This Is Guernsey

By Matt Lihou

Paul Brehaut catches up on the Tour de France news and the man who he beat in Guernsey five years ago, Isle of Man’s Mark Cavendish (inset)(Picture by Daniel Guerin, 0604884)

THERE is a chance of a Guernsey cyclist one day competing in the Tour de France, according to the man who once beat the sprint stage winner Mark Cavendish.

Local racer Paul Brehaut defeated Cavendish, who became the first British rider since 2002 to win a stage after his victory on Wednesday, in the Island Games in Guernsey in 2003.

He believes that local cycling is improving all the time. ‘If you look at the youngsters coming through now, like Dan Arblaster and James McLaughlin, then they have incredible potential. If we continue to develop the way we are, then there may be a Guernsey representative in the Tour de France one day,’ he said.

Brehaut’s own triumph over Cavendish, who was representing the Isle of Man, came in the individual time trial event based at Sylvans. Brehaut does not remember much about that day, but he said it was clear that the 18-year-old Cavendish would become a star.

‘It was fairly obvious that he would go on to reach the top,’ Brehaut said.

‘What he has done in the past couple of days is absolutely phenomenal.’

When asked what it takes to improve to the level that the Isle of Man star is at, Brehaut’s response was instant.

‘It takes sheer hard work and incredible commitment. It is a huge step up firstly from the Island Games level to the Commonwealth Games and then up to the level that Mark has now reached,’ he said.

Two other competitors who can also claim to have beaten Cavendish that day were his Isle of Man teammates Andrew Roche and Elliot Baxter.

Again, neither of them have had anywhere near the success of Cavendish, but Roche has competed professionally throughout Europe, while Baxter is a former British national champion in mountain biking.

With Cavendish now tipped to be successful in next month’s Beijing Olympic Games, the future looks extremely bright for British cycling. Brehaut thinks that is great to see, and hopefully will rub off on local cycling as well.

‘Everything is going tremendously at the moment. Mark’s performances can be only for the good of British cycling,’ he said.

Brehaut also recalls another race from the 2003 Island Games, when Cavendish did manage to win gold in the Town criterium race, after a laughable mistake by Jerseyman Sam Firby, who rose to celebrate too early and was pipped to the line.

‘It is something that Sam still gets stick for today,’ Brehaut said.

Article posted on 11th July, 2008 - 2.30pm