Marketing Manager Alex Cycles to Success

Tell us about yourself and your role at Lloyd Motor Group!

“Hi, I’m Alex, the Used Car Marketing Manager here at Lloyd Motor Group! I’ve been with the company 5 years, and in my current position work alongside all of our retailers to optimise their used car digital forecourts and performance on 3^rd party platforms such as Auto Trader”.
 

Congratulations on becoming the Regional Road Race Champion of the North West! When did you first start cycling, and how did you get into competitive racing?

“I’ve been on two wheels since a young age, taking part in a mixture of trial riding, mountain biking and road cycling. One of my earliest memories is riding a green Raleigh Jungle bike that I was obsessed with! I started racing competitively in 2012 after being inspired by a trip to see the Tour de France, which was won by Bradley Wiggins, the first British rider to win the tour”.


Alex with his medal from the North West, Yorkshire & North East Regional Road Race Championships, where he became the North West Regional Road Race Champion.

Can you describe a typical training week for you? How many times a week do you go on your bike?

“A typical training week is around 14 hours on the bike. I usually ride every day, but sometimes treat myself to a Monday off. Throughout the working week, I usually fit in 1 hour 30 minutes of intense training per day - with being a bit more time-constrained, it’s all about quality rather than quantity. A typical weekend outside of race season is slightly less intense, with around 4 hours or 80 miles on Saturday and Sunday”.

How do you prepare mentally and physically for a race? Do you have any pre-race rituals or routines?

“A typical weekend race is around 80 miles, so preparation is important. Knowing you’ve had a good week training and recovered well fills you with a lot of confidence. Physically, a light 1 hour spin the day before the race gives you time to recover, matched with a couple of sprints which help your legs meet the demands of a fast race.

“I’m pretty relaxed with rituals, other than a good warm up before the start. I guess the strangest thing I do is drink 1 litre of beetroot juice the night before a big race - nitrates in beetroot can help with any endurance sport, not just cycling!”

How does the competitive nature of racing influence your approach to tackling challenges at work?

“I’m very lucky that my work tasks do vary and offer plenty of challenges. Just like a typical training week, having a good plan to achieve a desired outcome is really important. Combining that with the competitive drive to do my best and continually learn makes work fun!”
 

Can you share a challenging moment you’ve faced during a race and how you overcame it?

“Some of the hardest moments I’ve had in racing have been because of the weather. You can control your training, diet and recovery, but you can’t control the weather! There is nothing worse than losing the feeling of your feet and hands because you didn’t put enough clothes on. Luckily, there is a simple solution - by wearing more and riding a bit harder, the tables turn and you can get some really good results even if it’s a bit of a suffer-fest”.

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out with cycling or looking to enter their first race?

“I would say to do it! If you’re starting out cycling, you don’t need to have the best bike. Getting out in the fresh air is amazing, and you won’t regret it. You don’t need to be part of a team to race, and with plenty of races of all levels around, you can enter on the day and see if you like it. If you don’t fancy racing, there are plenty of Sportives that are more relaxed but can give you something to build your fitness for”.
 

What are some of your favourite routes or locations to bike?

“Being based in Carlisle, I’m very lucky to have the Lake District on my doorstep. I have a couple of 4- or 5-hour loops in the Lakes, taking in Whinlatter, Honister pass, and Kirkstone pass. The scenery is amazing and when you get home you know you have done a proper bike ride”.

What’s been your most memorable race and why?

“I’ve raced for around 10 years and have had a number of amazing races, but I think a stand-out was the Tour of Yorkshire in 2019. I had the opportunity to race against Chris Froom and Mark Cavendish and was blown away at the level they perform at. The racing was fast, and being a small fry in the bunch of 150 professionals was quite daunting. While I didn’t get a stand-out result, I rode well over the 4-day stage race. The experience taught me to back myself more and is something that I still look back on today, 5 years later”.
 

Have you got any more races planned?

“I have a 2-day stage race on 15^th and 16^th of June. In July and August, there are 3 national races based in Lancashire, Yorkshire and Newcastle, which I’ll train specifically for before the season comes to a close in September”.

Good luck in all of the races you have planned for the rest of the season, Alex!  We can’t wait to hear how you get on.

Stay tuned to our News section as we get to know more of the fantastic members of the Lloyd Motor Group team. Or, if you’d like to become part of it, browse our current vacancies below.