There’s a certain clarity to the way Alex Dowsett talks about cycling: no romantic haze, no revisionist glossing over of pain or setbacks. Instead, his reflections come with precision, honesty, and a willingness to interrogate both success and failure in equal measure.
From crashing his first bike at a birthday party and ending up in hospital, to winning Giro d’Italia stages in 2013 and 2020, breaking the world Hour Record in 2015, and riding for Team Sky, Dowsett’s journey has been shaped by extremes. Add in his lifelong management of the rare blood disorder haemophilia, and his career becomes even more remarkable for what it demanded physically and mentally.
Now retired from the World Tour and working as a performance engineer for XDS Astana, Dowsett looks back on a life in cycling that was never straightforward, but always purposeful.
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What are your earliest memories of cycling?
My very earliest memory is getting a bike for a birthday, crashing it twice and ending up in hospital during or after my own party. I didn’t start well. Then when I was about nine or 10, my dad started mountain biking with his mates on Thursday nights, and I wanted to join in. Before that, he took me up Danbury Hill to see what it was like. I threw up at the top. So my early relationship with cycling was basically suffering uphill.
When did cycling start feeling like a career?
I was always trying to find a sport I was good at. My dad [former rally driver Phil Dowsett] used to say, “There’s always a Michael Schumacher-level talent walking down a high street, but until they get in the car, you never know.” At 14, I finished second in the GHS [George Herbert Stancer] 10-mile time trial. That’s when it clicked. Then at A-levels, I realised I wasn’t aiming for university – I was aiming for the Great Britain under-23 squad. That was effectively the start of a professional pathway.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Who did you look up to in those days?
I wasn’t a super-big cycling heroes guy. My sporting hero was always my dad. When I started cycling, I saw Chris Boardman‘s name on a few of the awards that I was always fighting for and sometimes getting. I hoped to follow his success, and I enjoyed hearing the stories of his and Graeme Obree’s technological advancements, even at an early age.
Growing up with haemophilia, did you doubt elite sport would be possible?
It was never in my mind. It was only in 2011, when I developed an ankle problem, which had stemmed from joint damage when I was a kid, that I wondered if that is what was going to end it all for me. With some treatment from the Royal London Hospital, and a lot of rehab and strength and conditioning, I managed to move past the issue and continue my career.
“Every single race, you’re having to push on just to remain in the race”
What’s a misconception about WorldTour racing?
That being in the bunch is easy. The only race of the year where cruising along in the peloton is easy is the UAE Tour. Every single other race you’re still having to push on just to remain in the race.
Which victory means the most to you now?
That’s always a difficult question because different wins mattered for different reasons. Winning the Junior Tour of the Peaks [in 2005, aged 16] stands out because I didn’t even expect to finish. I crossed the line in tears because it was such a surprise. The under-23 European time trial title [in 2010] was huge because only eight weeks earlier I’d broken my shoulder blade and been told I probably wouldn’t even compete. I was back on the bike within 12 days and somehow won. The Giro d’Italia stage victory in 2020 was incredibly important, too.
I didn’t have a contract for the following season, my wife and I were expecting a baby, and then suddenly that win arrived exactly when I needed it. Then there’s the Hour record. Even though I didn’t break it [for a second time in 2021], we raised a huge amount for haemophilia charities and I’m still immensely proud of the distance I covered [54.555km]. The common thread is that the unexpected victories often leave the strongest memories. They bring joy. When you’re the favourite, winning often feels more like relief.
What stands out from that 2021 Hour record attempt?
Honestly? Frustration. That I didn’t give it my all. Because of the nature of the event, respecting it and waiting for the effort to come to you, rather than going and searching for it. I got to about 10 minutes to go, knowing that I still had a load of gas in the tank and not enough time to deploy at all. The goal that day was to break the record it didn’t matter if we broke it by a metre or a mile. I respected the Hour so much that I just stuck to the plan. It left me with a desire to go back and see what I could truly do.
(Image credit: Body Rocket)
What was the biggest lesson you learnt as a young rider?
Cycling is so different now to when I was young. Now there are multiple pathways, multiple British professionals to look up to. When I was a young professional, road cycling wasn’t something that was seen as achievable. My advice now, though, would be to pick a country to go racing in that suits you as a rider. If you’re a climber, then Italy is a great place to race, but if you struggle on the climbs, head to Belgium or Holland. Similarly, if you’re a sprinter, Belgium or Holland is your hunting ground to get that professional contract.
What did being on Team Sky teach you?
We were very well looked after at Team Sky as young riders. It didn’t feel like a Continental team. It felt like an extension of the Great Britain cycling team that I had been a part of for years already, so it wasn’t really much of a shock. It was always the best place I could have started my World Tour career, because I was put into the ‘C programme’, which were lower-level races, and I was competitive immediately. It didn’t really teach me how to succeed, but [assured me] I had the ability to succeed.
Quick-fire questions
(Image credit: Getty Images – NurPhoto )
Favourite race you’ve ridden? The Tour of Romandie TTs-hilarious mixture of cobbles, corners, gradients, mad finishes and probably rain.
The last TV series you binge-watched? Hijack season one – 7/10, versus 3/10 for season two.
Tea or coffee? Coffee.
Favourite holiday destination? New Zealand. Chanel, my wife, is a Kiwi.
Morning person or night owl? Night owl. I’m frustratingly productive after 11pm.
Song that always gets you in a good mood? ‘Love Story’ by Taylor Swift. I’m unashamedly a Swiftie, and my eldest daughter is named after Juliette, who features heavily in the song.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to learn about you? I can make the sound of a horse galloping using just my hands and chest.
Toughest cycling opponent? The Maldon 10. I dedicated decades trying to go faster round that 10-mile stretch.
Does the Hour record still carry the same aura today?
Absolutely. No one really knows how hard it is to go and attempt the record like Eddy Merckx did because the circumstances are just so different. It’s such a different era in terms of both physiology and technology that comparisons just cannot be made anymore.
So I think it carries the same aura even more and what [Filippo] Ganna has managed to do is nothing short of mind-blowing. I just hope he hasn’t shelved it for too long and other people still do try and have a go.
What was it about racing against the clock that suited you so well?
It’s where cycling started for me. I loved the control. You could make a change to your training, pacing or aerodynamics and immediately see the impact. It was very straightforward: if you were the fastest rider, you won. Road racing is more complicated. You can be the strongest rider and still lose because of tactics, positioning or luck. Time trialling was much more aligned with how my brain worked.
Which injury was the toughest?
I always tried to find positives in setbacks. Missing out on the 2014 Tour de France after catching a cold was devastating at the time, but it allowed me to focus completely on the Commonwealth Games, where I won gold ahead of Rohan Dennis and Geraint Thomas.
After breaking my collarbone in 2015, a complication with the metal plate meant I missed the 2016 Giro d’Italia. The race suited me perfectly and there were two time trials that presented genuine opportunities. Sometimes all you can do is accept it and move forward.
How has your relationship with cycling changed since retiring?
It’s still very much at the centre of our lives. I do a bit of triathlon now, so it takes the pressure off doing anything competitive on a bike. I train with friends as much as I can. More importantly, we try to take the kids to school by bike as much as possible.
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
How do you see cycling’s future shaping up?
Britain still produces talented riders, but we don’t have enough races that attract the attention of World Tour scouts. Young riders still often need to go abroad to get noticed. What concerns me more is the loss of British Continental teams. We used to have outfits like Rapha Condor, Madison Genesis, NFTO and One Pro Cycling helping riders bridge the gap to the professional ranks.
There are fewer opportunities now. I’d also love to see more racing on major motor circuits. Venues like Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Donington and Snetterton could provide the closed-road racing experience that developing riders need without shutting public roads.
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