Burton back
with a fresh
perspective
The last time Germain Burton
rode at Manchester was the
end of 2015, shortly before he
left the British Cycling Olympic
Development Programme
despite being heavily tipped
for future success.
The 22-year-old, son of former
racer Maurice Burton, believes
he has returned a “more rounded
individual” after finding interests
away from racing.
“Things are different for me
now,” revealed Burton, “because
I’ve got other things going on as
well. It’s a different perspective
for me. Cycling isn’t everything I
know anymore. There are other
things that complement what I’m
doing which takes the pressure off
mentally. It helps me enjoy it more.
“I felt things were starting to get
a bit one-dimensional and I really
needed an outlet for other things.”
Those “other things” include
studying biomechanics and
starting One Life Cycle, a youth
cycling project encouraging
young people not from a cycling
background to partake in the
sport. “It reminded me of the joy
of cycling,” he says.
Burton is now back racing
with British Continental team
JLT-Condor and, while appearing
on the track at Manchester’s
Revolution, has serious ambitions
for the road. “The Tour de
Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain
are the biggest races in the British
calendar,” he says, “and if I could
get selected for those two, that
would be great.
“I feel I’m a more rounded
individual,” he adds. “I grew up in
the sport and I loved that but felt I
needed to learn something else in
depth. I feel a lot more relaxed and
comfortable coming back in now
than I did before.”
Cycling Weekly | January 11, 2018 | 7