On Saturday 10 Feb Jack Brough, a brand new Rayner Foundation rider this season won his first senior race, riding for his new Provençal team AVC Aix, when he solo-ed for 30 km in the Ronde de Pays Basque, part of the Essor Basque series.
We managed to speak to him about the race a couple of days later. We started by asking how he felt crossing the line after being on his own so long: “I was so emotional after crossing the line, maybe because I was so empty. It felt pretty silly at the time, but on reflection it makes sense after the past few years.” He explained that after a heavy crash in his first year as a junior, it had been a struggle to recover (he lost a spleen in the crash). However, winter training and the first few races in the series had given him confidence that he was back to his best. Ironically, he had looked at the race route the night before with teammate (and Rayner Foundation colleague Louis Sutton) and decided a long break wouldn’t work. However: “we got to the point where I attacked and a few guys had tried splitting the group just before, so I was carrying speed”. A 2nd rider followed him briefly. “I just rode my own pace … and pushing a pace I could hold until roughly the finish”
Overall his team had a good weekend, a podium the day before and high placings throughout: “the team morale is good. With the strength in depth we have, plenty more (wins) will come. It was great to see the new younger guys, like Mark Lightfoot, riding so strongly. The team has quite a few Foundation-supported riders and Jack lives with four of them in a team house. “It’s good, we help one another with the small things to improve and it creates a nice atmosphere. We’ll make some great memories this year”
His spring programme includes two more races before the season-long Coupe de France starts. He then has more two races in the South of France that he raced last year: “I would like to get some good placings there”. After that there are some UCI races too for which he hopes to gain selection.
You can read more about the win from Direct Velo, the go-to website for all the racing in France. https://www.directvelo.com/actualite/110734/ronde-du-pays-basque-jack-brough-1er
Big thanks to Mike Underwood for conducting this interview with Jack.