Tao's original cycle sport coach looks back

Tao Geoghegan Hart took a knee once.

Giro d'Italia has been won by...

Tao O my gosh! 

The Giro d'Italia has been won by a Londoner from Hackney, not only that his old club was 'the famous' CC Hackney (CCH) TAO GEOGHAGEN HART 2020 Giro d'Italia winner.

As lead coach and general manager of CCH and on behalf of the whole club membership, friends, family, associates, supporters, sponsors and stakeholders - WELL DONE TAO!!!

Great and now due to all this I've got a whole lot of extra work to do - nice one Tao!  😆 

Cheers everyone - stay safe, enjoy the moment.

Keir Apperley - general manager and lead coach. 

Hackney race ace Tao is close to winning 2020 Giro d'Italia Maglia Rosa

In Hackney while watching one of our former and original youth member Tao Geoghegan Hart race and win the penultimate mountain stage of this year's Giro d'Italia. With one more flat stage to go tomorrow of this epic three week grand tour, then a short individual time trial (ITT) in Milan to decide things, many here believe our man is right on course to win the race overall. 

Good luck Tao, have a nice cycle ride tomorrow and enjoy the day from all at CC Hackney.

 

  ================================================================

Guardian Report:

Giro d'Italia: Hindley and Geoghegan Hart level at top after dramatic battle

• Pair set to fight for overall victory in Sunday’s final time trial
  
• Format favours Hindley, with both riders starting on same time
• 

•  Jai Hindley (left) will wear the pink jersey for Sunday’s final stage but is level on time with Tao Geoghegan Hart (right). Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images,

  Jai Hindley and Tao Geoghegan Hart are set to battle for Giro d’Italia glory on Sunday, after the penultimate stage left the pair tied at the top of the overall standings.

  Hindley’s Sunweb teammate, Wilco Kelderman, began Saturday’s shortened mountain stage in the pink jersey, but was left behind as Hindley and Ineos Grenadiers’ Geoghegan Hart fought a ferocious battle on the final climb up Sestriere. It was the British rider who prevailed, sprinting clear to take the stage win and ensure that after 20 days of riding, the two young rivals are locked in a dead heat. Kelderman is in third, but now 1m 32s behind the leading duo.

  Hindley will begin the final stage in the pink jersey as the Australian edged the two previous time trials by the narrowest of margins. It means little in practice, with Sunday’s final time trial into Milan set to be decisive.

  • William Fotheringham’s report will follow

  • ===========================================

  • 
    

Original CC Hackney member Tao Geoghegan Hart wins a stage of the 2020 Giro d'Italia!

 

Congratulations as original CC Hackney member (as a youth) Tao Geoghegan Hart wins his first Grand Tour stage at the historic Giro d'Italia last Sunday and moves to 4th in the GC. But will he go on to win the whole thing by this Sunday!? 

Text below taken from the BBC sports news report HERE

An emotional first win

Geoghegan Hart, 25, powered past Sunweb's Kelderman for the win in the final few metres of the category one summit finish, after the Dutchman's team-mate Jai Hindley had paced everyone up the long final climb.

Geoghegan Hart dedicated the victory to Nico Portal, Ineos' sporting director who died of a heart attack aged 40 in March this year.

"This is something incredible for me. I don't know about [the general classification], I haven't seen the results - but crossing the line first is something truly incredible.

"This one is for Nico Portal. We lost him this spring and it's been really difficult for the team - this season has had great highs and lows, in the Tour [de France] and for me personally, and also in this race.

"We just have to foster the Grenadier spirit in this team and keep fighting back like we know we can."

Is Geoghegan Hart a serious contender?

Despite his young age, the east Londoner has long been a part of the Ineos/Sky set-up as a domestique, but like so many of the team's riders he is capable of winning the general classification in stage races.

However, it appeared Ineos would have to settle for trying to win stages for a second Grand Tour in succession when race favourite Geraint Thomas was forced to abandon with a fractured pelvis.

The Welshman crashed when a discarded drinks bottle became lodged under his front wheel.

But this has been one of the most unpredictable Giros for years, and after spending at least a week more than three minutes down, Geoghegan Hart finds himself in contention.

His biggest strength is climbing, and as the race heads for a final week's racing in the ever-colder Italian Alps he stands a good chance of gaining time, especially on leader Almeida who is thought to be more effective in time trials, although the final stage of the race is an individual time trial.

Kelderman is clearly in a great position, given he is two minutes, 42 seconds ahead of both his third-placed team-mate Hindley and Geoghagen Hart, but Pello Bilbao of Bahrain-McLaren, Rafal Majka of Bora-Hansgrohe and Trek-Segafredo's Nibali are also in contention.

CC Hackney's 'mostly women' cycling group pilot at The Concorde Centre

 Saturday 26th September 2021

This day was the start of a trial for 'mostly women cycling group' (working title) This pilot  session is to assess the need and to find out what works. CCH lead coach Keir Apperley has had talks with several parents of members our youth group sessions there and it was decided to go ahead with a series of rides - let's go cycling!  

Our mostly women cycling group pilot sessions are held on Saturday afternoons from 1.30 - 3.30pm They are unfunded at this stage but supported pro bono by qualified club volunteers and club fund reserves to maintain our loan cycles and other costs.