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Dream Come True for Russell Downing
Story posted January 6, 2010; by Larry Hickmott |
Related Features: Team Launch | Ben Swift | Peter Kennaugh |
For over a decade, Russell Downing, 31, from Rotherham in South Yorkshire, has been a British based rider whose legs have done the talking in domestic races but his heart was elsewhere. Unsurprisingly, for a born winner, he wanted a pro cycling team to give him the opportunity to show his ability on a bigger stage against the world's best and in 2010, Team Sky has given him that opportunity.
Russell has been winning the biggest races in Britain for well over a decade and he almost got a foot in the pro peloton at an early age when in 2000 he signed for the Linda McCartney pro cycling team. That dream though didn't last long and the team unfortunately folded before he had got the chance to show himself in the pro races every young kid dreams of competing in.
Since then, Russell has spent the last ten years doing his best to get that big break. He raced for many small pro teams that gave him the chance to race abroad but it's really in the last few years since he signed for a big supporter of his, Phil Griffiths (Yellow Ltd), that things have been looking brighter for Russell. Over the last few years, he raced in the colours of the Pinarello/CandiTV team of Phil Griffiths and that gave him the opportunity to prove he was worthy of a pro contract in races like the Tour of Ireland.
No-one was more pleased when Russell won a race than former pro and now MD of Yellow Ltd, Phil Griffiths.
Prior to a second place in 2008 and then a Tour of Ireland overall victory in 2009, Russell's biggest victories were mainly in Britain. There are few, if any, Premier Calendar races he hasn't won and in 2005, he was the British Road Race Champion. It was though the Tour of Ireland victory in 2009 that was a key to him signing for Team Sky. On Monday (January 4), at the dawn of a new decade and new year, there he was, along with the other Team Sky riders, on the 29th floor of Millbank Tower mingling with the press from around the world.
The dream, he says, still hadn't sunk in, even after the team launch. I guess it won't be until he arrives in Australia and the final preparations are made before the Tour Down Under that it will sink in and Russell will feel every bit the Team Sky rider that he is. "I've always wanted to ride in ProTour events" he told me "and it's finally happened.I think this is going to be one of the best teams in the world. The best support staff, structure, everything. It's looking very exciting. I've had small teams behind me but never anything like this and I think everyone is going to gel together."
Senior director sportif for Team Sky, Scott Sunderland, has been instrumental in putting the team of riders together and admitted on stage at the launch that at the start of the team building process, the list of riders probably numbered many hundreds. It was then whittled down to only those the team felt suited the team's goals and ambitions and importantly, the philosophy of the team. Sunderland, who has ridden with and directed riders at the very highest level, described the team as a mix of youth and experience and expressed how important it was that all the riders were team players. The cliché, "there is no 'i' in team" is a perfect fit for Team Sky.
So, to make that very select group is both an honour and justice for Russell. Having followed Russell's fortunes on the road and track, including his spell in the Great Britain track team with his brother Dean, I am sure I speak for many people in saying that justice has finally been served that a truly talented rider has been given the chance to show what he can do at the very highest level.
For so many years, Russell has been almost untouchable in Britain and in 2008 that was certainly the case when he seemed to win pretty much most races whether it was a Premier Calendar event or a stage in a smaller UCI event abroad. The competition in Britain was stronger in 2009 though with other riders like Ian Wilkinson pushing him hard, but Russell on his day was still pretty much unbeatable.
Several wins at the race everyone wants to win -- the Lincoln GP -- was proof if needed that Russell is a winner through and through.
He now though moves up a level or three. He knows from having gone from riding domestic races to the World Road Race Championships two years in a row that he has the ability to fit right in with the best riders in the world. Russell also knows though that he won't be the team leader at Sky as he has been in British teams."I think I'll have a dual role" says Downing. "In the shorter stage races, I can maybe pick a few stages to go for but I know there are quicker guys than me on the team, and, in the bigger races, I will help them. I've always been more or less on my own in races, but the opportunity to work in a big team is one I'm really looking forward to."
"The last two years have definitely been my strongest" says Downing. "Since I signed for Team Sky, my motivation has been super high as they're giving me the chance I've dreamed of. I don't feel I have anything to prove to anyone, but I want to grab this opportunity and enjoy it. I know I can be a good team player and these are exciting times."
Russell, right of picture, with his Team Sky teammates at the pre launch ride around St James Park. A few years ago (2006), Russell stood on the podium at the Tour of Britain at this part of London wearing the jersey of Best British rider.
In at the beginning -- Tour Down Under
His first race will also be the start of the racing campaign for Team Sky. As such, the pressure will be on the seven man quad as the eyes of the cycling world look at what this much heralded cycling team can do. Already, several of the riders scheduled to do the Tour Down Under have been showing some great form in Australian races but it's been a little bit more tricky for Russell to get race fit during the coldest winter in Britain for 30 years. Russell explained that he's been training with fellow Rotherham and Team Sky rider Ben Swift and how they have managed to get in some hard work on the road as well as in a heat chamber.
Prior to the Beijing Olympic Games, Ben Swift was one of the GB riders who saw first hand how a heat chamber could help them acclimatise and both Ben and Russell have been making use of that GB experience to prepare for this important season opener. "It's been pretty cold but I've not done badly" Russell explained. "I did a good week long training block in Portugal and have been in Manchester between Christmas and the New Year, doing work in the heat chamber there. "We had it up to 40 degrees and I was working on the trainer and the treadmill - the only day I've had off was Christmas Day."
"I love training hard but I've not been able to do that with the weather but I'm trying to keep calm as it's a long year. It's January and I expect to be still racing in October. It's a long season and I don't need to beat myself up anymore."
Another aspect of how the team will benefit from the experience the Sky staff have gained at Team GB is in the planning for the Tour Down Under. In his interview on the team Sky website, race coach Rod Ellingworth explained how in the past week he has been taking care of the final preparations for the ProTour race.
"I want to make sure that the seven Team Sky riders are all keyed in together and doing the same thing. They've got 10 days when they get to Australia to prepare for the race. I did the training plans for that and sent them out to all the Sports Directors and senior staff. And then it goes out to the riders. I also spoke to all the riders just to make sure their final week leading into that period is correct. And then I spoke to the nutritionist Nigel Mitchell to get a travel plan in place for the guys travelling out from Europe to Australia, to make sure there's everything in place food-wise that they'll need to reduce any travel issues."
Another example from Russell winning in 2009. This race was at Colne in Lancashire.
Russell flies, weather permitting, to Australia on the 7th which will give him and the other European based riders, ten days or so to get adjusted and fine tune things before the racing begins. "CJ (Sutton) and Hendy (Henderson) are going well out there" Russell said "and so we'll be looking to help them out. After that, we go on to race in Qatar and I'll be able to see how the form is after a week long stage race. During the year, I'm hopeful I'll get the odd opportunity like I did last year in Ireland which I took with both hands."
For a rider who has been looking to live the dream, an expression his brother Dean has used for many a year, getting the opportunity to go from the ranks of a domestic pro to one in a ProTour team must have made Russell feel like a teenager again. "Its weird" he replied when I put that to him. "I have always wanted this for years and now it's happened. I think it's brilliant it has come at this time in my life because if I had been younger, it may have gone to my head a little bit."
One thing is for sure, not having the British Circuit race champion tearing up the tarmac in Britain in 2010 will lead to more open racing in the Premier Calendar and so on but like anyone who has become such an integral part of the scene here, the Fonz will be missed. More importantly though, his presence in the team is one of the major links to racing here in the UK. Russell has showed if you're good enough, you can live the dream and I hope his dreams and aspirations for himself and the team, are realised in 2010. One thing is for sure, he may be out of sight but thanks to the Team Sky website, he won't be out of mind. Good luck Russell!
Previous teams: 2001, Linda McCartney; 2002, Iteam-Nova.com; 2003, Team Life Repair; 2004-05, Recycling.co.uk; 2006, Team DFL Cyclingnews-Litespeed; 2007, Team Healthnet; 2008-09, Candi-TV-Pinarello Racing Team
Upcoming schedule: Tour Down Under 19-24 January, Tour of Qatar 7-12 February, Clasica de Almeria 28 February.
Tour Down Under line-up: Russell Downing, Chris Froome, Mathew Hayman, Greg Henderson, Chris Sutton, Ben Swift and Davide Viganò.
RELATED LINKS
Team Sky Launch -- Report & Photos
Team Sky -- How you can stay upto date -- Team Website