Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Alex Coutts – Scottish Professional with Flanders

-

HomeInterviewsAlex Coutts - Scottish Professional with Flanders

After a year at DFL, 23 year-old Scottish professional Alex Coutts from Gorebridge, has renewed old sponsorship links with Flemish bike concern, Flanders.

We caught-up with him recently at mentor John Anderson’s Edinburgh shop, the Bicycleworks. Alex Coutts was just back from a training trip to Spain and is already looking like he is ready for action.

Alex Coutts
Alex poses in John’s Edinburgh Triathlon shop.

Tell us about 2006, Alex.

“It wasn’t a great year for me, I was ill after the Commonwealth Games and never seemed to recover from that.

“I don’t think we raced enough either; we were based in Leuven near Brussels and a lot of the races we rode were in Holland.

“They were mostly pro-ams; in Holland it’s always windy and the echelons form – it’s not really the type of racing I’m best suited to.”

Back to Flanders; so it’s like going home?

“Flanders only supply the bikes, the main sponsor is, ‘Babes World’, I believe it’s trendy ladies clothing. With the untimely death of Flanders team-supremo Frans Assez this year, there have been some major changes.”

Why the split with DFL?

“I just think it will be a better structure for me now as far as the races I will be riding goes. For example, there will be more stage racing and also hilly single day races, the team has good contacts with organisers all over Europe.

“I’m familiar with many of the events because it’s a similar programme to the one I rode with Flanders two years ago.”

How do you go about finding a new team, and do you have a manager?

“I’ve been in Belgium for a few years now and I’ve made a lot of contacts so you get to know who to talk to.

“John Anderson (joint-owner of the Bicycleworks with former Scottish champion, Andrew Davies) acts as my consultant. He was present when I had the meeting with Ronnie Poolvorde where I agreed terms.

“John has had a connection with Flanders for a number of years now and a lot of what happens in pro racing is down to contacts.”

Why the Flanders link again though?

“As I said, Flanders are only the bike sponsors but there is a ‘roll-over’ of personnel from the ‘old’ team; for example, Andre the mechanic will still be on the team.

“I think they will help me a lot; not just chuck me into races which don’t suit me. They’ve seen me race and know what I am capable of.”

What’s the programme for 2007?

“We have a training camp at Calpi in late January where we’ll be picking-up our bikes and clothing. I think we’re on carbon frames with Campag Record groupsets this season.

“Then it’s the GP Ouverture, Etoille des Besseges, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and most of the Belgian and French semi-classics like the E3, Scheldeprijs and right through to the GP Isbergues. I also be riding the Tour of Serbia where I finished top ten a couple of years ago.”

Where will you be staying?

“It will be in Flanders but we haven’t yet finalised exactly where. There are ten Belgian guys in the team so it may be with one of them but John also has a couple of options to explore for me.”

With your talents as a climber might France or Italy not be a better option for you?

“I’ve raced in Italy before with the Endura team before it folded, but it’s getting harder to get a place there. I believe the Italian federation has tightened-up on the number of foreigners allowed in teams.

“France is a big country and it’s easy for your results to get ‘lost’ there in the huge number of races that are held.

“Also, In my experience, France is quite an insular scene Having said that, we’ll be riding in France regularly and taking-in some challenging events. When I was in Spain just last week there was a news item on TV that said there are 50 Spanish professionals looking for contracts.

“It’s also the case that many pros wouldn’t have a contract if they didn’t bring personnal sponsors on-board with them.

“Against that background I feel I’m very lucky to have a confirmed place on a good outfit with a sound race programme.”

Does the team have a nominated leader and what are your goals for 2007?

“There’s a rumour that Francesco Planckaert is joining us, but I don’t know if that’s true. As for personal goal – that’s simply to perform as well as I can in the races I ride.”

Alex Coutts
The Bicycleworks John Anderson has looked after Alex’ interests for a while now, setting up contacts in Belgium for him.

Thanks for your time Alex. John Anderson will be accompanying Alex Coutts to the Calpi training camp in January, and will be sending VeloVeritas exclusive pictures. We also hope to keep in touch with Alex throughout the season.

Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed was involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he was a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He was also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months often worked in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed was a highly respected journalist, his tales of chasing the Giro, Tour, Vuelta, Classics and World Championships - and his much-loved winter Six Days - are legendary, never the same twice, they gave our site an edge other cycling media could never duplicate or challenge. Sadly Ed passed away in January 2025, two years after suffering a devastating stroke.

Related Articles

Jon Sharples – the man behind Trainsharp’s “Perfect Bank of Knowledge”

Coaches, everyone has one these days and a name which keeps cropping up when we interview riders is that of Jon Sharples and his ‘TrainSharp Cycle Coaching’ company. In time honoured VeloVeritas fashion we ‘had a word.’

Chris Smart – Scottish Olympic and 10 Mile TT Champion for 2016

Yours truly didn’t make it to the Scottish Olympic or Ten Mile Time Trial Championships; unlike our editor, Martin who took excellent pictures at both races and framed reports. ‘I’ll interview both winners,’ said I, to make amends for life getting in the way of cycling. So my thanks extend to Chris Smart (GTR) for winning both events and making life easy for me.

Hugh Carthy – “I knew with more racing and appropriate rest I’d get stronger”

Englishman Hugh Carthy (EF Pro Cycling) took his first Grand Tour win on Stage 12 of La Vuelta a España yesterday, attacking just outside the final kilometer of the legendary Alto de l'Angliru, soloing to the finish in a fantastic display of measured, determined riding.

Richard Davison – “Personalised coaching employing genomics is the coming thing”

It’s not often we have a professor in the pages of VeloVeritas but that’s exactly what Richard Davison is; as well as Assistant Dean (International) at the University of the West Coast of Scotland. He was also instrumental in the setting up of British Cycling’s current coaching system and does ‘one on one’ coaching with riders. Richard was also a successful rider on the Scottish scene a year or two back – and that’s where our interview starts...

At Random

Grenoble Six Day 2006 – Sixth Night

The last day at Grenoble Six Day 2006 isn't too hard for the riders, there's a points race, a time trial and then the big chase - 180 laps of the 210 meter track. I did hear guys complain though that the lack of warm-up races made for sore legs early in the Madison.

Stuart Hallam – Still Nuts about Cycling after 50 Years!

Stuart Hallam, Ian’s elder brother was there, road and track side for virtually all of his younger brother’s successes and is also a man who has made major contributions to the sport of cycling over the years. We thought we should catch up with, ‘Big Bruv.’

Le Tour de France 2006 – Day 3: Strasbourg Prologue

Another good sleep, alarm at 06:00 and straight into the shower, shave, jump into shorts and a T-shirt then down to the car and haul the bike out, stick the wheels in, blow the tyres up, run over it with a baby wipe [they work great] and we’re off to the Strasbourg Prologue.

Heiko Salzwedel – Returns to Coach the GB Team Pursuit Squad

Heiko’s back! For the third time Heiko Salzwedel is back to coach the GB team pursuit squad – over the last few years he’s taken the Danes to Olympic medals; dragged the Russians well under the magical four minutes and most recently transformed the Swiss team into a World Cup force in this fastest and most precise of endurance disciplines.