David Harmon and Jeremy Hastings will this week become the 1st tandem team in history to take part in a race between the capitals of Great Britain and France when they pedal their Dolan Super Tandem, dubbed 'Rocket 1' by the press, in the London-Paris Cycle Tour.
The Wiggle backed duo have been in training for a series of attacks on some of Britain's prestigious road records including; the Side to Side from Pembroke to Yarmouth, the French Paris-Brest-Paris race and the blue riband of distance time-trialling records, the End to End from Land's End to John O'Groats.
The team are learning the hard way about record breaking having recently had to make the call to postpone an attempt on the Side to Side due to adverse headwinds that would have required the pairing generating upwards of 70 watts more an hour, putting the record out of reach.
"It's terribly, terribly disappointing," commented David Harmon, who will now concentrate on keeping his form through his Eurosport stint commentating on the Tour de France, "when we committed to this project we did so with the express intention of doing it to the best of our abilities, to be the very best organised team of this type anywhere in the world, and if that means that we don't go because the wind is in the wrong direction, so be it."
An initial assault on the Side to Side had to be postponed from March to June this year after Harmon tore his left achilles during a training crash and the latest setback followed with the stiff easterly winds over the last fortnight, despite the glorious summer weather that has bathed most of the U.K.
Team Wiggle Tandem will have a good presence at the London-Paris Cycle Tour with Peta McSharry, 1st Master's rider in the recent Tour Series Women's GP in Stoke riding alongside the tandem boys.
"It's a great event," says Jez Hastings "We actually all met through L2P a number of years ago and since then we have ridden it as a race, toured it and last year even rode fixed wheel to France! It was after that ride that we met Terry Dolan in a cafe in the centre of Paris and hatched the plan for Team Wiggle Tandem. We are very much looking forward to being the 1st tandem to take part in a race to the city,"
This year the London-Paris Cycle Tour will welcome former F1 champion Nigel Mansell to the event, along with rugby hero Will Carling and former Team Sky Director Sportif Scott Sunderland, showing that once again the L2P has the prestige to attract the stars and confirming its status as 'the professional event for amateurs'.
"I've interviewed Nigel Mansell quite a few times in my career, " added Harmon "but maybe this time I might have a chance of actually giving him a hard time on the bike!"
Following the Tour de France the team will reconvene for another attempt at Pembroke to Yarmouth during the 3rd week of August after which they will concentrate on another autumn attempt at a standing road record along with a late season and winter programme targeted at the End to End during 2011.