Team Feature: Mikey Mottram Goes UCI

A prolific winner of National B’s against star names, Mikey Mottram is one of the names in Vitus Pro Cycling’s line up for 2019 – we chat

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Team Feature: Mikey Mottram Goes UCI

In 2018, winner of the early season classic, the Jock Wadley, Mikey Mottram showed that after racing for five or so years, he had what it takes to ride with the best in Britain. Now, in 2019, he will move up from an elite team to a UCI one in Vitus Pro Cycling.

Speaking to Mikey at a team mini get together, he explained he had a good season in 2018. “I was getting in moves and showing potential in prems and the bigger races and decided it was now or never to move up a level. I know I am not coming into the team as a team leader or anything which is a big difference for me but it’s about taking on a big role in the team and doing a job which is quite exciting”.

Looking back at his racing with Morvelo –Basso, he says “Being on smaller teams, it’s harder to influence the races the way the bigger teams do so my role with Morvelo Basso was to try and get involved and we did that well at certain races and had a good crack at the Tour Series too and got some results.”
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In 2018, Mikey had 17 victories including those on the track, and 44 podium places, again including track races. That’s a pretty cool record for one season. Mikey explained “I have won three or four Nat Bs and had a good run in some prems. I also got in the break at the CiCLE Classic and that was a big day out”.

“At the Tour of Reservoir I had my favourite move of the whole year where I spent about half an hour bridging across to the front move so stage 1 was good (he was 11th) whilst stage 2, I was hanging in there until I dropped my chain and saw the race get away from me.”

“Those performances give me confidence I can get results for the team and now I just need to focus on getting a good winter on the bike in and staying healthy and be ready come March to get going. I know it’s not about me going for the win and I may have a different role but I’m happy to do that”.
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On being in a team of star names, he says “it’s really cool and I’m looking forward to that. I know I still have some learning to do coming into cycling reasonably late so I am looking to learn from some of the names in the team who have been around for a lot longer.”

The winner of the Jock Wadley in 2018, Mikey was also second to Tom Moses (Tour of Reservoir winner) in the Wally Gimber (another early season classic). He also won the Chitterne Road Race outfoxing a ‘name’ in Marcin Bialoblocki.

He then talks about another race win, the Peter Sandy Memorial Road Race. “In that race, I’d gone solo (for 100k nearly) and Alex Richardson (Lincoln GP winner) bridged across to me, and we sat up and then Max Stedman got across as well with a couple of others. There was about five us out front with 5k to go, and I hit out and got a 15 meter gap and just managed to hold it to the line. That was cool …”

With performances like that, Mikey has proven he has both the hunger and the legs under him to do well in the races and we wish him well with Vitus Pro Cycling in 2018.

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