Meet Your Cycling Coaches
Simon: Founder and Head Coach
The first thing you need to know is I am not an elite cyclist. I cycle because, for me, it’s the greatest way to stay fit, challenge myself, and go on adventures.
So who am I and what’s my background? I’m a two-time award-winning trainer and the founder of Velo Performance or VPCC for short.
I love a bit of a challenge; 3 years ago I rode a 20-mile loop covering just over 315 miles in 24 hours with an elevation of 19,000 ft to beat the current record holder, raced Tour de Mont Blanc Sportive a 330 KM race around Mont Blanc climbing 8,300 meters, cycled Lands End to John O’Groats in 5 days covering 960.58 miles with 55,379 ft of climbing and recently won the 2-day solo category stage race Inferno Swiss 2024.
I keep getting told that at my age I’m going to get slower. But that’s not the case. At the age of 54, I still can ride fast in a group, climb fast and smash out PB’S (My Sa Calobra Time is 31.33)
I started Velo Performance because I want to help cyclists hitting 40+ get more out of their cycling training and get in great shape on and off the bike. As we get older we are led to believe that we naturally slow down, get fatter and lose our ability to ride our bikes hard and fast. Here's the thing yes that can happen BUT it doesn't have to if you know how to train specifically and eat the right foods.
Most of the training information you see online is aimed at younger cyclists with nutrition advice focused on diet and fat loss rather than enhancing performance, recovery and improving body composition for master cyclists. As a coach and keen cyclist, I've made it my mission to keep learning the facts and science of what works best in training and diet to keep us strong on our bikes and healthy as we age. (we coach younger cyclists too)
None of us at VPCC are pro cyclists. We ride bikes and train because it’s a shared passion and we want to get fitter, faster and healthier. My coaching goal is to get you to think positively about what you can accomplish as you age, help you make educated changes to training, diet and set self-inspirational goals whether that’s riding 20 miles, Le Jog, getting in the best shape of your life to climb up Mount Ventoux or riding a Classic Sportive then I want to help you accomplish that.
Sue: Velo Performance Coach
Sue is a highly qualified British Cycling coach with six years of experience. She holds Level 2 qualifications in Road, TT, and Track coaching, and is certified by the ABCC (Association of British Cycling Coaches). Sue specialises in working with cyclists going through the phases of menopause.
Sue's commitment to continuous learning and staying at the forefront of coaching practices is evident through her participation in specialised courses. She recently completed the Menopause for Athlete Course run by Dr. Stacy Sims, which equips her with valuable knowledge and insights into effectively coaching female athletes during the menopausal transition. This demonstrates Sue's dedication to understanding the unique challenges and needs of women in sports and her passion for providing inclusive and supportive coaching.
Road cycling is in my blood but track has become a real passion of mine. I had always wanted to give riding on a velodrome a go and had the opportunity to attend a club intro session to track riding. At the end of the session we took part in a 1 lap-timed sprint, and I won it! Plus the coach leading the session mentioned that was a very good time. I absolutely loved the feeling of riding on the boards. I have a competitive nature and wanted to investigate what I could do. After a few more visits to the velodrome, purchasing my own track bike, some coaching, and trying a couple of different events I decided to focus on the 500m TT and sprint. A big switch in training from endurance to strength and explosive efforts with lots of track time to hone in the skills, especially starts, and tactics for the sprint. Plus I got to ride around the velodrome behind a motorbike, which is something else! When the 2019 Master Track Champs came around I was ready to give it my best. I borrowed a set of fast wheels, (nearly) nailed the start and won the 45 - 49 age group 500m TT and got a silver the next day in the sprint!
Pete: Velo Performance Coach
Pete is an Endurance & GB Age Group athlete, Ironman Coach, level 3 Personal Trainer, Strength Coach, and Our Specialist Duathlon and Triathlon Coach.
“My love for endurance-based training and racing comes from my 24-year career as a British Army Commando. As you can imagine, endurance is at the foundation of most of what I had to do and endure in the forces.
The Army is where I started out running everything and anything from a 5km Park Run to the 125km Canadian Death Race, where I managed to podium in my Age Group.
Mountain biking followed quickly after where I competed in 24-hour and multistage events in Canada (Trans Rockies MTB Race) and subsequently went on to race for the Army XC team competing at a national level.
Triathlon was the next step. I was soon into the Ironman distance qualifying and racing the 70.3 World Champs and have podiumed a few times in other races within the 40 - 44 age group. I recently had a light bulb moment; why don’t I put my two strongest disciplines together, so I had a crack at qualifying for the GB Age Grouper duathlon team at a standard distance where I managed to qualify in 2022, raced in the 2023 Duathlon World Champs for GB and managed a top 10 finish.
My passion has always been coaching and mentoring. I've gathered years of practical experience and expertise in endurance sports, and I'm always expanding my own knowledge in order to help others realise their own potential. I get a lot of satisfaction from helping Triathletes and Duathletes build their best race splits.