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BASECAMP COACH

Rob Wakefield

Association of British Cycling Coaches Level 3 Coach. I coach in a clear, responsive, and collaborative style that suits riders who value excellent client service. Using data to inform decisions, I also coach in a holistic and intuitive way, factoring in the unpredictability of life and the individual human element of performance.

North Devon, United Kingdom
BASED IN
16
YEARS TRAINING
12
YEARS COACHING
Road, Gravel, Mountain, Ultra Endurance, Time Trial, Multi-Day Events
DISCIPLINES
COACHING PHILOSOPHY

MY APPROACH TO COACHING.

I believe that a successful coach-athlete relationship is built over the long term based on communication, quality of service, trust and performance improvement. 


Coming from a corporate background in data and technology, I use data from TrainingPeaks and WKO5 to inform training decisions. I also believe that subjective feedback and dialogue is often more important than the numbers. 


I am a clear communicator and can explain complexity in a simple manner that anyone can understand. I am motivated to help clients achieve their goals but also to enjoy our coach-athlete journey together. 

THE FULL STORY

ABOUT ME AS A COACH.

In 2008 I was able to leave my quantitative trading job in London and move back to the beautiful North Devon countryside. I love training and riding bikes (road, gravel, mountain bike, time trial). I also enjoy strength training, running, surfing, skiing and golf. 


In 2014 I qualified as a Level 3 Cycling Coach with the Association of British Cycling Coaches. Since then I have coached hundreds of riders across the globe, set up and managed youth and junior racing teams, organised and delivered training camps and classes, and taken squads of adult coached riders to major European Gran Fondos. 


My daughter lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, so I often visit the USA and have coached numerous American riders for events such as Unbound, Belgium Waffle Ride, Solvang Century, Phil's Cookie Fondo, and Gran Fondo New York. 

THE RÉSUMÉ

MY PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS.

My Proudest Coaching Achievements


Ultra-Endurance & Grand Tour Challenges

  • The Tour 21: Successfully coached a high-performing corporate executive to complete all 21 stages of the 2022 Tour de France route,  one week ahead of the pro peloton.

  • Tour de Mont Blanc (TDMB): Coached two athletes and competed alongside them in 2019 to conquer this iconic 330km single-day ultra road race, overcoming 9,300 metres of alpine climbing.

  • joBerg2c (South Africa): Prepared two husband-and-wife teams and a solo female rider to complete the 9-day, 900km mountain bike stage race in 2019 and 2022.

  • Lands End to John o' Groats (LEJOG): Coached multiple recreational cyclists to successfully complete the famous 1,400km end-to-end traverse of Great Britain.


Elite Performance & Youth Development

  • UCI World Championship Qualifications: Coached a diverse group of riders to qualify for both the UCI World Gran Fondo and UCI World Gravel Championships.

  • Junior Tour of Wales: Managed and coached an elite youth squad through one of Europe’s most prestigious and tactically demanding multi-day annual stage races for junior male riders.


Grassroots & Community Impact

  • Women’s Cycling Initiative: Created and led weekly road cycling fitness and skills classes, successfully empowering over 50 local women to confidently start or return to road cycling.


Cycling Event Coaching Portfolio

I have successfully coached riders and participated in many of the world’s most iconic and prestigious cycling events. My coaching portfolio spans elite gravel races, legendary European Sportives and Gran Fondos, ultra-endurance monuments, and official UCI world qualifiers.


Premier Gravel & Ultra-Endurance Events

  • Unbound Gravel (USA) – The undisputed world championship of ultra-gravel.

  • The Traka (Spain) – Europe’s premier, world-class gravel festival in Girona.

  • The Gralloch (UK) – Scotland's official UCI Gravel World Series qualifier.

  • Belgian Waffle Ride (USA) – The multi-surface monument of grit and speed.

  • Dirty Reiver (UK) – 200km of brutal, unforgiving gravel through Kielder Forest.

  • joBerg2c (South Africa) – A massive 9-day, 900km mountain bike stage race journey.


High-Alpine Monuments & Gran Fondos

  • Tour du Mont Blanc (France/Switzerland/Italy) – The world's toughest single-day amateur bike race (330km, 8,000m+ climbing).

  • Marmotte Granfondo Alps (France) – The legendary mountain Gran Fondo featuring the Glandon, Telegraphe, Galibier, and Alpe d’Huez.

  • Maratona dles Dolomites (Italy) – The most beautiful, high-altitude Gran Fondo in the Italian Alps.

  • Mallorca 312 (Spain) – A 312km Gran Fondo around the Tramuntana mountains in Mallorca.

  • Gran Fondo Il Lombardia (Italy) – The race of the falling leaves and the brutal Muro di Sormano.

  • Gran Fondo New York / GFNY (USA) – The global championship layout testing riders on Bear Mountain.

  • Dragon Ride (UK) – The legendary, alpine-style climbing sportive in the Welsh mountains.


Tours & Stage Challenges

  • The Tour 21 (France) – The ultimate endurance feat: riding all 21 stages of the Tour de France route just one week ahead of the pros.

  • Raid Pyrénéen (France) – The coast-to-coast ultra traversing the entire Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean in 100 hours. 

  • Tour of Wessex (UK) – One of Europe's premier multi-day stage sportives.


The Spring Classics & Historic Races

  • Paris-Roubaix Challenge (France) – Navigating the jarring, soul-crushing cobbles of the "Hell of the North."

  • Ronde van Vlaanderen / Tour of Flanders (Belgium) – Conquering the steep, muddy, historic Belgian cobbled bergs.

  • Liège-Bastogne-Liège Challenge (Belgium) – Overcoming the punchy, relentless climbs of La Doyenne.

  • Strade Bianche (Italy) – A beautiful Gran Fondo on the iconic white gravel roads of Tuscany.

  • L’Eroica (Italy) – Vintage cycling’s spiritual home on the rugged roads of Gaiole in Chianti.


Century Rides, Fondos & Road Qualifiers

  • Tour of Cambridgeshire (UK) – The fast, flat, official UCI Gran Fondo World Series road race and time trial.

  • Phil’s Cookie Fondo (USA) – Phil Gaimon's highly challenging, gourmet-supported Malibu climbing festival.

  • Solvang Century (USA) – The iconic, rolling road standard through the California wine country.

IN THEIR WORDS

ATHLETES ON COACH ROB

Warm, personable, clear, no-nonsense. We're just a few weeks in, but so far his comprehensiveness and adaptability has been aces.  - Sam L.


Rob is a great coach - having worked with him on and off since 2019 I think we have worked each other out! Always attentive, always clear and always adapting and challenging, he has done exactly what he needed to - give me the big picture of the patterns/ phase and focus on executing the individual sessions. Right amount of data to support and cajole too.  - David P.


Rob is a great coach, he always provides good feedback consistently and is responsive to changes in the plan.  - Mabel E.


Rob is always super helpful and easy to contact, he always explains if I have any questions and is really supportive!  - Clare C.


I wouldn't be nowhere near where I am today without Rob's insights.  - Achille C.

RECENT RESULTS

ROB'S ATHLETES, ON THE PODIUM.

Mabel Edge: Finisher, Ronde Van Vlaanderen 162km Course

TRAIN WITH COACH ROB.

​Want to train with Rob? Click below to get started or schedule a free consult with Coach Kathy: 20 minutes, no card, no pressure, just a conversation about your goals and how a season with Rob could look.

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Mabel Edge: Finisher, Ronde Van Vlaanderen 162km Course

  • Mabel Edge finished the 2026 Ronde Van Vlaanderen (We Ride Flanders) 162km course

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