Brits Abroad

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Harrison Jones, 20

Polartec Alberto Contador U23 Team, Pinto, Spain

Verdict on Pinto? It’s near Madrid and it’s not your typical cycling place. You have to ride for a bit of time to get out and in the summer you’re riding in a desert, on very flat roads and in 40°C heat. I never spent massively long periods there though, racing all over and doing a summer training camp in Andorra with Orica. How’s the season been? Frustrating. Spanish teams have a mentality that there is one guy who they choose to win and everyone else is on the front. I’m a team player but it stopped me getting results and I was being left out of big races for no reason. So recently I’ve been racing pro kermesses in Belgium. Why move to Belgium? I realised a couple of months ago that I needed to do something for myself to get a contract for next season. I started to question myself and my ability so I went to Belgium with an open mind. There’s so many Brits there and that makes a big difference. Pleased with the form? Yeah I am. I’ve had three top-15s in races that included Lotto-soudal and Quick Step Floors riders. A lot of doors have opened up for me since I have been there. Where do you prefer racing? Belgium and France is a free for all, it’s crazy and always splits. Spain is much more controlled, what you see on TV. I enjoy aggressive racing, so prefer pro kermesses, and even Italy where it’s punchy to race in. Next season? I don’t think I’ll go back to Spain, but I’d love to give the Continent another bash and I have been speaking to teams from a few countries. I hope to have something sorted in the next few weeks.