The Godfather of British XC

Simon Burney is a giant in British mountain biking terms, not only because of his great tallness, but also his unwavering passion and drive for o -road racing. Had the former cyclocross pro not lured his ACE Racing Peugeot team riders into mountain biking in the early 1990s, things may have turned out di erently for the sport in the UK, and especially for XC racing. It was Simon who introduced the likes of David Baker and Tim Gould to the sport, and they duly took it to a whole new level. He was also a major force when it came to awakening British Cycling to the arrival of mountain biking. Since then, he’s worked with the UCI as a technical delegate and has been on hand to encourage aspiring British XC racers for 30 years.

Far left How Elite XC looked nearly 30 years ago – not all that di erent to today, actually! Gary Foord leads Team Raleigh up the first hill at the 1993 7UP-BMBF National Champs, held at Eastnor Park in Herefordshire. Barrie Clarke can be seen in the pack Top ’90s XC ace Tim Gould enjoys a busman’s holiday at the Malvern Classic Left Caroline Alexander podiumed regularly at World Cups in the Nineties and Noughties Above top Team Raleigh at a cafe stop in the Peak District: (l-r) Paul Hinton, David Baker, Caroline Alexander, Adrian Timmis, Gary Coltman, Barrie Clarke Above David Baker racing in 1997. Check out the narrow bar, rim brakes and triple crankset, never mind the geometry… How things have evolved!