikes. They could make life easier for themselves by moving over for the camera bikes.' Ian has a similar view to Chris Opie in that this isn't all the fault of the Motorbike riders. ' I think there could be a better system in which the riders are told on race radio that there are motorbikes coming through at this time and you have to move out if the way.' 

Lastly we'd like to say thank you to Ian for the opportunity to interview him and good luck for the season!

                                                                                              

Scott Mitchell @modcyclingphoto

Chris Opie Interview

Chris Opie is one of the top British pro's in the peloton at the moment, and the ONE Pro Cycling rider took some time to talk to us about how its going.
Chris Opie has a palmares ranging from stages in the Tour of Libya to the Stockton Grand Prix. Opie was a young bloomer, starting racing at the age of 10 years old 'It was always there' he says 'it was always something i wanted to do.' Chris went on racing from there and started to realise he could make it as a teenager. Despite this, Chris had to endure a few years of hurt after having multiple different crashes and injuries. 'My biggest setback was in the years when I was 19,20. I couldn't really get back to the level i was at when i was 18 (before the crashes and setbacks).' This eventually paid off for Chris, as he got his first pro contract with Team UK Youth in 2012 and then moving to the Rapha Condor-JLT squad in 2014.

When asked about his long term goals, Chris remains very humble claiming that he just wants to 'get the best out of himself' and 'be a good father.' He is however a lot more than a 'good father', with 24th in the Handzame Classic and a crash ruling him out of the Three Days Of De Panne. Chris goes next to the Volta Limburg Classic where he will be riding with the likes of Marcin Bialoblocki and Matt Goss for the ONE Pro cycling squad. When asked about what ONE has done for him, Chris comments on the positive environment of the squad. 'I feel as though they have helped me hugely, its a really positive environment with a race program that suits me.' The race program has improved greatly since the team became Pro Continental.'also the facilities that the team offers are wonderful and i feel that gives me the opportunity to get the results.'

After recent events we felt it appropriate to ask Chris to comment on the safety of the riders in the peloton. 'Lots of it has to do with the riders common sense, lots of riders fight for positions that they dont need too.' Chris comments on this after having a nasty crash in the three days of De Panne. 'Also the race organizers can help with the route. For example in the tour of De Panne there were tram tracks in the middle of the road which you couldn't really avoid.' Many riders feel the same way, as so called 'road furniture' has caused many crashes in the peloton and are probably more dangerous than the motorbikes and the neutral service cars.

This year Chris plans to take assault on the National Championships in Stockton and after his win on the circuit last year in the Stockton GP and his powerful sprint, he is definitely amongst the favorites.

Lastly we'd just like to say thank you to Chris for doing this interview with us and good luck for the season!

George Harper Interview

George Harper



On the 2nd March 2016, George Harper finished one of the most impressive races of his career. For George, this result had been a long time coming. Le Tour De Langkawi has long been a major early season race for many top pro's, but this year it had been struck by an incredible young British talent. George Harper had finished 6th overall and had achieved two top 10's in stages 2 and 4.  This had come after impressive results in the Tour Series, including a win in last years hill climb event at Aberystwyth. 

He started cycling after being encouraged by his Dad and Cousin on a family holiday to take part in the prestigious L'Etape Sportive. Similarly to his brother his first sport had always been running, but as he says 'I'd always been a good runner at school so they assumed the two would convert.' George then goes on to talk about his first proper ride. 'A few days later they were ready for another ride so I decided to join them for my first outing, after a long day in the saddle and an ascent of Le Tourmalet in the bag, I instantly knew I wanted to be a pro cyclist and one day race up climbs like that one.' Climbing the beast that is Le Tourmalet on your first ride is a fair achievement. George was clearly a huge talent.

George goes on to talk about his race in Le Tour De Langkawi.'It was an incredible experience and a great start to the season with ONE Pro cycling. I went in with good form for this time of year having lost some weight over the winter. I'd never raced in extreme heat before so I wasn't sure how I'd cope, so naturally I was a little apprehensive.' This extreme heat George talks about is something that prevents many cyclists from achieving their full capacity, this clearly isn't the case with George. 'After being up there in the sprints in the first few stages I got my confidence and went into the hilly stage feeling good.'
'Once we gained 4th overall we looked for ways to win the race. I had some bad luck in a few sprints getting caught behind crashes, so it became a race of sprint bonuses for us. Overall I was happy with the result, and it was a good confidence booster for me.' He then goes on to talk about how impressive the ONE Pro Cycling squad were in the race to help him gain 6th overall.'The team were incredible , the support from my team mates and the management on the road allowed me to do what I needed to do.' The ONE Pro Cycling team have done nothing but impress in their first two years of their existence and clearly their future is very bright.

When we asked George about his challenges in getting to this point he claims to be rather lucky in the fact that he's only had minor injuries from crashes holding him back. This could possibly be due to the fact he had the base fitness before becoming a cyclist as a runner, or maybe because of the exceptionally hard work he puts into his cycling. 'I'd say mastering my mind has been the biggest challenge, I think being a professional is almost more down to the mindset, there are a lot of physically gifted people around, but without the correct mindset it's useless. Joining ONE Pro cycling was a huge turning point for me. I've had the highest level of support from amazing people like Steve Benton (ONE pro's Performance Director), They have provided the platform I've needed to develop and step up. It's early days for me so I hope to keep improving with their support.'

I also asked George about his advice for newcomers to the sport 'My advice would be to try and relax, I know that sounds odd when you are supposed to be racing! But if you don't do this you can't begin to understand the race and what you need to do to win. I was always so wound up and nervous when I first started I wasted all my energy. If you can master this early it will help hugely.'

When asked about how he see's his future, he claims 'I think it's important to dream big, it's the mindset you need ultimately. What keeps me going is the thought of winning the Tour de France one day, It's a huge part of why I fell in love with the sport.' George also wants to help his brother, Will, win a major race whilst riding in the same team. A truly humble and admirable goal. With the talent that George quite clearly displays, the sky is definitely the limit for the young Hampshire man.

George Harper is one of the most prestigious talents that British cycling has to offer and I wish him all the best for his bright future. He has been a true gent during this interview and I would like to thank him greatly. 
Thanks George

Will Harper Interview

Will Harper The Interview


On Sunday March 13th Will Harper of Pedal Heaven excel Academy took his first National B race at the SERRL RR at Chillham. We caught up with the quickly progressing rider in the week. 

Will was a late bloomer when it came to the art of cycling preferring to take part in the similarly painful sport of Running. To find out how he got into the sport we had a word with him. " It was my brother, George, who encouraged me to start cycling. I went to watch him in a round of the tour series in Canary Wharf in 2014." Will's brother, George, who he refers too is a similarly talented rider who resides in the exceptional ranks of One Pro Cycling. Alongside the likes of Marcin Biablocki and Chris Opie, George plays out his trade incredibly taking 6th overall in the Tour de Langkawi 2016. "I was quickly drawn in by the fast and aggresive nature of crit racing and later that week i joined the Dulwich Paragon cycling club." Will goes onto to describe his first races for the London based club "I went for a flyer in my first race at Hillingdon, and was caught on the line so had to settle for second place. A couple of weeks later I raced the Crystal Palace 3/4" this was the race that would prove to Will that he might have what it takes. "I broke away solo with a couple of laps to go and stayed away. It was at that point I knew I wanted to be a pro".

Will now rides for the recently launched Pedal Heaven Excel Academy and speaks very highly of the man who was responsible for getting him on the team- Tim Elverson. "it is DS Tim Elverson I have to thank. Tim always has his finger on the pulse in terms of new talent coming up through the ranks - especially when it comes to local riders. I contacted Tim in the summer of 2014 when I was still riding for Dulwich Paragon. I knew it was a long shot because I was so new to the sport , but fortunately I got a positive response from Tim. He told me he had been following my progress for a while, and would consider a meeting in the near future, but wanted to keep monitoring me for a bit longer. " Will's excellent results in only his first year of cycling were clearly something to behold. He had begun riding only that year but was still achieving some seriously impressive results.
"Tim kept in contact and followed my progress closely. I managed to get some decent results, which led to Tim taking the calculated gamble of signing me for 2015. 2015 was therefore my first full race season. I won a number of National b circuit races and started to go well In the National A crits towards the end of the summer. Hopefully repaying Tim's trust in me!" To find out what Will means by National A and National B races i have attached a link to the British cycling website. https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/road/article/roadst_National_Regional_Rankings_Explained "As a result of my solid progress in 2015- I was offered a place in the Pedal Heaven Excel Academy for 2016. The team is full of exciting talent, and our results have proven this so far. Personally , I have felt strong this season, but I have struggled a bit tactically. Thankfully, with the help of DS Anders Christensen, I managed to get it right last Sunday, and won my first National B road race. I am confident if I keep learning and progressing at this rate , I will achieve my goal of making it to the top of the sport. I believe Pedal Heaven provides the perfect environment to pursue this goal. The support we receive is amazing - both Tim and Craig are absolutely passionate about the sport and about their riders. This passion and energy is felt throughout the whole team, and makes us extra motivated to dominate in every race we enter."

When we asked about his brother Will speaks incredibly highly of him, saying that he rode exceptionally in Malaysia. He then goes on to say his long term ambition is to ride in the same team as George and that "he will be my lead out man!" 

I'd just like to end this by saying a huge thank you to Will for agreeing to this interview and the best of luck for the future, it seems that it could be bright.