A ‘blog’ from one of the country’s top young riders, Doug Dewey, based in France and moving up to a top French team in 2014
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Doug writes … “Without wanting to come across as a headstrong goon, this year has felt like a coming of age for me. Since hooking up with JB at TrainSharp for my coaching, (cycling and life!) everything I’ve done has felt more cohesive and more like a process.”
“It’s become an exercise in following ‘the path’ of cycling – training right, racing right, eating right – the list is long and exhaustive, but it works. Jon has had belief in me from the start and has vocally said so which, for a sport so reliant on mental strength and confidence, is an incredible thing to do for me. I’ll try not to make this bit too boring, but I want to thank some of the people that have helped me this year, it’s only fair.
High5 nutritional have been behind me for a couple of years now which is priceless as diet is so important for me. Between you and I, even if they didn’t sponsor me I’d buy their chocolate recovery drink because that stuff tastes divine!
The guys at the Dave Rayner Fund have been pretty pivotal in getting me where I am now too. Whatever I write here won’t really do them justice, but in summary they’ve backed me and a heck of a lot of other riders both financially and (maybe this is just me) emotionally. When you’re hacking away in a foreign country, feeling like you’re just treading water, it means a lot when someone sends a short email saying: ‘You’re doing good, stick at it’.
Some good memories
This year when I first came out to France, I had no-where to stay, no team bike, minimal kit, but what I did have was The Mills Family. These guys are the nicest family I’ve ever met. Tony (Senior), Babs, Tony (Junior), Nick, Tim, Caroline, Seb, Amelie and Ellie are all legends! I’ve had so much help from them in different ways – Tony Senior’s pro experience, Tim’s motivational chats – I could go on.
And so to next year when I’ll be riding for… Union Cycliste Nantes Atlantique! They are a Division 1, generally pretty bad-ass, French outfit. I am psyched!! Some positives include: No more pink kit (blue with a bit of yellow), team bike, somewhere to live, an awesome calendar, pre-race team tactics, living in a city, a training camp, wheel sponsor, team gloves and socks…….
Thanks to everyone who’s followed me this year and sent nice messages of support. I’m going to let my hair down for a bit now, so you might not hear from me for a while, but I’ll be back! Ciaociao.
Read more about Doug on his blog here… its more than just entertaining!
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Q&A: Domini Radway-Fatuga (16)
- Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: Win for Mads Pedersen
- Drôme Classic: Solo triumph for Andrea Bagioli
- Hannah Barnes 5th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- News: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021 (Men)
- UAE Tour: Final Stage (7)
- UAE Tour: Stage 6 – Win for Bennett
- Feature Interview: Jack Rees (Ribble Weldtite)
- UAE Tour: Stage 5
- Giro: Simon Yates Fights for Pink
- Giro 2021: Mollema, Ciccone and Nibali Reactions
- CAMS-Tifosi for Healthy Ageing Tour 2021
- UAE Tour: Stage 4
- News: New Head of Creative at Ribble Cycles
- UAE Tour: Stage 3
- News: Cavendish for Le Samyn
- Interview: John Archibald
- This weekend: Deceuninck – Quick-Step
- 2021 Critérium du Dauphiné Route
- UAE Tour – Stage 2 Time Trial
- Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var: Stage 3
- UAE Tour: First win to Mathieu van der Poel
- Central Region Junior RR Team Manager
- Tour Du Var – Stage 2
- Team News: Win for Mollema at Haut Var
- News: Tour Du Var – Stage 1
- News: Elite Status Changes
- News: Deceuninck – Quick-Step to UAE Tour
- Feature Interview: Alexandar Richardson (Alpecin-Fenix)
- News: Quintana Back Racing
- News: UAE Tour: Provisional Riders List
- News: Wout van Aert Training in Tenerife
- News: Quickstep off to Spain to train
- News: Alaphilippe’s On form for 2021 Targets
- News: 2021 Women’s Tour Postponed
- Q&A: Martha Lebentz (Team Tofauti Everyone Active)
- Tour de Provence – Second for World Champ Alaphilippe
- Former winners Perfs Pedal Road Race
- News: Drops 2021 Calendar
- INFO: 2021 Vuelta Stages
Other News on VeloUK
- Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: Win for Mads Pedersen
- Drôme Classic: Solo triumph for Andrea Bagioli
- Hannah Barnes 5th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- News: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021 (Men)
- UAE Tour: Final Stage (7)
- UAE Tour: Stage 6 – Win for Bennett
- UAE Tour: Stage 5
- Giro: Simon Yates Fights for Pink
- Giro 2021: Mollema, Ciccone and Nibali Reactions
- CAMS-Tifosi for Healthy Ageing Tour 2021
- UAE Tour: Stage 4
- News: New Head of Creative at Ribble Cycles
- UAE Tour: Stage 3
- News: Cavendish for Le Samyn
- Interview: John Archibald
- This weekend: Deceuninck – Quick-Step
- 2021 Critérium du Dauphiné Route
- UAE Tour – Stage 2 Time Trial
- Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var: Stage 3
- UAE Tour: First win to Mathieu van der Poel
- Central Region Junior RR Team Manager
- Tour Du Var – Stage 2
- Team News: Win for Mollema at Haut Var
- News: Tour Du Var – Stage 1
- News: Elite Status Changes
- News: Deceuninck – Quick-Step to UAE Tour
- News: Quintana Back Racing
- News: UAE Tour: Provisional Riders List
- News: Wout van Aert Training in Tenerife
- News: Quickstep off to Spain to train
- News: Alaphilippe’s On form for 2021 Targets
- News: 2021 Women’s Tour Postponed
- Tour de Provence – Second for World Champ Alaphilippe
- Former winners Perfs Pedal Road Race
- News: Drops 2021 Calendar
- INFO: 2021 Vuelta Stages
- News: Two from Two for Davide Ballerini
- News: Ballerini strikes on Provence opening day
- News: Giro Wildcard for Eolo Kometa
- News: Cavendish Opens Season at Almeria