I was diagnosed with severe haemophilia A at 18 months old: almost no clotting factor VIII and no family history of it, so it came as a shock to everyone. The prognosis I grew up around was bleak: talk of wheelchairs, fused joints, a life spent being careful. A lifetime of being told what you can’t do does one of two things to you. In my case, it made me want to show what I could do.
I was diagnosed with severe haemophilia A at 18 months old: almost no clotting factor VIII and no family history of it, so it came as a shock to everyone. The prognosis I grew up around was bleak: talk of wheelchairs, fused joints, a life spent being careful. A lifetime of being told what you can’t do does one of two things to you. In my case, it made me want to show what I could do.
A lifetime of being told what you can’t do does one of two things to you.
A lifetime of being told what you can’t do does one of two things to you.
My parents deserve the credit. Instead of wrapping me up, they went looking for what was possible. Enter: swimming, sailing, anything that kept me active in a way that respected the condition. Swimming built the engine. Then at 13 I got on a road bike, and that was that.
My parents deserve the credit. Instead of wrapping me up, they went looking for what was possible. Enter: swimming, sailing, anything that kept me active in a way that respected the condition. Swimming built the engine. Then at 13 I got on a road bike, and that was that.
What followed still surprises me when I write it down. Twelve years as a professional, across four WorldTour teams — Team Sky, Movistar, Katusha–Alpecin and IPT. Fifteen professional wins, including two stage wins at the Giro d’Italia. Six national time-trial titles. A Commonwealth Games gold. And in 2015, the one I’m asked about most: the UCI Hour Record, set in Manchester — the purest, most honest hour in cycling, just you and the bike against everyone who came before.
What followed still surprises me when I write it down. Twelve years as a professional, across four WorldTour teams — Team Sky, Movistar, Katusha–Alpecin and IPT. Fifteen professional wins, including two stage wins at the Giro d’Italia. Six national time-trial titles. A Commonwealth Games gold. And in 2015, the one I’m asked about most: the UCI Hour Record, set in Manchester — the purest, most honest hour in cycling, just you and the bike against everyone who came before.
The purest, most honest hour in cycling, just you and the bike against everyone who came before.
The purest, most honest hour in cycling, just you and the bike against everyone who came before.
In 2021 I went back for the Hour again. I didn’t beat the record that time, but it raised more for the haemophilia community than the first one ever did and that’s the attempt I’m prouder of.
In 2021 I went back for the Hour again. I didn’t beat the record that time, but it raised more for the haemophilia community than the first one ever did and that’s the attempt I’m prouder of.
I retired from racing at the end of 2022. I’m now a performance engineer at XDS Astana which means I spend my days hunting the marginal gains: the aerodynamics, the positions, the tiny things that decide bike races. Some of that work went into Mark Cavendish’s record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win which is about as good as this job gets. When I joined XDS Astana the team were facing a stark relegation. Within that first year, we had moved from 15th in the three year UCI rankings to 4th.
I retired from racing at the end of 2022. I’m now a performance engineer at XDS Astana which means I spend my days hunting the marginal gains: the aerodynamics, the positions, the tiny things that decide bike races. Some of that work went into Mark Cavendish’s record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win which is about as good as this job gets. When I joined XDS Astana the team were facing a stark relegation. Within that first year, we had moved from 15th in the three year UCI rankings to 4th.
Helping Cav win his 35th Tour Win was a huge milestone.
Helping Cav win his 35th Tour Win was a huge milestone.
The thread through all of it is haemophilia. I’m the only elite professional sportsperson in the world with it, and I’ve never seen that as something to hide. In fact, it’s the most useful thing I’ve got. It’s why I started Little Bleeders, why I speak at medical and patient events and why I’ll keep telling the story for as long as people want to hear it.
The thread through all of it is haemophilia. I’m the only elite professional sportsperson in the world with it, and I’ve never seen that as something to hide. In fact, it’s the most useful thing I’ve got. It’s why I started Little Bleeders, why I speak at medical and patient events and why I’ll keep telling the story for as long as people want to hear it.
So that’s me. If you want to go faster, talk to me about coaching. If you’ve got a room that needs filling, book me to speak. And if you just wanted the story - thanks for reading it.
So that’s me. If you want to go faster, talk to me about coaching. If you’ve got a room that needs filling, book me to speak. And if you just wanted the story - thanks for reading it.
Astana
