Sprint King at the Tour of Britain: Pete Williams

Last weekend, VeloUK spoke to the King of the Sprints in the Tour of Britain, Peter Williams of Node4

Pete explained before he was second in the Cycle Show Supercit, that he has good memories of this year’s Tour of Britain and it was nice to have something to show at the end. It was a remarkable Tour of Britain for the locals with British riders winning the Overall, the Sprints and the King of the Mountains.

“I always knew from the past that it was something I could get out of that race” Pete explained. “I didn’t just want to go and ride round like I perhaps have done in previous years; I wanted to get something out of the race. It was a hard course but I was physically in a lot better condition than I have been previously.”

“In other years I have been quite tired at this time of the year and I think if I had ridden for GC, I would have ended up fairly decent so it was pleasing that I was going so well.” Pete, keen not to give away too many secrets, explained how that the more moves you go with at the start of a stage, the more chance you have of getting in one that sticks and that then gives the rider a chance of scoring in the Sprint competition sprints during the stage.

That said, with bonus seconds on the sprints, it wasn’t always easy to get in a break to stick and a number of times the peloton stayed together for the first sprint as GC riders tried to get some bonus seconds. “It’s about reading the race and you try and use everyone else’s efforts first so you’re in the right place and then use yours at the crucial moment” Pete explained.

Asked for a highlight, Pete says that it was on the last stage in Surrey, riding up through Guildford. “The crowd was unbelievable. The crowd was mad and that memory will stay with me. During the week I was getting messages from people at school, people I never thought would watch a bike race. The next door neighbour was watching it and it was mad how many people were watching it and its becoming quite mainstream I guess.”

Final podium for Peter Williams and the trophy as first in the Yodel Sprint classification

When I put it to Pete he must have a lot of energy to be still racing including the track champs, he paused before saying “they were entered a long time ago!” Asked when his season finishes, he said “it stops now after this race (Supercrit)” which he did in style, making the last attacked of the race before being pipped on the line by Endura Racing’s Ian Bibby.

Pete was then off to get last orders in at a wedding… not his we have to add!

Good luck to Peter for 2013.

This was the memory Peter talks about from his Tour of Britain … the break enters the finishing area at Guildford the first time and the crowd was just amazing …

Making the effort at the right time, Peter Williams on the attack on stage 8 with Pursuit record holder Jack Bobridge, who has signed for Rabobank, on his wheel. The two of them featured on that stage’s break.

Report/Photos/Results of 2012 Tour of Britain