Finn McHenry interview: one giant leap

The Lancaster Grand Prix has a habit of being a platform for unearthing new talents. Josh Whitehead’s surprise 2021 win quickly earned him a UCI Continental contract. Alex Morrice’s second place in 2022 was the prelude to earning a WorldTour contract with CANYON//SRAM.

Finn McHenry, a 20-year-old cyclist from The Cycling Academy, was one of the new names to come to the fore in this year’s edition, a race that marked his debut in the National Road Series. The Cycling Academy rider made it in to the early break, quickly accumulating points in the climber’s competition before surprising everyone, including himself, to hold his own deep into the race, culminating in a standout fourth-place finish. One giant leap for the aerospace engineering student.

The British Continental decided to catch up with McHenry to find out more about this relative newcomer to the higher echelons of domestic road racing.

I was hopeful I could do a good performance because I’ve been going well in training and I’ve been working hard behind the scenes

“I wasn’t really too sure,” McHenry reflects on his expectations going into the race. “As you say, it was my first National Road Series race. I think I was, you know, hopeful I could do a good performance because I’ve been going well in training and, you know, I’ve been working hard behind the scenes.”

His breakaway foray was no mistake but part of his carefully put together race plan to avoid being caught in congestion during crucial moments of the race. “My main concern was especially the KOM climb. There was a tricky descent over the top of it. I was concerned I’d be, you know, a hundred riders back into the bottom of that and they’d go at the front and I’d miss a split or something. So yeah, I just went on the first hill,” McHenry explains of his early move.

Once in the breakaway, McHenry demonstrated both strategic patience and competitive spirit. “I was making sure I was taking my turns; everyone was taking their turns, but I wasn’t the driving force of that break,” he notes. This approach allowed him to conserve energy for the critical phases of the race while still contributing effectively to the breakaway group’s efforts.

As the race progressed and the breakaway maintained its lead, McHenry’s focus shifted to securing the climber’s competition. He recalls, “In the climbers competition, no one else really contested. I was a bit confused when no one else went for it. You know, I was quite keen for a trip to the podium.”

He had me on the limit going up there, and then he just put the afterburners on in the final 50 metres of the climb, and he was gone

Podium trip secured, McHenry turned his thoughts to winning the race, the victor looking increasingly likely to come from one of the seven leaders, McHenry among them. The decisive moment came on the final ascent of the KOM climb, with just McHenry and four of his rivals left out front.

“I was on Ben Granger’s wheel,” McHenry recalls of that moment. “He had me on the limit going up there, and then he just put the afterburners on in the final 50 metres of the climb, and he was gone.” This move by Granger was decisive, one McHenry would have made himself had he had the legs. “That was my plan as well. I was thinking ‘I’ll go on this climb’ and I felt quite strong throughout the race on that climb. But yeah, he was way stronger than everyone else, I think.”

Reflecting on his eventual fourth place, McHenry expresses a mix of satisfaction and ambition. “Yeah, it’s weird. I suppose every time you get a good result, it just raises that bar a little bit. And the next round [of the National Road Series], it’ll be hard to replicate that, but that’s what I’ve got to be going for now. And yeah, that’s quite difficult.”

Finn McHenry’s passion for cycling was ignited at an early age, thanks to a simple but life-changing gift from his father. “Well, my dad bought me a road bike initially and I used to just ride that around the park,” McHenry recalls. This early exposure to the sport quickly turned into a love for racing, driven by his natural competitiveness. “I was very competitive, so it wasn’t long until I wanted to start racing,” he adds.

I was always kind of quite a small child. I wasn’t as strong as the other lads, so I was a bit of a late developer as well

Recognising his interest, McHenry joined Paisley Velo, a local cycling club that played a crucial role in nurturing his budding talent. “I joined Paisley Velo, which was a local club with a youth section, and yeah, I just loved racing,” he says. However, McHenry faced significant challenges in his early racing years due to his small size and late physical development. “I was always kind of quite a small child. I wasn’t as strong as the other lads, so I was a bit of a late developer as well. That didn’t help in my youth days,” McHenry explains.

Despite these obstacles, McHenry showed remarkable perseverance. He set realistic goals for himself, focusing on incremental improvements. “I would set my goal as trying to hang on to the bunch. You know, ‘how long could I hang on to the bunch?'” he says. This mindset helped him stay motivated, even when he wasn’t at the front of the pack. “It didn’t put me off that I wasn’t kind of at the front end of my races in those days,” McHenry states confidently.

McHenry’s breakthrough came during his junior years when he began to see tangible progress. His first year as a junior racer was about surviving in the pack, but by his second year, he was making notable strides. “In junior racing, my first year junior, it was okay. I was beginning to get involved in a couple of attacks and stuff, rather than just hang on. And then as a second year junior, I started to pick up top tens in the national junior road series and stuff,” he recounts.

Spokes, which was the only other junior team in Scotland, weren’t taking any new riders. So we decided to sort of set up our own thing with my friend’s dad and James McCallum

One of the critical turning points in McHenry’s career was the formation of The Cycling Academy, a team that he helped to create with friends – spearheaded by his friend’s dad, Peter Ellen – after finding limited opportunities in other junior teams post-lockdown. “It was my friend in Edinburgh and a few of us, I think there were four of us initially, after lockdown. Spokes, which was the only other junior team in Scotland, weren’t taking any new riders. So we decided to sort of set up our own thing with my friend’s dad and James McCallum, who was their coach at the time and who became my coach,” McHenry explains.

James McCallum’s mentorship was instrumental in McHenry’s development. McCallum, a celebrated Scottish cyclist and coach known for his extensive career both on and off the bike – and a Commonwealth Games medallist too – became the coach for The Cycling Academy and took McHenry under his wing. “He was involved with Edinburgh Road Club. I think he was their coach for the youth section. So he kind of became the coach for the team and became my coach. So I’ve been working with him since 2021,” McHenry says.

Currently studying aerospace engineering at the University of Glasgow, balancing a demanding university course with a sports career is no small feat. For McHenry, it requires meticulous planning and unwavering dedication. “It’s pretty full-on, especially over exam season,” McHenry explains. The dual commitments of studying and training mean that McHenry often has to be strategic with his time, particularly during the winter months when daylight is scarce and the weather can be less than cooperative.

Winter training presents a unique set of challenges for cyclists, especially those juggling academic responsibilities. With shorter days and harsher weather conditions, outdoor training becomes more difficult. Turbo training therefore becomes a critical component of McHenry’s regimen during the colder months. “During the winter, it can be quite difficult to balance my training and my studies, especially with the light; there’s not much daylight, so I do a lot of turbo hours and stuff like that,” he says.

I think I’ve always been confident that I am putting in the work and that it’s coming and that I can see the progression purely just on my power, for example, and also the results are starting to come

Managing his time efficiently is crucial. McHenry often has to start his day early to fit in both academic work and training sessions. “Just kind of structuring your day as well when you’ve got exams, you know, you have to get up early and train. So, you know, I’d be trying to leave the house, you know, 8 am or before that, so that I’m not spending all day on my bike,” he explains. This disciplined approach ensures that he can dedicate sufficient time to both his studies and his training.

Despite the challenges, McHenry is confident that he is progressing in right the direction athletically. “I think I’ve always been confident that I am putting in the work and that it’s coming and that I can see the progression purely just on my power, for example, and also the results are starting to come,” McHenry notes.

With an eye on his development as a rider McHenry had a stint with the Spanish team Brocar-Ale last summer. “I think I was motivated to find races that suited me more. I don’t think I’m well suited to British racing,” he explains.

The transition was a hugely positive learning experience, exposing McHenry to a higher level of racing intensity and team dynamics. “The races are quite big. We had race radios, there was a lot of team dynamics, I was working for teammates sometimes, and sometimes teammates were working for me,” he says.

One of the most significant aspects of his time in Spain was the opportunity to learn from more experienced riders. “There was a lot of experience in that team as well, there were riders that had been racing at a level for a long time and I learned a lot from them,” McHenry notes. This mentorship and exposure to seasoned professionals provided him with new perspectives on racing tactics and preparation.

It was a really positive experience. I learned a lot about the racing and really grew as a rider

The initial phase of his stint in Spain was marked by strong performances and positive results. However, as the season progressed, McHenry faced the challenge of managing fatigue. “I had a really positive kind of opening half or so into July. I raced the Vuelta a Madrid, some really big races, and I had some good results. But I think by the end of it, I was just starting to struggle with a bit of fatigue at the end of the season,” he admits.

Despite these challenges, McHenry views his time in Spain as immensely beneficial. “It was a really positive experience. I learned a lot about the racing and really grew as a rider,” he reflects. The lessons learned in Spain have not only improved his racing skills but also given him the confidence to pursue opportunities in Europe.

Whilst born and bred in Scotland, McHenry has made a strategic and personal decision to race under an Irish license, aligning his cycling career with his Irish heritage, a move that he believes will open up more opportunities and better reflect his identity.

“My dad was born in Belfast and his whole family’s from Antrim and Derry,” McHenry explains. This heritage played a significant role in his decision to represent Ireland in his cycling endeavors. “I think when I was a second-year junior, I switched my nationality. I think that was just kind of a natural progression,” he adds.

The decision to race under an Irish license also stems from McHenry’s strategic thinking about his career prospects. He sees more opportunities for growth and competition within the Irish cycling framework. “I see more opportunities for myself in Ireland and I view myself as more Irish as well,” he says.

This would be kind of one of my bigger goals, to wear the Irish colours. I think that would be a bit of a dream and I’d be really proud to do that

One of McHenry’s primary goals is to represent Ireland at the international level. “This would be kind of one of my bigger goals, to wear the Irish colours. I think that would be a bit of a dream and I’d be really proud to do that,” he states.

The prospect of donning the Irish jersey and competing on behalf of Ireland is a driving force behind his dedication and hard work and he was encouraged by his performances at the Irish National Road Championships this year. “I had a good ride at Nationals and I was quite aggressive to try and get a nice result. I think I was close to getting second under-23, and I just got caught by a group in the final two kilometres, so that was frustrating,” he recounts.

Indeed, his Irish nationals performance was one of a set of notable performances in 2024. One of the key milestones was the Yorkshire Under-23 Classic, a round of the Under-23 National Road Series, where McHenry secured an impressive 11th place, something McHenry took great confidence from: “I felt strong throughout the race, and it was a good indicator that my training was paying off.”

This was followed by an equally gratifying 9th place at the BUCS Road Race Championships. “I managed to stay with the leading group and finish strong,” McHenry said. “It gave me a lot of confidence heading into the rest of the season.”

His Lancaster Grand Prix result, however, has undoubtedly turned a positive looking season into a breakthrough one for McHenry. And he now has set his sights on even greater achievements.

McHenry’s immediate focus is on his upcoming trip to France with Phill Maddock’s British Cycling East Midlands squad, where he will compete in several high-profile races. The trip to France aligns with McHenry’s goal of continuing to his cycling education. “I think these races in France will really help me grow as a rider and give me a better understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest levels,” McHenry explains.

The racing in the UK really doesn’t suit me as well as some of the races abroad. I would really like to get some opportunities to race in Europe

His immediate trip to France is just the beginning of what he hopes will be a fruitful career in European racing. Ultimately, this is what McHenry feels he needs if he is to succeed in his ambition to progress as a cyclist. “The racing in the UK really doesn’t suit me as well as some of the races abroad. I would really like to get some opportunities to race in Europe,” he says.

Several riders from Maddocks’ previous trips to France have gone on to secure positions with French teams. Given McHenry’s current impressive form, he might unlock similar opportunities for himself. Regardless of what the near future holds though, McHenry is undoubtedly a rider to watch in the coming months.

Featured image: Ellen Isherwood