Supporting Young Talent: John's National Clarion Training Experience

At The Fume Cupboard Company Ltd, we're a family business, and that means celebrating the achievements of the people who make up our team and their families.

One such journey is that of John Robinson, the son of our colleague Paul Robinson, whose enthusiasm and commitment to cycling has taken him from riding to school each day to competing in time trials, cyclocross events and development programmes across the country.

On Monday, John attended the National Clarion Youth & Junior Training Day at Tameside Circuit in Ashton-under-Lyne, near Manchester.

Having recently been invited to become involved in the development of what will become the National Clarion Youth & Junior Squads, this was his first opportunity to experience a National Clarion coaching session.

Afterwards, we asked John to share a few thoughts about the day in the hope that it might encourage other young riders to take advantage of similar opportunities.

Stepping Outside His Comfort Zone

"I was pretty nervous when I got there as I was the only rider from Fenland Clarion and didn't really know anyone. It felt a bit daunting at first, but everyone was really friendly and welcoming. As it was pointed out to me, 'We're all Clarion teammates!' and that really helped me relax. I soon settled into the riding.

Having Evander Wishart there was really cool and definitely helped motivate me throughout the day. It's not every day you get the chance to chat with someone racing at that level. A massive thank you to Evander for sparing the time. I learned a lot from our conversations."

For any young rider attending a new event on their own, those first few minutes can be daunting. The welcoming atmosphere created by the coaches and riders clearly made a lasting impression.

 Learning New Skills

The afternoon was packed with group riding and race drills, including through-and-off riding, peel-offs from the front, sprinting from the back of the peloton and practising breakaways.

By the end of the day, John's Garmin had recorded 34 miles around the circuit.

"I was really pleased to receive positive feedback from the coaches, especially about my cornering skills and riding discipline. As someone who mainly races cyclocross and time trials, it was great to hear those skills transfer well into road racing."

Listening to His Body

Towards the end of the session, John's previously injured knee began to ache, prompting him to ease off.

"I decided not to push my luck. I probably didn't get much chance to warm up properly before we started because of the traffic on the way to Manchester. My physio has always told me to listen to my body, so that's exactly what I did."

For young athletes, learning when to push and when to back off can be every bit as important as developing physical fitness and technical skills.

Looking Ahead

A key outcome of the day was discovering new possibilities within cycling.

"I came away having learnt loads. Along with riding 34 miles, I picked up lots of useful tips about bunch positioning, race tactics, rider communication and riding confidently in a fast-moving peloton.

The experience has also made me want to give the velodrome another try and get involved in more road and crit racing. Before this, I mainly preferred cyclocross and time trials, but this session has opened my eyes to some different parts of the sport.

I've got plenty to work on, but I'm excited to get stuck in and keep improving!"

Proud to Support Local Young People

At The Fume Cupboard Company, we're proud to support John's cycling journey and to see the confidence, resilience and determination he continues to develop through sport.

We would like to thank the National Clarion organisers, coaches, volunteers and riders who made the day such a positive experience, along with Evander Wishart for taking the time to encourage and inspire the next generation of cyclists.

As a local family business, we're delighted to see young people like John embracing opportunities that challenge them, build confidence and help them grow both on and off the bike. We look forward to following his progress in the months and years ahead.