New President for Welland Valley

Everything you wanted to know about our new club president, but were afraid to ask.

Phil Rayner is Welland Valley CC’s new Club President, writes Chris Dainty.

He takes over from George Barnett after a fabulous five years in office.

Well known to many club members – but not all – Phil boasts an amazing cycling palmarès (although boasting is the last thing he would ever do).

And here is that palmarès – in his own words:

“It’s been a lifetime of cycling for me. I started to ride a bike almost before I could walk.

“My dad was a lifetime cyclist and got me the tiniest of bikes which he converted to have bigger wheels and brakes with extensions on them to reach the rims.

“I started racing in 1974 as a nine-year-old. Initially, I rode 10 and 25 mile time trials. My first ever 10 was in a howling wind and I recorded 36.57. My first 25 was in even worse conditions. There had been a really bad storm, with fallen trees and debris on the roads. The timekeeper needed a calendar to time me in, as I did 1 hour 26 minutes.

“Nevertheless, I got hooked on the sport and gradually improved as I got older and stronger,” he said.

Phil’s first cycling club was South Lancs RC; before moving on to Manchester Wheelers – the UK’s most successful club at the time.

Victories in TTs and bunch races followed over the next two years in the youth ranks.

“My first time under the hour for a 25 was 58.40 at age 14 in the Welsh junior championships.

“The day I turned 16 to become a junior, I managed a bronze medal in the national 25 junior championships with a 55.56 – against two gold medallists who tied on 55.46.

“As a junior, I fell in love with road and track racing – scoring many road race victories and winning gold medals on the track for individual pursuit, points races and team pursuit,” he said.

As a senior, Phil continued to flourish, and represented GB in many European races.

“My claim to fame was winning a stage of the Tour of Denmark and holding the yellow jersey for a day – until being wiped out by a crash.

“I had a contract with a team racing in France in 1984. Although I was reasonably successful with three victories, I didn’t like the lifestyle and returned home to the UK the following year.”

Phil joined Welland Valley in 1995; and became a Masters-level racer, winning numerous national titles on the road and the track.

As well as racing himself, Phil also staged numerous races on behalf of Welland Valley over the past 30 years, but has now hung up his organiser’s hat.

“These days I still love riding my bike, but only dabble in time trials,” he said.

Looking at the wider pro cycling scene, Phil names Bernard Hinault as his favourite all-time racer. “He could win anything. A bit like Pojacar today.”

The race he’d love to have won is Paris Roubaix (although he did ride the amateur version in 1984 and, as a junior, won a track omnium for GB on the famous velodrome).

“We were there to get the crowd revved up in the velodrome before the pro race finished; with Jan Rass taking the honours covered from head to toe in dust after a long and dry day on the cobbles.”

Always a stylish rider and proud to wear Welland Valley colours, Phil’s favourite kit from the pro peloton of yesteryear is the iconic TI Raleigh red, yellow and black jersey.

Welcoming Phil to his new role as WVCC president, club chair Judith Rout said: “I’m not sure just how many of us realise Phil’s had such an amazing 50 plus years as a racer.

“He’s a long-standing member of the club committee and I know he will continue do all he can to encourage more Welland Valley members to give racing a try and to share his experience.

“He’s taking over from George Barnett, who has been – and continues to be – an absolute rock on which Welland Valley is based,” Judith said.