As Viva Velo’s reputation for providing first class cycling tours and events continues to grow once again we are pleased to welcome a member of the professional cycling community to the fold as a brand ambassador. Many of you will know Dan Patten from his recent exploits for Team Wiggins over the last two years where you may recall he was involved in a first stage breakaway in the 2016 Amgen Tour of California as well as winning the King of the Mountains in the GP Wales. You can see an interview with Frankie Andreu after that first day in the ATOC the video below.
Born in Essex, Dan studied at Loughborough University before becoming a professional cyclist and for thos that like a number or two Dan’s certainly are impressive. With a VO2 max of 83.8 and a power to weight ratio of 7.2w/Kg Dan demonstrates the enormous chasm in performance between someone able to compete at the highest level and the average club cyclist – let alone the rest of us weekend warriors! And yet it is generally acknowledged that Dan remains one of the most approachable and down to earth pros in the peleton – a perfect qualification for a Viva Velo brand ambassador. But this should come as no surprise, for Dan began his cycling racing in the Surrey League as well as competing at Lea Valley and Hogshill, familiar venues to many a club rider. He then moved to Belgium to race for several years before finally getting a break with UCI Continental team Team SmartStop Mountain Khakis in 2013 – having previously raced for UCI Pro-continental team Magnus Maximus Coffee.com (2009). He then progressed to another UCI pro-continental team, 7 Eleven by Roadbike Philippines (2014) before landing his contract with Team Wiggins.
Without a contract for 2017, Dan is looking to broaden his cycling CV by working with Viva Velo (and other cycle tour companies) as a ride leader as well as expanding his coaching interests. For Viva Velo specifically as well as joining us on some of our rides and tours we hope, he will be writing a regular monthly blog on a range of topics which we are sure you will find interesting and engaging.
His first blog will be about racing in Belgium – a place he knows intimately – and his joint venture with Viva Velo to offer tours to some of the most famous cycling destinations in that country so watch this space. What could be better than retracing the wheel tracks of so many cycling heroes in the presence of someone with the knowledge and experience to bring that history alive on the bike?!