Simon Richardson Says.....

Simon Richardson - Beijing 2008

17th August 2011.   A day that will be long etched on my memory, it was the day that Palaympic double gold medallist was mown down by a hit and run driver, left for dead, airlifted to hospital to begin a seventeen day stay in intensive care, hanging on for his life.

It was an intensive time on many levels, national media were running the story, the #SIMONSTRONG campaign was launched, cycle safety was back on the agenda and has been since and in between it all, Simon fought back from death's door.

So how is Simon doing now?  Taking the opportunity on a visit to South Wales yesterday, I visited Simon at his home in Porthcawl for a coffee, home made Welsh cakes (thanks Amanda) and a catch up.

It's been a long and arduous recovery, mentally and physically.  Aswell as the pain, discomfort and lack of pain relief, Simon has also been battling post-traumatic stress disorder, with flashbacks and nightmares.  A proud man, Simon isn't particularly comfortable talking about those elements of the recovery, he's 100% focused on getting back on the bike, but it's obvious that the last couple of months have been particularly tough.

Back to Normality?

At the beginning of March he was told by the hospital to "get back to normality."  Problem is, they didn't define normality to Simon.  He interepreted that as back on the bike, training and competing, their interpretation was nowhere near that.  Having thought he'd got the green light to push on, it was a big blow to discover that they meant nothing like that.  Normality being - trips to the supermarket, physio and other day to day things.

Without the support of his wife - Amanda - he'd be in a really hard place as he needs close care.  His current wheelchair is in poor condition (the emergency wait for a replacement is eight weeks), he has constant pain and is allergic to most painkillers.

Each day feels like groundhog day, long periods either on the bed resting or in a reclining seat in the front room, with every manner of mobile phone, cycling catalogue and remote control in easy reach.  He reads all the tweets sent to him, so keep the encouragement going his way.

Things are moving regards the court case of the driver that hit him.  17th May is the day scheduled for him to appear in court, co-incidentally also the day Simon attends hospital to establish whether he will need an operation - ironic really.

Rio or bust


Despite this long recovery, Simon being Simon, is still full of ambition.  Asking him what the best/worst outcomes might be.  Best case was riding in the Rio Paralympics 2016, worst never riding a bike again and being paralysed, mid - riding sportives.  Quite a spectrum, but Rio was the target, no doubt about that.


One Turn at a Time

Every time I meet Simon, I'm always humbled by his selflessness.  He constantly worries about letting people down, not wanting people to know the full detail of his suffering, how hard the recovery is and that he does have the occasional down day - who wouldn't.  He's a credit to himself and still doesn't really recognise how inspired others are by him.

He's currently focusing his time on fundraising for the air ambulance service, whom he tributes with saving his life after the road collision.  Details can be seen here.  A track day is also going to be organised in Manchester, which I hope that people regionally will get behind and support.

Summary is that Simon is by no way out of the woods.  The hospital visit in a couple of weeks time will be an important timeline in establishing how long it will before he can get training again.  Hopefully on the same day, he'll be able to give some closure to the legal side of the incident, with the drunk/driver being called to account.

Simon will definitely be in the saddle at his Newport Velodrome fundraiser, for how long, he doesn't know.  The couple are looking to move home as their current home isn't adapted for wheelchair use, a bungalow is on the cards, hopefully not too far away from where they currently live in Porthcawl and with some great roads to ride, when he's back, fit and recovering.  Let's hope that is soon.

Cycle5afe

Addison Lee Founder & Chairman - John Griffiths

If you're a cyclist in the UK, you couldn't have failed to have noticed the storm that's been whipped up by the founder of the countries largest - London based - minicab company, John Griffiths.  If you've missed the story, best place to have a quick read is on the road.cc website here.  I've also written a blog about it on my business blog here.

Mutual Appreciation

Last year, I came up with a road safety campaign idea called "Cycle5Afe" - The Times subsequently launched a scheme called "Cyclesafe" so I ditched it, having already acquired the URL and Twitter ID I might add!

The crux of the idea was about mutual appreciation of the road and was themed around the five "A's as follows, a bit like the "Think Bike" campaign for motorcyclists: -

• Aware (cars anticipate that a cyclists may need to manoeuvre unexpectedly, cyclists don't wear headphones so you can be aware of what's behind you).
• Alert (always have a spatial view of the road, cars need to understand what gap they need to leave, cyclists need to be aware that swerving unexpectedly may cause an accident behind them).
• Appreciation (of all road users).
• Assertiveness (cyclists own the road when you need to, drivers be assertive and do not pass until safe, even if you are being hassled).
• Always (cyclists wear a helmet, drivers stay safe when passing).

The point was there is as much as of a duty of care that cyclists need to show on the road, as there is to road drivers.  Most cyclists, like drivers, are responsible, safe on the road and just wanting to get from A to B.  As usual, it's the minority that jump traffic lights etc, that create the headlines and attract the anti-cycling ranting, like the idiot drivers that take silly risks when overtaking cyclists.

With rising fuel costs, a pressure to lower carbon footprints, rising healthcare costs amonst other things, more people are taking to the saddle and therefore the road needs to be a safe place for all those that choose to use it.  Let's just take a look at the statistics around the reported cycling incidents: -

The Stats (Source: RoSPA).

• Around 17,000 cycling incidents are reported each year.  Around 2,500 of these involve a serious injury.  
• Around 75% of fatal or serious cyclist accidents occur in urban areas.
• Around half of cyclist fatalities occur on rural roads.
• 75% happen at, or near, a road junction.
• 80% occur in daylight.
• 80% of cyclist casualties are mal.
• Around three quarters of cyclists killed have major head injuries.

Types of Accident (Source: RoSPA).

• In collisions involving a bicycle and another vehicle, the most common key contributory factor recorded by the police is 'failed to look properly' by either the driver or rider, especially at junctions. 'Failed to look properly' was attributed to the car driver in 57% of serious collisions and to the cyclist in 43% of serious collisions at junctions.
• Other common contributory factors attributed to drivers are 'poor turn/manoeuvre' (in 17% of serious accidents involving a cyclist) and 'careless, reckless, in a hurry (17%). Cyclists are more likely to suffer serious injuries when a driver is judged to be 'impaired by alcohol', exceeding the speed limit' or 'travelling too fast for the conditions'.
• The second most common contributory factor attributed to cyclists was 'cyclist entering the road from the pavement' (including when a cyclist crosses the road at a pedestrian crossing), which was recorded in about 20% serious collisions.
• The most common vehicle involved in collisions with cyclists is a car or taxi, with the rider usually being hit by the front of the vehicle. In a quarter of fatal cyclist accidents, the front of the vehicle hit the rear of the bicycle.

Cyclists Pay Their Taxes.

As John Griffiths of Addison Lee is quickly learning around 80% of all cyclists are also drivers (Source - Institute of Advanced Motorists) and quite a large number of them are also Addison Lee customers based upon the negative commentary on social media channels.  It's a myth that cyclists and motorists are separate groups, in four out of five cases, they are one of the same.

The future has to be about mutual respect and co-existence for all road users, regardless of transportation type, a safe environment for all.  Ranting comments just widen the divide, rather than narrow it and aren't helpful.  Griffiths has talked today of his support for the Cyclesafe campaign from The Times, which does rather make you wonder whether there is some serious back-pedalling being done.

Power to the People

The most important point to remember in this whole affair is that cyclists are people.  Fathers, Mothers, Brothers, Sisters, Sons, Daughters, Nephews, Aunties and Uncles to others.  A moment of madness can lead to devastating effects, just ask Simon Richardson MBE about that, innocently mown down whilst training by a drunk driver.  Being safe is about your actions behind the wheel or behind the handlebars towards another human being, simple as that.  Stay safe, stay cycle5Afe.  See you on the road.

Simon Richardson Fundraising Campaign

#SIMONSTRONG Trackathon Fundraiser

Draw your mind back to the 17th of August last year and the terrible collision that saw Paralympic Double Gold medallist - Simon Richardson - mown down by a drunk driver, airlifted to University Hospital Wales, where he then went on to fight for his life in Intensive Care.  Blog here.

Wind forward to today, eight months on from the accident and after a long rehabilitation, Simon is preparing to get back in the saddle for a fund raising event for the the Wales Air Ambulance, who played such an important role in getting him to hospital quickly.

The event, at Newport Velodrome, will see riders participating in a - through the night - ten hour trackathon.  The objective is for the total mileage from all riders to total more than 1,700 miles by the end of the ten hours.  You can ride on your own or as part of team, only caveat being to raise as much money as you can for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity.  The flyer above has all the details.

If you'd like to participate, e-mail Graham Hewson at Graham@tmracing.org.uk or call him on 07917 133453. 

The story of Simon Richardson is an inspiring one.  Read this blogpost I put up about him in March 2011, you'll see that he has previously endured a major life-changing accident back in 2001.  He's inspired tens of thousands of people with his story, so please support him in raising money for a deserving cause and bashing out a good amount of miles on the Newport boards.

CTT Dinner - Sat 21st Jan 2012

If you're new to road cycling, you may not have heard of the CTT -The National Governing Body for Cycling Time Trials in England & Wales.  They basically oversee the organsing of the hundreds of time-trial events which happen weekly across the UK, you can learn more about them here.   

Last night I attended their annual Champions night where they recognise the best time-triallists, distance cyclists and hill-climbers across multiplie categories and celebrate the best of the best in the sport. 

Around 300 people attended the dinner last night, there wasn't a pointy helmet or skinsuit in sight!  The whole event was masterfully compered by Eurosport commentator - David Harmon, who worked his socks off from the awards ceremony kick off at 5pm, right the way through to the final nightcap at around 3am in the bar!

Graeme Obree

I was invited along as I'd helped to organise Graeme Obree along as their guest speaker on the night, he went down an absolute storm re-counting his past achievements including the two hour records, his traning manual and forthcoming attempt to take the human-powered vehicle land speed record, more about that here.

He bought along one of his bikes (the pink one in the background, made of steel.  It was remarkably light and had a massive front chain-ring on it - Obree style).  You can read my previous interviews with Graeme here and here, only one word for Graeme - legend.

David Harmon interviewing Graeme Obree

Simon Richardson

Also present was Simon Richardson MBE, in his first official function since the horrific collision in 2011 which injured him so badly.  There was tremendous support for Simon amongst all the attendees, the CTT displayed the #SIMONSTRONG bike on a podium in the centre of the stage during dinner.  Simon also addressed the audience during the awards ceremony to thank them for all the messages of support, a very emotional moment.

Graeme Obree generously offered up a signed poster of the Flying Scotsman film for auction, with the proceeds being donated to help Simon buy a new wheelchair.  A very generous bid by David Harmon's wife of over £1000 bagged it, I'm not sure David was expecting that but he dropped the hammer and they became the new owners!  A lovely gesture by all concerned, which will go a long way to helping Simon achieve his aim.

I sat next to Simon over dinner.  Clearly he is still in a great deal of discomfort and it was a big effort for him to undergo the car journey to get there.  Simon is allergic to the bulk of prescribed painkillers, so mostly survives on paracetemol which does nothing to deal with the pain he experiences.  Typical Simon though, he smiled through the discomfort all evening, putting on his face for those present and continuing to be a force of inspiration for those around him and working for his sponsors (see back wheel of the bike!).

Simon Richardson's #SIMONSTRONG themed bike

Now that's quick!

The Champion of Champions awards were dominated by Michael Hutchinson (mens category) for the 25M, 50M, 100M distances, Julia Shaw (womens category) for the 10M, 25M and 50M distances and Ryan Mullen (juniors category) in the 10M and 25M distances.

The Best British all-rounder 2011 was won by Jeff Jones of Chippenham & District Wheelers, if you want to benchmark yourself, here's the times he posted in numerous distances.  50 Miles - 1:39:03, 100 Miles - 3:31:51, 12Hrs - 305.51 miles.  If you think about that for a minute, 100 miles on a bike in just over three and half hours, that's quick, I would cover about 50M in that time!

Signing Off

Graeme Obree was up until the early hours signing copies of his training manual, which was selling like hotcakes.  I'd helped organise a book signing in Manchester that morning and it's amazing how far people will travel to meet Graeme.  One lad cycled over from Sheffield in horrendous conditions, to get a book signed!

Overall it was a terrific evening, a total sell-out, I rolled out the bar around 3am after a really good natter with Graeme Obree's agent.  The CTT celebrates it's 75th anniversary in 2013 and they will no doubt work hard to produce another fantastic evening.  If last night was anything to go by, they'll have their work cut out.

An Introduction to Audax

The misty, murky world of the Audax.  For many, it conjures up images of old men, beards, steel bikes with names of past great frame builders, panniers, tandems, massive saddle bags, leather shoes and sandwiches in foil.

The reality is that Audaxing is attracting a new audience of disillusioned sportive riders appealed by it's grass roots organisation, low entry-fees and non-competitive nature.  This year I haven't ridden one sportive, primary reason being they I can ride 100 miles on a bike anytime and don't need to spend thirty quid for the privilege. 

The major sportives in the North West (Cheshire Cat/Manchester 100) have thousands of riders on them, many of whom are not used to riding in groups, the feed stops are busy and - in some instances - the waits to even start are too long.  I have one sportive exception to this - Polocini - who limit entries, keep their prices low and provide decent food and organisation.

So, what is an Audax?  Well, the best explanation is here, which our cycling club secretary produced.  Link to the club website can be found here: -

"Wikipedia defines an Audax as "...a cycling sport in which participants attempt to cycle long distances within a pre-defined time limit. Audax is a non-competitive sport: success in an event is measured by its completion.



Think of an Audax as a cross between orienteering and a Sportive. You have a set route to follow, defined on a cue sheet or as a GPX file, with control points to prove that you've been to key places. Without direction arrows to follow you have to complete the course within set maxmium and minimum speeds. An Audax is not a race, it's a personal cycling challenge!


Audax UK oversees the running of events in the UK, and, using a system of timed checkpoints, and they validate and record every successful ride. Rides build up from 100km with structured goals and awards for distance and altitude climbed."

So, there you have it.  A pre-determined route, enthusiastic and experienced cyclists, decent grub and much lower entry prices.  As an example, the entry fee for our North Cheshire Clarion club Audax today was £6.00.  The route was 75 miles long, around 2.5k of climbing, had fabulous home cooked food on departure and arrival back at the event HQ.  Two cafe stops were en route, where you pay as normal for anything you have.  Just take a look at the cake selection below!

North Cheshire Clarion Audax Cake Table

I clicked 102 miles today.  Basically I rode up to the event HQ & back (16 miles), did an unexpected 11 miles de-tour to Wilmslow - mid Audax - when I missed a turn, plus the event 75 miles.  I didn't eat at the cafe stops, I skipped the first one and just filled water bottles at the second one, so as I hit about 80 miles, I was starting to feel hungry.  Jumping on the wheels of a group, I got a gel down me and dug in to get back to the HQ, upon which I scoffed this absolutely wonderful plate of food.  Cheese pie, beans, egg and toast, followed by coffee and walnut cake.  Boy, did that taste good!

Food I had on arriving back - champion!

The route included a couple of stiff climbs today.  The Wizard was the leg wake-up moment, but very doable.  Then we went out in the Peaks over Macclesfield way and you can see from the route, how steep the climb was out around the thirty five mile point.  Plenty of panting going up those I can tell you, but on the plus side, some great descents too.  Weather was drizzly, however we didn't get rained on, but there was plenty of wind around which made the going tough at times.


An example of our control card used today.

Today was my first Audax and I have to say, the club set one hell of a benchmark.  Organisation, food, route planning from start to finish was first class.  Big thanks to Andrew Williams, a fellow club member, who put a great deal of work into making it happen.  All for six quid - wow.  No wonder lots of the guys in the club are doing them regularly.

Riding home, I took the chance to get my bike cleaned at the local hand car wash.  These guys normally clean my car, they were sat with no customers, so I whizzed in and they did the business for three quid.  Arriving home, bike went straight back into it's stand, with no cleaning needed.  Result, as it was filthy!

Got the local car hand wash to clean my bike!

Today was my second successive century on back to back Sundays and September will probably be one of my better mileage months.  My cardio fitness seems to be getting back now, all down to the miles, only thing is it takes me about three days to get over it!

A final thought goes out to Simon Richardson MBE who was joining us for today's ride, prior to his major collision.  Climbing up those steep climbs, I needed every ounce of energy to haul myself up.  Simon does those climbs using power from one leg.  Just consider that for a moment.  In fact, next time you're out, try cycling with one leg for a sustained period of time and see how long you last.  Incredible athlete.

Simon Richardson Update (13/09/11)

Day 4 of Simon being at home.  He's in very good spirits and keeping himself entertained via Twitter and the odd visitor.  It's like groundhog day every day, lay in bed, television on, keeping still with the occasional trip to the loo.

Thankfully the district nurse has organised for an airbed to be deliverd to him today, to prevent bed sores, a by-product of being lay in one position for long lengths of time.  His appetite is fully regained now and Amanda his wife is up and down the stairs keeping an eye on him.

I'm giving him a buzz each day to catch up on his progress, it's amazing that only a couple of weeks ago he was in intensive care.  Looks like he's got another seven or so weeks laid up, whilst his back is given the time it needs.

The #SIMONSTRONG bike is now fully finished and we're awaiting some high quality pictures to be done, before sharing with everyone that contributed.  All I can say is that Chris Grove from Performance Race Art did Simon proud, it's an awesome looking machine.  Watch this space.

Simon Richardson Update (09/09/11)

Simon in hospital today prior to being discharged

An eventful day.  The good news is that Simons consultant has agreed to discharge him from hospital today following an X-ray on his back to determine how his injuries are healing.  The conclusion was that Simon is making good progress, so good, that he can be allowed home for the next phase of his recovery. 

He'll need to stay pretty inactive and also wear the spinal body brace when not laid out on his bed (I think if the consulant said that he needed to do fifty press ups every morning, Simon would have agreed). 

Interestingly, the Consultant, Senior Spinal Surgeon - Paul Rhys Davies - treated Simon in 2001 when he was last seriously injured.  Simon tributed his Beijing 2008 performance to the work that Mr Rhys Davies did at the time and Amanda showed him Simons Paralympic medals today.  Having the history of Simons previous accident, he was best judged to assess the best route for his future recovery. 

Visiting Simon in hospital in Cardiff this morning, I asked him what he felt about his recovery and cycling again specifically.  A very clear answer came back.  "I intend to get back to my pre-collision fitness and form."  That journey may take some time, Simon needs intensive physiotherapy and he needs to re-build his lung capacity, muscle mass and fitness.  He's got an excellent track record in recovery as we know, so the journey ahead will be challenging no doubt.  One thing I do know if that if anyone can do it, Simon can - particularly with the support of his wife Amanda, who continues to be a rock.

Simon is really looking forward to getting home.  He said he was "fed up of looking at a hospital ceiling"  and his mindset was that "he's not ill, just injured, so the sooner he was home the better."  Interestingly, the physiotherapists have indicated that they expect part of his treatment to be on a static bike (but not with TT bars).

Driving home to Manchester, I couldn't help but admire the mental resilience of both Simon and Amanda.  Practicality is the key word.  They've both been through it before, so there's less emotion this time round, more about the what, why, when and who.  The word I've heard most when describing Simon is "Inspiring," if you mention it to him, he can't understand why.  Others that fall to my mind are modest, brave, practical, strong, dedicated and awe-inspiring.  A real man amongst men and future ambassador for our sport.

Simon Richardson Update (08/09/11)

"We're trying to ascertain the wherabouts of Simon Richardson."  That was the call that Amanda received tonight from a UCI drug tester who had attempted to conduct a random drug test on Simon at his home in Porthcawl.

Simon subscribes to the Anti-Doping Administration & Management System (ADAMS) which means he has to submit his wherabouts, in order that random drug tests can be undertaken.  Prior to his collision, Simon had submitted that he would be at home tonight.

After hearing of Simons medical situation from his wife Amanda, the UCI tester in question accepted that Simon's circumstances were notably serious to miss the test.  In reality, it's not their fault, as no one had notified them of Simons accident, it's the athletes responsibility to update on their location.  Given everything that had gone on, you can imagine it was the last thing on the familys mind to update his ADAMS and his file showed that he should be at home, still it made for an interesting phone conversation. 

Simons had another good today.  He walked for 11m with sticks, wearing his body brace.  Dieticians are happy and the physios are happy.  His lungs need plenty of exercise, so they use one of these Powerbreath devices to strengthen them, you can imagine with his lung capacity as an elite athlete that he's got a decent VO2 on him normally, so he's in re-build mode with his breathing. 

Moving forward, I'll start to stretch the updates to every two to three days as his recovery is going so well.   Keep an eye on Twitter and if there is anything significant to report I'll get it posted up straight away.  I'll be visiting him in hospital in Cardiff tomorrow to pass on the best wishes of all the staff at Brother and the many people who continue to send messages of support, so will update after that.

Simon Richardson Update (07/09/11)

"Simon, you've got to be pushed - not physically, but in this chair you're sat in!"  More progress today in that  Simon is now able to be pushed around in a wheelchair, he can't propel himself as the break to his chest needs to fully heal, however it means he can now go to the loo on his own and get a change of scene from his hospital bed.  It's a daunting prospect being lay up in a hospital bed, however his medical staff think it's better for him to be up and about, so he's back on two wheels, just not the usual two wheels!

Amanda has now been fully trained to fit his body brace, so there's definitely a feeling of indedpendence building in the Richardson camp.  I asked Amanda on the phone what he'd had to eat today and the response was "he's eaten rubbish all day" - which is good news as it means his appetite is now fully restored.

Simon is looking significantly better in himself, he's keen to make quick progress in his recovery in order that he can be released from hospital soon, he's going at World Record Pace.  I'll be visiting Simon in hospital on Friday for the first time, that will be a cracking moment after so many weeks of concern. 

I'm also pleased to be able to give you a sneak peak of the #SIMONSTRONG twitter dedication bike frameset tonight.  Chris from Performance Race Art has been busy in the spray studio and it's looking fantastic.  We'll get some high-resolution photo's done when it's fully finished, but for now, admire the work of this master paint-sprayer.

TT Frameset with 685 #SIMONSTRONG supporter names on

Simon Richardson Update (06/09/11)

"Bring me Welsh cakes, some corned beef pasties and sweets" - that was the instruction from Simon to his wife Amanda pre-visit today.  A clear indicator that Simon is determined to get his strength back up as soon as possible.  A good gorge looks like it will do the trick!

Simon has been moved off of high-dependency today onto the trauma ward; another positive step.  He will shortly begin a period of intensive physiotherapy to get him back to his pre-accident conditioning - whatever it takes. 

He's been sitting up again today.  Hospital staff need to see him able to balance unsupported as his short term objective, before they consider other forms of treatment, so the main effort remains focussed there.

Simon has made significant progress in the last few days, it's hard to believe that it's only six days ago that he came out of sedation on the intensive care ward.  Excellent stuff.

Simon Richardson Update (05/09/11)

More progress for Simon today.  He's been able to sit on the edge of his hospital bed for a short time, whilst physiotherapists put him in a body brace, to allow them to start his rehabilitation. 

When you've been lay in a bed for three weeks having not eaten much, it's amazing what an effort it is to support your own body weight again; when your muscles have deblitated and your energy levels are low. It was an effort for him no doubt and he managed about four minutes. 

In order for him to move to his next stage of recovery, he needs to be able to sit in a wheel chair unaided before doctors consider to move him to a trauma ward.  Knowing Simon as we do, I'm sure that won't take long.

He's making significant progress since coming out of intensive care and being able to breathe unsupported, he's ahead of the curve in terms of what the doctors are expecting.  His mental strength continues to shine through and I'm sure we'll have positive news in the near future if he progresss at the current rate of recovery. 

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales tonight, I paid further tribute to the outstanding support he's received from cyclists across the globe, local people in his home town of Porthcawl aswell as celebrities, sportspeople and friends.  You've all made a massive difference - thank you.

Simon Richardson Update (04/09/11)

And here it is, the first picture of Simon Richardson recovering in hospital, flanked by his friends Dave Hart (L) and Magnus Backstedt (R). 

I've spoken to Simon tonight and he's asked me to pass on this message to every person who has sent messages of goodwill: -

"Thank you to everyone,  I've no re-collection of the past month of my life so to wake up and discover what's been going on is quite a surprise.  I'm shocked at the sheer numbers of people who have been so supportive and just how the cycling community in particular has supported my wife Amanda and sent their messages of support to me." 
 
Simons lost a considerable amount of weight and muscle mass; as he's been laid up for nearly three weeks with very little solid food, you can clearly see that as his face looks quite gaunt and his arms are very skinny.  He's making excellent progress however and medical staff are very pleased with how he's recovering. 

Magnus Backstedt remarked on his Twitter feed last night "Been to see @CyclingSimonMBE in hospital, this guy is unbelievable. Mental strength he has could make the world turn other way #simonstrong"


In the short time that I've come to know Simon, this one quality has shone through.  He's very matter of fact about things, there's not an ounce of self-pity and his focus is all about recovery.  I guess he's becoming a bit of an expert on the subject, expect to see him on two wheels sooner rather than later.

Simon Richardson Update (03/09/11)

Some great news tonight, I've managed to speak with Simon on the phone and he's sounding in good spirits, sore - yes, groggy - yes, bit stunned still - yes, but it's great to hear him awake and able to hold a conversation.   Asking him how he's feeling, the response was "I'm getting there."

He's breathing unsupported now; which is a massive step forward - clearly the treatment of the blod clots is taking effect.  After a very traumatic 18 days for the family, today looks like a breakthrough day today.  Awesome stuff.

Simon Richardson Update (02/09/11)

More positive news today.  After 17 days in intensive care, Simon has been moved to the High Dependency Unit, basically a step down.  This is really good news for his recovery as it means the medical staff are feeling much happier with his progress.

His wife Amanda reports that he "looks better and his breathing has improved, the physios are pleased, he's managed to have some soup today and he is able to talk, albeit very quietly and without much volume."

That really is good news.  Simon is a strong character, both physically and mentally.  There's no doubt that his level of fitness has been a significant contributor in his recovery and his mental attitude, which has seen him recover from previous adversity, is beginning to shine through.

Go Simon, Go #SIMONSTRONG.

Note to Press; Simon Richardson is a double-gold Paralympic cyclist.  On the track in Bejing 2008 he won the LC3/4 1km time trial and 3km individual pursuit. He also claimed a silver in the road time trial and assisted team mate Darren Kenny to victory in the road race.  Further details can be found on his Wikipedia page.

Simon Richardson Update (01/09/11)

Day 16.  Some further encouraging news today in that Simons oxygen levels are higher and he's had the staples removed from his stomach operation.  Medical staff are satisfied with progress, Simon is off the ventilator but still having assistance with oxygen to breathe.

He's still weak, well exhausted more like.  He's using a laptop to type messages to his wife Amanda, which is good.  He was absolutely delighted with the items from the Tour of Britain, which Amanda took to show him today - a real morale boost, thank you to everyone that helped make that happen.

Last night I attended a speed awareness course in Carrington, Manchester (jumped a traffic light on orange - hands up).  As part of the course, they talked about road collisions and the things you can do to reduce risk etc.  It took around four hours to complete, I thought about Simon a lot as the instructor talked.

Driver safety/awareness was covered, looking out for motorbikes was covered, yet looking out for cyclists wasn't, which I found really interesting given that 111 cyclists are killed a year; 2660 seriously injured; and 17,185 casualties are created as a result of road collisions in the UK.  We talked about eco-driving even and how to reduce carbon-footprints by driving more efficiently, blind spots, braking distances for trucks - yet no awareness for cyclists.

Think I feel a campaign coming on.....

Note to Press; Simon Richardson is a double-gold Paralympic cyclist.  On the track in Bejing 2008 he won the LC3/4 1km time trial and 3km individual pursuit. He also claimed a silver in the road time trial and assisted team mate Darren Kenny to victory in the road race.  Further details can be found on his Wikipedia page.

Simon Richardson Update (31/8/2011)

Some better news today, Simon is awake again.  Following a CT scan yesterday, Doctors have now established the reason for his breathing difficulty - blood clots on his lungs.  They hadn't suspected this previously, putting the difficulty down to a build up of mucus.  Now diagnosed, they can give the specific treatment needed and they were able to bring Simon out of sedation.

Today, he's awake, more alert and showing a better colour, everything is healing as expected in terms of the breaks and he's in less discomfort.  His wife Amanda has been keeping him up to date with everything that's been going on and reading Twitter messages of support to him at the bedside.  Keep them coming.

Organisers of the Tour of Britain generously sent Amanda a signed top and route map, which you can see below, signed by wellwishers who attended the Welshpool to Caerphilly stage recently.  Amanda was really thrilled and has sent her thanks to the organisers.  #SIMONSTRONG

Note to Press; Simon Richardson is a double-gold Paralympic cyclist.  On the track in Bejing 2008 he won the LC3/4 1km time trial and 3km individual pursuit. He also claimed a silver in the road time trial and assisted team mate Darren Kenny to victory in the road race.  Further details can be found on his Wikipedia page.

Simon Richardson Update (30/8/11)

Simon was experiencing difficult breating again today, so with CT scans and an MRI scan to do to check progress on his injuries, he consented to be sedated again.  "It's not a backwards step by any means, more a sideways step" commented his wife Amanda on the phone earlier.  Speaking in an interview for one of the papers earlier, I commented how Amanda "has this wonderful resolve and realistic expectation, as she's been through this once before." 

Simon continues to be very tired, he hasn't eaten anything solid for ten days, with his fluids and nutritional needs being drip fed into him.  He looked more himself this morning, according to his Amanda - which is great.  It's expected Simon will be sedated for a few days again and medical staff will continue to monitor this.  We'll keep you all updated.

Note to Press; Simon Richardson is a double-gold Paralympic cyclist.  On the track in Bejing 2008 he won the LC3/4 1km time trial and 3km individual pursuit. He also claimed a silver in the road time trial and assisted team mate Darren Kenny to victory in the road race.  Further details can be found on his Wikipedia page.

Simon Richardson Update (29/8/11)

Simons out of sedation. He's pretty groggy, a little confused and starting to come to terms with what's happened to him.  His wife Amanda, who continues to do the 50 mile round trip twice a day, said that the powerful drugs that Simon has been given will take a few days to work out of his system, until then it's just about "taking each day as it comes."

He's very tired for obvious reasons, his body has absorbed significant trauma and is drawing all its' resources to the recovery process. Medical staff are satisfied with his progress, despite his status continuing to be critical but stable.  Cyclists and observors continue to send huge support to Simon, this weekend Team UK Youth rode with #SIMONSTRONG labels on their helmets - awesome stuff.

I came across this article earlier today about Simons 2008 Beijing performace, it's worth a quick read.

Note to Press; Simon Richardson is a double-gold Paralympic cyclist.  On the track in Bejing 2008 he won the LC3/4 1km time trial and 3km individual pursuit. He also claimed a silver in the road time trial and assisted team mate Darren Kenny to victory in the road race.  Further details can be found on his Wikipedia page.

Team UK Youth Ride for #SIMONSTRONG

Former Tour de France stage winner and Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt is a giant of a man, not just in physical stature but in leadership terms too.  Yesterday, he sported a message of support for Simon Richardson on his helmet, whilst racing in the Premier Calender Twinings Pro-Am.

Big Maggy as he is known is a close friend of Simon and Amanda Richardson.  Despite having his own personal battle with losing his mother recently, Magnus has continued to show his support for Simon, from day one. I think that shows real strength of character and it's no surprise to me that this character took him to win one of the hardest one day classic races in calender, Paris - Roubaix.

Big Maggy supporting #SIMONSTRONG

Note to Press; Simon Richardson is a double-gold Paralympic cyclist.  On the track in Bejing 2008 he won the LC3/4 1km time trial and 3km individual pursuit. He also claimed a silver in the road time trial and assisted team mate Darren Kenny to victory in the road race.  Further details can be found on his Wikipedia page.

Simon Richardson Update (28/8/11)

Members of Bolton, North Cheshire and Stockport Clarion

Simon has been bought out of sedation today and the ventilator has also been removed which has been assisting his breathing.   Medical staff want to see how his breathing can function unaided, so fingers crossed this afternoon that progress can be made.  His condition remains critical but stable.


Today, members of Bolton, North Cheshire and Stockport Clarion cycling clubs showed their support for Simon.  Posing to re-create a photo taken over eighty years ago for their club magazine, it was a perfect opportunity to hold up the "We're riding for #SIMONSTRONG" poster.  Over forty members were represented - keep the support coming folks.

Note to Press; Simon Richardson is a double-gold Paralympic cyclist.  On the track in Bejing 2008 he won the LC3/4 1km time trial and 3km individual pursuit. He also claimed a silver in the road time trial and assisted team mate Darren Kenny to victory in the road race.  Further details can be found on his Wikipedia page.