British rising star goes all-in for the spring after Tour de l'Avenir victory: "All the way to Liège-Bastogne-Liège"

Ex-mountain biker Joe Blackmore (21) is one of the rising stars of the Israel Premier Tech team; he was named the British Male Rider of the Year by Cycling Weekly magazine in 2024. After a year and a professional contract in the middle of the season, the Brit wants to see where he stands in the biggest WorldTour races. He will also return to the La Flèche Brabançonne, where he finished fourth last year. "No matter how strong I felt, I received orders from the team car to ride for Dylan Teuns. That's okay because, at that moment, I was still a Development Team rider," he says in a conversation with IDLProCycling.com.

Blackmore is staying at Alexandr Kolobnev's Syncrosfera Hotel on the Spanish Costa Blanca, known for its altitude simulation rooms, at this time of year. "I don't have a room like that, and there are riders in the team who question it," he says. "If you keep the door to the room open for a while, the effect of the altitude should go away, shouldn't it? Give me a training camp in the mountains at altitude any day. Here I am in an ordinary room." Blackmore still wears the scars of his crash in the first stage of the Tour of Valencia. His arm and leg wounds are beginning to show signs of healing, but he was severely battered.

"You know," he says at lunchtime when the interview is taking place, "everyone sees me as a mountain biker, but road cycling is also something I have always done. I just didn't do it at a high level. So it was great to get the chance last year from the team to show me in the bigger races, including the pro races. Mainly because those races suit me."

Blackmore seems to be a jack of all trades for the time being. Not only mountain biking but also the low mountain range, the classics, and even sprinting are within his capabilities. That level of versatility is also part of his program for 2025. "My first big goal will be the Strade Bianche. After that, I will do the Flemish classics and continue to the Ardennes with Liège-Bastogne-Liège. I will go on the Tour of Flanders and, again, the La Flèche Brabançonne. At the beginning of the season, I will do one-day races, and at the end of the season, it seems likely that I will ride the Vuelta."

Blackmore's versatility means he wants to go all out in every race. "I'll see where I end up in all the races. I can be competitive in the final of several races. So I don't need to focus on a particular type of course," he explains.

Read more below the photo!

Three days before La Flèche Brabançonne, Blackmore beat Paul Magnier in the sprint

Blackmore came into the spotlight for many TV viewers for the first time in last year's La Flèche Brabançonne. He surprised the Sporza commentators by jumping to the leading group. In the end, Blackmore sacrificed his chances for Israel–Premier Tech teammate Dylan Teuns. He closed the gap on Marijn van den Berg, rode hard, and started the sprint for Teuns, who finished second. He finished fourth himself. We did not see Blackmore's sprint, with which he beat Paul Magnier three days earlier in the U23 race. A missed opportunity? "The decision I had to close the gap on Van den Berg for Teuns came from the car and not from myself," says Blackmore. "But I understand that decision. Dylan was a favorite to win the race. At that moment, I was still a rider from the Development Team. No matter how strong I felt, it was clear that I would ride for him. That's how it goes in cycling. That's okay; hopefully, I'll get to ride for myself someday."

Was it surprising that he finished among the best in his first Flemish spring race? "When you have good legs in a race, it doesn't matter in which race it is or who you have to race against," he shakes his head. "If you feel that good, you can finish up front. It's not complicated; I just had a perfect day."

A week later, the Brit would also win Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the U23 category and, later in the season, the GC of the Tour de l'Avenir. He also finished second in the Tour of Britain. In other words, he doesn't seem to fit into any particular category, although one thing keeps recurring: it has to be a tough race. "I don't know which race I would most like to win among the professionals. What I love are hilly one-day races and stages in tours that end with a small group of riders left, and I also like multi-day races. Winning stages in the Tour de France would be a dream come true for me. I want to give one hundred percent in every race I participate in."

Read more below the photo!

From idol to teammate: "Went to Rwanda with Chris Froome"

When asked who he admired as a boy, Blackmore thinks mainly of a few fellow countrymen. "When I was younger, I always watched the Tour and stuff. I looked up to the British winners of the Tour de France, like Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome. Froome is now my teammate, which is very cool. Last year, I went with him on a tour of Rwanda. I certainly respect him. He also still rides very fast in training."

Like Froome, Blackmore already managed to shine in the mountains, where he won the Tour de l'Avenir, following in the footsteps of Tadej Pogacar and Egan Bernal, among others. Yet he does not yet see himself as a great tour cyclist. "I was not the best climber in the race, but I raced aggressively and well. I chose the right moments to attack. Ultimately, it became a close battle for the yellow jersey, making it very exciting."

Read more below the video!

Keeping the yellow at Colle delle Finestre:"Yellow jersey united our British team with clear goal"

Blackmore started the final stage to the monstrous Colle delle Finestre with a 3.55-minute lead over Pablo Torres (now UAE Team Emirates - XRG), from whom he had taken the yellow jersey after a breakaway the day before. He had previously won a stage by beating Jarno Widar and Torres in a sprint to the finish line of La Rosière. "At the foot of the Colle delle Finestre, I was reasonably confident I would win the GC. I tried to follow Torres on the climb but quickly realized that was no good. He took off at high speed. When you hear the differences in time between the riders on the motorbikes, you think: sh*t."

"This was also a long climb. (16.2 km at 9%) The final climb to La Rosière in the third stage, which I won, was more explosive (17.4 km at 5.8%). On the Finestre, I just tried to reduce my loss to Torres. Tijmen Graat caught up with me halfway up the climb and worked well together."

Blackmore finished second on the stage, and at the top of the climb, he was only fourteen seconds ahead of Torres. "At the finish line, I was so worn out that I didn't even think about whether I had won," says Blackmore. "I had been focusing all the time on giving 100 percent on the climb. It was a done deal two minutes after I crossed the finish line. I had won."

Did the yellow jersey give him wings? "Wearing the yellow jersey didn't make me ride any faster. What did make a difference was that it was our British team. We had a clear goal: to bring home the victory."

Read more below the photo!

Pidcock and Van der Poel comparison: "If I want to compete with them on a mountain bike, I would have to work really hard"

As a first- and second-year U23 rider, the versatile Blackmore, who finished thirteenth and seventeenth in the U23 mountain bike world championships before fully transitioning to road cycling, compares himself to other mountain bikers who are good on different courses. "From my background, I like the star riders who excel in multiple disciplines," he says. "Like Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock. It is inspiring to see what they can do on different types of bikes. I know I am not at that level; I must work hard if I want to compete with them on a mountain bike. But it is very cool to see what they are capable of."

Whether Blackmore will compete in the World Championships in Rwanda is still uncertain because the British federation must select him first. But it is certainly something that appeals to him. It can be easily combined with the Vuelta, which is marked on his schedule. He is already somewhat familiar with the World Championship course, as he won the final stage of the Tour of Rwanda on those same roads last year, the final of which is included in the World Championship route. "It is a difficult course," says Blackmore. "We only did the lap a few times during the race, so I don't remember exactly how it went. At the World Championship for pros, you ride it so often that you quickly memorize it. I hope to be there at the start."

Read also

Vingegaard proposes 2 potential co-leaders from his team as possible Tour tactics against Pogacar

"Tadej just had his breakfast," says Alaphilippe, who shares his opinion as the Pogacar of his time: "It makes me sad"

Fourth last year in the Tour of Flanders, but now back as domestique: "Pogačar isn't afraid of Van der Poel or Van Aert"

Does Kuss lose his role as Vingegaard's lieutenant to a teammate? "To make the difference, you need riders like him"

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get every week the latest news about CYCLING in your inbox!

Subscribe