Greg Mansell training

Gav888

Hi,

I've been catching up on my backlog of Tour Series race highlights from ITV4... and Nigel Mansell was interviewed on one of them during the race and he mentioned his son Greg only took up cycling 3 years ago.... :shock:

So, I could be wrong but Greg Mansell has gone from nothing to pro in 3 years....

Anyone got any idea what sort of training Greg would have done to do something like this in so little time?

buckles

We have no idea what athletic activity he may have done before he started cycling. Could already be very highly trained. Also could have superior genes.

Jamesrichio

He used to drive formula Renault cars so maybe did a bit of extra cycling to keep fit, bit like Jensen button does triathlons

lyn1

I assume by "pro" you mean someone who earns a living from riding a bike. There are numerous riders in British UCI Continental teams who get paid very little. if at all. They ride full time and accept a hand to mouth existence in return for the buzz of riding in these teams. Indeed, there is no compulsion to pay everyone in your team.

"A continental or women's team will comprise riders who may or may not be professional"

Are you sure he is a "pro" or given he doesn't have any results of significance and his father funds the team, does he just ride for them? Your assumption that he has achieved a high level of performance in a short time, in order to justify a pro contract, is probably flawed.

imposter2.0

According to the BC rankings, Mansell is a 2nd cat and (at the time of writing) is still around 100 points away from gaining 1st cat and another 300 points off 'elite' status. In other words, his rise is not as 'meteoric' as it might first appear. Still a good rider though, but don't be dazzled by the 'pro' tag...

buckles

Is he a proper road 2nd cat or a weekday evening crit 2nd cat?

imposter2.0

Buckles wrote:

Is he a proper road 2nd cat or a weekday evening crit 2nd cat?

you will have to look at the rankings and decide for yourself..

izza

You'll have to ask his personal coach .... a guy called Magnus Backstedt.

imposter2.0

izza wrote:

You'll have to ask his personal coach .... a guy called Magnus Backstedt.

no need to ask Magnus - just look at the rankings.

buckles

weekend crit 2nd cat

Gav888

I didnt know he was only a cat 2 rider, I guess having dad owning the team he got some guest appearances then with the big boys...

imposter2.0

I've never seen him ride but he is clearly capable of winning races and there's no reason to suspect that he is not perfectly capable of hanging with a tour series event - I know a couple of 2nd cats that already do that. And points do not always tell the full story.

okgo

Gav888 wrote:

Hi,

I've been catching up on my backlog of Tour Series race highlights from ITV4... and Nigel Mansell was interviewed on one of them during the race and he mentioned his son Greg only took up cycling 3 years ago.... :shock:

So, I could be wrong but Greg Mansell has gone from nothing to pro in 3 years....

Anyone got any idea what sort of training Greg would have done to do something like this in so little time?

The fact his old man runs the team may help. To give you a hint I saw UK youth drilling it up a hill in Majorca, I saw Greg some up about a minute later

lostboysaint

I suspect that the fact that his old man owns the team makes no difference whatsoever. Given what a hard bastard Mansell Snr is I suspect that it means that Greg has to prove himself time and again rather than having it handed to him. Someone as successful as Mansell Snr doesn't suffer under achievement anywhere so if Greg doesn't cut it (I'd imagine the targets have all been defined for him) he'll be out.

buckles

Good speculation there. Anyone can suspect or imagine, but what are the facts?

amaferanga

He may soon become a good 1st Cat or even Elite, but for now he's a 2nd Cat and I doubt he'd be riding for UK Youth if pa wasn't involved.

sloppyschleckonds

Buckles wrote:

Good speculation there. Anyone can suspect or imagine, but what are the facts?

His dad owns the team and he's in.

acidstrato

lostboysaint wrote:

I suspect that the fact that his old man owns the team makes no difference whatsoever. Given what a hard bastard Mansell Snr is I suspect that it means that Greg has to prove himself time and again rather than having it handed to him. Someone as successful as Mansell Snr doesn't suffer under achievement anywhere so if Greg doesn't cut it (I'd imagine the targets have all been defined for him) he'll be out.

UKYouth started off with a lot of 1st and 2nd cat riders with Maggy and the fellow swedes being the headline act. Look at the team now, its full of Elite riders and Maggy jumped ship.

Also in previous years local amateur races were dominated by the UKY train to help their lower cat riders mop up points

lyn1

amaferanga wrote:

He may soon become a good 1st Cat or even Elite, but for now he's a 2nd Cat and I doubt he'd be riding for UK Youth if pa wasn't involved.

This may be influenced by how the team choose to use him. If they put him in the bigger races, then as a weaker team member he will work for their potential winners and invariably pick up no ranking points. Moving up the categories will be very difficult. He will however, learn more than riding in a load of chippers where he will pick up ranking points and move through the categories far quicker.

buckles

Good point.

smidsy

Gav888 wrote:

Anyone got any idea what sort of training Greg would have done to do something like this in so little time?

He would have almost certainly been riding a lot longer than that and would also have been 'of that ilk' so to speak. He used to drive fast cars and the level of fitness required for that is high.

He obvioulsy would have had to apply himself to the task and shown lots of dedication and committment to imrproving.

It is likely he had a trainer/coach putting him through a structured programme and diet.

Plus "hey Dad I fancy riding bicycles for a while, can you put a load of your cash into a race team please and use your status to open some doors".

sloppyschleckonds

Anyone got a picture of him riding a bike with Lightweight crabon wheels?

okgo

smidsy wrote:

Gav888 wrote:

Anyone got any idea what sort of training Greg would have done to do something like this in so little time?

He would have almost certainly been riding a lot longer than that and would also have been 'of that ilk' so to speak. He used to drive fast cars and the level of fitness required for that is high.

He obvioulsy would have had to apply himself to the task and shown lots of dedication and committment to imrproving.

It is likely he had a trainer/coach putting him through a structured programme and diet.

Plus "hey Dad I fancy riding bicycles for a while, can you put a load of your cash into a race team please and use your status to open some doors".

There are people that have got to his level certainly in that time and less. One of the young rapha riders has only been riding a year or two.

TONY.M

Gav888 wrote:

Hi,

I've been catching up on my backlog of Tour Series race highlights from ITV4... and Nigel Mansell was interviewed on one of them during the race and he mentioned his son Greg only took up cycling 3 years ago.... :shock:

So, I could be wrong but Greg Mansell has gone from nothing to pro in 3 years....

Anyone got any idea what sort of training Greg would have done to do something like this in so little time?

I do not know anything of Greg Mansell but is not unusual for genetically talented individuals to progress quickly. Performance differences within elite cyclists is more a result of varying genetic ability between individuals than training regime.

Often the genetically elite look down their noses at those not of their ability and strongly feel that they are working so much harder than the pack fodder. Seriously though as genetic testing becomes more common and understanding of how it relates to performance becomes deeper this will become more accepted.

Tony