Q&A with Paul Opie & Tom Mead

Two juniors in 2024, Paul Opie and Tom Mead who rode for Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club, are heading to France as first year Under 23 riders to take on the challenge of racing against the elite riders in Europe.

Q&A with Paul Opie & Tom Mead

Two juniors in 2024, Paul Opie and Tom Mead who rode for Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club, are heading to France to DN2 team C’chartres cyclisme, as first year Under 23 riders, to take on the challenge of racing against the elite riders in Europe. Both have raced abroad thanks to their clubs taking them to races on mainland Europe and ready to live the dream living and racing abroad. Here’s a Q&A with them … (thanks guys!)

Q: How long have you two been bike racing?
Paul: I started racing as a 1st year junior in 2022 with Lee Valley coming from a background of running when I was younger.

Tom: I started racing as a 1st year Under 16 but I’ve been riding for fun since much younger.

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Q: Congrats on heading to France to race your bikes. When did you decide to base yourself in France to race?
Paul: this year I noticed the success that other British riders in France were having and with many of the British teams folding, thought it would be a good idea to apply to some French teams and see what responses I got.

Tom: I had seen lots of British juniors move to France for Under 23 races. It looks like a really good racing scene to develop in and there’s a clear pathway for moving up the ranks.

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Q: What part of France will you both be based?
Paul/Tom: We will be living together in Chartres where the team is based, not far from Paris. Most of our races will be in northern and central France that we will travel to with the team.

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Q: What are you goals going to a French team for 2025?
Paul: I’m aiming to gain experience in new types of races, be as competitive as possible, and achieve enough results in regional and elite national races to make it onto a DN1 team for 2026.

Tom: My goals are to gain experience in the elite nationals and to get enough results to join a DN1 team for my 2nd year U23. We also get to do a few UCI events during the year so it will be a great experience to race in those.

Paul Opie

Q: Your club Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club took you abroad in 2024 as a Junior – what were your highlights?
Paul: we were lucky to have a really varied calendar with Lee Valley last year. The Tour of Ireland and Dutch UCIs such as Acht van Bladel and 3 days of Axel were definitely highlights.

Tom: I really enjoyed the Tour of Ireland as we got to spend a week with the whole team and you get a lot of time to relax in the hotel between stages. We also got to do a lot of Belgian kermesses which are always really fun weekends away and a different style of racing.

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Q: Will you both be a first year U23s racing in France?
Paul/Tom: Yes.

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Q: When do you expect your season to start in 2025?
Paul/Tom: Our season begins the week after a training camp in Girona on the 2nd of March at the elite national race Vallée de la Loire.

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Q: Do you know yet of any events in 2025 abroad that you are looking forward too?
Paul/Tom: We are both really looking forward to the elite national stage races such as Tour de Deux Sevres, Essor Breton and Estivale Brettone, as well as the UCI events that we’ll be doing such as Tour d’Eure et Loire and Paris Tours U23.

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Q: Is racing abroad very different to racing here in the UK
Paul/Tom: Whilst the junior national series was great, it couldn’t compete with racing abroad with closed roads and fields of over 150 at junior level. We’re looking forward to seeing how that translates at elite level races.

Tom Mead

Q: Will you both be racing here in the UK too or focusing on racing abroad during the season?
Paul/Tom: We’ll be aboard the whole season, but are planning to come back for the week in June to race the national road champs. It will be an amazing experience to race with WorldTour riders.

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Q: What race in 2024 was the most fun to do?
Paul/Tom: The first race of the season out in Mallorca was a cool experience going head to head with conti teams’ leadout trains

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Q: What result are you both most proud of from the 2024 season?
Paul: coming 2nd at Bath Road Clubs race (National Series) was probably my best result of the season, but I was happy to be consistently getting results abroad in the second half of the year

Tom: coming 2nd on stage 4 of Junior Tour of Wales was my best result this year and helped me to finish 8th GC. It was nice as I finished around 50th as a 1st year so I was happy to see a big improvement.

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Q: Are there key people who are helping you progress in the sport of cycling?
Paul: Firstly Bob and Julie for running the junior team and providing me with the opportunities to get the experience and results to move abroad. My coach Olivier NJ is always there to support me, as well as my parents.

Tom: A big thank you to my parents who have helped me progress a long way, especially my Dad who got me into cycling. It’s cool to share that passion with him. Also my coach, Matt Clements, for always supporting me and answering my many questions!

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Q: Finally, how is the winter training going for you both; has it changed to meet the demands of longer races and where are you training – UK or some where warmer!
Paul: it’s been going well, getting in some decent hours. I spent a few weeks in Cyprus and am now in Calpe with Tom where we’ll be living until February, avoiding the cold at all costs!

Tom: I always enjoy winter training as I can get out on my bike for some long hours, which is one of the things I love most in cycling. It’s amazing to be able to spend most of my winter in Calpe, training on perfect roads in the sun. That being said, nothing beats the Essex lanes when I’m back home, they have a special place in my heart.

Thanks guys; good luck in France and enjoy and make the most of the training in Calpe!

 

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