Introducing...
Every month, we introduce some of the Kingston Wheelers and Jamie Wasley is here July 2010. Yet another rider who found the 1989 Tour de France brought him into the sport, he's gone from teenager racer to the Royal Navy and back on dry land started riding again.
Don't forget the bonus intereview this month with Cervélo Test Team's Joao Correia.
Name: James (Jamie) Wasley
Age: 32
Any significant others? Wife - Samantha
Why did you join Kingston Wheelers? I got back into cycling by commuting to work and wanted a club to join that did good old fashioned club runs on a Sunday morning.
When did you join the club? August 2007.
What made you start cycling? I started cycling after watching the 1989 Tour de France on Channel 4. I used to race around the local roads in Bournemouth on a fluorescent Emmelle mountain bike in ill fitting cycling shorts and a Z team cycling jersey. I had the mick ripped out of me at school. My bedroom walls were covered with the A4 posters Cycling Weekly use to publish each week.
What bike do you ride? Kiron racing bike, Focus training/hack bike and I have a Fausto Coppi in the shed waiting for some TLC
Give us a brief cycling background I joined the Bournemouth Arrows in 1989 and raced as a juvenile. I raced circuit racing - my teammate won the National Juvenile Circuit Race Championships, I raced track at Poole, Portsmouth and Calshot tracks alongside a young Rob Hayles and did the local club 10’s, in the winter I would do cyclo-cross too (terribly). I raced over in Holland doing the children’s mini tours at Helmond and Assen. The area I lived in developed some very good riders. Pro Harry Lodge used to come on some club runs when he road for the European teams Tulip and Buckler, Dan Lloyd went on to big things, Barney Storey and Darren Kenny are now a multi Paralympic champions and Eamon Deane won the national 24 hour time trial. My dad and I used to cycle in France every year to follow the Tour, we would do a few stages. I managed to get everyone’s autograph who was big in the 90’s – Indurain, Pantani, Armstrong, Bugno. I even went on a warm up ride with the Chavel MBK team before a team time trial in the Tour and rode next to Jaan Kirsipuu! Johan Museeuw gave me his bike to hold after one stage and I had to try very hard not to pinch his cycle computer. I stopped cycling when I joined the Royal Navy in 1997 and discovered booze and birds. On leaving the RN in 2002 I moved to London and started commuting into work. This rekindled my love of cycling.
What was your best performance or ride?Riding up Ventoux was great last year. I did it every day for the three days before the Tour went up and each day there were more and more fans on the side of the road. They would offer water and cheer you on the way. The Dutch fans even built a seating stand out of scaffold and a karaoke bar halfway up.
What was your worst day on the bike? Can’t really remember a specific day – but it must have been cold and wet.
Who is your favourite pro or inspiration? I like Thomas Voeckler – he has a never say die spirit that inspires.
What is your favourite bike food? Fish finger sandwiches with HP brown sauce.
Where is your favourite cycling location? The Purbecks near where I am from. Big hills and stunning views over to the Jurassic coast in one direction and over towards the Isle of Wight in the other.
Most likely to say: "I would like to dedicate my win to...".
Least likely to say: "I didn’t win because...".
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