Josh Housley interview: finding success after a decade in the domestic peloton
Josh Housley opens up about his breakthrough 2024 season, marked by his first National B win and a standout Nationals performance. As he joins Primera-TeamJobs for 2025, Housley discusses balancing full-time work with cycling and voices concerns over the UK’s struggling domestic scene, urging British Cycling to prevent more talent from leaving for opportunities abroad.
In a sport with an increasing focus on young talent, one of the breakthrough riders of the 2024 season was the experienced Josh Housley. Nearing a decade in the domestic peloton, the 27-year-old found a new level over the course of the season, taking his first National B win, becoming East Midlands divisional champion, and catching the eye at the National Road Race Championships, where he went wheel-to-wheel with some of the world’s best.
Having penned a move to the ambitious Primera-TeamJobs outfit for next season, an upbeat Housley spoke to The British Continental about his National Road Series ambitions for 2025, the state of the stuttering domestic scene, and what made 2024 a standout year for him.
I’ve definitely made a step up. There’s been no massive change; it’s just the accumulation of years of consistency leading up to it
“I’ve actually thought about this quite a bit,” he admits, reflecting on his best season to date. “I’ve definitely made a step up. There’s been no massive change; it’s just the accumulation of years of consistency leading up to it,” he concludes, noting that the ball started rolling with a change of coach to Jody Warrington a few years ago.
Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
“I don’t know how long I’ve been racing for. [It’s] definitely the best season I’ve had. It’s been nice to be at the pointy end this year, after years of working up to it. So yeah, it’s been really good,” Housley continues, pointing to his win in June’s London Dynamo Summer Road Race – his first National B victory – as the highlight of the campaign. “Going away at the end, two up, and then getting away from Ollie [Hurdle]. That was such a nice feeling, crossing the line on my own.”
The win was the peak of a brilliant month where he also became East Midlands divisional champion before putting in a fine performance at the National Road Race Championships. “I’ve always wanted that trophy,” says Housley of his East Midlands triumph, earned after a race-long battle in the breakaway on his local roads south of Nottingham.
This game’s so hard, where you only seem to be as good as your last result, so having that result, you start to actually believe in yourself rather than looking outwards for validation
“That gave me a lot of confidence,” he reflects, turning to his performance on Saltburn Bank, the climb that served as the focal point of the National Road Championships for the second consecutive year, correctly pointing out that he was the fifth rider home not contracted to a UCI team. “This game’s so hard, where you only seem to be as good as your last result. So having that result, you start to actually believe in yourself rather than looking outwards for validation.”
Having finally broken his National B duck and beaten a number of riders competing at the highest level, how does Housley reflect on not yet having the opportunity to showcase his abilities in a UCI Continental squad? “It’s always a frustrating one,” he answers thoughtfully, his path different from many young riders coming through the ranks today. “I work full-time and I’ve never had a year just focusing on cycling. The only year I had was lockdown, and everyone had that year!
Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
“It does cross your mind, but my job gives me quite a lot of structure- it’s set hours, commuting to work- it’s just over an hour, sort of two hours with training, so you’re getting three hours a day in like that. But you do think, what could you do if you dedicated everything to it? So I did think maybe I could start to take that step up, but I want to be a lot more prominent in big races before I even consider it, really.”
With working full-time I can’t be going off abroad every two minutes
With his feet firmly on the ground, Product Design Engineer Housley will move to the Primera-TeamJobs squad next year, something he was enthusiastic about since first contacting team manager Jason Gould after the team placed an advert on social media. “Some of the things he was saying were really promising, like they want to step up next year to be really prominent in the National Series, they want to make that the focus alongside races like the Ràs [Tailteann], which really aligns with what I want to do. Like I say, with working full-time I can’t be going off abroad every two minutes.”
The southern-based outfit has made several impressive signings so far for the 2025 season, with former National Road Series winner Steve Lampier the first on board – news which furthered Housley’s interest in the project. “It got me thinking, obviously you’ve got the experience of Steve. He said he wants to be like a rolling road captain, which is very promising. Over the period of about three weeks, I thought this is the place for me.”
Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Housley will also be joined by riders such as Gabe Dellar and Bernard Galea, adding strength to the existing squad, which includes the likes of Ben Millar, who claimed an excellent second place amongst a strong field at the season-closing Leicester Forest Road Race. The chance of working with such riders is something he is looking forward to and intends to take advantage of. “We’ve got a lot of good signings. It’s going to be give-and-take a bit; we’ve got cards to play next year. Riders like Gabe and Bernard – they’re all bloody strong. It takes the pressure off me a bit. If they’re up the road, I can just sit back and go across in the next move. This year I had to be the one either making the moves or crossing over to it, and ultimately you get more fatigued.
“Without speaking ill of other teams I’ve been on in the past, I’ve personally never had a team where we can go to a race and animate it.”
Housley will make the switch after a season as the de facto leader of the local Huub BCC Race Team in their inaugural campaign. “Our objectives didn’t really align,” he concludes. “I was with Derby CC and it was a progression from that, really. It’s funny now I think back because I didn’t really join Huub BCC per se; the team was sort of created as an amalgamation of Derby CC and Beeston CC, and I just sort of kept where I was. It was good to see all the support and the sponsors come on board, but I think it was a big learning curve for them this year. I think they wanted to do more, but the fit wasn’t quite right. They’ve got the right intentions in signing young riders, but this is the problem—I’m no longer classed as a young rider. I’ve got to fulfil each race I enter to the maximum I can because I’m not here for the experience any more.”
The common denominator is really if you’re not enjoying riding your bike and racing your bike, why are you doing it?
With his peak years upon him, Housley says his main aim for next season is simply to enjoy riding his bike, the sport not his full-time focus. “I’ve sort of been around the block a bit with a number of teams, some good and some not so good,” he laughs. “The common denominator is really if you’re not enjoying riding your bike and racing your bike, why are you doing it?”
Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
On the road, he is excited to make amends in the National Road Series after some bad luck this year, his goals aligning with those of his new team.
“Without making excuses, for every round this year, something went wrong,” he explains, with top-25 performances in the Ryedale—where he had a bout of food poisoning—and the East Cleveland Grand Prix as highlights. “Some things can’t be helped, like being ill on the day, so I didn’t start Beaumont, but actually having a team around you at the pointy end of a race means that sometimes I could have leant on team members a little more.”
“The Ràs Tailteann as well. It’s a race I love. I’ve done it once, finished like tenth overall, but I want to give it a proper go next year. Not having the chance to do it this year was frustrating. Those objectives align with Primera, and I can’t get across how good it is within the team and how excited we all are. Not just me, but all the riders, the management, and the sponsors.”
It’s frustrating because what else is there with Ryedale going? What can we focus on in the UK?
A punchy rider, Housley finds himself suited to the majority of what remains of the National Road Series, though he is naturally concerned about the future of the domestic scene, having witnessed first-hand its struggles and decline throughout his career. “It’s frustrating because what else is there with Ryedale going? What can we focus on in the UK?” he asks, taking a tangent away from the races which suit him to air his concerns. “When I first started racing Prems we had 8-10 rounds. Now what are we on? Four? It’s absolutely ridiculous.
Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
“When I first started riding these races, and I was getting shelled and dropped from them, you had loads and loads of races, and you could see different parts of the country. You had the Tour Series as well. Now we’re going to some random village hall in the middle of nowhere. You train all this time, spend all this money, and all you have to do is get a puncture in one of them and it’s race over.”
Housley’s frustrations run deeper than his personal ambitions, as he takes aim at British Cycling’s lacklustre response to the issues facing the domestic scene, questioning what will happen if no action is taken.
British Cycling really needs to get their act together… talent will just disappear abroad and they’ll have no loyalty to the UK, which is sad in my opinion
“British Cycling really needs to get their act together, just because you can see it dividing. Personally, it’s quite upsetting. All the talent that comes up in the UK, U23s like Jack and James Hartley, they’ve gone to France and I don’t blame them at all. Unless British Cycling does something, talent will just disappear abroad and they’ll have no loyalty to the UK, which is sad in my opinion.
“I’ve got no intentions to slow down myself, but where am I going to go to race my bike?”
In a sport with an increasing focus on young talent, one of the breakthrough riders of the 2024 season was the experienced Josh Housley. Nearing a decade in the domestic peloton, the 27-year-old found a new level over the course of the season, taking his first National B win, becoming East Midlands divisional champion, and catching the eye at the National Road Race Championships, where he went wheel-to-wheel with some of the world’s best.
Having penned a move to the ambitious Primera-TeamJobs outfit for next season, an upbeat Housley spoke to The British Continental about his National Road Series ambitions for 2025, the state of the stuttering domestic scene, and what made 2024 a standout year for him.
“I’ve actually thought about this quite a bit,” he admits, reflecting on his best season to date. “I’ve definitely made a step up. There’s been no massive change; it’s just the accumulation of years of consistency leading up to it,” he concludes, noting that the ball started rolling with a change of coach to Jody Warrington a few years ago.
“I don’t know how long I’ve been racing for. [It’s] definitely the best season I’ve had. It’s been nice to be at the pointy end this year, after years of working up to it. So yeah, it’s been really good,” Housley continues, pointing to his win in June’s London Dynamo Summer Road Race – his first National B victory – as the highlight of the campaign. “Going away at the end, two up, and then getting away from Ollie [Hurdle]. That was such a nice feeling, crossing the line on my own.”
The win was the peak of a brilliant month where he also became East Midlands divisional champion before putting in a fine performance at the National Road Race Championships. “I’ve always wanted that trophy,” says Housley of his East Midlands triumph, earned after a race-long battle in the breakaway on his local roads south of Nottingham.
“That gave me a lot of confidence,” he reflects, turning to his performance on Saltburn Bank, the climb that served as the focal point of the National Road Championships for the second consecutive year, correctly pointing out that he was the fifth rider home not contracted to a UCI team. “This game’s so hard, where you only seem to be as good as your last result. So having that result, you start to actually believe in yourself rather than looking outwards for validation.”
Having finally broken his National B duck and beaten a number of riders competing at the highest level, how does Housley reflect on not yet having the opportunity to showcase his abilities in a UCI Continental squad? “It’s always a frustrating one,” he answers thoughtfully, his path different from many young riders coming through the ranks today. “I work full-time and I’ve never had a year just focusing on cycling. The only year I had was lockdown, and everyone had that year!
“It does cross your mind, but my job gives me quite a lot of structure- it’s set hours, commuting to work- it’s just over an hour, sort of two hours with training, so you’re getting three hours a day in like that. But you do think, what could you do if you dedicated everything to it? So I did think maybe I could start to take that step up, but I want to be a lot more prominent in big races before I even consider it, really.”
With his feet firmly on the ground, Product Design Engineer Housley will move to the Primera-TeamJobs squad next year, something he was enthusiastic about since first contacting team manager Jason Gould after the team placed an advert on social media. “Some of the things he was saying were really promising, like they want to step up next year to be really prominent in the National Series, they want to make that the focus alongside races like the Ràs [Tailteann], which really aligns with what I want to do. Like I say, with working full-time I can’t be going off abroad every two minutes.”
The southern-based outfit has made several impressive signings so far for the 2025 season, with former National Road Series winner Steve Lampier the first on board – news which furthered Housley’s interest in the project. “It got me thinking, obviously you’ve got the experience of Steve. He said he wants to be like a rolling road captain, which is very promising. Over the period of about three weeks, I thought this is the place for me.”
Housley will also be joined by riders such as Gabe Dellar and Bernard Galea, adding strength to the existing squad, which includes the likes of Ben Millar, who claimed an excellent second place amongst a strong field at the season-closing Leicester Forest Road Race. The chance of working with such riders is something he is looking forward to and intends to take advantage of. “We’ve got a lot of good signings. It’s going to be give-and-take a bit; we’ve got cards to play next year. Riders like Gabe and Bernard – they’re all bloody strong. It takes the pressure off me a bit. If they’re up the road, I can just sit back and go across in the next move. This year I had to be the one either making the moves or crossing over to it, and ultimately you get more fatigued.
“Without speaking ill of other teams I’ve been on in the past, I’ve personally never had a team where we can go to a race and animate it.”
Housley will make the switch after a season as the de facto leader of the local Huub BCC Race Team in their inaugural campaign. “Our objectives didn’t really align,” he concludes. “I was with Derby CC and it was a progression from that, really. It’s funny now I think back because I didn’t really join Huub BCC per se; the team was sort of created as an amalgamation of Derby CC and Beeston CC, and I just sort of kept where I was. It was good to see all the support and the sponsors come on board, but I think it was a big learning curve for them this year. I think they wanted to do more, but the fit wasn’t quite right. They’ve got the right intentions in signing young riders, but this is the problem—I’m no longer classed as a young rider. I’ve got to fulfil each race I enter to the maximum I can because I’m not here for the experience any more.”
With his peak years upon him, Housley says his main aim for next season is simply to enjoy riding his bike, the sport not his full-time focus. “I’ve sort of been around the block a bit with a number of teams, some good and some not so good,” he laughs. “The common denominator is really if you’re not enjoying riding your bike and racing your bike, why are you doing it?”
On the road, he is excited to make amends in the National Road Series after some bad luck this year, his goals aligning with those of his new team.
“Without making excuses, for every round this year, something went wrong,” he explains, with top-25 performances in the Ryedale—where he had a bout of food poisoning—and the East Cleveland Grand Prix as highlights. “Some things can’t be helped, like being ill on the day, so I didn’t start Beaumont, but actually having a team around you at the pointy end of a race means that sometimes I could have leant on team members a little more.”
“The Ràs Tailteann as well. It’s a race I love. I’ve done it once, finished like tenth overall, but I want to give it a proper go next year. Not having the chance to do it this year was frustrating. Those objectives align with Primera, and I can’t get across how good it is within the team and how excited we all are. Not just me, but all the riders, the management, and the sponsors.”
A punchy rider, Housley finds himself suited to the majority of what remains of the National Road Series, though he is naturally concerned about the future of the domestic scene, having witnessed first-hand its struggles and decline throughout his career. “It’s frustrating because what else is there with Ryedale going? What can we focus on in the UK?” he asks, taking a tangent away from the races which suit him to air his concerns. “When I first started racing Prems we had 8-10 rounds. Now what are we on? Four? It’s absolutely ridiculous.
“When I first started riding these races, and I was getting shelled and dropped from them, you had loads and loads of races, and you could see different parts of the country. You had the Tour Series as well. Now we’re going to some random village hall in the middle of nowhere. You train all this time, spend all this money, and all you have to do is get a puncture in one of them and it’s race over.”
Housley’s frustrations run deeper than his personal ambitions, as he takes aim at British Cycling’s lacklustre response to the issues facing the domestic scene, questioning what will happen if no action is taken.
“British Cycling really needs to get their act together, just because you can see it dividing. Personally, it’s quite upsetting. All the talent that comes up in the UK, U23s like Jack and James Hartley, they’ve gone to France and I don’t blame them at all. Unless British Cycling does something, talent will just disappear abroad and they’ll have no loyalty to the UK, which is sad in my opinion.
“I’ve got no intentions to slow down myself, but where am I going to go to race my bike?”
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