Mallorca with Madison Genesis – parts four, five, and six
We headed to the Balearics with retired British WorldTour rider, Roger Hammond, and his Madison Genesis team. The newly-strengthened Milton Keynes squad will be at the sharp end of domestic racing this season and carrying the fight to the WorldTour giants at the country’s UCI races, including the RideLondon-Surrey Classic and the Tour of Britain.
Ian Bibby told us that the Tour of Britain gets bigger every year, and that British riders “step it up” for the country’s biggest race. He should know. Bibby was lying sixth overall, 19 seconds off the overall lead with two stages remaining in 2011, when a crash with Geraint Thomas ended his race. Widely considered talented enough for the WorldTour, Bibby will be hoping for more this season.
Sam Hayes headed to the giant Milton Keynes headquarters of the team owner in December to be interviewed for an entirely different role. A chance meeting in the hallway with Hammond, who instantly recognised him from his time last year as Team UK Youth’s soigneur, saw him leave with a different job – mechanic to Madison Genesis. “I love it,” the 23-year-old told us. “At the end of the day, I’m working for a professional cycling team, and going to professional cycling races.
A picture paints a thousand words, they say, and a moving picture may add more. You can ‘meet’ the riders and staff featured in our series of colour features, and see the roads of Mallorca for yourself in the team’s video.
