Paris 2024: How ex King's School pupil Ed went from cycling the streets of Peterborough to taking on the best in the world at the Olympics

A young cyclist will aim to bring home Olympic glory – just a few short years after he was at school in Peterborough.

Ed Lowe is just 20, and he will play a key role in the Team GB’s Men’s cycling sprint squad, who will go for gold in Paris on Monday.

The team are one of the medal favourites – and Ed’s journey has taken him from King’s School and Fen roads all the way to taking on the best in the world.

Ed learnt his trade riding for the Fenland Clarion Cycling Club, and the Bourne Wheelers cycling club.

Malc Jacklin, from the Fenland club, said Ed’s ability was noticeable from a young age.

"His enthusiasm for everything cycling related was clear”

He said: “Ed started his cycling at just seven years of age by riding with his father David, who has constantly supported his efforts along his pathway, in a few social rides and sportives to build up his distance and endurance with 50 miles being quickly achievable.

"Once he joined Fenland Clarion Cycling Club his enthusiasm for everything cycling related was clear. This was demonstrated by his naming of the two chickens that the family had, Cav and Froomy after his Tour idols Mark Cavendish and Chirs Froome.

"His early aspirations were to follow these riders into road racing. However he soon realised there were other options and he tried Cyclocross which was great to develop his all round bike handling skills.

"The coaches at the club soon noticed that he had a really good change of pace and that more sprint based options would probably be more suited to him.

"As time passed he started to dabble with track cycling which started to mean more and more family trips to The National Cycling centre in Manchester and other velodromes around the county. Eds recent promotion to The British Cycling Podium Potential Programme really helped him move to an even higher level with mentoring and coaching from multi Olympic gold medalist Jason Kenny.”

"Everyone at the club will be super proud”

Ed will follow in the tyre tracks of Jason – one of Britain’s most decorated Olympians – on Monday, August 5, when he takes to the track with team mates Jack Carlin and Hamish Turnbull – and he will have the support of his former club ringing in his ears.

Ed’s role in the team sprint is very much a specialist one to get the team of three off to the fastest possible start on their highly geared fixed wheel bikes around the 250 metre indoor velodrome in the three lap event.

Ed will lead-out the GB Men's Elite Team Sprint, as "Man 1", on August 5 for the Qualifiers. The top 8 countries will ride on August 6 in the Semi-Finals. The top four teams will ride again on the evening of the 6th, whether in a third place and bronze medal ride off or the ultimate aim of a place in the final and the race for gold.Malc said: “Many club members will be eager to watch either via television coverage, or for some a trip to Paris to see for themselves whether we might get an Olympic medalist amongst us. Whether this is possible or not, everyone at the club will still be super proud to know such an excellent athlete and fine young man started out from a much more modest base as a fairly quiet but well mannered youngster with a steely determination and has always been "one of us".”

Fenland Clarion cycling club offer sessions to school age children right through to adults with an interest in cycling , whether it be recreational on group rides, multi day touring adventures, or for more competitive minded riders over a range of disciplines including time trials, road racing, cyclocross and both Grass and hard track racing. See www.fenlandclarion.co.uk or email Malc at [email protected]

“He always had bags of potential”

Mark Bottley from the Bourne added: “He always had bags of potential, but struggled in longer races. I don't think he or his dad ever got to the bottom of it, but that year he started going to Derby velodrome as track races were generally shorter races and whilst he was doing the weekly sessions they realised just how much power he could produce and ultimately how quick he was.

"The rest as they say is history, but he holds junior national records and has won a few national titles.

“The year group that Ed was riding with was a very strong group of riders.”