Introducing...

Every month, we introduce one of the Kingston Wheelers and now it's Sabrina Verjee's turn. She's not one for ducking a challenge, a vetinary student at Cambridge - you probably won't find a harder degree - she's done modern pentathlon and now triathlon. In her first year spent cycling, she finished 11th in the Women's National 100 mile TT championships and won a triathlon a couple of weeks ago. Watch this space for more!

   

Name: Sabrina Verjee

Age: 25

Date you joined the Club: July or August 2006.

Why did you join Kingston Wheelers? To get chat up by fit men ;)

What made you start cycling? Triathlon.

What bike do you ride? Eddy Merckx Titanium frame built by Litespeed now complete with a 9 speed Dura Ace compact chainset built up for me by Salty [Chris Salt] (thanks again!)in time for my win in the Accelerace Triatlon in August. The 34x27 gearing ratio was a godsend, I cruised up the multitude of inclines including two 25% gradient climbs! Leading me to victory - this bike's in a class of its own. And an Orbea Mitis 9 speed Shimano Ultegra.

Give us a brief cycling background: Not much background.... I used to cycle to the riding stables as a teenager. I started triathlon to keep fit over the summer 2005 once the Modern Pentathlon (Show jumping, shooting, fencing, running, swimming) season was over. I started it on my tourer but one of my chain rings started falling off mid-race so I had to cycle the hilly course all in one gear! I decided that I quite liked triathlons but needed a new bike! Eventually I got the Orbea .... which I think I literally rode 80 miles on from picking it up at the bike shop. Now I'm totally addicted to cycling...

What was your best performance? errr.... just cycling probably the National 100 mile Time Trial Champs in 4hrs 47 [Webmaster: to a great 11th place].

What was your worst day on the bike? Cycling all the way to Oxford (65 miles) then realising that I would get home quicker cycling back as the trains were being less than useful with replacement buses ... after 120 miles I was seriously regretting it! Although starting a TT mid-adventure race by cycling straight into the back of a van while being filmed by the BBC comes quite close....

What is your favourite race food? I prefer not to eat on the bike... then I can insist in a tea stop and stuff myself with cake, which incidentally was another reason to start cycling!

Where is your favourite cycling location? The Trossachs in Scotland.

Most likely to say: "It's time for a tea stop."

Least likely to say: "Let's go up that really steep hill!"

Previous interviews

Tim Lawn
Nicola Wadham
Kenton Kirkwood
Lon Pullen
James Beaumont
Graham Sheridan
Richard Williamson
Ian Collins
Lindsay Pullen
Yves Millière
Gafyn MacMillan
Colin Brades
Kristian House
James Smith
Stuart O'Grady
Mike Willcox
Mark Poole
Ian Beston
Andrew Harvey
Daniel Conway
Ben Cousins
Thorsten Klassen
Chris Salt
Cedric Klassen
Narayan Peralta
Stewie Martin
Matt Atherfold
Andy Lack
Alan Sherman
Sander Slager
Iain Marshall
Chris Jenkins
Andrew Melbourne
Andrew Bye
Sean Gannon
Sabrina Verjee
Charlotte East
Thom Westran
Will Meers
David Morley
Steven Saunders
Nick Hussey
Adam Currie
Jon Rollason
Ben Elliott
James Platt
Jules Birks
Ian Humphreys
Richard Evans
Emma Dews
Gerry Rosen
Ruhina Miller
Martin Anscombe
Iwona Kalamajska
Ali Cigari
Keith Lancaster
Will Horrocks
Chris Wright
Ryan Peirce
Leona Kadir