By Alex O

John Ibbotson is not a great pro, but he has more personality in his little finger than the winners of all three grand tours combined. And, let’s face it. Great pro or not, he’s still a lot faster than you’ll ever be. We’re very excited to introduce him and his website to our readers. Let the other guys drone on about Lance, Lance, Lance, Jan, Lance, Jan, and Lance. We have Ibboworld! Check out John’s new fitness site Fit-For.

@##=#<1,c>@##=#NYVC How did the racing go for you this year?

JI Erm, pretty terrible actually. I did everything right all winter and started off the season with a string of top 5 places. And that was as good as it got. From May onwards I was in freefall descent. I just lost all motivation and drive to be competitive. Plus the team wasn’t paying me anymore – not good when you can’t afford to buy cake to go with that coffee

NYVC Have you given up on your dream of being a top pro?

JI Most definitely. The two years I spent in Belgium and Italy were brilliant, but at the same time it became blatantly obvious to me that I was not good enough. Sure I could finish races by scuttling around at the back and maybe even knick the odd place here and there, but that was not enough for me. The sacrifices I was making as a professional had to be reflected in the results – and these two things didn’t equate, so I came back to the UK to spend proper time with my fiancée.

NYVC Why did you think you weren’t good enough?

JI I couldn’t climb well enough, my sprinting was never very good and my time trialling was abysmal. Not a lot to go on is there? I was like the anti-Lance…. I’m also not really built for living away from home; I missed my friends and family. I do get asked that if I’d taken drugs would I still be in the peloton, the answer is no. You need more than just fantastic physical attributes to be a good rider. The good guys have such drive and determination – I never had that either…

NYVC What is the main difference between your local competition and the top pros?

JI Everything. They’re almost different sports. Pro races are very team orientated and this always dictates the race. The sheer speed at times is also mind boggling – you just cannot believe you can keep going this fast on a bike. Riding at 40mph for 15 miles straight is never as fun as it looks on the telly.

NYVC Best memories during the time you spent racing in Italy and Belgium?

JI Crikey! I have hundreds of these. Apart from the obvious ones of racing the big races with the big guys, in hindsight I now laugh so much about the dumb stuff that used to happen! The days when Vandenbroucke couldn’t be bothered to pedal anymore, or when the whole Mercatone Uno team decided to stop en mass for ice cream. Getting lost on the way to races or the unreliable team cars blowing up was always fun… I made a lot of friends during those years and I have fond memories of the hours we passed drinking coffee. It’s the sideways aspect of pro life I wanna explain here on Nyvelocity…

NYVC Have you ever been to or ridden in NYC – any comments?

JI I have to say I have never been to NY. I don’t even own a Yankees baseball cap… I think I’d fit right in though – I like drinking coffee and I like hot dogs;)

@##=#<2,R>@##=#NYVC Tell our readers about your new site, how is it different?

JI We can provide members with the same back up a professional team offers its riders. You want coaching? A guided bike ride with a service vehicle? A post event massage? Heavily discounted premium products? Sure, no problem. We can provide an almost limitless back up for members. At Fit-For we have everything under one roof – and if you sign up before December 31st you will receive a free year’s membership!

NYVC What does it offer people who are not local?

JI We can offer top level coaching (in all my years of being coached I only physically met my coach once!), discounted equipment, trips away, online services and of course we’ll email our free weekly newsletter, which’ll be packed full of latest training tips, advice and special offers

NYVC Where do you hope it will be in five years?

JI In five years I’d like to think we will have built a huge Fit-For network – we will have become a portal for everyone to come to when they require any sporting service. We will have rides and runs going out all over the UK. And maybe you’ll even have Fit-For guides and coaches taking out rides in NY!

NYVC What is your take on the upcoming trends for next year in cycling, fashion, training and bike design?

JI The next big trend in cycling will be coffee stop training. It’s so simple I can’t believe it hasn’t been done before. Down a strong espresso, hammer a few miles to the next coffee stop and down another espresso. After 8 or 9 you’ll be amazed at how fast you’re riding and how great you feel. (disclaimer: don’t blame me for the afternoon coffee comedown)

Fashion? Colour co-ordination will become a pre requisite. Sunglasses will only be worn on the forehead, Socks will forever be worn on the outside of the shoes. Also Lance’s high socks will become a shooting offence – and if they’re high and black then I might just go after him myself!

Carbon is reaching near saturation point, so I’m waiting for the Titanium revival! Having ridden a Ti frame this year and it being fantastic, I’m sure that titanium will be the new carbon…

Read more about John’s fashion advice here.

Also check out John’s new coaching site, fit-for.com.