Talkingshop: Quickstep’s Andy Fenn

Two victories and even more podiums for Omega Pharma Quickstep, no surprise 22 year old Andy Fenn is pleased with his first season at the World Tour team

Another British rider who has made the headlines for all the right reasons in 2012 is Andy Fenn. The Omega Pharma Quickstep rider, who is a former Under 23 Bronze medallist at the World Road Race Championships, had two victories and even more podiums.

VeloUK caught up with Andy as he prepared to race at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow for ThunderDrome where he was in winning form. It was the first time on the track for Andy since the Revolution series the winter before.

“It’s a good event to support” Andy said “especially after the support they have given me in the past.” Andy went on to acquit himself very well in the events especially in the Derny race but it’s been on the road where he has made a name for himself this year. He started his season with the World Tour team Omega Pharma Quickstep with a bang, winning two events in the Challenge Majorca series of one day races.

Andy then had a few podiums in major events like the Tour of Denmark and Tour of Beijing. “I’m really satisfied with the season and did everything I was hoping to do” the former GB Academy rider explained. “It would have been good to have ridden a bigger classic but I can’t do everything. Maybe I’ll get my chance next year.”

Asking for a highlight, Andy goes for the two wins in Majorca at the start of the season. “My first win in Majorca was a big highlight and I’ll always remember that, my first professional victory. To get two was even more special.”

“I’ve settled in with the team well during the season and the guys have been happy to work for me. They’d say things like, this race is for your tomorrow before the start and that was good. That was a really special thing for me.”

“At the start of the season they all rode for me and then again the next day and I was thinking this is surreal. Towards the end of the season I even had Tom (Boonen) working for me in Denmark and there I was, sitting on Tom’s wheel, a guy I have looked up to for years and especially with what he’s achieved this year, and there he was, leading me out for a stage!”

Photo: Tim De Waele/OPQS

Andy finished second on that stage with former World Sprint champion Theo Bos in third and a certain Mark Cavendish in the rainbow stripes in fourth. No surprise then when Andy says his season has been a really good experience.

That experience though is set to get better as sprinter Andy is joined by the fastest sprinter in the world, Mark Cavendish at Omega Pharma Quickstep. “We’re looking forward to having him on the team as we know he’ll bring us results and take us up a level. We know we’ve got the horsepower to make a sprint train and I’m not sure yet where I’ll fit into that. Racing with Mark will benefit everybody though”.

Having a full season with Quickstep under his wheels, Andy was asked whether he’ll change his winter training? “Last winter was the first season I hadn’t been on the GB academy and so my training was specific to the 2012 season with Quickstep. This winter I’ll be based in Manchester again and will still be riding the track over the winter and be in the gym.”

“It will be a pretty similar winter season to last year focusing on the road. Last year was the first time I really did that and so we’ll stick to it. My race programme in 2013 will probably change though when I hope to step up a level and maybe ride a Grand Tour as well. Which one I don’t know but I’ll need to prepare for that as well.”

Thanks to Andy for the chat and good luck to him in 2013 where the Omega Pharma Quickstep will surely be a real force to be reckoned with now they have Cavendish.

Some of Andy’s results in 2012 include:
1st Trofeo Palma
1st Trofeo Migjorn
2nd in a stage of the Tour of Denmark (Theo Bos third an Cavendish 4th)
2nd on a stage of the Tour of Beijing behind Elia Viviani