picture copyright (c) 2007 Richard Owens

I started racing in 1992 at the age of 21. For the first five years I raced Mountain Bikes in Regional and National competitions, starting in Novice category then Sports Cat and finally Expert Cat before moving into the 30+ Masters Category. I have won at least one event in each of these categories.

From 1997 I concentrated mainly on local Time Trialling but dabbled in some Cyclo Cross and Mountain Bike races. By now I had realised my strengths lay more in short fast races rather than the length of Expert MTB events. In the 2001/2002 Cyclo Cross season I finished 3rd overall in the Wessex region league. Between 2002 and 2005 I worked as a postman and I pretty much stopped racing, especially after breaking a collarbone in the 2002/2003 cross season whilst racing. From then on I just did some Time Trialling.

In the last two years my Time Trialling has improved massively and I feel a new level of power which I applied to Cyclo-Cross once
again in the 2005/06 season, finishing 5th overall in the Wessex Cyclo-Cross League. I claimed several podiums as well as a win in
the Salisbury RC event in December 05.

Delicately balancing work, family life and training, I intend to compete enough counting races in the Wessex Cyclo-Cross league this coming season (2006/07) and have a go at a few National Trophy events if I can. During the spring and summer months I intend to compete at least once a month in mainland open Time Trial events, thus ensuring year round racing and exposure of sponsors on both the Island and mainland.

I see an opportunity to develop my skills in the next 5 years ready for an attempt at the Veteran Cyclo-Cross National Trophy and Championships and the British National veteran Time Trial Series and Championships in 2010 when I turn 40. I feel confident that I can achieve much at this level in Cyclo-Cross and Time Trialling and the next five years will be crucial. I hope I can bring plenty exposure to the team and sponsors here on the Isle of Wight as well as extra exposure in mainland competition.

Check out ZoneCALC.co.uk - my new website