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.