Seventeen top 10s, a podium in France, and a move to the cutthroat French amateur scene - David Hird’s 2024 season was all about consistency. But can he turn near-misses into wins in 2025?
Few qualities are as sought after in cycling as consistency. It’s the bedrock of success, yet notoriously difficult to maintain. David Hird, however, seems to have found the formula. Over the course of 2024, he notched up 17 top ten finishes, opening his campaign with a podium in France and rounding it out with strong performances in Italy. Along the way, he tested himself against the best, taking sixth at the Lincoln GP and finishing third overall in the U23 National Road Series.
The British Continental spoke to Hird about his remarkable season, the secret to his consistency, and his ambitions for 2025. Reflecting on a year that saw him go toe-to-toe with some of the strongest riders in the domestic scene, he remains characteristically modest about his achievements. Now, with a move to French amateur racing just underway, he is preparing for the next big step in his career – one that he hopes will propel him towards a professional contract.
One of my strengths is reading the race, knowing which moves to go with
“I don’t think I do anything different to most riders, I haven’t discovered anything,” says Hird when asked the secret behind his remarkable run. Polite and understated, he pauses as he searches for an answer, explaining he doesn’t want to appear brash or arrogant, a characteristic not on the radar of the 22-year-old. “I guess it could be just focusing on lots of small details, I wouldn’t put it down to anything specific,” he continues. “One of my strengths is reading the race, knowing which moves to go with. I guess that probably helps with the consistency.”
Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Hird’s ability to read a race helped him catch the eye of French team ESEG Douai on his season debut at the GP de St Quentin last year, the then Cycling Sheffield rider keeping in contact with the French squad as they tracked his progress, resulting in a contract for 2025. “I’m looking forward to next year,” he states with excitement, the Worcester-based rider speaking to The British Continental after a training camp in Calpe ahead of his season bow on February 15th, which, inevitably, brought another top ten in the Circuit des Plages.
“It was great to get out there and I was happy with how I felt during training,” he says of the trip, where he spent time with riders such as 2024 Ryedale Grand Prix winner Tom Williams and WorldTour classics specialist Oliver Naesen. “I think I chose a good time to go, I was keeping an eye on the weather back here and it looked like it was a good time to be out there,” he notes, having just completed a ride in far less favourable conditions, battling the winds of Storm Éowyn.
The French amateur scene out there, I think it provides a good stepping stone forward for my aims and future career
Hird is one of a growing number of young British riders heading to France in an attempt to further their careers; the competitive amateur scene is a traditional route to the professional ranks, with alumni including the likes of Sean Yates, and more recently Harrison Wood and Bjoern Koert.
“It’s a good natural route of progression, going to France to race. The French amateur scene out there, I think it provides a good stepping stone forward for my aims and future career. They’re strong races, tough races, and I’d like to spend next year out there doing more of them,” he explains, one of a quartet of riders from the Cycling Sheffield squad to make the move across the Channel this year, alongside Max Krasinski and the Hartley brothers, Jack and James.
Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
“I’ve been happy at Cycling Sheffield, it’s been a great setup and it’s been a brilliant team to be a part of,” he says of Dave Coulson’s team, having joined them last winter when faced with uncertainty about his previous team, known then as ROKiT-SRCT, being able to continue.
Dave’s been great at helping me with any advice, anything I’ve needed over the last year. He’s got so much experience of racing at this level and of coaching other riders
It was a move that paid dividends in only one season, Coulson’s reputation for helping riders develop and move on in their careers ringing true with Hird. “Dave’s been great at helping me with any advice, anything I’ve needed over the last year. He’s got so much experience of racing at this level and of coaching other riders, and helping riders move on – there’s four of us now moving on and going to France with the help of Dave and Cycling Sheffield. Even before I joined the team, I’d heard so many good things, and when I joined, they were proven right,” he explains.
Hird is fast to name the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix as the highlight of his year, making a select lead group containing former WorldTour professional Matt Holmes and Michaelgate legend Alex Richardson on his way to 6th place. “It was brilliant to be in that company, and at a race like Lincoln,” he notes, also pointing to his 3rd place overall in the National U23 Road Series as a significant achievement, and evidence of his unwavering consistency.
Despite this, Hird failed to win a race in 2024. Asked if he lacks a killer instinct, the Worcester-based rider delivers an answer that suggests the opposite: a steely determination and belief beneath his friendly and humble front. “I wouldn’t say that really,” he responds instantly, pointing to his win in the Stars of the South West Road Race a year previous as proof, explaining that standing on the top step of the podium is something he hopes to right this season. “I’ve looked back at this season and thought I would have liked more podiums and perhaps a win, which anyone would want,” he points out. “A lot of my results are top 10s. A big aim this winter has been to get that extra bit to get podium results next season.”
Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Cycling has been part of Hird’s life since school, progressing to racing after joining an after-school club. “I’ve always enjoyed it, doing the races,” he expresses when asked about his journey into the sport, pointing to the 2021 National Championships as a “big moment” where he first realised his potential, finishing 37th as a first-year U23 in a rain-soaked Lincoln, backing it up early next season in very different circumstances at the Coalville Wheelers Road Race, mixing it in the leading groups as Ribble Weldtite made that corner of North West Leicestershire their own. “I’m best suited to races with moderate climbing, undulating, long races. Just a hard day out really,” he sums up.
Like all riders who leave these shores, Hird does so in pursuit of his dream, leaving behind many people who have supported him on his journey so far. “I’m aiming to do as best as I can in the sport and ultimately I’d like to, if possible, get a professional contract,” he states after revealing his goals for this season. “I’d like to continue improving in terms of results, and continue to move forward. The plan is to sort of get good results and hopefully be noticed by the next level of cycling team and to move on within the sport, to move up.”
“I’m just thankful for all the help and support that everyone has given me over the past many years towards moving on in the sport. With all riders, there’s a number of people in the background supporting them.”
Hird can take inspiration from a number of riders who have been on the same path, as he hopes to emulate the likes of fellow Cycling Sheffield graduate Adam Mitchell, who now plies his trade with the Vendée U squad, essentially a development team for ProTour outfit Total Energies, and Ben Chilton, another rider who has made a similar step up to a first division (DN1) club after only one season.
I wouldn’t say I’m nervous really, but it’s different because I’ve always been on a British team
“I wouldn’t say I’m nervous really, but it’s different because I’ve always been on a British team,” Hird explains, having not met up with his teammates at the time of the interview. “I’ve been learning French because obviously you’re going to need that, and it’ll be interesting to see how different the racing is out there, whether it is different.
“It’ll just be a good experience, the whole thing,“ he says. Hird knows the transition to France will bring new challenges, from tougher racing to adapting to a different culture. But if his record so far is anything to go by, he has every reason to believe that his trademark consistency will serve him well on the road ahead.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Few qualities are as sought after in cycling as consistency. It’s the bedrock of success, yet notoriously difficult to maintain. David Hird, however, seems to have found the formula. Over the course of 2024, he notched up 17 top ten finishes, opening his campaign with a podium in France and rounding it out with strong performances in Italy. Along the way, he tested himself against the best, taking sixth at the Lincoln GP and finishing third overall in the U23 National Road Series.
The British Continental spoke to Hird about his remarkable season, the secret to his consistency, and his ambitions for 2025. Reflecting on a year that saw him go toe-to-toe with some of the strongest riders in the domestic scene, he remains characteristically modest about his achievements. Now, with a move to French amateur racing just underway, he is preparing for the next big step in his career – one that he hopes will propel him towards a professional contract.
“I don’t think I do anything different to most riders, I haven’t discovered anything,” says Hird when asked the secret behind his remarkable run. Polite and understated, he pauses as he searches for an answer, explaining he doesn’t want to appear brash or arrogant, a characteristic not on the radar of the 22-year-old. “I guess it could be just focusing on lots of small details, I wouldn’t put it down to anything specific,” he continues. “One of my strengths is reading the race, knowing which moves to go with. I guess that probably helps with the consistency.”
Hird’s ability to read a race helped him catch the eye of French team ESEG Douai on his season debut at the GP de St Quentin last year, the then Cycling Sheffield rider keeping in contact with the French squad as they tracked his progress, resulting in a contract for 2025. “I’m looking forward to next year,” he states with excitement, the Worcester-based rider speaking to The British Continental after a training camp in Calpe ahead of his season bow on February 15th, which, inevitably, brought another top ten in the Circuit des Plages.
“It was great to get out there and I was happy with how I felt during training,” he says of the trip, where he spent time with riders such as 2024 Ryedale Grand Prix winner Tom Williams and WorldTour classics specialist Oliver Naesen. “I think I chose a good time to go, I was keeping an eye on the weather back here and it looked like it was a good time to be out there,” he notes, having just completed a ride in far less favourable conditions, battling the winds of Storm Éowyn.
Hird is one of a growing number of young British riders heading to France in an attempt to further their careers; the competitive amateur scene is a traditional route to the professional ranks, with alumni including the likes of Sean Yates, and more recently Harrison Wood and Bjoern Koert.
“It’s a good natural route of progression, going to France to race. The French amateur scene out there, I think it provides a good stepping stone forward for my aims and future career. They’re strong races, tough races, and I’d like to spend next year out there doing more of them,” he explains, one of a quartet of riders from the Cycling Sheffield squad to make the move across the Channel this year, alongside Max Krasinski and the Hartley brothers, Jack and James.
“I’ve been happy at Cycling Sheffield, it’s been a great setup and it’s been a brilliant team to be a part of,” he says of Dave Coulson’s team, having joined them last winter when faced with uncertainty about his previous team, known then as ROKiT-SRCT, being able to continue.
It was a move that paid dividends in only one season, Coulson’s reputation for helping riders develop and move on in their careers ringing true with Hird. “Dave’s been great at helping me with any advice, anything I’ve needed over the last year. He’s got so much experience of racing at this level and of coaching other riders, and helping riders move on – there’s four of us now moving on and going to France with the help of Dave and Cycling Sheffield. Even before I joined the team, I’d heard so many good things, and when I joined, they were proven right,” he explains.
Hird is fast to name the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix as the highlight of his year, making a select lead group containing former WorldTour professional Matt Holmes and Michaelgate legend Alex Richardson on his way to 6th place. “It was brilliant to be in that company, and at a race like Lincoln,” he notes, also pointing to his 3rd place overall in the National U23 Road Series as a significant achievement, and evidence of his unwavering consistency.
Despite this, Hird failed to win a race in 2024. Asked if he lacks a killer instinct, the Worcester-based rider delivers an answer that suggests the opposite: a steely determination and belief beneath his friendly and humble front. “I wouldn’t say that really,” he responds instantly, pointing to his win in the Stars of the South West Road Race a year previous as proof, explaining that standing on the top step of the podium is something he hopes to right this season. “I’ve looked back at this season and thought I would have liked more podiums and perhaps a win, which anyone would want,” he points out. “A lot of my results are top 10s. A big aim this winter has been to get that extra bit to get podium results next season.”
Cycling has been part of Hird’s life since school, progressing to racing after joining an after-school club. “I’ve always enjoyed it, doing the races,” he expresses when asked about his journey into the sport, pointing to the 2021 National Championships as a “big moment” where he first realised his potential, finishing 37th as a first-year U23 in a rain-soaked Lincoln, backing it up early next season in very different circumstances at the Coalville Wheelers Road Race, mixing it in the leading groups as Ribble Weldtite made that corner of North West Leicestershire their own. “I’m best suited to races with moderate climbing, undulating, long races. Just a hard day out really,” he sums up.
Like all riders who leave these shores, Hird does so in pursuit of his dream, leaving behind many people who have supported him on his journey so far. “I’m aiming to do as best as I can in the sport and ultimately I’d like to, if possible, get a professional contract,” he states after revealing his goals for this season. “I’d like to continue improving in terms of results, and continue to move forward. The plan is to sort of get good results and hopefully be noticed by the next level of cycling team and to move on within the sport, to move up.”
“I’m just thankful for all the help and support that everyone has given me over the past many years towards moving on in the sport. With all riders, there’s a number of people in the background supporting them.”
Hird can take inspiration from a number of riders who have been on the same path, as he hopes to emulate the likes of fellow Cycling Sheffield graduate Adam Mitchell, who now plies his trade with the Vendée U squad, essentially a development team for ProTour outfit Total Energies, and Ben Chilton, another rider who has made a similar step up to a first division (DN1) club after only one season.
“I wouldn’t say I’m nervous really, but it’s different because I’ve always been on a British team,” Hird explains, having not met up with his teammates at the time of the interview. “I’ve been learning French because obviously you’re going to need that, and it’ll be interesting to see how different the racing is out there, whether it is different.
“It’ll just be a good experience, the whole thing,“ he says. Hird knows the transition to France will bring new challenges, from tougher racing to adapting to a different culture. But if his record so far is anything to go by, he has every reason to believe that his trademark consistency will serve him well on the road ahead.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
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