Sam Fisher
When you’re good, you’re good and young Sam Fisher looks to be very good!
Sam Fisher is a junior riding with the Wales Racing Academy who took two golds at British Cycling’s National Track Championships. This young rider looks to have a bright future ahead if he can keep up these kind of performances.
Fisher timed his form to perfection, peaking on the last day of the championships. The Championships made their return to the home of British cycling, Manchester’s National Cycling Centre after a two year, £26 million refurbishment. The events ran from Friday 23 – Sunday 25 February 2024.
Men’s Team Pursuit Final
The day started with the Men’s Team Pursuit final featuring the WKG – WardPerformanceUK and Wales Racing Academy. The Wales Racing Academy team was made up of Sam Fisher, Will Roberts, Will Salter and Finlay Tarling. WKG – WardPerformanceUK was a composite team made up of Sebastian Garry, Michael Gill, Will Perrett and Tom Ward.
WKG – WardPerformanceUK posted the fastest time in qualifying, despite a false start. However the WRA looked the more dominant team and they were leading by over a second at the halfway point. WKG – WardPerformanceUK began to close that lead down and pulled ahead in the final kilometre. However WRA gritted their teeth and squeezed hard to cross the line as national champions with a time of 4:01.548.
After their win Will Roberts said: “It was really nice to win with this team and it was the first time we have ridden together, we weren’t focusing on the other team at all. The crowd was roaring and my family were in the crowd so it’s really nice to win in front of them.”
Men’s Scratch Race
With his first senior medal of the day secured, it was time to head back to the boards for the Men’s Scratch Race. The eighty lap race began with a short lived break from Will Perrett (Spirit TBW), Will Roberts (WRA), Nathan Hardy (Team PB Performance), Timothy Torrie (trainSharp Elite) and Henry Hobbs (Willebrord Wil Vooruit.
Next it was Liam Davison (Addform – Vive le velo) who made a solo move off the front with forty-one laps. Perrett chased hard to join him, but they were reeled back in. As the catch was made Finlay Tarling (Willebrod Wil Vooruit) launched a surprise attack over the top of the peloton. Tarling gained a quarter of a lap on the bunch, with Perrett and Andrew Brinkley (OVB) trying to bridge. The bunch had other ideas, however and the escapees were caught.
Race Winning Attack!
With only fours laps to go it was time for Fisher to attack and what an attack! Exploding out of the bunch, Fisher’s launched a ferocious sprint that took him clear. With the bunch hesitating before beginning its chase, Fisher dug in for a fantastic victory for the 17 year old rider. Archie Fletcher (360cycling) and Will Roberts (Saint Piran) took the silver and bronze medals.
Speaking after his win Fisher said: “I came into this weekend with a bit of an illness, and after getting lapped twice in the points qualification yesterday, I wasn’t expecting this at all. The race was wicked and the crowd were amazing, screaming for me over the last couple of laps. I couldn’t have asked for more. My goal for today was to stay in the group, so to win is totally unexpected.”
Sam says…
We got a chance to ask Sam a few questions after his amazing Sunday session.
Sam, you’re 17 and have just won two senior gold medals at the National Championships, did you expect this outcome?
Not at all, I came into this event as training and to see how I faired against the older, better riders, so to come away with the two medals was a real shock.
Did you feel any pressure leading up to these Champs?
There was never any pressure on me to do well at the event. Still being a junior, I came into it to have fun and learn things.
Looking to the future, where do you see your cycling career going?
Hopefully by the end of this year to have joined a development team on the road and to have joined the u23 British Cycling Squad, and progressing from there.
This year you’ve been getting plenty of practise travelling internationally to race, what do your non-cycling friends think?
They are all really supportive and understand when I have to miss social events due to my sporting commitments.
Sam rides for the Wales Racing Academy along with Huw Buck that we spoke to recently. Sam is sponsored by UK brand Handsling Bikes and rides a TR3evo. We’ll keep an eye on Sam’s progress and hopefully convince him to take part in one of out rider’s Q&A articles.
