Name
William Harding
Age
18
Where do you live
Mold, North Wales
What attracted you to Cycling Sheffield
I was attracted to ride for Cycling Sheffield because they develop riders in the under-23 category and have had some great successful riders like Connor Swift. They provide a good race calendar with a mix of national and international races, allowing me to gain valuable race experience.
Aims for 2021
In 2021 I would like to gain some vital experience as a first year U23 rider. I hope to achieve this by racing with new team mates and learning from Dave, our Knowledgeable team manager. My race goals are to win a National B and be in the top 10 at a National A series race. These are hard goals, but I think they are achievable with good training and a bit of luck. My last goal, which sometimes is forgotten, is to enjoy riding my bike.
First bike
My first ‘proper’ bike was an Isla Cnoc 14.
Earliest cycling hero
My inspiration from a young age has been Chris Froome, after watching the 2012 Tour de France, where he battled with Bradley Wiggins for team leadership and having not receiving it he then dominating the Tour for years after. I admire his scientific approach to racing and training that has made him the most successful modern day General Classification rider.
First race you watched
The first race I remember watching on TV was the 2012 Tour de France.
First race you rode
North Wales Go-Race Mountain Bike race in Wrexham at the age of six. I finished second, because in the ‘sprint’ to the line, I looked round to see where the other rider was and he came round me on the opposite side!
Favourite race to watch
The Tour, as it attracts the fastest riders and it goes on for a whole three weeks. I love the different races within race, such as GC and the multiple jerseys.
Fondest cycling memory
My best cycling memory was at a Welsh Cycling Mountain Bike camp at Christmas in the Afan Forest a few years ago. It was a real adventure for me as a few of us got on the train to travel from North Wales to Newport in South Wales. We stayed in a five-star hotel and ate like kings every night! The riding was so good and the trails and hills in Afan Forest were awesome; even in the cold and rain! We also had a day riding at Bike Park Wales. It was definitely the best few days of riding I’ve had with some real cool people that just made the camp memorable.
Favourite place to ride
My favourite place to ride has to be be Calpe where I have been lucky enough to go for my February Training camps for the last two years. The riding there is just the best with super smooth tarmac, very little traffic and polite drivers, endless amounts of climbs of varying lengths and gradients and so many pro-teams you can ride with. If the tarmac in North Wales was as smooth as Calpe then that would have to be my pick as we have so many ace roads.
