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Meet and Greet: Ian Wilkinson

Story posted February 3rd, 2010

Larry Hickmott writes: The clothing brand Endura has been around for many years and been associated with teams and clubs up and down the country. For 2010 though, the Endura name will be on the backs of a quality UCI registered team.

Launched at the end of January at Silverstone, the team is certainly one of the strongest squads in the country, and if I was pushed into saying how strong, I’d say in the top three of all the British line ups announced so far. Their line-up includes a rider who was up there challenging 2009's man of the season, Russell Downing, in many of the top races. That rider is Ian Wilkinson from Lancashire.

Endura Racing launch and Ian is interviewed on stage by Anthony McCrossan.

Ian is one of those likeable blokes who just happens to be pretty dam good turning the pedals in anger. He was a regular on the mountain bike and cyclo-cross circuit but, last season, turned his hand to the road in a major way. In years gone by, I’ve seen Ian rip it up in crits and road races with some impressive results, but last year was his chance to try and show he could be one of the best road riders in the country.

It didn’t take long for the victories to come with memorable ones like the East Midlands CiCLE Classic and stage 2 in the Irish RAS. Then there was the Tour Series tile for his then team, Halfords.

These results should come as no surprise though as Ian  was a consistent top performer in mountain biking. A multiple national champion in that discipline, Ian represented Great Britain at many international events and was a member of British Cycling's World Class Performance Plan (Team GB) between 1999 and 2001.

A full time cyclist
Prior to 2009, Ian was a full time builder but in the Spring of last season he went full time with the goal of trying to get a place in Team Sky. Unfortunately, in the end only one domestic rider was signed up, Russell Downing. Ian missed out, but with Russell Downing now on the road with the British ProTour team, Ian is expecting to have a good season in Britain.

“Russell and I had some good old tussles last year” Ian explained over a cup of team at the Endura launch. “He’s been the best rider in the UK for a long time and also been doing the job of a cyclist full time for a while too. Me though, although I have been cycling for a good while, I haven’t been competing for the win all the time. Last year I was putting myself in that place and there is a lot to learn.”

Ian admits, as a relative newcomer to road racing, there is still going to be a lot to learn in 2010 to help him keep his front wheel in front of the rest. “I didn’t stop working (as a builder) until April last year and never had a winter of training behind me so I am already three or four months ahead of where I was in 2009. All being well, I am hoping to be one of the main protagonists this year.”

After near misses in the East Midlands CiCLE Classic, Ian Wilkinson was delighted to win the 2009 edition of the race.

Whilst Team Sky would have presented him with a European programme of racing, missing out on that team ride hasn’t stopped him getting the opportunity of mixing it with the pros in Europe, as Endura Racing has a schedule of early season pro races over the water before they return to the UK for the challenges here.

It certainly sounds like an ideal race programme, one which will allow Ian to taste some racing at the highest level (against ProTour teams) before settling in at home again. Who knows, this schedule may well provide a springboard for bigger and better things in 2011.

Understandably, Ian is quite chuffed with the ride at Endura. “I am blown away with the setup here” he says  “and really pleased with the way everyone is so excited about it. Shooting for Sky, that was a definite aim but things didn’t turn out with them but I am delighted to have got a ride with these guys. This season is going to be a great one for us!”

Endura, he says, have provided him with a great opportunity to go full time as a cyclist. If there is one thing that is clear from talking to riders and team managers lately, it’s that cycling is on the up with a lot of racing on television like British Cycling’s Premier Calendar on Eurosport and Sweetspot’s Tour Series town centre circuit races on ITV4.

Such TV coverage has brought money into teams like Endura and enabled riders like Ian to go full time and he’s very pleased to have had that opportunity. “There is an amazing investment being put into the team by Endura and the co-sponsors and for me to do that justice, I am staying full time and giving it my full focus.”

Asked whether there are any nerves before their season kicks off in the Tour of the Med, a major European early season stage race, he replies, “a few. It has been a big step up with the Tour of the Med being on our programme but luckily we did the Tours of Ireland and Britain and they were good feelers for us.”

Having done World Championships and World Cups over the years, Ian is not fazed by the challenge the Tour of the Med presents. He explained that when he was competing in a Mountain Bike World Cup for example, he knew he was up against it because of the solo nature of that racing. In the peloton on the road though, he feels he can mix it and do him and his team justice. “I’m certainly going to go out there and show my face and show we can be at the front” he added.

Victory in Peterborough at the Tour Series. Click the photo to read about Ian's win.

Ian realises that unlike Mountain Biking, road racing is a very much a team sport and that there is a lot of satisfaction to be gained from that. He also realises that there is more pressure on him when he has other guys riding for him and he has the job of delivering the win. But Ian is also happy to work for others. Quite often I’ll see him working the pits (cleaning bikes and so on) for Paul Oldham at cyclo-cross events and that is the type of bloke Ian is: “I think I’d make an ace mechanic or soigneur as I’m happy to get stuck in and get the job done. If you’re a bottle carrier, you go back and get the bottles to everyone and make sure they are all right. I just love being part of everything and I don’t mind the hard work.”

Alongside Ian on the road will be his team manager Rob Hayles. ‘Killer’ Hayles has won Olympic and World Championship medals and titles on the track and a British Road Race championship two years ago. He is one of the few riders still around I remember watching in the late 90’s on the road and, as such, has a lot of experience including a few seasons in Europe riding for Cofidis,

Rob is rider manager for Endura Racing and had a lot of input at Halfords last year on the road says Ian. “He is a great mentor and we couldn’t be two different people. Him, silky smooth Olympic class pursuiter and track rider and me, a bit rougher coming from mountain bikes. I learnt a lot from him last season like how to save energy and be aerodynamic for example.”

Looking ahead to 2010 with Rob and his teammates, Ian says “we’re certainly looking forward to the international races but the Tour Series was something else being on telly and that will be top of the list; winning that again. We are going to have a great team and have a few more cards to play like these two New Zealanders Jack and Jason.”

To prepare for 2010, Ian has had a busy winter after a not so good start with the crash in the 2009 Tour of Britain keeping him off the bike for a while. “It was a pretty serious winter” he explained, adding “I had the usual colds and illnesses but managed to get in some training before Xmas and then got away to Majorca for 10 days. Even there though we had two days off the bike with snow! Thankfully, we have had some good kit off Endura for the cold weather so we’ve been okay”.

Good luck to Ian in 2010 and Endura Racing.

Related Links

Feature: Endura Racing Team Launch

Team Website: http://www.enduraracing.com/