Monday, April 21, 2025

Toby Perry – a Series of Unfortunate Events (with a happy ending)

-

HomeInterviewsToby Perry - a Series of Unfortunate Events (with a happy ending)

It was back at the start of last year we last spoke to Englishman, Toby Perry; a great 2021 season in Spain had seen him sign with what is arguably the best development team in the world, Axel Merckx’s, Hagens Berman Axeon continental squad.

The team has been the launch pad for so many top riders; the team’s website tells us:

Hagens Berman Axeon is a UCI Pro Continental cycling team based in the United States and run by Axel Merckx since its founding in 2009. 

“The team exists to develop young (under-23) riders through to the very top of the sport. 

“Over the last 14 years, Axel and his team have seen 41 of their riders graduate to World Tour teams.”

But sometimes the Cycling Gods make it tough for a man to reach full potential and Toby’s season was anything but a smooth progression, despite the assistance from the Rayner Foundation.

However, when we saw he’d ridden the inaugural Gravel Worlds – an aspect of the sport which has piqued our interest here at VeloVeritas – we thought we’d best have another word with the man.

Toby Perry
Toby Perry. Photo©supplied

Hagens Berman Axeon, a great gig… 

“Yes – but then along came the carbon monoxide poisoning!

“I couldn’t figure out was wrong with me, we had blood tests done but it took ages to figure it was a problem with the gas boiler in my apartment in Girona.

“I’d be fine at training camps then when I got home again I wasn’t right.

“I got that sorted out, rode in Greece but that was blighted by illness; then came the crash in the Triptyque des Monts et Chateaux in Belgium.

“I was seventh on Stage One but on Stage Three(b) I got brought down in a crash, a ‘full face plant,’ someone chopped the guy in front of me and I went over the top of him losing some teeth in the process.

“I was back on the bike within days but I was on strong pain killers, when they wore off I found I had a knee injury which kept me off the bike – then I got Covid!”

Toby Perry
A pretty beaten-up Toby Perry after a crash in the Triptyque des Monts et Chateaux this season. Photo©supplied

Lucky white heather!

“Then the Covid developed into ‘Long Covid.’

“I rode a few races but got dropped instantly, I had to take a month off – simply walking from one room in my apartment to the other left me exhausted.

“I had to pull out of the Baby Giro, it was only around the time of the last stage of the Tour de France that I started to come round.

“My first race back was the Tour Alsace and then I rode Flanders Tomorrow where I had a 12th and a seventh on stages and finished 11th overall, all whilst doing a lot of work for our team sprinter.

“Then came the GP Wallonie but that was pretty much my programme for the year finished.”

The Gravel Worlds ride?

“BMC, our bike sponsors launched a new gravel bike and asked if I wanted to ride at the inaugural Gravel Worlds.

“I like ‘cross and my season had been shortened with all the injury and illness so I said; ‘yes, of course!’”

Weren’t there UCI ‘hoops to jump through?’

“It took five or six phone calls and about 30 emails to British Cycling to sort it out, they weren’t sending a GB team as such but had been given 21 wild card places – and ended up with six GB riders there who were allowed to ride in the GB jersey.” 

The start looked wild…

“For me the first 60 kilometres were the best but I wasn’t on a good grid position, the Elite pros with UCI points got the first spots on the grid, then the gravel specialists… whilst I started right at the back, alongside EF’s ‘adventure’ and enduro rider, Lachlan Morton who hasn’t actually ridden many races this year so doesn’t have points.

“We went straight into a two kilometres climb then off that it was a technical single track descent.

“I had to go as hard as I could up that climb to get a good position over the top.” 

Toby Perry
Toby Perry after finishing the inaugural Gravel World Championships. Photo©supplied

How did the rest of the race go?

“I got myself up to around 15th spot over that opening climb and on the second climb I had good position too; then Lopez went on the attack and I was in a group with Van Der Poel chasing.

“I was in various chasing groups for about 50 K over what you’d call an ‘easy’ gravel cycle path; but when Oss went on the attack the Italians – there were about 15 of them – just blocked the path and shut it down.

“I kept trying to get away – I don’t like racing just to ‘get round’ but with 20 K to go I blew up in spectacular fashion and lost 10 minutes to finish in 33rd place.

“BMC and Tudor were supporting me and the race food they handed up just didn’t agree with me, I ended up not eating enough.” 

1x or double chainrings?

“The BMC is a lovely machine and on that course, which was pretty flat, we went for 1x with a 52 tooth ring and 10 top sprocket so that I had a big enough gear if I needed it. 

“I was on the new Pirelli gravel tyres and they were great, much of the race it felt just like I was riding on the road.”

Is gravel racing something you’ll pursue?

“Yes, I enjoyed it and I think I’m good at it – if opportunities arise again then I’ll certainly take them.” 

Toby Perry
Toby Perry has out-aged the Hagens Berman Axeon team. Photo©supplied

What’s next on the agenda?

“I fly home to the UK shortly to get my teeth sorted out, unfortunately I’ve ‘aged out’ with Axeon – they only have u23 riders on the team – so I’ll be looking to find a spot with a European continental team for the 2023 season.” 

Since we conducted this interview Toby has signed with US-registered UCI
Continental Development Team, EF Education NIPPO Development. VeloVeritas wishes him well for this coming 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

Michael Mørkøv – Early Tour de France King of the Mountains

Men of the Tour, thus far ? Wiggins, definitely; Sagan, for sure; Greipel, yes - and, Michael Mørkøv. The Danish ex-World Madison Champion and six day star's stage one breakaway to grab the polka dot jersey and his defence of it for the first week was one of the talking points of the race. Not content with taking all the available points on stage one, he joined the break on stages two and three to make the jersey his own until the stage to La Planche des Belles Filles where the 'bigs' decided to fight it out. We caught up with him on the rest day at the team hotel in Mâcon.

David Walsh – Part 1, “We know what you did Lance. I want to know why”

Chief sports writer for The Sunday Times, Irishman David Walsh is best known in cycling circles for being one of the people who have doggedly sought out the reality of Lance Armstrong's Tour de France victories, not believing the "fairy tale" that defined the American's recovery from cancer and record series of wins in the world's toughest race. The award-winning journalist is the author and co-author of a number of books on the shamed American rider's career and his subsequent fall from grace, the most recent being "Seven Deadly Sins" which Walsh describes as 'more light-hearted' than the others!

Ben Swift – a Rider with a Future!

How do you become a pro? If you’re lucky enough to have some talent and you’re born in England, then you might just end up taking the same road as 20 year-old Ben Swift; he’s won three U23 ‘biggies’ in Italy this season, so we thought we better have a word.

Dan Patten Blog – Aiming For the Highest Level in the USA

Dan Patten has been a regular blogger on our site over the years. Dan came late to cycling, a talented runner but a niggling injury saw him turn to the bike. His first race was in July 2006, it took him 10 races to get his first win. We’ve always respected his single mindedness in pursuing his ‘Flatlands Dream’ – but for 2013 it’s ‘all change’ for the man from Essex.

At Random

Tour de Trossachs 2021 goes to Robbie Friel

We missed you last year Tour de Trossachs, so let’s begin with a large ‘thank you’ to Jason Roberts and his team for reviving this great race and organising it so well. Men of the day: Messrs. Friel, Maclean and Creber; Woman of the day: Lynsey Curran.

Time For The Big Boys (Preview: TDF 2012 Stage 7)

Stage 7 finally sees the race leave the flatlands, and Time For The Big Boys to play. The race enters the Jura mountains on the German/Swiss border with France. The sprinters and those who are dealing with injuries from falls in the first week will ride small, attempting to save some energy in the hope that they can come good later in the race, while those with hopes of GC places will be planning how they will maximise advantages, or minimise losses.

Vittorio Adorni

Vittorio Adorni was one of the classiest riders to sit on a bike, at a time when there were many top riders; Jacques Anquetil, Jan Janssen, Felice Gimondi and sometime teammate, Eddy Merckx. Vittorio Adorni died on 24th December at the age of 85.

Dan Bigham – the new mens’ 25 Mile Time Trial Champion for 2017

We’re proud of our record here at VeloVeritas; we’ve interviewed every British 25 mile time trial champion since 2005. Michael Hutchinson, Jason MacIntyre (rest in peace), Joe Perrett, Matt Bottrrill, Ryan Perry - and this year is no exception with Dan Bigham (Brother NRG Wattshop) taking time to chat to us about his seventh British title of the year [adding to CTT ‘50,’ CTT Circuit TT, TTT, kilometre, individual pursuit and team pursuit] and his ambitions for the future.