Introducing...
Every month, we introduce one of the Kingston Wheelers. Ian Beston is here during the Tour de France season of July 2005. He's been with the club for a year and has already tried many aspects of the sport, from racing to helping to organise events and this month will see him riding La Marmotte, the tough one-day ride in the Alps.
Ian in action in a race
Name: Ian Beston
Age: 32
Significant Others: Wife Jenny.
What made you start cycling? Initially I cycled purely for keep-fit purposes, but since joining the Wheelers the racing side of things has really appealed to me.
Why did you join Kingston Wheelers? I'd just moved to Kingston in early 2004 and saw the club run advertised in Cycling Weekly. I was going to give London Dynamo a go as I was living very near Richmond Park, where they meet, but I thought their name was a bit rubbish so choose the Wheelers instead! I'd previously read stories about cycling clubs and my impression was that they were insular organizations who met in clandestine locations, so I was pleasantly surprised when there wasn't a conspiracy to drop me on the first club run I went on!
Date you joined the Club: April 2004.
Who is your favourite pro or inspiration? ? Loads! Chris Boardman, Stuart O'Grady, George Hincapie, Vino, Sean Kelly, Laurent Jalabert, Johan Museeuw to name a few! However, despite the disappointments in recent years Jan Ullrich is still my favourite rider and it would be great if he were to win the Tour again (although doesn't look like it after Stage 1 of this year's Tour de France).
What bike do you ride? Bianchi with Campag groupset, Mavic wheels and nice new 'fake' carbon ITM handlebars.
Give us a brief cycling background: I've followed cycling since school from the end of the Bernard Hinault era [1986] onwards. Everyone's favourite rider at school was Greg LeMond. When I was 13 about half-a-dozen from my year at school joined the local cycling club, but I opted for basketball instead which I regret a bit now!
I still followed cycling but slightly lost interest in the early 1990's (sorry Big Mig!). But when Ullrich came second in 1996 and won the tour in 1997 there was talk of five more tour wins and the arrival of the new Mercx. This guy was the same age as me and I was hooked again!
I bought my first proper road bike about three years ago for 'keep fit' purposes (or 'get fit' in my case!) before joining the Wheelers last year.
What was your best performance? You must be joking - In my brief 'race' career? Just finishing in the bunch in 3rd cat races is good enough for me. If I have a go off the front then that's a bonus! I did somehow win £10 the other week at the Kingston Phoenix 10 mile TT for winning my group (I think the others must have DNS or DNF?)
What was your worst day on the bike? Didn't particularly enjoying riding the Sporting 14 TT in February this year. Had been off work ill all week, I was the first rider off at 8.30 am. Everybody who helped with the race knows what the weather was like: snow, sleet with a freezing wind later on, rain. I sat in my car shivering 10 minutes before I was due to start - hardly ideal TT preparation! To top it off my gear cable came free from my down tube meaning that I couldn't change down into lower than a 19 sprocket - not that helpful in a hilly TT.
What is your favourite race food? Jaffa Cakes or fig rolls
Where is your favourite cycling location? The lanes in SW Dorset - good training & scenery and hardly any traffic.
Most likely to say: "Yes, I got dropped on the first hill in the race"
Least likely to say: "Let's take the route home over Whitedown."
Previous interviews
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