Alex Dowsett - Your Bike Travel ride
So on Sat, I did a ride with Alex Dowsett from Herne Hill to RP, 3 laps and got to have a bit of a chat with him.
Firstly - what a lovely bloke. Seriously happy to speak to everyone and loves his cycling. Can't stress how nice he was enough.
Had a bit of a chat with him about his 10 mile record - said he normally rides on power, but he rode on speed that day. Averaged over 31mph on the slip road, round the roundabout and back down the slip road on the turn. He only rode it to get a time for entry into the nationals and was a bit taken aback that everyone was talking about him taking the record as it put more pressure on him before doing it. Said it was just a really perfect day and everything aligned for him, felt great - but remembered thinking - why can't I feel like this during a GT or the Worlds?!
Forgotten what his average watts were - something like 454? Sorry.
Best bit was Continental (tyre sponsor) emailed him because they wanted to do a think on what tyres he used - so he went out and had a look, came back and said "Sprinters" and they said "but they're a training tyre!" He said they reckoned he could have got another 10-15 seconds out of the "right" tyres.
Asked him about the hour - he said tempted, but totally focused on the TdF this year. Was really really gutted to miss out last year due to illness - he was in until that point - and this year it is ALL about the tour. Just wants to ride it.
We did a "faster" third lap and we got a bit gapped by a couple of lads who went off the front and I swapped turns with him on the Richmond Gate to Ham Gate section. Couldn't even remotely hold his wheel on the downhill - he kept looking for me (I blame the compact!), or he'd have been out of sight.
Really nice bloke, hope he has a great season next year and this the business he was setting up and plugging: http://www.yourbiketravel.com/ does well.
Firstly - what a lovely bloke. Seriously happy to speak to everyone and loves his cycling. Can't stress how nice he was enough.
Had a bit of a chat with him about his 10 mile record - said he normally rides on power, but he rode on speed that day. Averaged over 31mph on the slip road, round the roundabout and back down the slip road on the turn. He only rode it to get a time for entry into the nationals and was a bit taken aback that everyone was talking about him taking the record as it put more pressure on him before doing it. Said it was just a really perfect day and everything aligned for him, felt great - but remembered thinking - why can't I feel like this during a GT or the Worlds?!
Forgotten what his average watts were - something like 454? Sorry.
Best bit was Continental (tyre sponsor) emailed him because they wanted to do a think on what tyres he used - so he went out and had a look, came back and said "Sprinters" and they said "but they're a training tyre!" He said they reckoned he could have got another 10-15 seconds out of the "right" tyres.
Asked him about the hour - he said tempted, but totally focused on the TdF this year. Was really really gutted to miss out last year due to illness - he was in until that point - and this year it is ALL about the tour. Just wants to ride it.
We did a "faster" third lap and we got a bit gapped by a couple of lads who went off the front and I swapped turns with him on the Richmond Gate to Ham Gate section. Couldn't even remotely hold his wheel on the downhill - he kept looking for me (I blame the compact!), or he'd have been out of sight.
Really nice bloke, hope he has a great season next year and this the business he was setting up and plugging: http://www.yourbiketravel.com/ does well.
http://www.georgesfoundation.org
http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/
http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/
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Comments
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Great to hear that he is a good lad, sounds like you had a really good time.0
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He always comes across as a really nice chap I really hope he has a good season in 2015.0
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Yep, you know getting up to ride across town to ride back slowly in a big group and then do 3 laps of RP is not normally top of my "to do" list. But well worth it to hold on to the back of a pro-tour rider and British record holder - especially when he was such a nice guy.Kingstonian wrote:Great to hear that he is a good lad, sounds like you had a really good time.http://www.georgesfoundation.org
http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/0 -
Thanks for sharing. Never heard a bad word about him really. I know he
I just wish he would demonstrate some more class on the roads of the pros. He is clearly got some serious beans and he shines now and again but is very inconsistent and can see how he nearly did not get a ride next year.
Contador is the Greatest0 -
I've met him a few times as he rides our TTs and he's a really nice guy. He even gave me a shout of encouragement (As he came past me at 50 km/h on the flat) and thanked me later for my shout to him. He's a great role model for all the kids that ride and has no airs or graces about him.
I was gutted for him at the tour of Britain, I know he really wanted to win that and he gave it a bloody good go. If he did the hour tomorrow I have no doubt he would get it, if he waits till Wiggins has done it he will have a much harder job!
He's getting better every year in terms of form I think, he should have another big TT win next year.0 -
Oh and I would definitely do one of his tours but I can't at the moment due to fatherly duties. One day...0
