Josh Cunningham

• born:

  12th August 1990

• team:

  Terra Footwear-Bicycle Line

• sponsors:

  The Dave Rayner Fund, Terra Footwear-Bicycle Line

• Racing base:

  Zottegem, East Flanders

• home town:

  bourne, East Sussex, UK

• nickname:

  Managed to pick up a few this year in the house -

• website:

  www.joshcunninghamcycling.com

• Facebook:

  www.facebook.com/joshua.cunningham90

• Twitter:

  @CoshJunningham

• likes:

  Off the bike I'm into my books, films, music and writing to pass the time. If I wasn't a racing cyclist I would get my kicks from some other type of physical hardship, travelling, and staying up late on school nights.

• dislikes:

  As little as possible - but if I had to say something, it's blokes who cut you up going into a corner, and drop the wheel coming out of it.

• favourite rider:

  It would be hard to see beyond Tom Boonen.

• favourite race:

  The Ronde Van Vlaanderen....pure bike racing.

• If money was no object what would be the first thing you would buy:

  A World Tour license? And some Assos winter kit, of course.

• What do you do when not racing:

  If I was Jens Voigt I would simply say

• Race history:

  I have been interested in cycling since I can remember, but didn’t take it up as a competitive sport until I was 18, for better or for worse. I rode the local circuit around Sussex and Surrey during the 2008 season, with my local club Bayeux Landscapes. With downtube shifters and a wonky helmet I also bagged some wins, so decided to take things a little more seriously going into 2009 with a move to the then called In-Gear Development Squad, riding a broad program from local crits, to Premier Calendars, to Good Friday at Herne Hill, to Belgian kermesses. The following year, with a couple of peers, I spent living in Belgium, riding a season of kermesses, more or less off our own backs, and taking a pounding while we were at it. In 2011 I returned to ride for the BVB side Royal Antwerp Bicycle Club, which was a chance to ride a calendar of Interclubs and continue the learning curve. Last year, I managed to get onto Viasport Publie-LED, a team with a real good amateur calendar, which coupled with my first year as a DRF rider, enabled me to make huge amounts of progress, on and off the bike, and put me in line for a place on one of the Top Competition sides going into 2013. 

   

• Best race(s) of the season:

  Is the the first time you have had support from the DRF?2013 will be my second season made possible by the support of the fund, after being lucky enough to benefit throughout last year too. If 2012 was anything to go by, which I’m sure it will be, then the fund’s support will continue to be a large factor in my progression as a rider during the 2013 season.

   

  What team are you joining in 2013? 

  In 2013 I will be riding for Terra Footwear-Bicycle Line, one of the 18 TopComp sides in Belgium, but one of the few that isn’t Continental. Anyone in touch with the fund will know that it is a team well introduced with English riders recently, with a good number of DRF riders in the ranks last year. In 2013 I will be joined by English, Irish and Kiwis to make what should be a pretty good set up. 

   

  What is your race programme looking like?

  As a TopComp side, I can expect the calendar to be as good as any amateur could hope for, with automatic entry for the 8 TopComp races throughout the year, as well as UCI 1.2s, Interclubs, and plenty of stage racing. The other benefit is of course being able to turn up and ride Pro-Kermesses. 

   

  Are you going on a training camp with the team? 

  No, which after getting deserted in a snowy Tuscany with no passport by my old team last year, mightn’t be so bad! I managed to get out to Majorca for a while prior to Christmas, and I’ll hopefully be able to do the same later into January to get ready for the start of the season. 

   

  When are you heading out to Europe?

  The first race weekend for the majority of us based in Belgium is the 23^rd/24^th February, with Beverbeek Classic, Gent-Staden and Brussel-Opwijk all falling on either the Saturday or Sunday. I’ll be at one of the three and hoping for + temperatures. To get settled though, I should imagine I’ll head out the weekend before.  

   

  2012 results

  6th - Ardooie. 110-120km (29.4.12)

  5th – Oordegem 110-120km (17.5.12)

  10th – St Kornelis Horebeke 110-120km (27.5.12)

  7th – Internatie Reningelst Interclub 170-180km (27.7.2012)

  11th -  Zingem Criterium 60-70km (5.8.12)

  8th – Grembergen 110-120km (16.8.12)

  8th – Balegem 110-120km (20.8.12)

  7th – Wolvertem 110-120km (2.9.12)

  3rd – St Gillis Waas 110-120km (6.9.12)

  6th – Wetteren 110-120km (10.9.12) 

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