No time for Chris to take a break

OLDHAM Olympian Chris Newton has had little time to bask in the glory of the bronze medal he won in Beijing.

No sooner had the cyclist returned from China than he was back in training for the Tour of Britain.

Once that eight-day road race had been completed, it was off to the track for the national championships in which he won a double - the scratch and points races.

On top of all that, Newton has even managed to find time to move to a new home in Chadderton.

Newton, who was honoured with a civic reception in Oldham, admitted it has been a whirlwind time and there is still more to this month when Manchester Velodrome hosts the World Cup, which is already a sell-out.

The medal-winning cyclists are to receive the freedom of Manchester, while there is also to be a victory parade in London culminating in a reception at Buckingham Palace.

He said: “I haven’t had time to take a break and reflect on what has happened.

“I wanted to ride in the Tour of Britain because I think it is important to support events like that.

“It was great at the start of every stage to be presented as an Olympic medallist, and the reception we received everywhere was amazing.”

Newton says he has also received a number of requests to visit schools and make other personal appearances, and he will be trying to squeeze those into an already-congested schedule.

Newton hopes the exploits of the cyclists in Beijing, where they won seven golds, will help enhance the sport.

He explained: “The World Cup is already a sell-out and anybody wanting a taster session at Manchester Velodrome has a lengthy wait as they are fully booked until the middle of next year.

“Hopefully, the success we achieved at the Olympics will attract more fans to cycling and provide a bigger base for talent coming through.”

Despite his success, Newton added he can still lead a normal life and is usually not recognised in the street - unlike some of the more high-profile cyclists like Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins and Victoria Pendleton.

But he recalls how he and wife Lindsey were bought champagne while out in Manchester by an appreciative fan.

“It was a nice and sincere gesture from somebody who was proud of what Team GB achieved in Beijing,” he said.