Meet the shop assistant set to race Mathieu van der Poel at the Gravel World Championships

“I’m very excited, but also petrified,” says Metheven Bond, who started racing just over a year ago

Metheven Bond at Dirty Reiver 2022
(Image credit: Metheven Bond)

Metheven Bond is quick to forgive anyone who doesn't recognise his name on the Gravel World Championships start list. He laughs when I say I’ve never heard of him before. “Oh no, you wouldn’t have,” he says. 

Thirteen months ago, Bond had never raced a bike. Now he’s getting ready to line up against a star-studded field, headlined by Mathieu van der Poel and three-time road World Champion Peter Sagan, in Veneto, Italy, this Sunday. 

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Tom Davidson
Senior News Writer

Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is the host of The TT Podcast, which covers both the men's and women's pelotons and has featured a number of prominent British riders.

An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides.