Our newest journal contributor is Joe Brookes, a late convert to road racing, made a mark in 2023, excelling in National Road Series and winning in France. Now moving to AVC Aix-en-Provence, he is supported by the Rayner Foundation in 2024.
Our fourth and final male journal contributor in 2024 is Joe Brookes, one of the breakthrough riders on the domestic circuit last year.
Brookes pivoted to road racing late after his plans to race in mountain bike events were derailed by COVID-19. 2023 was his first year as an under-23 which he spent with the Halesowen Academy, a choice driven by his late start in achieving notable road racing results and a desire to balance racing with academic commitments.
His breakthrough season came with impressive performances in the National Road Series at the Ryedale Grand Prix (11th) and Beaumont Trophy (8th), attributing his success to structured training under his new coach Dean Downing and a tactical freedom that came from racing largely without a team. A standout victory in France at the Elite Nationale, Mayennais – Fougerolles, marked a significant achievement, enhancing his reputation and opening opportunities with French teams.
Brookes subsequently moved to AVC Aix-en-Provence for the 2024 season – supported by the Rayner Foundation – motivated by the team’s strong developmental record and the competitive nature of French racing.
We caught up with him before his journal account begins in earnest…
2023 Men’s Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Joe Brookes of Halesowen A & CC. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
It’s the obvious first question, but tell us how you got into road racing.
I started cycling at the Halesowen velodrome doing their Sunday kids sessions learning the basics. I would do a bit of everything from track sessions to cyclocross, progressing to group road rides with the older kids and also mountain biking.
I liked off-road racing, mountain biking in the summer and cyclocross in the winter, so as a youth I never really experienced any of the national youth circuit races or events like Isle of Man Youth Tour
As a youth I never really enjoyed circuit racing so there was no natural progression into road racing for me. I liked off-road racing, mountain biking in the summer and cyclocross in the winter, so as a youth I never really experienced any of the national youth circuit races or events like Isle of Man Youth Tour.
My first year junior was going to be racing cross country mountain bike but as with my last year at under-17 level, it was interrupted by Covid. With William Fotheringham’s encouragement I joined the Halesowen Academy that year with the plan being to do a few road races as part of my prep for mountain biking, but I really enjoyed the road race experience so last minute I decided to race more road and ended up not riding a single mountain bike race that year!
2023 Men’s Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Joe Brookes of Halesowen A & CC, Mattie Dodd of Tirol KTM Cycling Team. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
You spent last year, your first as an under-23, with the Halesowen Academy. Tell us why you spent the year at the Academy rather than another team. I’m interested to know whether you’d had offers from other teams, either at the beginning of 2023 or mid-season?
Second year junior is clearly the year to get results if you want to progress onto the best team possible for senior racing, but I came late to this. In my first full season as a junior I didn’t get fantastic results. I guess this was because I had kind of drifted last minute into road racing and so wasn’t really aware of my ability.
That year Halesowen Academy rode the Junior Tour of Ireland and in this I did well to a point – I was second on GC going into Stage 5 when I suffered a mechanical dropping me out of contention. The experience was good and indicated to me that I could compete.
I hadn’t applied to any other teams as I knew that 2023 was going to be difficult, having to balance racing with A-levels. I also significantly underestimated how good achieving a UCI podium is
Then in October, in what was my final road race as a junior, I had opportunity to ride my first UCI race, the Philippe Gilbert. Here I picked up a pretty decent result, third on Stage 1 and finishing 10th on GC. That gave me motivation for the year ahead, but I hadn’t applied to any other teams as I knew that 2023 was going to be difficult, having to balance racing with A-levels. I also significantly underestimated how good achieving a UCI podium is.
The season ended without me having any approaches from other teams and I was perfectly happy to race 2023 with the Halesowen Academy. One key change I did make though was to get a coach, as up until then I had been self-coached. So with a new challenge at under-23 level and now being coached by Dean Downing, I guess it wasn’t until April of last year that I really started to show my true potential and that continued throughout the year with me getting some great results.
Image: Florianne Verne
You were one of the breakthrough domestic riders last year, with several top tens in the Men’s U23 National Road Series and then excellent results at Ryedale and Beaumont. To what extent do you agree it was an excellent season. And what do you put your success down to? It must have been tough to get results like that when you were effectively riding without a team at the top races, with little experience of national level racing…
It was definitely a breakthrough year. I have surprised a lot of people, including myself! Last year was the first year with a coach so having structured training helped massively.
Riding largely without a team structure wasn’t much of an issue for me, as it gave me a freedom to race how I wanted to
In the top races, riding largely without a team structure wasn’t much of an issue for me, as it gave me a freedom to race how I wanted to. I really enjoy learning the skill of road racing, observing how other riders and teams operate and whilst I wasn’t able to apply to race the Lincoln GP or Lancaster due to A-level commitments, I watched these races on Monument HQ videos which really gave me appetite to test myself in Nat As. Ryedale and Beaumont both came shortly after I’d raced in France and I came to them in great form. I was really pleased to get in the right breaks and was well pleased with my results in two very tough races.
Joe Brookes wins Mayennais – Fougerolles. Image: Simon Courteille
Your standout result, however, was arguably the win in France at the Elite Nationale, Mayennais – Fougerolles. Tell us about how you got that win, and the importance of the victory, and your experience in France generally, on your confidence and outlook.
The win at Mayennais was certainly my best result of the year, although it’s hard to compare this with British Nat As. In the race itself I was riding for Phill Maddocks’ BC East Mids team. There was a breakaway that went on the first lap with our team represented so for the first half of the race I was covering attacks until later when I had a chance to bridge across to join the team. At the top of the last climb riders eased off a touch and that was my chance to go full gas and go all in for a result. One other rider came with me and it ended up a two rider sprint at the finish, with me taking the win.
I had already made some approaches to French teams for 2024 with limited success, but within hours of winning that race I was receiving emails and WhatsApps from French teams
What made it so special for me was that French teams value French results and I had already made some approaches to French teams for 2024 with limited success, but within hours of winning that race I was receiving emails and WhatsApps from French teams, several of whom I had approached previously but hadn’t heard back from. It was great to suddenly have options.
Finally, tell us how and why you made the move to AVC this season, and what you hope to get out of the 2024 season.
France has a highly competitive and challenging racing scene. Outside of the development team structure I think it’s the next best option. It’s clear AVC is one of the best of the DN1 teams and has got an excellent record for developing English riders.
AVC was also one of the few teams who showed an interest in me before my Elite Nationale win and was the team I was most keen to join, so when they said they had a place for me I was delighted to accept. Living in a house with other English riders has been a real bonus as it has helped me settle in. Where the team is based is perfect with several great training routes right on your doorstep and a great year round climate.
My number one aim for 2024 is simply to learn how to ride as part of a team and develop my race-craft. If I can get a few results that would be great, but this year is really about learning and working for the team. Oh, and ideally I’d like to be able to speak better French by the end of the year!
Our fourth and final male journal contributor in 2024 is Joe Brookes, one of the breakthrough riders on the domestic circuit last year.
Brookes pivoted to road racing late after his plans to race in mountain bike events were derailed by COVID-19. 2023 was his first year as an under-23 which he spent with the Halesowen Academy, a choice driven by his late start in achieving notable road racing results and a desire to balance racing with academic commitments.
His breakthrough season came with impressive performances in the National Road Series at the Ryedale Grand Prix (11th) and Beaumont Trophy (8th), attributing his success to structured training under his new coach Dean Downing and a tactical freedom that came from racing largely without a team. A standout victory in France at the Elite Nationale, Mayennais – Fougerolles, marked a significant achievement, enhancing his reputation and opening opportunities with French teams.
Brookes subsequently moved to AVC Aix-en-Provence for the 2024 season – supported by the Rayner Foundation – motivated by the team’s strong developmental record and the competitive nature of French racing.
We caught up with him before his journal account begins in earnest…
It’s the obvious first question, but tell us how you got into road racing.
I started cycling at the Halesowen velodrome doing their Sunday kids sessions learning the basics. I would do a bit of everything from track sessions to cyclocross, progressing to group road rides with the older kids and also mountain biking.
As a youth I never really enjoyed circuit racing so there was no natural progression into road racing for me. I liked off-road racing, mountain biking in the summer and cyclocross in the winter, so as a youth I never really experienced any of the national youth circuit races or events like Isle of Man Youth Tour.
My first year junior was going to be racing cross country mountain bike but as with my last year at under-17 level, it was interrupted by Covid. With William Fotheringham’s encouragement I joined the Halesowen Academy that year with the plan being to do a few road races as part of my prep for mountain biking, but I really enjoyed the road race experience so last minute I decided to race more road and ended up not riding a single mountain bike race that year!
You spent last year, your first as an under-23, with the Halesowen Academy. Tell us why you spent the year at the Academy rather than another team. I’m interested to know whether you’d had offers from other teams, either at the beginning of 2023 or mid-season?
Second year junior is clearly the year to get results if you want to progress onto the best team possible for senior racing, but I came late to this. In my first full season as a junior I didn’t get fantastic results. I guess this was because I had kind of drifted last minute into road racing and so wasn’t really aware of my ability.
That year Halesowen Academy rode the Junior Tour of Ireland and in this I did well to a point – I was second on GC going into Stage 5 when I suffered a mechanical dropping me out of contention. The experience was good and indicated to me that I could compete.
Then in October, in what was my final road race as a junior, I had opportunity to ride my first UCI race, the Philippe Gilbert. Here I picked up a pretty decent result, third on Stage 1 and finishing 10th on GC. That gave me motivation for the year ahead, but I hadn’t applied to any other teams as I knew that 2023 was going to be difficult, having to balance racing with A-levels. I also significantly underestimated how good achieving a UCI podium is.
The season ended without me having any approaches from other teams and I was perfectly happy to race 2023 with the Halesowen Academy. One key change I did make though was to get a coach, as up until then I had been self-coached. So with a new challenge at under-23 level and now being coached by Dean Downing, I guess it wasn’t until April of last year that I really started to show my true potential and that continued throughout the year with me getting some great results.
You were one of the breakthrough domestic riders last year, with several top tens in the Men’s U23 National Road Series and then excellent results at Ryedale and Beaumont. To what extent do you agree it was an excellent season. And what do you put your success down to? It must have been tough to get results like that when you were effectively riding without a team at the top races, with little experience of national level racing…
It was definitely a breakthrough year. I have surprised a lot of people, including myself! Last year was the first year with a coach so having structured training helped massively.
In the top races, riding largely without a team structure wasn’t much of an issue for me, as it gave me a freedom to race how I wanted to. I really enjoy learning the skill of road racing, observing how other riders and teams operate and whilst I wasn’t able to apply to race the Lincoln GP or Lancaster due to A-level commitments, I watched these races on Monument HQ videos which really gave me appetite to test myself in Nat As. Ryedale and Beaumont both came shortly after I’d raced in France and I came to them in great form. I was really pleased to get in the right breaks and was well pleased with my results in two very tough races.
Your standout result, however, was arguably the win in France at the Elite Nationale, Mayennais – Fougerolles. Tell us about how you got that win, and the importance of the victory, and your experience in France generally, on your confidence and outlook.
The win at Mayennais was certainly my best result of the year, although it’s hard to compare this with British Nat As. In the race itself I was riding for Phill Maddocks’ BC East Mids team. There was a breakaway that went on the first lap with our team represented so for the first half of the race I was covering attacks until later when I had a chance to bridge across to join the team. At the top of the last climb riders eased off a touch and that was my chance to go full gas and go all in for a result. One other rider came with me and it ended up a two rider sprint at the finish, with me taking the win.
What made it so special for me was that French teams value French results and I had already made some approaches to French teams for 2024 with limited success, but within hours of winning that race I was receiving emails and WhatsApps from French teams, several of whom I had approached previously but hadn’t heard back from. It was great to suddenly have options.
Finally, tell us how and why you made the move to AVC this season, and what you hope to get out of the 2024 season.
France has a highly competitive and challenging racing scene. Outside of the development team structure I think it’s the next best option. It’s clear AVC is one of the best of the DN1 teams and has got an excellent record for developing English riders.
AVC was also one of the few teams who showed an interest in me before my Elite Nationale win and was the team I was most keen to join, so when they said they had a place for me I was delighted to accept. Living in a house with other English riders has been a real bonus as it has helped me settle in. Where the team is based is perfect with several great training routes right on your doorstep and a great year round climate.
My number one aim for 2024 is simply to learn how to ride as part of a team and develop my race-craft. If I can get a few results that would be great, but this year is really about learning and working for the team. Oh, and ideally I’d like to be able to speak better French by the end of the year!
Featured image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
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