Pilot interview:earlier this weekEd Hood spoke with Bas Tietema, the man behind the new Tour de Tietema-Unibet team. Now he has his eye on one of the pilots, Harry Tanfield, an old friend and regular PEZ interviewer.
Harry Tanfield in Utrecht
It's been almost nine years since I metHarry Tanfield; March 2014 - Had just finished third to Evan Oliphant in the Gordon Arms Hill time trial at the Scottish Borders. From those simple amateur time trial dayswent around the block a little bit– but even before that he had an interesting career:
2012:finished in the top 20 at the Junior Paris-Roubaix.
2013:it wasn't remarkable, but he"it returned"the hard fought Rutland -"England's Paris-Roubaix".
Like KTM
2014:The year I was linked with him, he was in KTM colors and took fifth place in the BC u23 iTT. he was already on the podium in Belgian kermises, including a second place at Lauwe in West Flanders for a man who for a time at the turn of the century was winning big and"the next big thing"no Belgian cycling – Steven Caethoven.
2015:He was with John Herety's JLT Condor team and took the podium at Rutland.
2016:as"Pedal Paradise"he placed second in the British Elite Criterium series and won a stage at the Lake Tour of Poyang in China.
Yorkshire'18 – stage 1
2017:Bike Channel – Canyon was on the jersey this year and a string of firsts in the UK and mainland, not forgetting a stage win at the Kanzu Bay Chinese Tour
2018:Canyon Eisberg the team; Silver medals came in the individual time trials at both the British Championships and the Commonwealth Games And the result that drew attention to him - victory in Stage One, Tour of Yorkshire.
Valencia 2019 – Stage 1 TT
2019:World tour with the band Katusha. no"stands out"but fifth place on the BinckBankTour timesheet, just four seconds behind Stefan Küng, tells us the man wasn't"shudder".
2020:AG2R Mondiale in the jersey after the odd set-up doubled by Katusha. it was stage 15 of the Tour of Spain before he was forced to throw in the towel – seven days being the most consecutive days he has raced before the monster that is the Vuelta.
AG2R-La Mondiale
2021: "Equipe Qhubeka ASSOS"he said the name into his chest. Second place in the national judges' championships and fourth place in the Great Britain Road Race champions reminded us that he's a quality boy – as did his top five results in Belgium. But the South African team was doomed - so we're back in the draw for 2022. . .
Wallonia"21
2022:United Kingdom Continental Group Ribble Weldtite; many good domestic criteria results - but it has kept its hand in the North Sea at the Dutch and Belgian fairs. However, despite a good season, the Ribble Weldtite team folded at the end of the year, highlighting how difficult it is to secure sponsorship in this difficult economic climate.
2023;:Keep reading. . .
Pez: When did you hear that the writing was on the wall for the Ribble Weldtite team, Harry?
Harry Tanfield:The team was very open with us, we knew from August that they were looking forward to hearing from sponsors. an early termination of the Tour of Britain could not be avoided due to the circumstances, but that didn't help matters either. In September it was accepted that the team would not continue, so it gave us time to react. I've been talking to teams in Belgium and the Netherlands, but I've also been speaking with Tim Elverson about the 2023 incarnation of the Canyon team - AT85 Pro Cycling. But I finally decided to go to Holland, I like the racing there.
Tour of Britain 2022 stage 1
Pez: How did you cycle with the TDT-Unibet Cycling Team?
The guy who creates the team, Bas Tietema has a YouTube channel with 150,000 subscribers,Tour de Tietemaand he decided to create a continental team, he contacted me in July, but I had other proposals to consider - I made the decision to go with him in September, the program is good, the man has vision, the objective is to go Professional The team of 2024 and title sponsor Unibet is possible.
Subindo l'Angliru na Vuelta
PEZ: So it's a fixed installation?
It's set up in a way that suits professional European teams, there's an operations manager, an engineer, an owner, a media representative, Rob Harmeling is the DS. He was a pro with Histor and TVM and is a former Tour de France winner. The team's trainer is also a quality guy, Hugo Haak was a good driver on track and himself"coach of the year"in the Netherlands a few years ago. In terms of riders, there are no big names, but they all have good results – Joren Bloem was third on this year's Olympia's Tour, this is a tough race. Kevin Inkelaar won stages in Val d'Aosta, spent two seasons in Bahrain and raced the Vuelta.
Tanfield also rode on the break de la Vuelta - Stage 4 in 2020
PEZ: Are the bikes graded and how do you handle changing machines?
We are at Cannondale with Shimano Di2 Ultegra groupsets, I saw one at the groupset launch and they look perfect. As for switching bikes, it's pretty straightforward and something I've gotten used to over the years.
Harry's Cannondale 2023
PEZ: Do you already know your agenda?
Not specifically, but I know we have some good races - we start with the Tour of Antalya in Turkey, which is February 9th-12th and we are accepted for UCI races like Craft Ster van Zwolle and Baloise Tour of Belgium.
The Tour de Tietema-Unibet kit designed by Bas Tietema
PEZ: To where?'Lar'It is?
My girlfriend is Dutch and lives in Utrecht. we are in the process of choosing a place out there.
Kurne 2018
PEZ: Despite your commitments to Ribble UK, did you still manage some decent continental results in 2022, second at Omloop Mandel-Leie-Schelde Meulebeke for example?
I didn't do much – you really have to do some to get back to this racing style. I like the Kermis scene in Belgium and there's a good critical scene in Holland.
British critics are missing
PEZ: Will you miss the UK critical scene?
Of course, I grew up doing those races and this year I was second overall in the Tour Series, but the Canyon team was so dominant at those races. I've directed every round of the series and with all the traveling that requires you.
PEZ: And your winter break is already over?
This started after Stage Three of the Tour of Britain where I crashed. I was off the bike for six weeks - and was planning to ride the Belgian kermises in September. I came back before Christmas and then had some holidays before two weeks of training in Tenerife. We recently had a three day team camp near Arnhem with our first training camp in Spain in January.
Early season action at Valencia 2019
PEZ: Ambitions for 2023?
I would like a UCi win and collect some UCi points. I love the fights out there and they're a good group of guys. My role will not just be to get the best results for myself, I will have to do the team captain's job – helping the younger ones to get the best out of themselves. I'm looking forward to it. . .
It's not weird in Belgium – Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2019
# How's this song going?“I get hit, but I get up. . .'It could have been written about Mr. Tanfield. #
More podiums on the way for Harry Tanfield
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