A Self confessed hair dresser who likes racing on the continent and enjoys a good revolution, bit of a hit with the ladies and one of the smallest riders in the peleton... Chris Nicholson!

MRC: Who did your hair for the CA Dinner? (See picture below)

CN:  Haha I actually did it myself (we thought so!!) 

MRC: When did you start cycling

CN:  I started about 8 down the bowl but I only took it seriously from 14 onwards as I had to make a decision on which sport I wanted to pursue.

MRC:  How did you get into the sport

CN:  A lot of my friends raced down the NSC on a Tuesday so I decided to go down and things went from there.

MRC: What other sports do you enjoy?

CN:  I used to enjoy playing a lot of different sports, badminton, cricket, rugby but not playing any of them anymore. I was playing at an Island level with both cricket and badminton but I wanted to concerntrate on cycling

MRC: Please fill us in on some of your top results?

CN:  I finished 2nd of the final stage of the Tour of Achteverld in Holland and took bronze in the scratch race at the National Track Championships this year.

MRC: Does cycling take you to foreign countries

CN:  Yes I have done some racing abroad this season in Holland France and Belgium

MRC: What is your PB for the 10 mile time trial

CN:  23:07

MRC:  How many Revolutions have you competed in so far and what is your best result?

CN:  I've just come back from my 5th Revolution I rode the future stars series last year ended up 10th overall. This year I'm still riding the future stars and was 2nd in the mile dash which is my best result to date and I'm currently lying 2nd overall.

MRC: Where would you like your cycling career to be in 12 months time?

CN:  Hopefully I will be on the ODP and will have won at least one round of the junior national road race series along with a junior national medal on the track

MRC: Do you ever think of turning professional and for which team?

CN:  Turning pro would be a great achievement and to do it with one of the top pro tour teams like Columbia Saxo Bank Astana would be even better.

MRC: What’s it like having Mark Cavendish in your club?

CN:  Its a great inspiration to have him in the club he is at the top of world cycling and it makes it seem the same feet more possible for the rest of us.

MRC: What’s your favourite food?

CN:   Pasta or roast dinner

MRC:  And your favourite TV programme

CN:   Don't really watch that much TV although Clubland TV is

good to chill out to.

MRC: What’s your maximum heart rate?

CN:  204 bpm

MRC: What’s your favourite cycling classic

CN:  Tour of Flanders

MRC: If money were no object what would be your frame/wheels/group set choice?

CN:  Prince, Lightweights. Super Record

MRC: Do you have a tip for anyone new to cycling?

CN:  Enjoy it, espcially if your young

He was 17 stone but still has an impressive handicap of two on the fairway and if you search Ged Power on Google the word 'tool' appears for some reason........Ladies and gentlemen, bring on Ged Power.

MRC: How did you become involved in cycling

GP: The scales hit 17stone 4 years ago and something drastic had to be done. Fortunately, Paul Cubbon showed me the way and got me into the Tens.

MRC: What is your best result so far?

GP: So you haven’t heard about my 22:16 on that Cumbrian wind assisted dragstrip? To be frank, I won’t be happy until I get a consistent top ten place in the local time trials.

MRC: What is your favourite type of cycling, on the road or off, bunch rider or tester?

GP: Road racing is the most exciting and unlikely as it is, I would be really chuffed if I could get a result one day.

MRC: There was quite a bit of banter between yourself and come back king Marty Warren about the Manx Telecom 10 League....Could you enlighten us all?

GP: The banter started at the end of last years CA dinner and I didn’t really know Marty then and he looked really out of shape. I never imagined he could lose all that weight and get quick. It just shows that those diet shakes and a gastric band works for some people and fair play to him, his new bike made him go fast. A few bets were made and hence, Marty got a free ticket to this year’s do.

MRC: You were instrumental in the Bradda MTB trail...how did this come about?

GP: It is a community project with some serious sponsorship from the local Rotary Club. There has been a load of work done recently and the new trail will be ready soon, it is going to be amongst the best MTB trails on the Island.

MRC: What’s your favourite food?

GP: All kinds, I am a big fan of eating out, The Bay, Port Erin is good for food and drink at the moment.

MRC: What tunes are playing when on the turbo?

GP: Techno/house beats rock every time

MRC: What’s your maximum heart rate?

GP: 182bpm

MRC: If you were not cycling, what sport would you do?

GP: I play golf as well as cycling and manage to cling on to a 2 handicap. The idea of having a Golf-athlon style competition has crossed my mind.

MRC: For someone quite new to the sport of cycling how does it feel having riders such as Mark Cavendish in the club ranks?

GP: We are incredibly lucky to be riding in such good company. I suppose in years to come when these guys are even bigger mega stars than they are now, we will only truly appreciate what we had with the likes of these classy riders in our midst.

MRC: If money were no object what would be your frame/wheels/group set choice?

GP: I like the kit that I am lucky to have. A Zipp Sub Nine disc wheel would be on the list for my P3 (Cevello).

MRC: What is your favourite hair dye? And do you shave or wax your legs?

GP: I am still using the surplus Grecian 2000 that became redundant in your bathroom cabinet sometime ago Peter. As for the legs, the Veet is neat.

MRC: Your skin suit is a size smaller than Paul Cubbon’s so how do you keep your weight down

GP: I have often wondered why I have no feeling in my limbs at the end of each time trial. Cubby must have got my skinsuit by mistake and hence, the ‘parachute’ effect has slowed his ten times down this year. (As for weight loss tip in the season, be strong - don’t eat bread or drink beer.)

MRC: What are your cycling goals for 2009?

GP: Taking as many scalps from The Posse as possible!

MRC: Do you have a tip for anyone new to cycling?

GP: Support your local bike shops whenever you can and ride safely.

Manx Road Club rider Tom Black gets the 'Road Club' treatment in the start of a new series of interviews over the winter months. Big Tom, who has the deepest voice in the Manx peleton, is a Level 1 coach and likes Zipp wheels with his pasta!...read on

MRC: You have come on a lot this season, what do you consider to be your best result for 2008?

TB: 3^rd in the National 25 TT and had a few top 10's in Stage races.

MRC: What are your main goals for 2009?

TB: Well surely that's for me to know !

MRC: What type of training do you prefere?

TB: Club runs in the winter are good with lots of people out. Your home before you  know it.

MRC: You have just come out of a rest period, what are you going to work on over the winter months to improve even more for 2009?

TB: I'll be working in the week and train in the mornings. I plan to focus on quality, power ,threshold, speed. 

MRC: Are you at School or do you work?

TB: Just finished college now working at Duke Marketing.

MRC : How did you get into cycling?

TB: I moved to tromode and on a tuesday all the kids disappeared. I found out they went down the Bowl so I gave it a try and have just progressed from there really.

MRC: What’s your favourite food?

TB: Pasta.

MRC: What’s your maximum heart rate?

TB: 185.

MRC : What's your favourite holiday destination?

Oz and New Zealand went a few years ago definitely going to go back as I have family there.

MRC: If you were not a cyclist, what sport would you do?

TB: Used to play rugby for Douglas so I suppose I'd still be playing Rugby.

MRC: Road rider, trackie or tester?

TB: Road rider.

MRC: What music do you listen to?

TB : Bit of everything but mostly dance and techno.

MRC: If money were no object what would be your frame/wheels/group set choice?

TB: Cervelo , Zipp 404's and Dura Ace.

MRC : You have a Level 1 coaching award. Do you intend to take this further?

Yes. I coach for the Sports Development team (MSR) in the holidays on sports schemes for kids. I've always believed it's good to put something back into the sport.

MRC: Who do you look up to?

TB: Alessandro Ballan and I have a lot of respect for the guys with a family and full time job who still manage to ride.

MRC: Do you have a tip for anyone new to cycling?

TB: Just enjoy while your young and take advice from anyone you can.