Harry Tanfield sets focus on racing again in 2021

The 26-year-old cyclist, from Great Ayton, is already in training for the forthcoming campaign after signing with his fifth team in three years.

The delayed Vuelta a Espana, at the end of cycling’s road race season, was Tanfield’s first Grand Tour, but he seemed set to drop down to second-tier UCI Continental level with Ribble Weldtite when French squad AG2R La Mondiale decided not to renew his contract into 2021.

In November, a month after he signed for his new British-based team, Tanfield’s career in the World Tour, the sport’s elite level, was resurrected when African-registered squad Qhubeka Assos stepped in with a late-notice contract offer.

Coronavirus has had a severe impact on road racing which is heavily reliant on business sponsors who have been forced to cut their costs, thus reducing team budgets.

With only 19 teams operating in the World Tour and fewer places available for riders on squad rosters, it appeared Tanfield would have to take a step backwards. But Qhubeka’s team building was delayed by the search for a new sponsor, which was completed last month and, with some of the former NTT Pro Cycling outfit’s key riders having moved on, a chance arose which Tanfield is keen to make the most of.

“It was very much last-minute so I am very fortunate for the opportunity,” he told The Yorkshire Post.

The new deal provides Tanfield with a positive end to what has been a difficult year.

The sport shut down in the spring, one of its busiest periods, because of coronavirus and Tanfield recalled: “It took a while for it to get going again.

“It didn’t get going again until August/September time, but it was good to do some good training at home and to be at home over the summer was nice.

“I was able to work on a few weaknesses in the gym over that period as well and then we were into the season in August.

“I went to a camp in Andorra in July and then we were racing from the following month.

“There wasn’t that much racing, because quite a lot got cancelled. It was pretty much one race every month.”

All three Grand Tours – France, Italy and Spain – were delayed until late summer/early autumn, with the latter two taking place simultaneously.

Reflecting on his first taste of a multi-week stage race, Tanfield conceded: “It was pretty much as I expected, really.”

He said: “It was nice, every day was hard, but it was a good race to do and I am pleased I did it, or most of it.”

After battling through the pain barrier, Tanfield was forced to abandon during the 15th of the three-week race’s 18 stages.

“I had a torn muscle after the first week,” he explained.

“It kind of got better as the race went on a little bit.

“But then, ultimately, I ended up picking up some kind of stomach virus in the last couple of days.

“The day when I wasn’t racing, when I was finished, I was pretty much ruined.”

The Yorkshireman had earlier featured in a four-man breakaway on stage four, gaining a big lead – and valuable television coverage – over the chasing pack before being reeled in by the peloton, which was setting up for a sprint finish, 20 kilometres from the line.

Tanfield won the stage’s only intermediate sprint and his day out made for a memorable experience.

“That was good,” he said.

“I hadn’t really been feeling good up to that point so it was nice to get up there and have a mess about really and get on TV a bit.”

He also finished 21st in a hilly time trial a few days before climbing off.

Narrowly missing the top-20 was disappointing following a strong ride, but he accepted: “It was the best I could do on the day, with what I had. It could have been different if the course had been different, but it wasn’t.”

Tanfield was snapped up by World Tour team Katusha-Alpecin after winning a stage at the 2018 Tour de Yorkshire, but moved to AG2R after they folded.

Ribble Weldtite agreed to release him from his newly-signed deal when Qhubeka expressed their interest and Tanfield feels he has proven he is capable of riding at the top level.

“I think I have learned a lot from that race, what I need to do and what I can do,” he said of the Vuelta.

“I want to ride at that level and be better, but I have had a good year.

“I have still been riding the bike, I have still done 30,000k or whatever, it’s just the majority of it has been training.

“After the Vuelta I rested up, but I am back into training now for next year.

“Hopefully we can race in February, possibly, though I am not too sure at the moment. It depends on the whole virus situation.

“I doubt the lower-level racing will start until later on, but World Tour racing is kind of exempt; when everyone’s tested before and during the races it makes it a lot better.”

After the disruption of his past two seasons, owing to uncertainty over his team’s future and then the pandemic, Tanfield is hoping for an opportunity to focus solely on racing next year.

“I am looking forward to it,” he said.

“It is a fluid situation, one you have to monitor and go from there. You just have to assess it each month at a time.”

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