The British Continental

Jacob Scott | SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling

Send us a textJake Scott of SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling has gone from strength to strength this year, securing a win at the South Coast Classic and then posting second at the Ryedale GP. We were lucky enough to sit down with Jake after a training session 4 days out from the Tour of Britain. We discuss Jake’s approach to training, the rollercoaster of self-belief and motivation, as well as his unique approach to juggling a busy training schedule and working. It’s clear from Jake’s story that his job at the local bike shop is much more than just a job and one of the many factors of support that has helped Jake become the rider he is today.Jake also discusses his future goals, riding the Tour of Yorkshire, what it’s like to coach yourself as a rider on a UCI Continental team and many other topics.Support the showRapha presents The British Continental.

Joe Evans | Saint Piran

Send us a textIn this episode, Greg Trowman interviews the Saint Piran rider Joe Evans. As readers of The British Continental website will know, Joe has been keeping a journal for us, documenting life both on and off the bike this season. Before moving to the elite-level Saint Piran team at the beginning of 2018, Joe spent three seasons riding for Madison Genesis. This year, Joe has combined racing with full-time study at the University of Sheffield. In the interview, we hear from Joe about how he balances training with studying full-time, why he thinks it’s important for a rider to have more than one string to his bow, and his unexpected love for racing the Tour Series.Please accept our apologies for the audio quality in the interview. Unfortunately, we had a few technical hiccups, which means there is more background noise than we’d have liked. But please do bear with it, it’s well worth it!Thank you to A-ten in Sheffield for letting us use their space to record this episode.Artwork photo: Ewan ThatcherRead moreRider journals: Joe Evans #4 - On the RoadRider journals: Joe Evans #3 - It's not all about the bikeRider journals: Joe Evans #2 - Why can't I concentrate?Rider journals: Joe Evans #1 - Staying true to who I am Rider journals: introducing Joe EvansFollow Joe on Twitter hereSupport the showRapha presents The British Continental.

Dave Coulson | Cycling Sheffield

Send us a textIn the third episode of our new podcast, Greg Trowman sits down with Dave Coulson, the manager of the elite-level team Cycling Sheffield. The team was established in 2014 as Envelopemaster – Giant. Set up as a development team, it aims to help riders develop and further their careers as athletes by providing a professional and nurturing team environment. The team has already had notable success: one of their graduates is Connor Swift no less.Uniquely, the concept of the team is about creating a geographic identity, similar to that of a football team. As such, he works with organisations throughout the city of Sheffield to create partnerships that benefit both the city and the team. In a wide-ranging, honest, and open interview, Greg and Dave talk about:- what motivates him to run an elite-level cycling team- creating a marketable team based on geographic identity- the team's approach to rider development- helping riders decide when to stop cycling, and- the team's 2020 squad and future plans.Follow Dave and the team on Twitter and Instagram Read more about Cycling Sheffield in our 2019 feature on the team here.  Support the showRapha presents The British Continental.

Charlie Quarterman | Trek-Segafredo | A neo-pro's journey to the World Tour

Send us a textCharlie Quarterman went from struggling to find a team for the 2019 season to World Tour rider in 2020 thanks to in large part to a purple patch of form which culminated him winning the British U23 national time trial championships. In this episode, the 21-year-old takes us through his less-than-conventional journey to the World Tour.In the interview, he reveals he was one of the generation of British riders to get into cycling as a result of Bradley Wiggins' Tour and Olympic success in 2012. He talks about his junior years at Zappi Racing, the junior team set up by former Italian pro, Flavio Zappi. Stepping up to the U23 ranks, he spent a challenging, often isolated, two years at the UCI Continental Leopard Pro Cycling team. Results didn't come his way to the extent that teams had little to no interest in signing him for the 2019 season. With options limited, he was reunited with Flavio Zappi, joining his Italian-based development team Holdsworth-Zappi. The move presented him with leadership opportunities and he was quick to take advantage of them. His fourth place in the prologue at the Baby Giro in June began to turn heads. He followed that up with third on stage 7 of the race with a swashbuckling ride to bridge solo to the winning break. Then, just days later, he beat Ethan Hayter to take the British U23 time trialling crown. Interest from the World Tour quickly followed and not long after, he joined Trek-Segafredo as a stagiaire ahead of a permanent move this season.Charlie talks about his strong start to the 2020 season, how he's found adjusting to life at the World Tour level, and his hopes (and fears) ahead of his return to racing post-lockdown.This show is sponsored by Verge Sport, suppliers of quality custom cycle clothing.More on Charlie Quarterman on The British Continental:To the World Tour and beyond: Charlie Quarterman interviewInside the Baby Giro: Charlie Quarterman’s race diary:Race diary #11Race diary #10Race diary #9Race diary #8Race diary #7Race diary #6Race diary #5Race diary #4Race diary #3Race diary #2Support the showRapha presents The British Continental.

April Tacey | Drops | Virtual Tour de France Bonus Episode

Send us a textThis bonus episode of the podcast is a snippet of our forthcoming in-depth interview with April Tacey. The 19-year-old Drops rider has become something of an e-racing sensation this summer. Over the last couple of weeks, she has beaten some of the world's best riders to win two stages of the Virtual Tour de France. Not only that but she's done this after coming back to racing from a fractured patella. It's a story we'll recount in detail in our full interview. For now, with Sunday's final stage of the Tour de France coming up (on the Zwift's virtual Champs-Élysées), we hear April's thoughts on the course and whether she thinks a third stage victory could be on the cards.Support the showRapha presents The British Continental.