George Kimber interview: ‘it’s crazy INEOS is our only step-up’ – chasing opportunity beyond the domestic ceiling
The 24-year-old civil engineer has already ripped up the domestic script this season, storming to overall victory at the Rás Tailteann and finishing runner-up at the East Cleveland Classic. Yet Britain’s fractured pathway to the pro ranks means Aberystwyth may be his one shot this year to impress WorldTour eyes.
The National Road Race Championships are unique, and perhaps more important than ever for riders who spend the majority of their time racing in the UK. In the absence of a British men’s UCI team – aside from the WorldTour powerhouse that is INEOS Grenadiers – it is the only chance for many who form part of the vibrant patchwork that makes up the domestic peloton to test themselves against a selection of the best talent in the sport.
‘I don’t know how big the gap is between us and them,’ admits George Kimber, the 2024 National Road Series winner – a rider with designs on mixing it with the professionals on the roads around Aberystwyth on Sunday.
In terms of the WorldTour teams you only get that one chance a year to prove yourself, so there is a bit of pressure, but it’s an opportunity to show what I can do
‘I’m feeling good; the Nationals are the big target,’ Kimber reveals, conscious that, like a number of riders on the start-list, the race presents one of the few opportunities he has to show his abilities among such esteemed company. ‘In terms of the WorldTour teams you only get that one chance a year to prove yourself, so there is a bit of pressure, but it’s an opportunity to show what I can do,’ he continues, noting with some caution that the Championship is ‘a step up from everything we normally do’, while remaining optimistic about his chances. ‘I’m going in believing that I can do something. I’m coming in in good shape and that’s all I can do, really,’ he states, looking forward to the challenge.
George Kimber (Spirit Racing Team). Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
It is a year since Kimber last spoke at length with The British Continental, and while a lot has happened in that time, some things have stayed constant for the male Domestic Rider of the Year. ‘I think it’s important to believe you can win. I’ve always had that, but more so now,’ he stresses – the 2025 Kimber stronger, and armed with a better sprint following a winter in the gym. Having moved to Cardiff, the Devon native still plies his trade with the Spirit Racing team; another season with what is now Josh Parkin’s outfit proved the best fit after his proposed move to Saint Piran fell through when the UCI Continental team folded late last year.
‘It’s difficult being in the UK with a job right now,’ he muses, the civil engineer’s 2025 calendar taking a different shape without the backing of a UCI outfit; a move abroad is not possible this season. ‘With it being so late when Saint Piran folded, I decided to stick with what I know with Spirit,’ he explains. ‘I know everyone well there; it’s a nice atmosphere, and knowing what I’m going to get – not having to adapt to a new set-up – is good when I’m busy.’
It’s crazy that the next biggest British team after the Elite Development Teams is INEOS
‘It’s crazy that the next biggest British team after the Elite Development Teams is INEOS,’ Kimber continues, pointing out the difficulties riders in the UK face making their way in the sport, even those who, like himself, have become poster boys for the Elite Development Team system. ‘We’ve got four UCI races left this year,’ he says with emphasis, each one a definitive target. ‘In terms of stepping up, the results just hold so much more weight. Even if I won the National Road Series again it wouldn’t really bolster my case that much for trying to get on a bigger team; it would be more about getting the UCI points. As much as I love the British races, they have to take priority.’
With this in mind, Kimber is set to miss his home round of the National Road Series, the inaugural Witheridge Grand Prix – a sacrifice, and statement of intent, necessary with an eye on a career in the sport that he is now actively pursuing.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
‘I’m definitely going to be in Dawlish for the National Circuit Series on Friday evening – it’s only round the corner from my old local club,’ he confirms. ‘But at the moment we’ve got the GP de Pérenchies in France on Sunday. Going back to what we were saying about having limited opportunities to prove yourself – the UCI has to take priority.’
There’s nowhere upwards to go in the UK. I think going abroad, maybe France, would suit me
Having reached the proverbial glass ceiling of the domestic scene last season, Kimber is not shy about his ambitions to move on in 2026; a move abroad is the only realistic option. ‘There’s nowhere upwards to go in the UK,’ he stresses. ‘I think going abroad, maybe France, would suit me – that’s something I need to look into: find some contacts, see what the options are.’
The natural progression – and ambition – from such a move would be one to the professional ranks, a path Kimber is now looking towards. ‘Now that I’ve got a proper job and I have to spend some time at work, I’m sort of thinking, if I could pull it off, that would be the dream,’ he reflects, his perspective changed not only by a breakthrough 2024 but by graduating from Cardiff University two years ago. ‘Studying at uni, having a good time with your mates and riding your bike on the side – that was a brilliant time of my life and I probably wouldn’t change that. But now it’s proper-job time, and I’d rather be riding my bike for a living.’
Kimber has continued to impress in 2025, demonstrating the talent that lies behind his ambitions: a cluster of National B and regional wins was the precursor to second place at the East Cleveland Classic in April, his best result in a round of the National Road Series to date. ‘I was disappointed at the time, to be honest. I was backing myself going into that; I didn’t realise how strong Adam [Howell] was until that race,’ he says, having been beaten by the smallest of margins in a two-up sprint up Saltburn Bank – his immediate disappointment testament both to his stature as one of the strongest riders in the peloton and to the rock-steady self-belief on which his biggest results have been built. ‘It’s a good result to have, but I haven’t won a Prem yet, so that’s on my list of things to tick off. I was disappointed at the time, but proud, looking back, at the way I rode it. I was with, I think, three Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli and three Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck riders in the break, so to create a winning position from that – that isn’t easy – and I should be happy with that.’
Adam Howell (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) wins with George Kimber (Spirit Racing Team) in second. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Often outnumbered, with his Spirit team lacking the depth of other squads after an uncertain winter, Kimber has become increasingly tactically astute, using his strength and racing knowledge to his advantage in difficult situations. ‘I think I’m much better at reading a race now and analysing a course than I used to be. I can be more calculated, but also, if you have that strength, you don’t need to panic quite so much. If you know you can close a 30-second gap whenever you want, you can afford to wait and choose the right section of the course to go across. That’s how I’ve approached being a stronger rider this year: wait until it’s hard and make one big effort to go across, rather than trying to be in everything and tiring yourself out.’
It was these tactics that Kimber put to good use during the Rás Tailteann – Ireland’s premier stage race – last month, where, riding as a guest for a young Isle of Man CC team, he blew the race apart on the penultimate stage, using the Wolftrap climb to take the stage, the leader’s jersey and, ultimately, the general classification a day later.
It was a dream come true, really
‘It was a dream come true, really,’ he says, the race still seemingly fresh in his mind. ‘I knew that I wanted to take the jersey on that day because it’s so hard to defend in Ireland, especially because we were down to three riders by stage three,’ Kimber explains, his previous experience of racing in Ireland influencing that decision. ‘I think it sounded a bit arrogant at the start – saying I don’t want yellow straight away, having the luxury to choose when to take it – but I’ve been in yellow from stage one at the Rás Mumhan before and it is just a nightmare because it’s non-stop attacking. Wheelbase had yellow from stage one – they were probably the strongest team there – and still lost it. It is hard to control.’
George Kimber of the Isle of Man team wins stage 4 of Rás Tailteann .Image : Lorraine O’Sullivan
Kimber was given the leadership of the Isle of Man CC team from the off, having secured his place through a friend, Irishman Marcus Christie. ‘It was more me coming in as someone to guide them round it and take more of a mentoring role,’ he notes, with the majority of the team riding the race for the first time. However, inexperience aside, Kimber and his two remaining team-mates would be forced to defend the race lead on the final stage, where the contest has turned upside down on numerous occasions.
The key was not panicking, because as soon as people see yellow chasing on the front, they leave you to do all the chasing until you blow up
‘Stressful!’ Kimber says succinctly, laughing, when asked what those final 142 km into Bective were like. ‘I think the key was not panicking, because as soon as people see yellow chasing on the front, they leave you to do all the chasing until you blow up and then take the scraps from you,’ he explains. ‘I was just trying to hide, because people often then forget about the yellow jersey and race their own race.
‘With 30 km to go we got on the front, and with 20 km to the finish that’s when I started pulling, because I knew I could do a big effort – like a ten-mile time trial – and pretty much managed to bring it all back together again apart from Josh Charlton, who went solo from the break. The legs really turned up there, and I think that was the jersey giving me some wings.’
In many ways Kimber’s Rás victory was another one for the underdog, following on from his National Road Series triumph last year. ‘We had to be really smart about it, so it was a good feeling having pulled it off,’ he notes, the Spirit rider so often thriving in conditions where a combination of brains as well as brawn prevails. It is a combination perfect for the National Championships, where making the winning break will almost certainly depend on precisely that blend. The question is: can the underdog deliver again?
The National Road Race Championships are unique, and perhaps more important than ever for riders who spend the majority of their time racing in the UK. In the absence of a British men’s UCI team – aside from the WorldTour powerhouse that is INEOS Grenadiers – it is the only chance for many who form part of the vibrant patchwork that makes up the domestic peloton to test themselves against a selection of the best talent in the sport.
‘I don’t know how big the gap is between us and them,’ admits George Kimber, the 2024 National Road Series winner – a rider with designs on mixing it with the professionals on the roads around Aberystwyth on Sunday.
‘I’m feeling good; the Nationals are the big target,’ Kimber reveals, conscious that, like a number of riders on the start-list, the race presents one of the few opportunities he has to show his abilities among such esteemed company. ‘In terms of the WorldTour teams you only get that one chance a year to prove yourself, so there is a bit of pressure, but it’s an opportunity to show what I can do,’ he continues, noting with some caution that the Championship is ‘a step up from everything we normally do’, while remaining optimistic about his chances. ‘I’m going in believing that I can do something. I’m coming in in good shape and that’s all I can do, really,’ he states, looking forward to the challenge.
It is a year since Kimber last spoke at length with The British Continental, and while a lot has happened in that time, some things have stayed constant for the male Domestic Rider of the Year. ‘I think it’s important to believe you can win. I’ve always had that, but more so now,’ he stresses – the 2025 Kimber stronger, and armed with a better sprint following a winter in the gym. Having moved to Cardiff, the Devon native still plies his trade with the Spirit Racing team; another season with what is now Josh Parkin’s outfit proved the best fit after his proposed move to Saint Piran fell through when the UCI Continental team folded late last year.
‘It’s difficult being in the UK with a job right now,’ he muses, the civil engineer’s 2025 calendar taking a different shape without the backing of a UCI outfit; a move abroad is not possible this season. ‘With it being so late when Saint Piran folded, I decided to stick with what I know with Spirit,’ he explains. ‘I know everyone well there; it’s a nice atmosphere, and knowing what I’m going to get – not having to adapt to a new set-up – is good when I’m busy.’
‘It’s crazy that the next biggest British team after the Elite Development Teams is INEOS,’ Kimber continues, pointing out the difficulties riders in the UK face making their way in the sport, even those who, like himself, have become poster boys for the Elite Development Team system. ‘We’ve got four UCI races left this year,’ he says with emphasis, each one a definitive target. ‘In terms of stepping up, the results just hold so much more weight. Even if I won the National Road Series again it wouldn’t really bolster my case that much for trying to get on a bigger team; it would be more about getting the UCI points. As much as I love the British races, they have to take priority.’
With this in mind, Kimber is set to miss his home round of the National Road Series, the inaugural Witheridge Grand Prix – a sacrifice, and statement of intent, necessary with an eye on a career in the sport that he is now actively pursuing.
‘I’m definitely going to be in Dawlish for the National Circuit Series on Friday evening – it’s only round the corner from my old local club,’ he confirms. ‘But at the moment we’ve got the GP de Pérenchies in France on Sunday. Going back to what we were saying about having limited opportunities to prove yourself – the UCI has to take priority.’
Having reached the proverbial glass ceiling of the domestic scene last season, Kimber is not shy about his ambitions to move on in 2026; a move abroad is the only realistic option. ‘There’s nowhere upwards to go in the UK,’ he stresses. ‘I think going abroad, maybe France, would suit me – that’s something I need to look into: find some contacts, see what the options are.’
The natural progression – and ambition – from such a move would be one to the professional ranks, a path Kimber is now looking towards. ‘Now that I’ve got a proper job and I have to spend some time at work, I’m sort of thinking, if I could pull it off, that would be the dream,’ he reflects, his perspective changed not only by a breakthrough 2024 but by graduating from Cardiff University two years ago. ‘Studying at uni, having a good time with your mates and riding your bike on the side – that was a brilliant time of my life and I probably wouldn’t change that. But now it’s proper-job time, and I’d rather be riding my bike for a living.’
Kimber has continued to impress in 2025, demonstrating the talent that lies behind his ambitions: a cluster of National B and regional wins was the precursor to second place at the East Cleveland Classic in April, his best result in a round of the National Road Series to date. ‘I was disappointed at the time, to be honest. I was backing myself going into that; I didn’t realise how strong Adam [Howell] was until that race,’ he says, having been beaten by the smallest of margins in a two-up sprint up Saltburn Bank – his immediate disappointment testament both to his stature as one of the strongest riders in the peloton and to the rock-steady self-belief on which his biggest results have been built. ‘It’s a good result to have, but I haven’t won a Prem yet, so that’s on my list of things to tick off. I was disappointed at the time, but proud, looking back, at the way I rode it. I was with, I think, three Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli and three Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck riders in the break, so to create a winning position from that – that isn’t easy – and I should be happy with that.’
Often outnumbered, with his Spirit team lacking the depth of other squads after an uncertain winter, Kimber has become increasingly tactically astute, using his strength and racing knowledge to his advantage in difficult situations. ‘I think I’m much better at reading a race now and analysing a course than I used to be. I can be more calculated, but also, if you have that strength, you don’t need to panic quite so much. If you know you can close a 30-second gap whenever you want, you can afford to wait and choose the right section of the course to go across. That’s how I’ve approached being a stronger rider this year: wait until it’s hard and make one big effort to go across, rather than trying to be in everything and tiring yourself out.’
It was these tactics that Kimber put to good use during the Rás Tailteann – Ireland’s premier stage race – last month, where, riding as a guest for a young Isle of Man CC team, he blew the race apart on the penultimate stage, using the Wolftrap climb to take the stage, the leader’s jersey and, ultimately, the general classification a day later.
‘It was a dream come true, really,’ he says, the race still seemingly fresh in his mind. ‘I knew that I wanted to take the jersey on that day because it’s so hard to defend in Ireland, especially because we were down to three riders by stage three,’ Kimber explains, his previous experience of racing in Ireland influencing that decision. ‘I think it sounded a bit arrogant at the start – saying I don’t want yellow straight away, having the luxury to choose when to take it – but I’ve been in yellow from stage one at the Rás Mumhan before and it is just a nightmare because it’s non-stop attacking. Wheelbase had yellow from stage one – they were probably the strongest team there – and still lost it. It is hard to control.’
Kimber was given the leadership of the Isle of Man CC team from the off, having secured his place through a friend, Irishman Marcus Christie. ‘It was more me coming in as someone to guide them round it and take more of a mentoring role,’ he notes, with the majority of the team riding the race for the first time. However, inexperience aside, Kimber and his two remaining team-mates would be forced to defend the race lead on the final stage, where the contest has turned upside down on numerous occasions.
‘Stressful!’ Kimber says succinctly, laughing, when asked what those final 142 km into Bective were like. ‘I think the key was not panicking, because as soon as people see yellow chasing on the front, they leave you to do all the chasing until you blow up and then take the scraps from you,’ he explains. ‘I was just trying to hide, because people often then forget about the yellow jersey and race their own race.
‘With 30 km to go we got on the front, and with 20 km to the finish that’s when I started pulling, because I knew I could do a big effort – like a ten-mile time trial – and pretty much managed to bring it all back together again apart from Josh Charlton, who went solo from the break. The legs really turned up there, and I think that was the jersey giving me some wings.’
In many ways Kimber’s Rás victory was another one for the underdog, following on from his National Road Series triumph last year. ‘We had to be really smart about it, so it was a good feeling having pulled it off,’ he notes, the Spirit rider so often thriving in conditions where a combination of brains as well as brawn prevails. It is a combination perfect for the National Championships, where making the winning break will almost certainly depend on precisely that blend. The question is: can the underdog deliver again?
Featured image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
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