From DNF to Etape du Tour medal at 50+

From RideLondon to Epic Races

Simon rediscovered cycling in his 40s, with his first big goal being the RideLondon 100. At first, just completing it for charity was the aim. But as his confidence grew, so did his ambitions.

By the time he hit 50, Simon had dropped nearly 10kg and managed a sub-5-hour RideLondon in brutal weather. Next up was the Etape du Tour – 166km with 4,500m of climbing. But coached only by YouTube and an algorithm, he didn’t make the cut-off.

 "That’s when I realised I needed a coach."

Training with Njinga

Simon signed up to Elevate 1:1 coaching with Togo. Straight-talking and data-driven, Togo brought structure, insight, and accountability to Simon’s training – all the things that had been lacking in his attempts at training with YouTube.

‍Find out more about Njinga's Elevate.‍

The transformation

Over three years, Simon’s progress was dramatic. He not only conquered Etape du Tour, he went on to conquer several other events too – all of them impressive challenges.

• RideLondon PB: 4h15 for 100 miles (37.6km/h average)
• Etape du Tour: Finished strong, conquering Alpe d’Huez
• FTP gain: +31 watts (271 → 302W), joining the 300 club
• Tour of Cambridgeshire: Strongest he’d ever been, smashing all  his power PBs despite a crash mid-race
• Multi-day endurance: Completed King Alfred’s Way (360km off-road over three days) and London to Lyon (800km in five days) with Geraint Thomas joining for the final stage.

"I was the strongest I’d ever been, my FTP was over 300 watts and I was smashing everyone on the club ride."

Even setbacks, like the TOC crash, became a measure of Simon’s progress. His physical resilience and mental toughness kept him riding stronger than ever.

Rating the Njinga experience

Being coached by Togo opened Simon’s eyes to the difference proper coaching makes.  

He discovered the value of nutrition and fuelling strategies tested and refined in training, structured programmes focusing on base, strength, and speed, conditioning off the bike – including building core strength and mobility to aid recovery – and understanding his body and numbers. 

"Being told what not to do is sometimes more valuable than being told what to do."

What’s next?

Simon has joined us on three Njinga Challenge Rides, ticked off sportives, alpine climbs, and multi-day epics. Now he’s looking ahead to new challenges with the full 21 stages of the Tour de France on his bucket list.

 "It has been an incredible few years working with Njinga. With Togo’s coaching and support, I know I have it in me to achieve even more."

This could be you!

If, like Simon, you’ve watched hours of YouTube videos, downloaded cycling training apps and you’re still not seeing the results you want, it’s time to get a coach. 

As Simon discovered, there’s so much more to coaching than being told what to do on the bike.

 What really makes the difference is being held accountable, learning what’s holding you back, being pushed when you need to go harder and taught when to rest and how to fuel for your specific needs.

 Start now! Book your free 15-min coach call with Togo and discover how Njinga can change your life.