Making a new start this year is former GB Academy rider Sam Lowe who rides with the iconic brand, Raleigh, on his jersey in 2015
Interview – Raleigh’s Sam Lowe
Making a new start in 2015 is former GB Academy rider Sam Lowe who rides with the iconic brand, Raleigh, on his jersey this year.
Pic: Joey Severn
The former British Junior Road Race Champion in 2012 is a stage winner as well in the Junior Tour of Wales and came away from the European Track Championships in 2012 with a Silver medal in the Team Pursuit (Junior) showing that there’s some serious horsepower under the hood.
In 2013, he had a 4th place in the Stafford GP kermesse and has ridden a few of the British top races races like the Tour of Reservoir and CiCLE Classic. In 2014, he rode for French club Amicale Cycliste Bisontine but it didn’t work out as expected.
“The past two years have not gone great for me which has been massively disappointing. Signing for Raleigh gives me the opportunity of a new start and I’m hoping to give it a good crack this year. I have to learn my role in the team rather than racing as an individual. Working in a team environment will be different from every man for himself but I think it will be better and I’m looking forward to it.â€
Pic: Joey Severn
Sam explained that with the GB Academy, there was a lot of focus on the track post Olympics where they were trying to establish the new riders to do the Team Pursuit. “Over the winter, we concentrated on the track and when we came into the summer, I had a few knee problems and a bit of illness and never managed to get them sorted until midway through the year.â€
“It was a shame but I found the Academy didn’t suit me personally, so I thought I’d see if I could try and make it in France.â€
Helped out by the Dave Rayner fund, Sam says “I always felt I needed to give it a go abroad and see what it is like. A lot of riders try it and I was speaking to Adam and Simon Yates and Adam said the scene in France was really good.â€
“It was a bit of a shock at first not speaking French and as the year went on, I found it tough doing my training and found it a lot harder than I expected. That took its toll as I found I was putting it all in and not getting the return back on the hard work. So it was good to get the opportunity to come back.â€
Sam (right) with the happy chappy Steve Lampier (centre) and George Pym.
“The Raleigh team has come on massively in the past few years and the support we have is massive with all the facilities we have open to us.†The 2015 season will be his first year on the road in Britain on his Raleigh Militis team issue bike which has new colours for 2015.
“I was doing mainly Elite National level racing in France, one dayers and stage races, and overall, the strength in depth I think is higher over there. It’s a tough place to race no matter what category race you do. The main thing for me this year is to get back on track here and winning races which is where I want to beâ€.
Sam spent some time in Calpe training and says he managed to get a decent block of work in prior to the team camp which has just finished. “The winter has gone well for me†he says. “When I got back from Calpe, I managed to sort out a coach and get some good work doneâ€.
“I always find over the winter and you’re coming into your first races, you don’t know how you are going to go and it’s a nervous time when you’re meeting the riders on the team at the first camp not knowing how you are going compared to everyone else.â€
Sam with the team at the training camp. Pic: Joey Severn
That first camp is now done and dusted and all is well with Sam. Raleigh-GAC team owner Cherie Pridham told VeloUK “Sam is good shape and happy within the team. He came through the camp very well, contributing in the lead outs nd was committed to the work in the mountains. He’s quick, punchy and motivated.â€
Sam is part of a full Raleigh-GAC team racing the Eddie Soens this Saturday and says “it’s always good to get back into racing but I’m nervous as well in finding out where you are actually atâ€.
Good luck to Sam at the Eddie Soens where Raleigh go into the race with last years winner Ian Wilkinson.
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- RR Result: 360 Cycling Under 23 Two day – Day 2
- RR Result: Junior National Road Series: 360 Cycling Stage Race Day 2
- Features, Reports, Results
- TLI CYCLING RESULT: Cheshire Series Week 4
- STARTLISTS: NW, Yorkshire & NE Regional RR Championships
- Startlists: East Midlands Road Race Championships
- Crit Result: Castle Combe Summer Series 3
- Crit Result: West Thames League 7
- TT Result: Manchester & District Ladies CA 10m TT
- TT Result: Northampton & District CA 25m TT
- TT Result: Brighton Mitre CC 10m TT
- Crit Result: SACA Salt Ayre Tuesday Series 7
- Crit Result: Ride Flux Spring Crit Series #7
- Crit Result: Tameside Cycling Development Circuit Races 7
- Crit Result: Bovingdon Bomber Santini Criterium Series
- Crit Result: King&Queen of the Bowl Series #5
- Crit Result: CDPP Sport Crit Series #6
- Crit Result: Lichfield/Velospeed No Frills at Curborough #2
- RR Result: Northboats Road Race
- Crit Result: Omega Portsmouth Circuit Races 3
- Youth Result: West Midlands Youth Series 3
- RR Result: Radnorshire Mid-Season Road Race
- TT Result: Yorkshire 10m TT Championships
- News: Ribble Rebellion Race USA’s Armed Forces Cycling Classic
- Crit Result: Spatzwear Friday Night Crit Series #2
- TT Result: Lancashire Road Club 10m TT
- TT Result: Hounslow & District Whs 100m TT
- TT Result: Fife Century RC 50m TT
- TT Result: Newmarket Cycling & Triathlon Club TT
- TT Result: Bynea CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Allen Valley Velo 24.8m TT
- TT Result: East Bradford CC 15m TT
- TT Result: FTP Race Team 10m TT
- TT Result: Stowmarket & District CC 10m TT
- RR Result: Straiton Struggle Road Races
- Crit Result: Melton Olympic CC Summer Crit
- BMCR Result: Wibtoft ‘Griterium’ Gravel Series 1
- BMCR RESULT: White Peak Road Race
- RR Result: Witham Wheelers Road Races
- RR Result: SSSCCRRL Round 2
- RR Result: Totnes Vire Two Day
- The Steve Jones Memorial RR
- TT Result: BEC CC 10m TT
Other News on VeloUK
- STARTLISTS: NW, Yorkshire & NE Regional RR Championships
- Startlists: East Midlands Road Race Championships
- News: Ribble Rebellion Race USA’s Armed Forces Cycling Classic
- TT Result: Legato Racing Team 10m TT
- Pre-Race Rider Quotes: Ford RideLondon Classique
- STARTLIST: Witham Wheelers Road Races
- Team News: Tour of Britain for Alba Development RT
- Startlist: Totnes Vire 2024
- Starters: NW Junior/U23 360cycling Two Day
- WOMEN’S TOUR OF BRITAIN: Full line up of UCI teams
- Feature: The Prologue Racing Team Mid Term Review!
- NEWS: Pedal Club Lunch (May)
- News: British UCI Teams in Women’s Tour of Britain
- British Road Championships 2024 – The Courses
- Startlist: Proper Northern RR Series 3 (Aughton)
- Entry List: BUCS Road Race Championships 2024
- News: Stage 4 Route for Womens Tour of Britain
- Women’s Tour of Britain: Stage 3 Route
- STARTLIST: BEC CC National B (May 12)
- TT Result: New Forest CC 33m TT
- Events: BikeStow 3-day returns in 2024
- News: Tour of Britain (Women)
- News: Luke Rowe to Retire end of season
- STARTLIST: Sloan Trophy Road Race 2024
- Startlist: Yorkshire Under 23 Classic
- STARTLIST: Timmy James Memorial & Witham Hall Grand Prix RRs
- News: Pedal Club Lunch (April)
- STARTLIST: Youth & Junior Isle of Man Tour
- Startlists: Lincoln Grand Prix
- Startlists: Southend Wheelers Road Races
- Startlist: Tiverton Junior Nat Series Road Races
- Startlist: Harrogate Nova Spring Road Races
- Startlist: PNE National B RR
- STARTLIST: BUCS 10 TT (University Championships)
- Events: 18th Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic Route
- Events: Nigel Harrop Memorial Road Race
- This weekend: 18th CiCLE Classic UCI 1.2
- Events: SSSCCRRL Road Race League
- Ribble Collective: Ride More in ’24
- Startlist: The Drummond Trophy