{"id":54173,"title":"Ffion Drake - a cyclocross love story","description":"Who is the British cyclocross sensation Ffion Drake? How has she gone from a complete novice to the winner of Britain's National Trophy cyclocross series in just a few years? Find out how the former doctor has achieved cyclocross success in such a short time frame.","content":"

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Published in<\/strong>: <\/span>CYCLOCROSS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

When Ffion Drake\u2019s eyes met those of a handsome stranger across a muddy field, she could not have known where it would lead.<\/p>

The man is now her husband and coach, and the pair of them have taken Ffion to the top of the British cyclocross tree. From riding her first cyclocross race in 2021, she\u2019s cantered to overall victory in Britain\u2019s premier cyclocross series, represented her country in the UCI World Cup and impressed riding her first televised Belgian crosses.<\/p>

But who is Ffion Drake, what's behind her meteoric rise from complete novice to National Trophy Champion and what's next for the twenty-six-year-old?<\/p>

\"FfionFfion Drake has been on top all season. Image: <\/em>Pitchside Photo<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>

A sporty youth<\/h2>

The middle of nowhere<\/h3>

Ffion describes her youth as sporty. She and her three older sisters grew up in rural Shropshire, just across from the Welsh border. \u201cIt was in the middle of nowhere, and there was nothing much to do other than sport.\u201d<\/p>

The youngest of the four siblings took to swimming with some success. From the age of eleven to sixteen, she competed at the county level. She even dabbled with triathlons, which was a portent of what would come later.<\/p>

From sporty to medicine nerd<\/h3>

Ffion has always been fascinated by the human body and has an inquisitive mind. I suggest to her that it's possible her thirst for knowledge explains her devotion to cyclocross. She accepts that learning the nuances of cyclocross and acquiring the mastery of skills attracts her to the sport.<\/p>

Ffion\u2019s anatomical curiosity and love of science had implanted in her a desire to become a doctor. Inspired partly by her grandparents, who gave her an enormous anatomy book for her tenth birthday. Not the typical present for a pre-teen girl.<\/p>

Naturally, she studied medicine at university. As Ffion described, typically, people either throw themselves into sport at university or sit on the sofa and gain weight.<\/p>

At the prestigious Bristol University, she fell into the latter category. Her only exercise involved turning the pages of her textbooks and occupying her grey matter. After leaving university, Ffion commenced the demanding training to become a qualified doctor.<\/p>

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Love at first sight?<\/h2>

A field near Plymouth<\/h3>

So how did the former swimmer, turned not very fit medical student, fall in love with cyclocross? Like most of the best things in life, it was by pure chance.<\/p>

Family-oriented Ffion was attending a mountain bike event near Plymouth in support of her sister, who rides on the national scene.<\/p>

There she met Giles Drake, a keen cyclocross racer whose results include fifth at the British National Cyclocross Championships in 2016.<\/p>

Cyclocross romance<\/h3>

Their friendship blossomed, and, romantically, some of their early dates involved watching Giles racing cyclocross. To Ffion, in addition to the allure of a sweaty man getting muddy, it looked fun. She was, in her own words, desperate for a hobby.<\/p>

Her first event was in December 2021, riding a rigid-frame mountain bike. She was third in her first race, the Welsh regional championship. Despite only riding two races that season, she was hooked on the sport and came back for more the next year.<\/p>

Rapid progression followed the next season, with her first victory and ending the year with eighth place at the British National Championship in Milnthorpe.<\/p>

\"FfionFfion with her husband and coach, Giles. Image: Ffion Drake<\/p>

The breakthrough<\/h2>

What changed?<\/h3>

After three years of racing cyclocross alongside working full-time as a doctor, things came to a head in late 2024 when she came to a fork in her career path.<\/p>

The work was challenging, often exhausting, but she faced a further personal concern, which is one of the causes of the recent UK doctors\u2019 strikes.<\/p>

Whilst the headlines have focused on the doctors\u2019 demands for pay rises, the disputes have also been triggered by restricted opportunities in career pathways. Doctors have limited control over where they will develop specialist skills.<\/p>

In Ffion's case, this meant she could have been allocated a role anywhere and taken her away from her family. She was concerned about being moved further from her father, who suffers from Parkinson's disease.<\/p>

Ffion made the difficult decision to resign and look for a new job. Eventually, after numerous applications and unsuccessful interviews, she commenced work at a bike salvage business. From fixing people to repairing bikes.<\/p>

Getting serious at cross<\/h3>

Working part-time has allowed Ffion more time to train, but it is in her opinion, the greater consistency in her training which has reaped the real benefits.<\/p>

As a doctor, she'd often come home from work too tired to train and suffered frequent illness. Helping people to get better might be good for the soul, but there's a downside to spending so much time with sick people.<\/p>

Last season, a knee injury prevented high-intensity training. Despite this, she was close to the front in the British National Trophy events. Reasoning that if she'd been able to train properly and knowing she has a higher-than-average power-to-weight ratio, Ffion wondered what she could achieve. After all, she loves cyclocross, and physiologically, it seemed to love her.<\/p>

Her major concern was her technical skills. Unlike the majority of her competitors, she had very limited cyclocross experience. Together with her husband, Giles, she worked hard over the summer to close the skills gap to her rivals.<\/p>

Expectations<\/h3>

Ffion's aims for the season were to win a round of the National Trophy, to race in Belgium for the first time, and, as she describes it, \u201ca stretch goal was to be in yellow\u201d in the National Trophy.<\/p>

Did she meet her expectations, I wondered. Her reply made it clear that even she is surprised by the step change in her performance - \u201cI way exceeded what I thought was even possible.\u201d<\/p>

She romped home to victory in the first four rounds of the British National Trophy, wrapping up the series with two rounds left.<\/p>

Second behind Laura Verdonschot at the C1-ranked Supercross at Bradford, which was broadcast on live TV, showcased her to a wider audience. It was, however, her three rides abroad that turned heads on the Belgian circuit.<\/p>

Twelfth on the tough Overijse course was followed by tenth at Niel and an impressive eighteenth at Flamanville in her first UCI World Cup, despite a mid-race crash.<\/p>

Unfortunately, the crash at Flamanville hampered her racing and training as she suffered bruised ribs and a contusion on her lung.<\/p>

\"FfionFfion Drake has dominated the Cyclocross National Trophy. Image: <\/em>Pitchside Photo<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>

What next for Ffion?<\/h2>

Continental ambition<\/h3>

After such a successful season, what's next for the flying Ffion of cyclocross? She's come into cyclocross late, but in a few seasons she's demonstrated real potential. What are her ambitions in cyclocross?<\/p>

I teasingly asked if, following her continental results, the Roodhooft brothers<\/strong><\/a> had been in touch yet. After some laughter, Ffion shook her head, but admitted that she'd received a few enquiries about her and her background. She was even the subject of an article in the Flemish website Wielerverhaal.<\/p>

Whilst realistic about the possibility, Ffion confessed that she\u2019d love to be racing more in Belgium and riding for a professional outfit. She enjoyed the intensity, speed and group riding of the Belgian races, where little quarter is given.<\/p>

READ MORE<\/strong>: Who are the Roodhooft brothers and why are they so important in cyclocross? Read our <\/em>guide to the structure of UCI cyclocross teams<\/em><\/strong><\/a> to find out.<\/em>
\"UCI<\/u><\/a><\/p>

Husband and coach<\/h3>

Ffion\u2019s husband, Giles, is also her coach. The pair achieved a unique double when Giles won his age category in the British National Trophy series. Again, I tease and ask if she would ever consider giving him the sack and paying for a coach.<\/p>

The response is a vigorous shake of the head, more laughter, and the suggestion that it might end in divorce. There's clearly a strong bond between them, and Ffion makes clear that he understands her and her body better than anyone.<\/p>

She describes how they plan and revise her training schedules together. It's not a one-way transactional relationship, but a partnership of equals.<\/p>

After all, as she says, he's got her to the point of being competitive in an international field, so they can't be going too wrong. Only time will tell how far her cyclocross career can go.<\/p>

\"FfionFfion congratulates her husband, Giles. Image: Ffion Drake<\/em><\/p>

How Ffion trains for cyclocross<\/h2>

Pre-season preparation<\/h3>

Ffion is quite unusual in that high-intensity intervals don't figure significantly in her training plans. She's found through experience that she benefits from lots of zone 2 work.<\/p>

Here's a typical week for Ffion during the summer when she's preparing for the cross season:<\/p>