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 bought the complete story from college biking to the World championships.
“I’m by no means happier than after 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 severe stroke in February. We don’t count on 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 put up 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 collection of Ed’s work from the previous 16 years, as a result of nice story-telling by no means will get previous.
In case you’re a ‘cross fan you’ll have learn our latest 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 residence rainbow jerseys. Marshall light away, while Hammond went on to have an extended and distinguished highway profession – with cyclo-cross taking a secondary position in his program. However the rider who maybe aroused probably the most pleasure was a tall younger man referred to 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 high-quality performances on the continent. When he proved he may additionally experience 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 perhaps so as – right here’s what he needed to say to us;
PEZ: Why cyclo-cross?
Chris Wreghitt: I began biking as an 11 yr previous when at Loughborough Grammar College, 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 College Cyclo-cross Championship and the second was the Nationwide Championship and I received each – so started my love of cyclo-cross! At college Peter launched me to all kinds of biking, from highway, time trialling, grass monitor and touring, in addition to cyclo-cross. As a 12 yr previous he took a gaggle of us on a Lands Finish to Loughborough bike tour, which was fairly an journey for a 12 yr previous again then.
A really younger Chris Wreghitt (second from the appropriate)
PEZ: 5 nationwide titles on the trot, fairly spectacular.
I received my first British Professional/Am cyclo-cross title on the age of 18 in my final yr in school after which received the title for the subsequent 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 stay 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 yr doing the game full time, I received the Zurich Waid Professional/Am ‘cross occasion, (whereas nonetheless an novice), one of many greatest ‘cross races of the season and this put me on the worldwide map. That yr 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 subsequent ‘cross season nursing a knee damage, which I sustained half manner 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 greatest ‘cross win and introduced me some accolades again residence, profitable runner-up within the Midlands Sports activities Character of the Yr award.
PEZ: Which programs did you want finest?
My favourite programs had been in all probability the quick, technical programs. I wasn’t a foul runner however a few of the Belgian ‘Mudplugs’ favored the lighter riders or specialist runners.
PEZ: How lengthy had been you in Switzerland?
I spent almost three years in Switzerland, as this was actually the centre for ‘cross on the time. I had grew to become buddies with some Swiss riders while spending just a few 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 among their very own – I’m nonetheless an honorary member of their membership. My coach there, Fritz Schaerer, was tragically killed whereas racing just a few years later, however he and his household gave me a lot assist and assist 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 stay, attempting the ‘highway’ appeared a logical factor to do as I used to be at considerably of a free finish when the ‘cross season completed! The Swiss novice highway scene was happily very nicely organized with the Elite amateurs competing in opposition to 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 Support 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 received 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 contemporary. I received the early season Traditional GP Lugano whereas nonetheless an novice, beating high Professional’s Gilbert Glaus (former World novice champion) and high 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 a substantial amount of time after that and, the truth is, bought second on the final stage into Prague and was quickest rider on GC within the Czech phases of the race.
I got here away from the Peace Race with nice type and went on to the Tour of Sweden (Submit Girot) with the GB novice workforce. I held the yellow jersey for a number of phases and was noticed there by the Bianchi Piaggio professional workforce supervisor, Giancarlo Feretti, whose workforce was there competing with their Swedish Professionals, Tommy Prim and Alf Segersall. I signed a contract to experience for Bianchi on the finish of that season the place Tommy Prim and Silvano Contini had been the workforce leaders. I relocated to Italy, residing 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 lots of enterprise in Italy.
Bianchi workforce postcard
PEZ: Did you let the ‘cross go resulting from highway commitments?
I rode just a few ‘cross occasions that winter however was beneath orders NOT to experience 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 experience 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 believe, on an upturned pedal. As you do, you mud your self down and soar 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 identified with a compressed vertebrae, which was giving me a weak spot within the left leg.
Again in 1984, an operation was thought-about dangerous and, regardless of numerous makes an attempt at manipulation, traction and many others, the again continued to offer issues and ultimately in August that yr, I give up 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 type 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 assumed, nonetheless my finest years forward of me. Then again, I’ve all the time 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’d comply with. I had a obscure thought after 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 data of the biking world. My father’s background in retail shopping for prompted me initially to look on this course and inside the area of some days I used to be supplied jobs at Halfords as their Cycle’s purchaser and in addition a sports activities tools 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 track for a lifelong profession within the biking business. I spent seven years at Halfords studying the enterprise world however ultimately, feeling just a little 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, World 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 in recent times, impressed by buddies in Worcester, have I bought again on the bike.
Alongside my day job at World 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 buddies 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 in search of a brand new profession. Assos has now develop into the center of Phil’s ‘Yellow’ enterprise and, for Assos, the UK is one among their finest export markets.
# So now we all know – with due to Chris Wreghitt for giving so freely of his time. #
On the way in which to a different Nationwide championships
Because of Biking Weekly and all of the photographers, unique homeowners couldn’t be discovered for some.
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