Talkingshop: Peter Williams, Sprints winner 2012 Tour of Britain

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Talking with IG Sigma Sports Pete Williams, winner of the Sprints jersey in last year’s Tour of Britain 

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2012 saw British riders challenging for the leaders jerseys in various classifications and one of those was Pete Williams (below) who this rides the race for IG Sigma Sport in 2013.

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Best of British at the 2012 Tour of Britain
Winner: Jon Tiernan-Locke
Sprints: Peter Williams
Stage Winner: Mark Cavendish, Luke Rowe
King of the Mountains: Kristian House
Points: Mark Cavendish (2nd)
Best Domestic Based Rider: 12th David Clarke

In the photos I was taking from the motorbike, Williams is racing full gas with the likes of Aussie Jack Bobridge (World record holder pursuit) and other stars from the pro peloton. Talking after last years race he said “I always knew from the past that it was something I could get out of that race”.

“I didn’t just want to go and ride round like I perhaps had done in previous years; I wanted to get something out of the race. Pete 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 or KoM competition sprints during the stage.

That said, with bonus seconds on the sprints, it wasn’t always easy to get in a break that stuck and a number of times the peloton stayed together for the first sprint as GC riders tried to get some bonus seconds.

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“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. Highlighting how special the race is and how it takes the sport to people it would not ordinarily do so, Pete says “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.”

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Stage 2 of last year’s race and Pete Williams is on the move trying to get in the move of the day.

Having won a jersey is something that will be with him forever but with a new team this year, the pressure is on for him to perform again and this year’s race is expected to be quite different to previous editions in some ways.

“Looking at the course it will be tough” says Pete. “I spent a lot of time in the Lake District growing up and rode the stage (2) the other week and Honister pass is pretty tough and I don’t think there will be any easy days and it will be a hard week.”

With a summit finish (Stage 6) and a time trial (Stage 3), Pete is expecting the race will be tightly controlled again and the race overall won and lost on the two key stages (Knowsley and Devon). Like last year, he, and a lot of the other British riders, will be looking to get that key move and get onto the podium to give their sponsors the coverage they want from such a high profile race.

Pete explains that initially getting a classification jersey is difficult but once you have it the riders for the most part let you take the points if you get in other key breaks that stick. For now, its about preparation. Talking about his own, Pete says “we did a four day stage race in Sweden recently (Jamtlands) and I have had a big week at home on the bike”.

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The colours of IG Sigma Sport for Pete Williams … look out for them in this years Tour of Britain.

“I then raced yesterday (last Sunday) and today (last Monday) and then we have two pro kermesses in Belgium which is part of a big block before we ease up the week before.”

Having to travel to Belgium and beyond is part and parcel of the training required due to the short races in Britain as Pete explained. “The races we do here are only 120k and the Tour of Britain stages are longer and on consecutive days”

“There is a big lack of stage racing because it’s difficult to get into them in Europe what with there being so many continental teams. So I’ve been doing back to back days going up and down the Dales (Yorkshire) and you don’t get easy rides there so hopefully the form is there and I think I’m going as well as I have all year.”

Good luck to Peter in this years Tour of Britain

Tour of Britain Website - http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk

 

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