'My earliest cycling memory is crashing my bike and ending up in hospital'; Alex Dowsett on his life on two wheels
From the UK TT scene to the Hour Record, Alex Dowsett looks back on his career
Alex Dowsett recounts his earliest cycling memories of crashing his first bike on a birthday and ending up in the hospital. He took up mountain biking at age nine or ten and had his first taste of competitive cycling when his dad entered him into a 10-mile time trial. Winning the Junior Tour of the Peaks at 16 and breaking the world Hour Record in 2015 marked significant milestones in his career.
His lifelong management of haemophilia challenged his ability to pursue elite sport, but he persevered through treatment and rehabilitation. Dowsett reflects on the misconception that riding in the bunch is easy in WorldTour racing, emphasizing that it's a physically demanding experience. He considers various victories, including under-23 European time trial titles and the 2020 Giro d'Italia stage win, as particularly meaningful.
The 2021 Hour Record attempt left him frustrated, as he didn't give it his all despite knowing he still had energy left. Dowsett advises young riders to focus on a specific country for racing that suits their strengths, whether it's Italy for climbers or Belgium/Holland for sprinters. At Team Sky, he benefited from excellent support and competitive opportunities, which laid the groundwork for his successful World Tour career.
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