The power of trust: Tandem racing secrets from GB's stars

GB's tandem racing champions tell Tom Davidson what it takes to develop enough faith in each other for a gold-medal ride

Jenny Holl and Sophie Unwin on a tandem
(Image credit: Olly Hassell/SWpix)

This feature originally appeared in Cycling Weekly magazine on 5 September. Subscribe now and never miss an issue. 

“You could put the best two cyclists in the world on a tandem and they’re probably not going to go that quick,” says Neil Fachie. It’s a curious hypothesis, but if anyone knows what it takes to ride fast, Fachie does. He’s a 20-time tandem world champion and double Paralympic gold medallist, lauded as one of the best stokers – the person on the back of the bike – in the sport. As he stands in front of Cycling Weekly’s dictaphone, moments after becoming the kilometre time trial national champion, the 40-year-old has the Paralympics on his mind. This year’s Games in Paris are his fourth as a tandem cyclist, and last weekend saw Fachie earn his third silver medal in the kilo alongside his pilot, Matt Rotherham.

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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.