Introducing...
Every month, we introduce one of the Kingston Wheelers and for June 2006, it's Iain Marshall. He's ridden alongside the Nile in Sudan, done triathlons and the Isle of Arran but reckons the roads the club run takes every Sunday are some of the best you can find - and he can't be wrong, judging by the turnout on Sunday mornings. And when it comes to Sudanese cycling, he'd really prefer a camel.
Name: Iain Marshall
Age: 43 (and counting).
Significant Others: My wife Jacqueline.
What made you start cycling?I've always cycled since I was a kid.
Why did you join Kingston Wheelers?There must be more to life on two wheels than commuting through London. I checked out other clubs via the web, such as the London Dynamo etc... the Kingston Wheelers seemed to give off the friendliest vibes.
Date you joined the Club: March 2006.
What bike do you ride? Cheap as chips, Trek 1000.
Give us a brief cycling background: I've been going everywhere by bike since I was five or six years old. I've never been in a club before, nor have I raced (excluding last year's Blenheim and London Triathlons which I viewed as participation events, rather than competitive races). I've been commuting in London since 1988. I've gone through three second-hand road bikes. One was mangled in a crash. Number two was stolen. Number three is in the back garden being slowly cannibalised. The Trek is the first brand new bike I've had since the age of ten. My wierdest cycling moment must be in the mid-eighties when I was working in northern Sudan as an English teacher. My Sudanese friend and I spent a day cycling to and from some ancient pre-Pharaonic ruins on the west bank of the Nile. Not only were we cycling very sturdy, sit up and beg Chinese bikes; we were wearing long traditional Sudanese robes and flip flops (and you though lycra was strange clobber). Moving through fine desert sand in searing temperatures was definitely the most arduous experience I've ever had in the saddle (for those conditions, give me a camel any day).
What was your best performance?The first time I did the London to Brighton (more than ten years ago) and made it to the top of Ditchling Beacon in one piece. It was a hot day and I remember one cyclist who'd dressed his bike up (complete with cardboard wings) to look like a Spitfire. God knows how he managed, I bet he didn't fly up it.
What was your worst day on the bike? Can't think of one. I always view the best part of my day being the commute to and from work.
Who is your favourite pro or inspiration? I've only become interested in pro cycling over the last three years or so. Inevitably I find Armstrong's story incredibly inspiring, even although he's not the most colourful character on the scene and people tend to love him or hate him. Reading books about cycling, I have a soft spot for characters like Raymond Poulidor, the eternal runner up. Although I'm not so sure about being saddled with the nickname, Pou Pou. There was also something appealing about the tragic Marco Pantani, despite his fall from grace and eventual demise. I'm a sucker for any tale involving an epic climbing battle (such as Pantani's controversial (gifted?) victory over Armstrong at the summit of the Ventoux in 2000).
What is your favourite race food? Bananas (that's what it would be if I ever raced). I had power gels for the Triathlons which are OK. They just feel and look a bit like alien grub.
Where is your favourite cycling location? The lanes and hills the Kingston Wheelers follow on the Sunday club runs (which I've done three times only). It's great to get out of built-up areas. I've tried retracing those routes on my own, but inevitably end up getting lost. Cycling round the Isle of Arran off the west coast of Scotland is one of my favourite bicycling memories.
Most likely to say: "I'll catch you up at the top - eventually."
Least likely to say: "I can fix it."
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