Brother UK Cycling Podcast - Sam Watson interview
Season 4, Episode 30, Jan 02, 2023, 05:00 PM
Sam Watson is one of British cycle sport's most exciting young talents. The 21-year-old will begin 2023 with the UCI WorldTour team, Groupama-FDJ. His graduation from its development squad completes the first stage of a rapidly advancing career that even a global pandemic has been unable to slow.
Sam's rise might be described as meteoric, but there is no sign of him crashing to earth. Instead, his career has retained a vertiginous trajectory, year after year, since he first pinned on a number for Chevin Cycles in 2014.
Last year, Sam placed himself at the front and centre of the British sporting consciousness with magnificent rides at the national road race championships, where he won silver medals in the road and circuit races, and three top-ten finishes at the Tour of Britain.
The cognoscenti, however, might place greater emphasis on his triumph at the U23 Gent-Wevelgem or his stage five victory at the Tour d'Alsace. Even in era of exceptionally talented young riders, Sam can confidently claim a place among the world's best espoirs.
His development has been shaped by some of the most respected institutions in British cycle sport: Giles Pidcock's PH MAS team, British Cycling's Olympic Academy and the British-registered UCI Continental squad, Trinity Racing.
Perhaps the most valuable piece in Sam's jigsaw is the support of The Rayner Foundation. A hugely respected charity supporting British riders abroad, it occupies a special place in the affections of Brother Cycling.
In 2018, Phil Jones MBE, Brother UK's Managing Director, rode the entire route of the Tour of Britain one day ahead of the race to raise funds for its excellent work.