After completing the road race and time trial double at the British Para-cycling Road Race Championships at Pembrey Country Park, hand-cyclist Luke Jones said: “The para-cycling community is very friendly and we are always willing to help others”.
So far, Jones has had another very successful season in which he has conquered many goals. He said: “I set a dream goal three years ago to get a top 10 position in a UCI World Cup, which I achieved this year by securing 9th place. The World Cup was a big result for me and also a great experience racing against 59 of the best athletes in the world”.
Defending his British title back in July at the British Para-cycling Road Race Championships, and thus achieving another of his goals which he appointed at the beginning of his racing career, Jones reflected on how it felt in becoming Double British Champion: “Winning the road race and the Time Trial at the British Para-cycling Road Race championships at the start of July felt great, and to do it in Wales made it that much sweeter. I knew my form was good after a brilliant result in the World Cup so I just tried to hold it all together over the two days, especially when nerves came into play”.
When we caught up with the Carmarthenshire rider, he was very keen to encourage others to get involved in the sport, as he said: “Just go and give it a go is the best advice I can give”.
For those who are thinking about getting involved with para-cycling, these are the words of encouragement from the Double British Champion: “Para-cycling is a pretty social sport and regardless of the level you are at or your average speed, we are all the same. I’ve definitely met some great people along the way.
He added: “I’m by no means what you would call a natural cyclist but I’ve surprised myself at what I’ve achieved. Originally I got involved with para-cycling just to get my weight down, I was never competitive before my accident. However, after attending a few races I wanted to see how far I could go so I set myself some goals and have just kept pushing until I have reached them”.
His success does not come alone without all the hard-work that he puts in across the season. The Carmarthenshire rider said: “Training is going well. In terms of what my training consists of, it is pretty much just bike and light work in the gym, I hate gym work to be perfectly honest. I am doing a lot of high intensity intervals on the bike at the moment to get me prepared for the last few races.
Jones continued: “It has been a long season as I did not take a break over the winter so this year I will listen to my body and take a complete break. After some rest, I will start building a base for next year which will involve long steady rides. Winter is tough; volume is high and it is pretty lonely so I would like to get involved with some groups over the winter – maybe even start doing some swimming”.
Commenting on para-cycling in Wales, Jones said: “The hand-cycling scene in Wales is pretty low on numbers but I feel some exposure for myself and others that are out there in Wales, such as Matt Faucher, will encourage others to consider the sport. Admittedly, it is an expensive sport which makes it difficult, but the rewards are so worth it”.
In order to try and combat these low numbers, Welsh Cycling have established a number of Para Hubs throughout Wales and also hold inclusive Go-Ride sessions in order to complete the pathway and to try and enhance the engagement with the sport. With prestigious events such as the British Para-Cycling Road Race Championships being held in Wales for the first time, at the National Closed Road Circuit at Pembrey Country Park, this is another way of creating exposure for the sport to encourage participation.
With his sight set on his next challenge, the hand-cyclist is already setting the foundations for the future moving forward. He said: “unfortunately I did not get selected for the World Championships which will be held in Holland in September. However, there is a big race in Yorkshire the week after the World Championships and most of the guys that raced in the World Championships will be there so I would love to have another shot at competing in amongst the world’s best to see how I get on. I will then do the Mallorca Hand-bike tour in October”.
To conclude, the Jones said: “After a short break I will set some new goals and go again. Moving forward, I would definitely love to be more involved with Welsh Cycling as I think it would help keep me motivated during the lonely long indoor rides over the winter”.
