Cycling Heroes

Andy and Duncan are joined by South Eastern bike racing royalty: Chris and Simon McNamara. As successful amateur bike racers since junior level - now in their forties - their passion for the sport remains undiminished - having won races and championships at the highest level both in the UK and Europe. Off the bike they're deeply involved in the sport professionally, Simon at Hunt Bicycle Wheels, and Chris a coach at TrainSharp Cycle Coaching. We discuss motivation, training in lockdown, sibling rivalry, bereavement, staying fast after 40, race tactics, and hopefully getting back to racing later in the year. It's all here.

In this episode Andy and Duncan are joined by 2016 National Junior Road Race Champion and Belgium based pro rider Jacob Vaughan. Very much a product of the VCL talent factory at Herne Hill Velodrome in London, Jacob was selected to ride for the junior GB squad at the 2017 World Road Championships in Norway. With many good results along the way Jacob went on to spend seasons with the Lotto - Soudal U23 squad, followed by Canyon DHB p/b Bloor Homes, and his current team in Belgium Indulek-Doltcini-Derito CT - where he scored a win in his third race of the season. All this, and he's still only 20. 

In this episode Andy and Duncan are joined by multiple national title winning road and MTB rider, Sophie Johnson. Sophie's riding career began with regional XC races as a junior before joining the ranks of British Cycling's nascent elite performance rider development programme. At the time the whole BC Olympic MTB development budget was less than that allocated to a single track rider. What could possibly go wrong? Hear the highs and lows of being a pro, and how coaching has provided new motivation, renewed focus, and a route to a comeback on gravel. You heard it here.

Duncan and Andy are joined in lock-down by Wyndy Milla cycling brand co-founder, racer, and serial entrepreneur Henry Furniss. It all starts when triathlete Henry tries to join a cycling club, becomes an Elite cat rider within a year (because someone said he couldn't), then decides to make bikes for his personal training clients, a journey that includes bright pink race winning cycling teams, and a brush with Formula 1. The rest, as they say is history.

In this C-19 lock-down edition, Duncan and Andy chat to British cycling legend Jez Hunt. Still deeply involved in the sport as a coach and DS, Jez recalls riding for some of the biggest teams in the sport, beating Cipo, being told to f-off to the back by Udo Bölts, and being on the dream team that helped Cav win the 2011 worlds, and much more including his coaching philosophy and methods. Coaching globally from his Melbourne base, enquire at Jez@daybyday.com  

It's been a bit of a wait, but there's always lots to talk about as Duncan and Andy mull over returning from a crash (Andy), time trialling, the crisis in domestic elite racing, and mavericks of the sport (don't we just love them?), with plenty of random musings along the way.

After a short break we're back in the saddle. In this episode Duncan and Andy are joined by Michelle Arthurs-Brennan, bike racer, writer, and founder of racing team 1904RT. Michelle shares her insights in setting up a racing team from scratch, where we are with equality in the sport, and exploring how to drive female participation. Andy argues that bike racing is too sanitised and there's just too much age group racing.

Andy and Duncan explore a recent doping story in amateur cycling, discuss the racing scene in the UK, and ask the big important questions like; north versus south - which riders are the hardest? Maison du Velo and In-Gear supremo Tom Hough joins the team this month to discuss running a local bike shop, coffee, building cycling communities, and supporting local racing. That's when he's not having a rant about tax dodging private equity owned online retailers. It's all here.

Cycle road racing in the south east, what's good, what's not, who's hot, and what's eating Andy. Weekend warriors Duncan and Andy shoot the breeze.