Hobbies: Believe it or not my main hobby is cycling but when I am not in the saddle I like to spend time restoring the cottage where I live in Bucks. That is hard work obviously but rewarding. My time off I spend with my buddies just chilling in local coffee shops.

Training: My typical winter training week looks a lot like this: Monday: 1 hour Turbo Steady Tuesday: Track Session, Palmer Park Wednesday: 1 hour Turbo, Steady Thursday: Track Session, Palmer Park Friday: Rest day; even cross country stars have to have a day off! Sat: Cafe Run (Road) Sunday: 2-3 Hours AC (Road)

Diet: Generally I eat lots of porridge and loads of bread and honey! This gives me the energy (and sweetness) that I need.

How I got started: When I was a kid you just couldn't keep me off my bike. I guess I have always been into riding. I started MTB racing back in my early teens when I was working in a local bike shop alongside Paul Lasenby and other guys who were regularly racing. It was Paul that encouraged me to get involved in the sport. I did a few races with no particularly outstanding results but I enjoyed every minute. Then came the wilderness years because I passed my driving test. The bike, sadly, was relegated to the garage where it collected dust for several years. Then, about four years ago, I started working alongside some keen MTBers and that was enough to reignite the spark.

Why I like my bikes: I love the aesthetics of the Whyte 19 frame the back end especially shows a lot of attention to detail. You can definitely appreciate the lightweight frame when climbing those hills! And the aluminium frame is also designed to provide more give. It closely mimics the ride quality you get from a top end steel frame without the weight penalty!

Type of riding: Main discipline XC Closely followed by Road Tried my hand at cross but only competing on a MTB which put me at a considerable disadvantage to compete in the 06/07 season on a cross bike. D/H Once a year Lads annual trip to France - where we are particularly slothful and use the chair lifts: well, you have got to make the most of the facilities, haven't you?

Idols: Lazy: It is difficult to not hold Paul in such high regard after working closely with him over the years. Paul Lasenby is an un-believable resource of information and without his experience and advice I wouldn't be racing at the level I am today. Also, I totally respect someone who has achieved so much in the world of cycling that they can afford to display a UCI medal achieved at the junior world championships in their loo of all places: I kid you not. Lazy is my idol!