Frank Longstaff interview: an underdog’s instinct, a champion’s finish
Despite holding a national title and clocking up one of the most impressive win tallies in British road racing last season, Frank Longstaff remains a name that slips under the radar.
Is Frank Longstaff the most underrated rider in Britain today? “Yeah, potentially!” the towering sprinter laughs as he is stopped by The British Continental, heading to the exit of the National Cycling Centre after securing qualification for that evening’s Points Race final at the Lloyds Bank National Track Championships.
It is Longstaff’s first time at the Championships since 2017, despite him currently holding the National Madison title, and he is, unsurprisingly, impressing. Taking a lap on the field in the morning heat, Longstaff would later back it up with a solid 10th in that night’s final – a strong result in the company of multiple World Champions – despite his modest evaluation of his chances before the race.
“The Scratch Race tomorrow is what I’m really targeting; I’m not sure I’m going to have the legs tonight, to be honest,” he admits, his powerful finish landing him 4th in the Scratch Race final the following evening, winning the bunch gallop with the medals having gone with the break earlier in the race.
Longstaff wins the 2024 Cambridge Criterium. Image: Monument Cycling/Honor Elliott
It is a result befitting of Longstaff in many ways. Something of an enigma, he doesn’t easily fit into the stereotype of a sprinter, keeping a low profile despite his unrivalled success over the past 12 months. This paradox was never more apparent than at the inaugural Cambridge Criterium last August, arguably his biggest and highest-profile victory to date.
Returning after a lengthy break from the sport in 2023, Longstaff had already built an impressive palmarès, including a UCI win at the Tour of Albania earlier in the year, but was barely mentioned in the notes of any pre-race dispatches for the National A race; the focus surrounding the ‘household names’ of Harry Tanfield and National Circuit Series winner Matt Bostock.
I guess a lot of people wouldn’t have a clue who I am; being the underdog is definitely an advantage
“I guess a lot of people wouldn’t have a clue who I am,” he admits when his continued ability to fly under the radar is raised. “That’s great though; being the underdog is definitely an advantage,” he adds with a smile.
Longstaff’s Cambridge win would make a fine highlights package for any prospective agent to market the fast finisher: a masterclass in speed, stamina, and instinct. Rounding the final corner, the Colchester rider appeared on the right-hand side of the road, beginning his ferocious sprint with almost half a kilometre to go, holding his effort – and the favourites – firmly behind him as he crossed the line.
Riding for Schils-Doltcini in 2024. Image: Mark James
“I am an out-and-out sprinter; a lot of people don’t know that because I don’t often get to show that off at the end of the race,” Longstaff explains with a wry smile as he reflects on that last kilometre, his tall and powerful physique ideally suited to intense bursts of speed.
I am an out-and-out sprinter; a lot of people don’t know that because I don’t often get to show that off at the end of the race
“That was just purely off instinct; I was too far back, I was moving up, carrying too much speed. There was no thought process; I was just going,” he continues, addressing the ad hoc nature of his plan. “Olly Moors, the chap who was commentating – he was my old Madison partner – called it straight away. He knew I would be able to hold onto that sort of effort. It was a proper track effort.”
It is at these Championships that Longstaff’s career has come somewhat full circle, having raced on the track extensively before taking a break from the sport. “I just got back into racing properly last year, and I’m a trackie at heart, so it feels right coming back to Nationals,” he notes, representing the UCI track team One Life Cycle, with whom he won the National Madison Championship last year. “It was James [Ambrose-Parish] who brought me on board; I know him very well. I think with the UCI calendar that they’ve got for this year, it was a no-brainer for me,” he continues about the team’s plan to race a high-quality calendar both in the UK and further afield.
“All of us are fairly local to the London and Essex area, and yeah, we’re not taking it too seriously; we’re trying to be those guys who are racing hard but with no stress,” he says. The team philosophy paid off when he and Tom Ward were crowned Madison kings at Herne Hill last summer, adding their names to an iconic list of winners. However, with the championship being cancelled as recently as 2023 and not having a permanent home – either in venue or a place on the calendar – it, along with other championship races, has lost some of its shine.
“Races like the Madison and Elimination, you actually have to do research and find out when those races are; it’s not publicised at all,” says Longstaff, the effect on the competition natural. “The National Madison which we won last year – there were hardly any riders there, just because of the time of year, the lack of promotion.”
Longstaff (left) at the Jock Wadley Memorial with his new teammates. Image: Mark James
However, Longstaff is more positive about the future, with British Cycling announcing a new National Track Series, incorporating such national championships, as well as moving the season back to its traditional winter slot. “I think it sounds like BC is trying to get more structure to track racing now, with October and November [ed. there are four rounds running until January] for the National Track Series. It’s getting there,” he says positively, knowing the series is a big step forward for the sport on a national level.
Before the National Track Series, Longstaff will again turn his hand to the road, having signed for DAS-Richardsons for 2025. “I know the team manager Andy Lyons well; it was just a natural progression really,” he explains, having last ridden for the squad in 2018. Longstaff will aim for success in both National A races and races in Belgium over the season, noting, “that’s exactly what Richardsons are all about,” when pointing out his targets.
Longstaff’s sole National A win thus far came at Cambridge last summer; his record in the National Circuit Series, on paper, surprisingly underwhelming – and something he will hope to change. “A lot of the crit racing suits those smaller, punchier riders,” he points out, addressing the issue.
Cambridge was just made for me really. It’s more of a kermesse rather than a crit
“A 90kg rider like me is always going to struggle coming out of every corner after an hour; I need a more flowing course. Dudley GP, I was up there; Colne GP, I was up there. Cambridge was just made for me really. It’s more of a kermesse rather than a crit.”
So what ambitions does Longstaff have in the sport past 2025, the 26-year-old already having achieved a palmarès that would see many riders retire content? “To be honest, I’m just loving the sport again, and for me personally, I’m self-employed and I’m able to dedicate some time to racing and training; I just want to make the most of the sport in my 20s and see where I can take it,” he explains, the relaxed philosophy of his track team extending to his personal goals. “I don’t have a specific target; I’m just rolling with it, enjoying it, and riding to win every race I enter. In it to win it – but there’s no pressure.”
Is Frank Longstaff the most underrated rider in Britain today? “Yeah, potentially!” the towering sprinter laughs as he is stopped by The British Continental, heading to the exit of the National Cycling Centre after securing qualification for that evening’s Points Race final at the Lloyds Bank National Track Championships.
It is Longstaff’s first time at the Championships since 2017, despite him currently holding the National Madison title, and he is, unsurprisingly, impressing. Taking a lap on the field in the morning heat, Longstaff would later back it up with a solid 10th in that night’s final – a strong result in the company of multiple World Champions – despite his modest evaluation of his chances before the race.
“The Scratch Race tomorrow is what I’m really targeting; I’m not sure I’m going to have the legs tonight, to be honest,” he admits, his powerful finish landing him 4th in the Scratch Race final the following evening, winning the bunch gallop with the medals having gone with the break earlier in the race.
It is a result befitting of Longstaff in many ways. Something of an enigma, he doesn’t easily fit into the stereotype of a sprinter, keeping a low profile despite his unrivalled success over the past 12 months. This paradox was never more apparent than at the inaugural Cambridge Criterium last August, arguably his biggest and highest-profile victory to date.
Returning after a lengthy break from the sport in 2023, Longstaff had already built an impressive palmarès, including a UCI win at the Tour of Albania earlier in the year, but was barely mentioned in the notes of any pre-race dispatches for the National A race; the focus surrounding the ‘household names’ of Harry Tanfield and National Circuit Series winner Matt Bostock.
“I guess a lot of people wouldn’t have a clue who I am,” he admits when his continued ability to fly under the radar is raised. “That’s great though; being the underdog is definitely an advantage,” he adds with a smile.
Longstaff’s Cambridge win would make a fine highlights package for any prospective agent to market the fast finisher: a masterclass in speed, stamina, and instinct. Rounding the final corner, the Colchester rider appeared on the right-hand side of the road, beginning his ferocious sprint with almost half a kilometre to go, holding his effort – and the favourites – firmly behind him as he crossed the line.
“I am an out-and-out sprinter; a lot of people don’t know that because I don’t often get to show that off at the end of the race,” Longstaff explains with a wry smile as he reflects on that last kilometre, his tall and powerful physique ideally suited to intense bursts of speed.
“That was just purely off instinct; I was too far back, I was moving up, carrying too much speed. There was no thought process; I was just going,” he continues, addressing the ad hoc nature of his plan. “Olly Moors, the chap who was commentating – he was my old Madison partner – called it straight away. He knew I would be able to hold onto that sort of effort. It was a proper track effort.”
It is at these Championships that Longstaff’s career has come somewhat full circle, having raced on the track extensively before taking a break from the sport.
“I just got back into racing properly last year, and I’m a trackie at heart, so it feels right coming back to Nationals,” he notes, representing the UCI track team One Life Cycle, with whom he won the National Madison Championship last year.
“It was James [Ambrose-Parish] who brought me on board; I know him very well. I think with the UCI calendar that they’ve got for this year, it was a no-brainer for me,” he continues about the team’s plan to race a high-quality calendar both in the UK and further afield.
“All of us are fairly local to the London and Essex area, and yeah, we’re not taking it too seriously; we’re trying to be those guys who are racing hard but with no stress,” he says. The team philosophy paid off when he and Tom Ward were crowned Madison kings at Herne Hill last summer, adding their names to an iconic list of winners. However, with the championship being cancelled as recently as 2023 and not having a permanent home – either in venue or a place on the calendar – it, along with other championship races, has lost some of its shine.
“Races like the Madison and Elimination, you actually have to do research and find out when those races are; it’s not publicised at all,” says Longstaff, the effect on the competition natural. “The National Madison which we won last year – there were hardly any riders there, just because of the time of year, the lack of promotion.”
However, Longstaff is more positive about the future, with British Cycling announcing a new National Track Series, incorporating such national championships, as well as moving the season back to its traditional winter slot. “I think it sounds like BC is trying to get more structure to track racing now, with October and November [ed. there are four rounds running until January] for the National Track Series. It’s getting there,” he says positively, knowing the series is a big step forward for the sport on a national level.
Before the National Track Series, Longstaff will again turn his hand to the road, having signed for DAS-Richardsons for 2025. “I know the team manager Andy Lyons well; it was just a natural progression really,” he explains, having last ridden for the squad in 2018. Longstaff will aim for success in both National A races and races in Belgium over the season, noting, “that’s exactly what Richardsons are all about,” when pointing out his targets.
Longstaff’s sole National A win thus far came at Cambridge last summer; his record in the National Circuit Series, on paper, surprisingly underwhelming – and something he will hope to change. “A lot of the crit racing suits those smaller, punchier riders,” he points out, addressing the issue.
“A 90kg rider like me is always going to struggle coming out of every corner after an hour; I need a more flowing course. Dudley GP, I was up there; Colne GP, I was up there. Cambridge was just made for me really. It’s more of a kermesse rather than a crit.”
So what ambitions does Longstaff have in the sport past 2025, the 26-year-old already having achieved a palmarès that would see many riders retire content?
“To be honest, I’m just loving the sport again, and for me personally, I’m self-employed and I’m able to dedicate some time to racing and training; I just want to make the most of the sport in my 20s and see where I can take it,” he explains, the relaxed philosophy of his track team extending to his personal goals.
“I don’t have a specific target; I’m just rolling with it, enjoying it, and riding to win every race I enter. In it to win it – but there’s no pressure.”
Featured image: Mark James
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