Friday, May 3, 2024

Steve Cummings – and now the British Road Race Champion too!

-

HomeInterviewsSteve Cummings - and now the British Road Race Champion too!

After his win in the British Time Trial Championship, here’s what Dimension Data’s Steve Cummings told us when we asked him about his chances in the British Road Race Championship:

“I’m not at 100% so don’t believe I have the condition to win the road race – it’ll be perhaps another 10 days before I come into my best shape.”

Despite that, two days later he was topping his second Isle of Man podium as British Elite Time Trial and Road Race Champion.

Steve Cummings
Steve took his second British Championship in a week. Photo©swipe.com

David Millar accomplished the same double back a decade ago; but that was 2007 BS – ‘Before Sky.’

Going into the race it was ‘home boy’ Peter Kennaugh (Sky) – who’s record in this race is exemplary, two each of gold, silver and bronze medals – who was favourite along with fast finishing Ben Swift who also lives ‘on the Island.’

But when we saw Basque Country, Dauphine, Tirreno, Vuelta and Tour stage winner Cummings in the mix, late in the day we knew that the ‘island boys’ were not going to have it all their own way.

Here’s what Steve had to say to VeloVeritas after his brilliant win which put Chris Lawless and Ian Bibby into the minor placings:

Great ride, Steve – a dream result despite you telling us you weren’t confident about how it would go.

“When I said that I was worried that the race might go away from me; I don’t race in the UK often so I don’t know the riders and I didn’t understand the tactics.

“There was a lot of jumping around but you have to wait until the strong riders come to the fore, later in the day.

“The circuit wasn’t too hard and I knew that whatever I did I had to get away from Peter and Swifty because I couldn’t out-sprint them.

“I never really attacked, I tried a dig with 30 k to go but it was a strange race, riders would try to get away on their own from that distance out – which is a long way on your own – but when you attacked they’d close you down rather than try to join you.

“The big circuit wasn’t that hard despite the fact that it split into three big groups on the mountain – but by the time we got onto the last few laps of the finish circuit you could see that a lot of guys were dead.

“I just waited and made my move with one lap to go; I had 40 seconds by the line.”

Steve Cummings
Steve reckons his top form is still a week or two away. Photo©swpix.com

So your ticket to plane Dusseldorf is booked?

“Oh yeah!”

And you get to wear that nice jersey for all 21 stages.

“I’m really looking forward to that; it’s not like winning a World Tour race but every day when you put the national champion’s jersey on it’s special and I’m going to enjoy wearing it.”

Will there be ‘trick’ paint jobs for the Cervélos?

“I’m not sure what the turnaround is on paint jobs…

“I said kind of tongue in cheek to management that I’d like a white and chrome bike for the Tour – I had one like that a year or two ago and really liked it.”

Steve Cummings
We too loved the yellow and chrome MTN Cervélo’s with DLC-coated KMC chains and red CeramicSpeed pulleys at the Tour a couple of years ago. Photo©bikerumour

Going back to the championships, who were the ‘danger men’ for you before the start?

“Swift and Kennaugh. but like I said; I did what I normally do which is to wait and follow ‘til it gets hard and then see who’s left.”

Did anyone surprise you?

“Not really but Scott Davies is a good young rider, that’s four times he’s won the U23 time trial title and he looks very neat and tidy on his bike.

“He also rode a very good Baby Giro, and he’s 66/68 kilos so he can climb as well as time trial – that’s an unusual but good combination.”

Any worrying moments?

“Not worrying – annoying.

“But it’s a different level to what I’m used to and there were things going on that just don’t happen in World Tour races.

“For example, I was pulling on the mountain then swung off, you don’t mind so much if someone can’t come through and sits on – but then when I was going back down the line, no one would let me in.

“You just don’t do that.

“But like I say, different levels – I got a bit angry a couple of times but stayed calm.

“The British Champs is actually my least favourite race to ride because of the standard of riding by some of the competitors – that said it’s still a beautiful race to win.”

Steve Cummings
Relaxed and looking forward to the Tour. Photo©Steve / Ch4

How did you spend the time between the TT and road race?

“I was staying in a nice place which was right above a Thai restaurant – so I ate a lot of spicey chicken and coconut rice – so many portions!

“By the time I did my four hours on the bike on Friday and two hours on Saturday I didn’t have that much free time – and we did find a good coffee shop.”

What now prior to the Tour?

“I’ll just do my usual training, my shape is coming and if you do the work and keep your weight under control it doesn’t matter if you’re within a few watts here or there, you get the signs which indicate you’re in the ballpark and I think I have better form to come.

“But one of the reasons I don’t usually ride the UK Nationals is the weather; we were 14 degrees on the Island, in Central Europe it’ll be 20 degrees higher, that takes your body a bit of getting used to.

“That’s why I don’t usually come back; I like to stay in the heat.”

Final question – was there much of a party?

“I had some champagne on the podium at 6:30 but had to be on the boat for 7:30 – where I had one beer.

“With the Tour coming up it’s not party time – that wouldn’t be correct.”

The man is a proper pro; we can’t think of anyone better to take care of those lovely jerseys for the next year – and we’ve already warned him that we’ll be pestering him at the le Tour, for which we wish him every success.

Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed's been involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he's been a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He's also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months was often working in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed remains a massive fan of the sport and couples his extensive contacts with an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the minutiae and the history of our sport. In February 2023 however, our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed suffered a devastating stroke and faces an uncertain future; Ed has lost his ability to speak, to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He's working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation, but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time. Ed ran his own business installing windows, and will probably not be able to work again. Please consider joining us to make a contribution to Ed's GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure his future.

Related Articles

Lauren Bell – Looking forward to the Sprint Events at the Games

With the release of the list of Scottish squad selections for the Commonwealth Games cycling events we thought it would be good to catch up with a few of the riders; some ‘old friends’ and some new names to us. Lauren Bell burst on to the GB track scene by winning the 500 metre Time Trial and Keirin at the 2020 British track championships, as well as taking Sprint bronze.

George Atkins – Time Trials, Belgium and Cooking!

George Atkins was a name that suddenly appeared on the Scottish scene back in the summer. And on Sunday the versatile man from Leicester took silver in the British U23 Time Trial Championships, but before his foray into the world of riding 'alone and unpaced', he spent six weeks in Flanders, so naturally we needed to have a word with him, not long before the British Champs.

Dave Gardiner – a trip down Memory Lane with the 1960’s Kirkcaldy & Dist. CC

It was 1971 when I first joined a cycling club; Kirkcaldy & District CC with their red, yellow and black strip. One of the coolest guys in the club was Dave Gardiner, a signwriter to trade so whilst we rode somewhat mundane Mercians, Robertsons, Andy McNeils and Flying Scots his bike would be liveried up in proper red and white Faema trim, a la Merckx, right down to the little Duomo motif on the head tube.

Jack Bauer – Tour Talk with Garmin’s Kiwi Star

Forget stories of barbed wire fences; that’s not what did the damage to our favourite Tour rider, Jack Bauer’s face. We know what really happened on stage 19 but gave our word to Jack that we’d keep schtum – suffice to say that it was a sore one and not his fault.

At Random

The VV View: Omnium’s History, Real Professionals, and Sagan’s Ride

Honestly, we think that Jason Kenny is a great sprinter - he can go short, long and is tactically very sharp. He's not six times Olympic Champion across three disciplines because he's a dud. We also think that if he got himself off to Aguascalientes then Monsieur Pervis' 2013 world 200 and 1000 metre records of 9.347 and 56.303 respectively would be in jeopardy; not to mention Chris Hoy's 2007 standard of 24.758 for 500 metres. But how can he be a professional?

Ambitious Dylan Van Baarle focused on Classics success in 2018

Dylan Van Baarle has improved each time he has competed at the Tour of Flanders, and in 2017 was knocking on the door of a podium with fourth place. Now 25, the Dutchman is ready to challenge for more on the cobbles, and can’t wait to slot himself into the team’s Classics group.

Rab Wardell – A Trip Into The Unknown

Whilst Endura have been getting all the attention recently, other Scottish riders have been looking to raise their game too. Rab Wardell is taking his talent south - to Southport's Kinesis team. We caught up with him to talk about the move - eventually. (Rab is a fan of having his mobile on 'silent' after five pm - but of course, this means he doesn't hear it when it rings!)

All To Play For

Talking to people who had been to the start in Holland and the stages through Belgium and Germany it was a great success which attracted bigger crowds than expected, if they could only have moved the Spanish weather there it would have been perfect.