Rider Interview: Second in our ‘Better of British’ cyclo-cross riders is Chris Wreghitt. He broke the stranglehold that John Atkins held on the Nationwide championships at solely 18 years of age and nonetheless in school. From then on he was Britain’s finest man within the winter mud till a again damage in 1984 compelled him out of the game at solely 25. Ed Hood obtained the complete story from college biking to the World championships.
“I’m by no means happier than once I’m writing.”
~ Ed Hood, as spoken to Martin Williamson from the passenger seat, driving alongside a stage route on the Tour de France.
Expensive Readers – Our beloved colleague and pal Ed Hood suffered a critical stroke in February. We don’t anticipate Ed will make it again into our bunch, so we’ve began a GoFundMe web page to assist Ed together with his future. Learn the complete submit right here – and please take into account donating.
** Click on this hyperlink to donate to the GoFundMe web page to assist Ed **
We’ll be posting a number of Ed’s work from the previous 16 years, as a result of nice story-telling by no means will get previous.
In the event you’re a ‘cross fan you’ll have learn our current John Atkins interview. Atkins and Keith Mernickle dominated British ‘cross within the 70’s – and on ‘raids’ throughout the channel, acquitted themselves nicely. Atkins by no means made the rostrum on the Worlds however twice completed a superb fifth, as soon as with the amateurs, one with the professionals.
The juniors have fared higher; with each Stuart Marshall and Roger Hammond bringing house rainbow jerseys. Marshall light away, while Hammond went on to have an extended and distinguished highway profession – with cyclo-cross taking a secondary function in his program. However the rider who maybe aroused essentially the most pleasure was a tall younger man known as Chris Wreghitt. He ended the domination of the UK ‘previous guard’ of Atkins, Mernickle, Stone and Davies with 5 consecutive wins within the British championships and produced some advantageous performances on the continent. When he proved he may additionally trip nicely on the highway, he was snapped up by the mighty Bianchi squadra. After which?
One other Nationwide championship win
We thought a chat with the person is likely to be so as – right here’s what he needed to say to us;
PEZ: Why cyclo-cross?
Chris Wreghitt: I began biking as an 11 12 months previous when at Loughborough Grammar Faculty, impressed by Peter Hopkins who was Head of English there and a biking fanatic who ran a biking membership within the college.
My first race was the beneath 12 Midlands English Faculty Cyclo-cross Championship and the second was the Nationwide Championship and I gained each – so started my love of cyclo-cross! In school Peter launched me to all sorts of biking, from highway, time trialling, grass monitor and touring, in addition to cyclo-cross. As a 12 12 months previous he took a gaggle of us on a Lands Finish to Loughborough bike tour, which was fairly an journey for a 12 12 months previous again then.
A really younger Chris Wreghitt (second from the fitting)
PEZ: 5 nationwide titles on the trot, fairly spectacular.
I gained my first British Professional/Am cyclo-cross title on the age of 18 in my final 12 months in school after which gained the title for the following 4 years as nicely. For 3 of these years I used to be at Birmingham College studying a historical past diploma so biking wasn’t then a full-time profession, however in 1982, on commencement, I went out to dwell in Switzerland (the hotbed for cyclo-cross on the time) to pursue a full-time profession.
PEZ: You had some huge outcomes.
In my first 12 months doing the game full time, I gained the Zurich Waid Professional/Am ‘cross occasion, (whereas nonetheless an novice), one of many largest ‘cross races of the season and this put me on the worldwide map. That 12 months I used to be in all probability one of many favorites to win the world novice title in Lanarvily in France however I used to be introduced down by one other rider whereas in third place, simply behind the chief on the final lap and completed eleventh. This was in all probability my final aggressive world cyclo-cross championship as my focus then switched to the highway and anyway I spent a lot of the following ‘cross season nursing a knee damage, which I sustained half approach by way of the season.
Biking Weekly cowl 1979
PEZ: Was the Zurich race your finest outcome?
The Zurich Waid race was in all probability my largest ‘cross win and introduced me some accolades again house, profitable runner-up within the Midlands Sports activities Character of the Yr award.
PEZ: Which programs did you want finest?
My favourite programs have been in all probability the quick, technical programs. I wasn’t a nasty runner however among the Belgian ‘Mudplugs’ favored the lighter riders or specialist runners.
PEZ: How lengthy have been you in Switzerland?
I spent almost three years in Switzerland, as this was actually the centre for ‘cross on the time. I had turned pals with some Swiss riders while spending a number of days racing with them in a collection of races in Luxembourg one New Yr and so they helped to introduce me to the Velo membership Steinmaur close to Zurich who welcomed me as one in all their very own – I’m nonetheless an honorary member of their membership. My coach there, Fritz Schaerer, was tragically killed whereas racing a number of years later, however he and his household gave me a lot assist and help and I’m nonetheless in contact with the household now.
Allegro-Puch workforce package
PEZ: The highway?
As I had gone out to Switzerland to dwell, attempting the ‘highway’ appeared a logical factor to do as I used to be at considerably of a unfastened finish when the ‘cross season completed! The Swiss novice highway scene was thankfully very nicely organized with the Elite amateurs competing towards one another as a part of 10-12 man semi-pro sponsored groups. I used to be lucky to have had some backing from the UK Sports activities Assist Basis however was additionally sustained from winnings and look cash from the ‘cross races and backing from my Swiss highway groups – particularly GS Allegro-Puch.
GP Lugano podium
PEZ: You gained the GP Lugano – that’s a pleasant race.
The 1982-3 Cyclocross season was ruined by a knee damage however this meant that I had an enforced relaxation, so began the 1983 highway scene comparatively recent. I gained the early season Traditional GP Lugano whereas nonetheless an novice, beating prime Professional’s Gilbert Glaus (former World novice champion) and prime professional Erich Maechler.
That season introduced additional accolades. I rode the Peace Race with the GB novice workforce – my first three weeks tour. Sadly I misplaced half an hour on one stage in Poland when my body broke and I used to be left alone to chase the sector for the final three hours right into a head wind. I didn’t lose an excessive amount of time after that and, the truth is, obtained second on the final stage into Prague and was quickest rider on GC within the Czech levels of the race.
I got here away from the Peace Race with nice kind and went on to the Tour of Sweden (Put up Girot) with the GB novice workforce. I held the yellow jersey for a number of levels and was noticed there by the Bianchi Piaggio professional workforce supervisor, Giancarlo Feretti, whose workforce was there competing with their Swedish Execs, Tommy Prim and Alf Segersall. I signed a contract to trip for Bianchi on the finish of that season the place Tommy Prim and Silvano Contini have been the workforce leaders. I relocated to Italy, dwelling in Imola, close to Bologna – one other nation, one other language. I had develop into fairly proficient in German by the point I left Switzerland, however aside from the 2 Swedish riders, not one of the workforce spoke any English so I threw myself into studying Italian, which I nonetheless communicate frequently now, as I do plenty of enterprise in Italy.
Bianchi workforce postcard
PEZ: Did you let the ‘cross go attributable to highway commitments?
I rode a number of ‘cross occasions that winter however was beneath orders NOT to trip a full season as I wanted to have some relaxation for the highway season. I rode a lot of the vital early season races in Italy, together with the Milan San Remo and completed not far off the tempo and issues appeared promising.
I then went with the workforce to trip within the Tour of Romandy again in Switzerland and was concerned in a nasty crash on an alpine descent. All I keep in mind was that I got here round a nook solely to see a sea of riders on the deck and, as I fell, my again landed, I feel, on an upturned pedal. As you do, you mud your self down and bounce again on however I began to get some ache in my again and my left knee. Initially I had remedy for my knee, however I used to be later recognized with a compressed vertebrae, which was giving me a weak point within the left leg.
Again in 1984, an operation was thought of dangerous and, regardless of varied makes an attempt at manipulation, traction and many others, the again continued to offer issues and finally in August that 12 months, I stop the game after I made a decision that I used to be unlikely to get again to a situation the place I may maintain constant kind and health. It’s irritating that I’ll by no means know what may have been. I retired on the age of 25 with hopefully, I believed, nonetheless my finest years forward of me. Alternatively, I’ve at all times tried to look ahead in life relatively than backwards.
Biking Weekly cowl 1981
PEZ: What then?
I had no clear thought what profession path I might observe. I had a imprecise thought once I was at College of turning into a lawyer however my father’s background was in retail shopping for. I used to be outfitted with a College Diploma and relative fluency in French, German and Italian and a very good data of the biking world. My father’s background in retail shopping for prompted me initially to look on this path and inside the area of some days I used to be provided jobs at Halfords as their Cycle’s purchaser and in addition a sports activities gear shopping for job at Olympus Sport (now JJB).
The late David Duffield (legendary eccentric Eurosport commentator) was the shopping for controller at Halfords and that, together with my ardour for bikes, swayed me in favor of the job at Halfords. This determination put me on target for a lifelong profession within the biking trade. I spent seven years at Halfords studying the enterprise world however finally, feeling a little bit stifled within the company world after the takeover of Halfords by Boots, I arrange my very own worldwide gross sales and advertising and marketing company, International Alternatives, in 1991. Twenty years on the enterprise continues to be going robust.
Thwarted in my biking profession by damage, I appeared to different sports activities for leisure enjoyable and health and play aggressive golf now, tennis and badminton. Solely lately, impressed by pals in Worcester, have I obtained again on the bike.
Alongside my day job at International Alternatives, I went into partnership with a pal, Ian Moseley, and arrange a motorcycle web site www.thegreenbikecompany.co.uk specializing in promoting high quality second hand bikes and we then went on to open our first retail store in 2010. One of many suppliers of The Inexperienced Bike Firm is Yellow, owned by my good pal Phil Griffiths. Again within the mid-eighties, I offered the winter publicity for Phil’s GS Strada’s sponsors and Phil and I’ve been good pals ever since.
I had been sponsored whereas racing in Switzerland by Toni and Eliane Maier of Assos, then a younger up and coming model. I launched Phil to Tony Maier when Phil, who was coming to the tip of his biking time, was on the lookout for a brand new profession. Assos has now develop into the center of Phil’s ‘Yellow’ enterprise and, for Assos, the UK is one in all their finest export markets.
# So now we all know – with because of Chris Wreghitt for giving so freely of his time. #
On the best way to a different Nationwide championships
Due to Biking Weekly and all of the photographers, unique homeowners couldn’t be discovered for some.
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