Q&A with Sam Chaplin of Cycling Sheffield

Quiz time for an ambitious young rider who races for Dave Coulson’s Cycling Sheffield, Sam Chaplin who started racing in 2021 and won the ‘A Bridge Too Far Road Race’ in 2024

Q&A with Sam Chaplin of Cycling Sheffield
​Quiz time for an ambitious young rider who races for Dave Coulson’s Cycling Sheffield, Sam Chaplin who started racing in 2021 and won the ‘A Bridge Too Far Road Race’ in 2024

VeloUK: How long have you been bike racing and where are you based?
Sam: I did my first race in 2021 as a youth but didn’t race properly until a second year junior in 2023, which makes me quite inexperienced compared to a lot of riders my age. My home is in Buckinghamshire but I spend most of the year at Loughborough for university.

VeloUK: How important to you is it racing for Dave Coulson, who’s Elite team has been around many years, had some star pros race for him and Dave is someone I remember racing Prems
Sam: To be honest, when Dave offered me a spot on the team a year ago, I didn’t know much about him or the team, just that I had seen the team at the top of a lot of result sheets so I knew they were clearly very good. Racing for Dave is very important to me. He’s an excellent team manager and hugely knowledgeable. We get on very well and he has been crucial to my development throughout last year where there were definitely more lows than highs.

VeloUK: When do you expect your season to start in 2025?
Sam: It’s not been fully confirmed but its most likely to be Jock Wadley on the 9th March.

VeloUK: Do you know yet of any events in 2025 that you are looking forward too?
Sam: I have a few in mind. The big one for me is Nationals week as its the only time in the whole year that I get to showcase my ability in front of World Tour and their respective Dev teams. I put a lot of work last year into the Time Trial believing that I could be competitive but a mechanical after the first two corners put an end to that. So to come back and execute a TT to the best of my ability is what I am looking forward to.

VeloUK: Cycling Sheffield travel abroad to race – how important is that for you and your goals in the sport?
Sam: I think our international races are some of the most important races we do all year because it’s one of the main ways to break out into Europe. Not only that, but it’s great for development racing on different terrain, in bigger pelotons and where the races have a proper structure compared to the UK, where the races are just relentlessly on all the time.

VeloUK: What race in 2024 was the most fun to do?
Sam: The most fun race/trip was definitely when we went to Italy and stayed with Flavio’s Zappi team. Then my favourite race there was Piccolo Del Emilia where we raced over some long climbs and descents which was completely new to me as I think the longest climb I had raced up previously was only about 6 or 7 mins.

VeloUK: What were your racing highlights of 2024?
Sam: The best moment was when I won my first race (A Bridge Too Far Road Race) and I hope to be able to replicate that feeling again in some bigger races in 2025. Then some others would be Lincoln GP even though it was a DNF, it was a lot of fun racing up Michealgate with all the spectators. The two French stage races we did were also really good.

VeloUK: What was the toughest race in 2024?
Sam: Probably Lancaster as it was just up and down all day and there were very few moments when the pace chilled out.

VeloUK: What result are you most proud of from the 2024 season?
Sam: For me it’s National TT, even with the TT bike having a mechanical and switching to the road bike, I still put together a really good performance. Dave was proud that I didn’t throw in the towel with the mechanical being in the first few minutes. Then my first road race win, Tour Des Deux-Sevres TT and my rides in Italy.

VeloUK: Are there key people who are helping you progress in the sport of cycling?
Sam: Definitely my biggest supporters will always be my parents, then of course Dave Coulson, my coach Paddy Harrison and the staff at LCA(Loughborough Cycling Academy). All help in different ways but have been vital in my steep learning curve.

VeloUK: After your 2024 season, has winter training gone well?
Sam: So far it’s gone very well. I have done close to 70% more than the amount of hours that I had done at this point last year. I did have a small illness in December but was back training quickly after. With another two months to go until the season, I hope to keep up this momentum and be in really good shape come the first race of the season.

VeloUK: Have you been able to get in some warm weather training?
Sam: Yes. I went out on one trip in the middle of December for 10 days and then will be going out again in about a week. I am very fortunate to be able to go out twice and it’s really helped to break up the winter and always given me something to look forward to when the UK winter gets a bit much.

VeloUK: Are you a university student and if so, how many hours a week does that allow you to do on the bike?
Sam: Yes, I am currently in my second year studying at Loughborough University. It does have an impact on the amount of hours that you can do but I try to average about 21-22hrs a week on the bike and two hours in the gym. This does tend to change when around course work deadlines and exams.

Thank you Sam and good luck in your 2025 season with one of the countries leading teams

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