Scotland’s Eileen Roe is one of the eight new signings for Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling for the 2015 season. The 25 year old from Highvalley Field, coming over from Starley Primal, started racing at the young age of 10 on a grass track at the Highland Games in Scotland. At the age of 13 Roe took out her first British racing license and started racing on the velodrome in Edinburgh with the Edinburgh racers until the age of 18. In addition to being supported by Rochelle Gilmore’s Wiggle Honda team, Eileen is a Scottish Institute funded athlete and continues to be backed by the Braveheart Foundation.
In her last year as a junior Eileen travelled over to Belgium to compete with the Scottish National Team. Over the years she has competed a lot in Belgium and Dutch races, and signed her first pro contract with Team Ibis Cycles (partnering with Scottish Cycling) in 2012. After several years in Holland, Eileen turned back to the UK to ride for Breast Cancer Care (2013) and Starley Primal (2014) before signing with Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling last month. Over the years Roe has won a lot of criteriums and kermesses in Belgium, Holland, Germany and the UK, but her most impressive win to date is certainly the gold medal at the British National Criterium Championship earlier this year.
Eileen has shown during the past month in Australia that she is going to be a very important reliable team player for Wiggle Honda in 2015. We have asked her a few questions in order to get to know her a little bit better.
We will publish a full feature story with her in the next couple of weeks. Here is a short intro:
Biggest cycling result: Eventually winning the British Criterium championships after two attempts and silver medals.
Happiest cycling moment: My parents making the long trip all the way from Scotland to Delhi for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and seeing them at the side of the road behind barriers with the Scotland flag.
Favourite race: I don’t have a favourite race yet however every year I always look forward to racing over the Scottish winter in the local cyclocross scene.
Why Wiggle Honda: Wiggle Honda is such a famous team in the UK and one team I dreamt of racing with. Rochelle has done so much for women’s cycling and looks after her girls, so to be a part of this movement in the growth of women’s cycling there was no second thought.
What team will be the hardest to beat: Obviously Rabo Liv and Boels Dolmans
Most exciting Wiggle Honda product: Aw I can’t choose just one! I love my Colnago. It’s my first time ever using an electronic groupset. The Campagnolo EPS is amazing!
Loves: Coffee, Ed Sheerans new album “X”, Game of thrones, The Hobbit book, long summer nights in Scotland and Gluten free beer.
Hates: Wet winter rides in Scotland, People leaving empty bog rolls in the toilet and not changing them and liquorice (yuck!)
Favourite pre-race meal: Peanut with 100% peanut butter & banana.
Favourite post-race meal: Gluten free pizza (or defo a choco flavour High5 recovery drink)
Goals for next season: Retain my British title, Podium at big UK races like the Milk Race and RideLondon. Unite with the girls on the team and become a reliable team mate.
If you could win 4 races next year, what would they be?
British Criterium Championships
Borsele (Classic in Holland)
A podium at the Women’s Tour of GB
Prudential RideLondon
