A Cyclist In France: Introduction To Andrew Phillips!

Cycling is now getting more coverage than ever. With the success of the GB Olympic Cycling Squad in Beijing as well as recent glory in the Tour de France for Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins the sport is now fully in the mainstream.

On our blog we already follow the new British Cycling team Team Sky and we will be giving you updates on them throughout the year and beyond. However there is more to cycling than the big teams and those famous faces and SportTrades are delighted to announce that we will be following a amateur cyclist next season.

His name is Andrew Phillips and after living in France for the last couple of years, decieded in an attempt to get fit to buy a bike and join a cycling club. Last year after much training he raced as a category 3 rider in the Poitou Charente Region in the South-West of France. Throughout the season, which starts around the beginning of April we will be hearing from Andrew and we think it’s a brilliant chance for cycling fans to hear a different perspective to the sport. Here's Andrew’s first post for us which describes how he got into becoming an amateur cyclist and what his hopes are for the 2010 season...

Andrew: Do you know I am racing against guys who spend more money on their cycling shoes than I did on my bike? Well thats the truth and my journey into cycling is something that even suprises me.

When I was 43 I saw an advert in the local super market for a bike for sale. The price was 250 Euros. Included in the price was a spare set of wheels, a turbo trainer, a pair of cycling shoes my size and a suit case to put the bike in. A bargain I should say. So I bought the bike and as I was unloading it from the car one of my French neighbours saw me and said “you can come training with us if you like we go Tuesday and Thursday evenings".

That was the start. I only bought the bike to do some riding and to get fit. Instead in May 2008 I started training with some French guys in a proper cycling club. They have been great and have been very patient with me. They have made me suffer and I have been put through hell and back. I have always been quite fit but I have never been in such shape as I am in now. Within a few weeks i was able to ride about 80 kms and by August I was occasionally coming back from the training rides smiling.

There was talk of me participating in a race towards the end of the season but I decided that I would continue with my training throughout the winter and start racing in 2009. I trained hard throughout the winter. As I had not raced I just kept going when everyone else was having a rest. I got stronger and stronger and teamed up with some other guys who had different ideas on training to the guys that I had started riding with. It really took me to a different level and I ended up being caught in the middle of people all offering me different advice on how I should train. Even arguments about the size of my front chain ring. Help! This was all getting too technical, but i learnt quickly that thats what the sport is.

I signed up to race for 2009. As I had never raced before I automatically was placed as a category 3 rider. In the UFOLEP organisation there are 4 categories and a separate category for people over 60 or 65. I did quite well in my 1st season. I achieved three 2nd places, one 3rd and a 5th. I obtained enough points to go up a category but have yet to win a race, though four podiums in my first season was more than i could have dreamed of! Towards the end of the season I bought a frame which a friend spotted on Ebay. With the help of some other friends and by begging, borrowing and not quite stealing I now have a proper racing bike which I will be using for the 2010 season. This will definitely be a great help!

My objectives for next season are to win a race, to obtain enough points to go up to category 1 (should be tough as there are a lot of very strong 20 year olds and younger) and to obtain a podium position in the Departmental Championship. This is definitely possible as in the championship I will be racing with people the same age as me, though'll it will be just as tough as these guys will have more experience than me.

Hopefully you’re hear more from me over the next couple of months when i can let you guys know how my training goes on. Aside from my training it will be also a big couple of months as I am currently in the process of moving house with my family. If you want to support me please become a fan of ‘The English Cyclist In France’ on facebook or just join the facebook group ‘Help me Win in France’. I can also be found on twitter @http://twitter.com/cyclistinfrance Hope you enjoyed my first post.

SportTrades Report Manager Adam Dennehey is delighted to have got this link up with Andrew. "As a cycling fan, i think it will be good for people intrested in the sport to remember that just like football, the sport is more than just the big names. It should be intresting to see how Andrew builds on his success from last season and how he can go wheel to wheel with the french cyclists and hopefully build on Wiggo and Cav's success from last year". There will be more from Andrew over the coming months.