Norfolk duo attempt challenging tandem race at festival
By: News Archive
A GB triathlete from the University of East Anglia (UEA) will guide a visually impaired Paralympic athlete as they both attempt the 100-mile tandem ride during the Great British Cycling Festival, which comes to Norfolk this week.
Thomas Levy who works at the UEA Sportspark as a personal trainer and UEA’s Enterprise Centre as a receptionist, is a GB athlete and has been guiding Iain Dawson who is registered blind, since 2018.
Iain is a seasoned para-triathlete who competed in the 2000 Sydney Summer Paralympics in track and road cycling and has won three European and three World triathlon titles, one World duathlon and two World aquathlon titles.
As a visually impaired athlete who has a genetic eye condition, Iain competes alongside a sighted guide who keeps him safe by communicating key information he needs to know. During cycling, this means Iain rides a tandem cycle with a guide in front who helps him steer and provides information on changes to the ride.
UEA is the local sponsor of the event and team UEA is made up of around 100 students, staff and riders from local businesses, but the Thomas and Iain are the only people attempting the race on a tandem, and both athletes predict some challenges.
Iain said: “It’s a significant ride and Thomas and I have done enough long-distance type events before, but I think the main issue is that it’s going to be busy.
“They’ll be hundreds and hundreds of people out there and other riders might not appreciate that we are on a tandem. It takes a bit more time for us to stop because we’ve got twice the weight, and it’s not as manoeuvrable around the corners.”
Thomas added: “On a tandem, it’s pretty difficult going uphill. The only way to get over hard hills is to grit your teeth and push on. However, the best part comes through downhills – doesn’t matter how old you are when you start going downhill fast, you feel ten years old again.”
The British Cycling Challenge is an open road event hosted during the 2019 HSBC UK National Road Championships and gives people the opportunity to share the road with professional athletes competing in the championships. The 100 mile journey will take them from Norwich to the North Norfolk coast, and back.
The Norfolk duo first met through mutual friends during competing in the 2016 Walchsee ETU Challenge Middle Distance Triathlon European Championships in Austria.
Thomas said: “I started guiding last year and had never guided before I met Iain. He is the only visually impaired athlete I have worked with.
“Riding a tandem for the first time was scary. It was like driving a van when all you’ve been used to is small go karts. Everything has to be communicated with your counterpart – every corner coming up, every gear change, every time you want to push a little bit – it all has to be communicated. Luckily for me, Iain is one of the most experienced tandem athletes out there so he makes steering super easy.”
Iain and Thomas’s top advice for other riders preparing for the event is:
- Be comfortable on your bike. Get a bike fit before the event to make sure that the four to six hour ride is a comfortable ride
- Make sure that you have enough to drink and eat on the day. Do a test ride before and find out if what you’re eating and drinking won’t make you feel sick.
- Keep your salt levels up. You can fill up a water bottle with coke to help you alongside drinking water.
- Find a group to ride with so you can draft behind them and save a bit of energy.
Thomas said: “I would like to wish everyone who will be riding good luck. I am sure we are all going to have a brilliant time. If you see us out on the road, come and say hello. We’d love to ride with some people and have a good laugh during the journey.”
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