on 1st March 2023
Still going strong
Sporting life doesn’t end when you reach 40, far from it, and Wellesbourne’s international racing cyclist, 66 year old Tim Stowe is living proof.
Tim is a member of the Elite cycle race team “Team Enable–M.I.Racing–McCann”, based near Coventry, and sponsored by Stratford International Computer Soft Ware Company “Enable”.
Tim Stowe was born and brought up in Wellesbourne, and his parents ran the garage and petrol station in Bridge Street. When his father retired, Tim’s older brother Pete ran the business, and when he retired Tim and his wife Dianna took over.
Tim started his two wheeled competitive path, by racing Motor Cross, at the age of 15, and was soon competing at the highest level, through out the U.K., along with international events in Spain, Belgium and France featuring in the top 35 riders in the U.K. for many seasons finally retiring at the age of 35.
It wasn’t all easy going in the tough sport of Motor Cross, and like many of his competitors, Tim had some terrible accidents, braking bones was an accepted hazard, but each time he bounced back for more competition.
Tim then took up Cycling, and when the mountain bike sport in the U.K. took off in the early 90’s, Tim was back racing, only this time without an engine to power him along, instead he had to use leg power, but his experience in off road riding helped and he was soon established as one of the U.K.’s leading Veteran riders, winning the first ever National Veteran Mountain Bike Down Hill Championship..
In 1997 Tim joined the M.I.Race Team owned by former Professional Champion and 8 times World Masters Cycling Champion, Mick Ives, which at the time was sponsored by Peugeot Motors and Peugeot Cycles, and he soon became a powerful member of the team, winning the National Cross Country Points series, the Welsh series and the Midland series, and represented Great Britain at the World Championships in Canada, France and Switzerland.
Soon after joining the Team Tim started racing in Cyclo Cross events, during the winter months, and once again in a short space if time became one of the U.K.’s leading Veteran riders, winning on a regular basis, and representing Great Britain at World Championships in Belgium and the U.K. and gaining podium places in the British Championships as well as winning Regional titles.
Just like his motor cross days, cycle racing is not without its accidents, and he has had more than his fair share of these, and even had to have a knee replacement, after one such accident, but like all top sports people, Tim has bounced back and just a few weeks ago was announced the winner of the West Midland Cyclo Cross series 2022/3 for riders 65 and over.
You would think that after a hectic cyclo cross season and with the mountain bike season about to begin, that Tim would welcome a break in training and competition, but no, last week he was off racing the early season Gorrick Mountain Bike race in Surrey where he finished 5th in the 60 plus event and won the over 65 race – you can’t keep a good man down.
During the winter months, Tim would clock up at least 300km per week on his bike, but in the spring / summer months that figure will rise to 500 km plus.
Team Boss -Mick Ives said, “Tim is a brilliant example to other sportspeople that, if you are dedicated enough and healthy enough, you can still enjoy your sport, long after you reach the age of 40, and I am sure Tim will continue to have more success in the sport he loves, and will still be competing in events for many years to come.”