British rider Adam Blythe grabbed the headlines last weekend when he won two stages and the GC in the Circuit Franco-Belge, a UCI 2.1 stage race with a history stretching back to 1924.
Blythe became one of the youngest-ever winners in the event, beating Sep Vanmarcke (Topsport Vlaanderen) by six seconds and Jakob Fuglsang (Saxo Bank) by seven.
The superb victory comes towards the end of his first full pro season with the Omega Pharma Lotto team, which initially signed him as a stagiare in 2009. Their interest in the-then Konica Minolta rider was due to a string of top placings in Belgium plus a win in stage seven of the Thuringen Rundfahrt in Germany.
This year, he’s settled in very well. He was fifth on a stage during his Giro debut, and strong placings in races like the GP Fourmies (4th) and Omloop van het Houtland (3rd) indicate that the Sheffield man is rapidly finding his feet.
But it is his stirring Franco-Belge triumph which confirms his arrival at the highest level. Notably, his first stage win was achieved the day before his 21st birthday.
Blythe showed his ability at a very young age, beating some of Britain’s best senior track riders at just 14 years old. It was apparent that he was a very talented young man, but it’s sometimes the case that precocious talent which burns too brightly, too soon, is extinguished by the time the senior ranks are reached.
However this is not the case with him. He was on the British World Class Performance Plan and was a member of the GB team pursuit squad which won the European Championships in 2006 and 2007. Paired with Peter Kennaugh, he won the U23 race at the Gent Six in 2007.
He then decided that ‘the plan’ was not for him, and instead joined South African Continental squad Konica-Minolta. In 2008 and 2009, he picked up wins in Belgium’s Schaal Indeku Hulshout and a stage in the Tour of Hong Kong.
His progression since then has showed that he is on the right track, and that he is very much one to watch for the future. VeloNation spoke to him the day after his overall win.
VeloNation: Congratulations on what was a great victory. Can you tell us a little about Franco-Belge?
Adam Blythe: It’s held in the south west of Belgium and northern France, there are lots of ridges to climb, a few cobbles – a typical Belgian stage race held over four days.
VN: You had a bit of a fright on the last stage…
AB: Yes, with seven kilometres to go I had a flat tyre and it was a cross/head wind – I was panicking like mad! Fortunately, my team mate, Olivier Kaisen had been off the back a little and came past me, he took me right back up – he did an excellent job.
In fact, the whole team did, I was getting eased out of the back on the climbs on the last day but they brought me back up, every time.
VN: It’s taken you a while to get your first wins with the team.
AB: I’ve been trying hard! I was close in that Giro stage, but you need confidence and a bit of luck, it’s not like it’s all a surprise to me. I rode stagiaire last year, so I knew what to expect this season.
VN: On stage one, you beat Ciolek and Van Hummel, quality names.
AB: I was due Kenny one! He rode me into the railings at Lichtervelde, although he didn’t do it on purpose. Van Dijk won, Kenny finished second and I was third.
VN: Liquigas were rampant on stage two; did you think it was slipping away?
AB: I was worried, yes. It was a mad finish, rain, cobbles - there was a crash with eight to go but I managed to get round it. We were away in a little group and I thought we’d get it but were caught and Liquigas just destroyed it.
VN: You were back at the top of the podium on stage three…
AB: It was a good day for me, even though it was pissin’ it down with rain and the start was very hard. I got on Weylandt’s wheel. The way it worked out he had to commit early, I left it as late as I could and just nipped round him at the line.
Kenny Dehaes did good work for me that day and so did Staf Scheirlinckx – I just have to ask them what I want done and they do it.
VN: Was it good for you that Philippe Gilbert wasn’t there?
AB: I don’t think that Phil would mind if I say that I’m faster than him in a bunch sprint, now – so I don’t think it would have altered things.
VN: What’s he like as a team leader?
AB: Right now he’s pretty gutted about how the Worlds went; when he got away he was thinking someone come with him but he was on his own – if you have a 20 seconds lead in the finale of the Worlds you don’t sit up and wait.
He’s a brilliant team leader, always very thankful for work that you do for him. He’s generally a good guy, you’ll never hear him slagging anyone.
VN: You were third at Fourmies - was that a sign of form coming?
AB: That race was a bit of a tussle; but I’ve been keeping the training going, doing intense work to try and help my sprint. A lot of other guys are only doing two hours a day, just to keep ticking over – it’s a long season and they’re looking forward to putting their feet up.
VN: How was the Giro?
AB: It was a brilliant experience, I had Charly Wegelius and Matt Lloyd helping me, telling me what I should be doing. It would have been nice to finish but I think that if I’d finished the Giro then I don’t think I’d have been in a position to win the Franco-Belge – I’d have been too tired.
I was fifth on stage three but when I looked at the video of it I reckon I could have made the podium, I went on the wrong side of Greipel and had to take the long way round.
VN: What does the rest of 2010 hold for you?
AB: I have Binche-Tournai-Binche tomorrow then Paris-Tours on Sunday, they’ve made the finish stickier but Phil should be back for then. My last race is at Putte-Kapellen on the 12th and then I’m off to Turkey on holiday. I’ll have three-and-a-half weeks off then start for 2011.
VN: What are your plans for 2011?
AB: I haven’t really thought about it but hopefully I’ll be doing the Vuelta; and the Worlds at Copenhagen are on a rolling course which should suit me.
VN: Finally, how did you celebrate your big win?
AB: A glass, maybe a bottle, of red wine, then I had to go to bed – I was knackered and I still have a few races to come…