Introducing...
Every month, we introduce one of the Kingston Wheelers. This month's candidate is James Beaumont.
Name: James Beaumont
Age: 28
Significant Others: Magdalena and my two bikes.
What made you start cycling? I played a lot of football at school but damaged my knee and was advised that either swimming or cycling were ok. Half of my family’s from France and the whole idea of cycling seemed attractive so me.
Why did you join Kingston Wheelers? I began racing with some friends and was advised to join a club. I rode a lot in Richmond Park and came across a former member of the club who pointed me in the right direction. The likes of John Bornhoft and Tim Lawn made it seem like the right place to be.
Date you joined the Club: 1990
Who is your favourite pro or inspiration? Maybe Charly Mottet as he was capable of winning many different types of races and all his victories were based on talent and tactics alone. The late John Bornhoft helped a lot too, as a constant source of encouragement.
What bike do you ride? I’ve got a Litespeed frame and a Cervelo. Both are great but after riding for many years, I reckon they help but don't make a big difference to performance.
Give us a brief cycling background: My French family is from the same town as former French champion and hero Raymond Poulidor, so I grew up with an understanding of the sport. I saw the 1989 Tour de France and the Kellogs Pro Tour on TV and wanted to get involved. Ever since, I’ve been into road racing where I’ve been enjoying the sport for many seasons now. I spent two seasons racing with a team in Toulouse, France where I trained loads and had a great time. Nowadays, I'm happy to race as a second category rider and and still make several trips a year to race in France.
What was your best performance? Maybe my best race was when I didn't win. I did a one day race in the Pyrenees. After half an hour on the Col de Soulor, everyone sat up for a moment and I jumped clear. One by one, riders bridged across until, on the Aubisque, there were 25 of us. I went through a bad patch here and when a move went, I missed it. On the descent, a rider attacked and I followed him through dense, cold fog at 80km/h as he seemed to know every twist in the road. He later turned out to be on the Norweigan national team and had never been to the Pyrenees before; his name was Thor Hushovd. Catching the leaders, I felt good enough to attack and rode alone at the front of the race. Racing doesn't get much better: riding through villages with the roar of the Gendarmes motorbikes and a concert of car horns, I could feel the effort but got swept along by a tide of encouragement from the roadside. Eventually I got caught but managed to hang in for eighth place and felt as happy as the winner.
What was your worst performance? A few years ago, I rode a cyclosportif in France called the Ariegeoise. I was on the start line with orders to win. I started way too fast, riding away up the Col de Port in a six man group including Nicolas Portal, now with Caisse d'Epargne - Illes Baleares and supercharged World Mountain Bike Champion Christophe Dupouey, resplendent in his rainbow jersey. I blew up in the latter half of the race, just as the weather changed from hot and sunny to a thunderstrom and then a blizzard. Hypothermic, I ended up riding to the Plateau de Beille at meagre 12km/h, thinking of nothing but selling my bike to the first person to offer me food and a hot drink.
What is your favourite race food? Racing and nice food just don't go together.
Where is your favourite cycling location? Anywhere in the sun and the hotter the better. In summer, I like the Limousin region in France or the Eastern Pyrenees, near Thuir and Estagel.
Most likely to say: "When I was racing in France…"
Least likely to say: "Great, it's raining."
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