Interview Jo Rowsell
Interview Jo Rowsell
We here at LondonCycleSport can remember when Jo Rowsell first started racing at events in and around London. Riding in Sutton CC colours, a club well known for bringing on young riders, Jo would be battling at cross and road, but it was on the track that she would go on to become a World Champion.
Maria David talked to Jo.
Hello Joanna, Thanks for taking the time out from your busy schedule to talk to us.
Once again you have had a very successful 2009. How has it been for you?
The year started well with Copenhagen World Cup back in February where I came away with a bronze and a gold medal and two overall World Cup titles for the 2008-09 track season. Then there was the World Championships in March where I was very pleased and surprised to take 4th in the Individual Pursuit and take a big chunk off my PB, and then retaining the World Title in the Team Pursuit was also very special. I spent the first half of the summer in the UK but then spent two months in Belgium from July until September where I was riding crits and kermesses which I really enjoy and was pleased to take 5 wins in that time. Now I’m preparing for the Manchester World Cup and hoping all this racing will pay off! [Joanna, along with Lizzie Armistead and Wendy Houvenhagel, won gold and broke the world record in the women’s pursuit at the Manchester world cup.]
And tell me, what was life like when you won in Poland at the World Track Championships?
We went into the World Championships as the favourites having won 3 rounds of the World Cup and also the defending champions so there was more pressure this year compared to last year. To be honest when we won I felt more relieved than anything else!! It was also very different to 2008 as there were a lot more teams competing (14, which is more than there was in the men’s competition) and all the countries had improved a lot. We had a real fight to win the gold this year which made it a lot more exhilarating!
So, you now have 2 rainbow jerseys. Congratulations. Are you hoping to make it 3 in a row at Copenhagen next year?
Yeah, definitely. With the recent news from the UCI that the women’s Team Pursuit may become an Olympic event, it means we can focus on it a lot more, but it also means the other countries will all focus more time on the event. So I’m sure the competition will keep getting a lot tougher but that is good news for bringing the event on and I’m excited to see how much faster we will be able to go as we are pushed further!
And how are you modifying your preparations for the individual pursuit race?
If it is confirmed that the individual pursuit is no longer an Olympic event then preparing for the IP will just be done by Team Pursuit training. But the two events tie in really well so we’ll see how it works out!
You spend the winter through to spring doing track and then the summer months road racing. Which do you prefer?
I really enjoy the atmosphere in the track when there is a big crowd cheering you on and I love the feeling of going fast in the Team Pursuit. So I think I would say the track is my favourite. But I also really enjoy racing on the road in the summer and the road racing definitely helps for the track.
How does road racing in Belgium or France compare with racing in the UK? Did you have to adjust much?
It is a very different style of racing, with much bigger bunches and more teams so there is always someone attacking! I don’t think it takes too long to adjust and I really enjoy racing out there.
At the age of 15, when the British Cycling talent team came to your school to carry out the initial tests, did you know at that point that you wanted to become a cyclist, or were you just curious and wanting to skip double maths?
No, I knew barely anything about cycling back then. The story about getting out of double maths is true!! I was just curious to see what it was all about and how I could do. I never imagined back then I would be in this position now!
Did you already have an aptitude for sport at that time?
I’d always enjoyed sport and when I was younger I’d done quite a bit of swimming and I’d represented my school in athletics and cross country running with no real training for it. So I didn’t do any regular sport at that time but I knew I was relatively fit compared to other girls of my age.
How did you fit in studying, training and racing?
It was quite difficult to fit in studying for my GCSEs and then A-Levels whilst on the ODP then the Academy programme. When I took my A Levels I took a break from racing for a few weeks in order to have more time to revise. But in general whilst I was at school it was quite easy to get into a routine to fit my training around my time table.
So where is home nowadays?
Nowadays home is in Cheshire! It’s good for road training and not too far into Manchester to the track.
And how often do you see family and friends?
The only times I go home are Christmas and this year at the end of April / beginning of May when I had a break. My family often come to watch me race so I still get to see them quite a lot but the only time I get to see friends from home is usually around Christmas time.
What do you like to do in your free time (assuming you have any)?
I enjoy shopping, although don’t get much chance for this! I am also interested in cooking and enjoying making meals from scratch when I get time. I enjoy reading and watching films, which are good for when resting up in hotels before a major competition.
What advice would you give other young people who would like to get into cycling racing?
I would advise joining a good local club where there are people to train with regularly and there will also be friendly faces at races, which always helps.
Thank you Jo, and best of luck with the rest of your season.
