- We get a lot of people writing to us on GCN
sayin' that they've got into the sport reasonably late.
And do they have any chance of turning professional?
So what we thought we would ask the pro riders
in the Dubai Tour today is how old they were
when they first started racing
and how well they did on that first race?
How old were you when you did your first ever race?
- I was 11.
- What was your result?
- It was '92 I was eleven so yeah.
I was leading, I crashed, ended up in the bushes,
came back out finished third.
- I think I was nine years old.
- [Host] What was the result?
- First place.
- [Woman] Of course.
- I think it was seven years old.
It was a small race, yes
But in the first
first part of my
cycling career it was really just for fun.
- [Host] Do you remember what position
you finished in your first race?
- Yes, I won that race. - You won it?
- Yeah I won.
- Just for fun, but you won.
- I won three race consecutive and then that's it.
- That's what you call talent.
- I think 15, 14 or 15.
But it was like for no official race, just a race.
- [Host] You had numbers on your back?
- I had numbers on my back, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- And what was the result?
- I was fourth.
- I think, 13?
- [Host] And what was the result?
- For sure I not win, I remember,
because I was smaller than now.
But, probably it was
ten years ago so the time passed fast.
- My dad was a mountain biker, he was a pro rider.
And, basically I started mountain biking
when I was maybe twelve years old.
And was sixteen, seventeen I went to road racing.
- Adam, how old were you when you did
your first race?
- I think I was five, in Manchester
outside the velodrome in the car park
just sprinting around with Ben Swift
and a couple of the guys that are still riding now.
- Result? - Yep, won.
First place.
- In my first race,
in Mallorca,
in 2005.
- [Host] And how old were you in 2005?
- 20 years old.
- 20? - 20.
- My first race, actually I won the first race.
And I race in my town in 1990.
- [Host] How old were you then?
- Ten years old.
- [Host] And how old were you
when you did your first ever race?
- I did a ten mile time trial when I was thirteen,
in 28 minutes and 1 second.
- And where did that put you in your category?
- What, sorry?
I think I was the only kid so, I won it.
- First and last?
- Yeah but, you could say that.
- 15 years old, yeah
I started quite late, for compare to the other guys.
- [Host] And what was your result?
- I think I abandoned.
- You won? - No, I abandoned.
- Oh you abandoned, okay.
- [Host] How old were you when you did your first ever race?
- 18.
- 18, quite late what was the result?
- I was sixth, in a 60 kilometre race
with normal running shoes on and
an old downtube shifting, bike of my dads
that I took out of the storage room.
- Seven years old, seven years old and finished second.
- On the road or on the track?
- On the road, on the road.
The first on the track I think was around 12, 13?
Yeah, little bit late but.
- Uh, 10.
- [Host] And how did you get on?
- I was on a BMX on a track race,
so uh I think I was midfield, maybe fifth.
- How old were you when you did your first ever race?
- I was 15, yes.
- And what was the result?
- Not so good, I don't remember,
the el salva was nothing special.
Still now it's nothing special.
(laughs)
- How old were you when you did your first ever race?
- Six years old. - Six years old?
And what was the resul?
- I was third, out of three.
- Last? - Yeah.
- How old were you when you did your first ever race?
- Oh, I think I was 16 maybe 15.
I definitely was 15, but I entered
I entered the wrong category.
So, yeah I didn't know the whole racing age thing.
So yeah, I was 15 I think, yeah.
- What was your result?
- I sat on the front for the entire race,
thinking I was winning.
And then the last lap everyone passed me.
And I was like, that sucks.
- So it's varied ages for the pros here
in Dubai Tour in terms of when they actually started racing
so if you are coming at 18, 19, 20,
just got ahead and decide, I think don't give up.
'Cause you might still make it to a professional level.
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give it a thumbs up just down below.
And if you wanna see another one,
we've got one here where we ask them
the best and the worst things
about being a pro cyclist.
So we've actually also got a video down here,
which gives some advice for young cyclists