Meet the Ribble Outliers: Hayley Simmonds - From Tarmac to Trail: Hayley's High-speed Transition

National champ. TT queen. PhD in chemistry. Hayley’s experience in all-out speed is set to shine on the dirt roads. With years at the top of the sport, she brings a precision mindset and explosive power that few can match.

1. You’ve had a hugely successful career, including multiple national titles and time trial wins – what stands out as the biggest moments?

I’m incredibly lucky to have had so many different experiences throughout my career so far and I do sometimes forget some of the things I’ve managed to achieve! There are definitely a few standout moments; especially in terms of TTs. My first Elite National title was an incredible moment, as was my bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018. The winter prior to the Commonwealths went really smoothly and I trained incredibly hard and consistently. So the medal definitely felt like the result of a really well executed plan. It’s rare that things can come together quite so well in professional sport, so it definitely stands out as a major success! The other two achievements that stand out for me are my success in the Lotto Thuringen Ladies Tour in 2017 and my National Hill Climb win back in 2019.

I raced really instinctively during a stage of Thuringen in 2017, attacking out of a corner before a climb with around 12km to go. I caught the break, went straight past them and then rode solo to the finish, taking the yellow jersey in the process. I then got to race the next stage, a TT, in the yellow jersey and although I lost it to Lisa Brennauer that same day, I still finished 3rd on GC at the end of the race, behind Lisa and Ellen van Dijk. The Hill Climb victory was special to me because it’s well documented that I’ve had struggles with my weight. A lot of people have assumed that I can’t climb because I look a bit bigger than other riders, but the victory on Haytor with a new course record proved that I can.

2. You’ve taken on some massive transitions - from elite road racing to gravel, and from academia to full-time athlete. What guided those decisions?

I think the transition from academia to full-time athlete was somewhat guided by opportunity; during the final 12 months of my PhD I won the British Elite TT Championship and also finished 10th in the road race. As a result, I was offered a contract to ride for UHC ProCycling (United Healthcare) in 2016 and I decided to accept. After all, I’ve always been competitive and loved sport and I knew there would be a limited lifespan on being a professional athlete.

In terms of the transition from elite road to gravel, there were a few factors involved. I first ‘discovered’ gravel in late 2022 following iliac artery surgery and instantly fell in love with the discipline. For the past two seasons I’ve mixed UCI road with some gravel racing, but in all honesty there have been a limited number of road races that I’ve felt truly passionate about. I feel that a lot of road races are more dangerous, and often you can’t control a lot of the risks. When the opportunity came up with Ribble to swap to a full-time gravel calendar it felt like an obvious decision and I haven’t regretted it for a second.

3. How different does it feel racing on gravel compared to road or TT?

In a way, there are quite a lot of similarities between TT and gravel, which might actually be one of the reasons I enjoy gravel so much! Time trials were my first introduction to cycling and I remember the feeling of community at the events. Of course everyone is there to race and do well, but a lot of the time people had their own personal ambitions for the each event, perhaps in terms of a specific time they hoped to beat. Gravel is similar in that a lot can happen during such long races and everyone will finish with their own story to tell and having had a different experience over the course of the event.

I think that the atmosphere surrounding gravel is much more fun, and inclusive, with far less elitism than I’ve experienced at times in the professional road scene. After gravel races there are parties and celebrations, with everyone enjoying the atmosphere and celebrating each other’s rides. I also love the fact that gravel riding, and racing, allows you to experience some incredible places that you would never be able to see on a road (or TT!) bike. It’s an aspect of cycling that I’ve truly fallen in love with over the past two years and I’m grateful to have found it. It has reignited my passion and enthusiasm for the sport, which I think was starting to dwindle after a few years of difficult environments in road teams.

4. You’ve proven yourself at the highest level. What drives you now as you take on this new challenge?

In all honesty, things have been quite hard since Covid. In 2020 I was in a really bad team environment, with bullying, intimidation and threats. Since then I have been on a bit of a mental rollercoaster and at times have questioned whether to continue. In April 2022 I was diagnosed with a kink in my iliac artery and underwent surgery to rectify this two months later. When I was ready to return to competition, I didn’t want to enter a time trial or something that I was already known for, in case my performance level wasn’t what I hoped.

This was when I decided to enter Ranxo Gravel, my first ever off-road race. I finished 3rd, qualified for the inaugural UCI World Championships and discovered a love for gravel racing. The past two years have still been challenging, but I truly believe that I have more to give and achieve in cycling. Gravel racing has reignited a lot of the drive and passion that I felt I was losing and has also provided me with new goals to aim for; this is my motivation to keep pushing myself in training every day.

5. What’s it like to step into this new era as part of the Ribble Outliers team?

One thing that I love about gravel is how much more fun and relaxed it is. Don’t get me wrong, we are all still serious and focussed on the racing and we definitely want to win, but we also have loads of fun both on and off the bike. We all support each other, offering help and advice, and this is something that I often feel has been missing from the road teams that I’ve been on (where more-often-than-not, at least one other rider on the team wants you to fail so that they have a better chance of a contract). Honestly I’ve had some terrible experiences on various road teams over the years, (maybe that’s a blog for another day!) but the Ribble Outliers has been a breath of fresh air! I get on really well with the riders and staff. The atmosphere is fun and a smaller team means that you get to know each other much better. I feel that we’ve already become really close and have bonded well.

6. How has your training or preparation changed as you’ve transitioned into gravel?

One thing I know I need to incorporate more of (and have to a certain degree, though still not as much as I’d like, or need) is some technical sessions. Since I had never done any off-road riding before 2022, my technical skills are currently below where they should be. In the past two years, having remained mainly road-focused, I haven’t taken the time to do physically easier sessions, but I’m concentrating on skills and technique. I’ve been able to do a bit more this year when I’ve been away in Girona, for example, but I know it’s something I need to pursue further to reach the level I aspire to. Where I’m based in the UK doesn’t really have gravel, so I’m exploring options for how I can best improve these technical weaknesses, as I believe it’s the main thing holding me back at present.

The other thing that has surprised me a little is how much longer my body takes to recover from some of the gravel races. Even the four hour gravel races are much more fatiguing than a four hour road race because of the battering your body takes from the rough surfaces. A lot of the races are much much longer though, and it’s taken me a while to appreciate that I can’t just transitton straight into a full week of training like I would have done after a UCI road race. It’s something I’m still working on, and finding the best way to recover as quickly as possible.

7. You’ve got a PhD in experimental chemistry - has that analytical mindset ever come into play in your racing?

100%! And sometimes that’s not always positive, as I do have a tendency to over-analyse at times. Particularly with TTing. The scientific background has been really useful because there is so much detail involved in equipment, position on the bike, all the various resistive factors and so on. I think gravel is similar actually because tyre choice, tyre pressure, precise equipment choices and a lot more can make a huge difference, and also need to be tailored to different courses. I’m still learning a lot about these things because off-road is so new to me, but it’s great having more experienced off-road riders on the team that I can ask.

In terms of nutrition, I have a really good understanding of the science, and what I should be doing, though executing in a race can be challenging! I always go in with a really good plan, often talked through and tweaked with the help of the team from Precision! It’s really great to be working with PF&H this year because their approach to nutrition and the products they make is extremely scientific and that gives me a lot of confidence in my race strategies.

8. What advice would you give to other riders - especially women - who are considering switching disciplines or returning to racing after time away?

Give it a go!! If you still have a passion for the sport, or riding your bike, or spending time outside in the fresh air then what have you got to lose?! Find a club, or a friend to go riding with and just make sure that you’re enjoying what you’re doing. For me, road racing was starting to feel like a bit of a chore, and sometimes I dreaded going away again on a racing trip, but this year has been so different and I just love having the opportunity to do something I truly enjoy and am passionate about, with like-minded people and in beautiful places. I’ve spent too many years and too much mental energy worrying about what people think. I actually still do it too much and it’s something I’m trying to change but I’m now just trying to do what makes me happy and brings me fulfillment. So that’s the advice I’d give to others too.

9. If you could sum up this new chapter in one sentence?

Make the most of the opportunity, embrace the challenges but be sure to enjoy it. The road might be long and bumpy but the destination is 100% worth it.

(Sorry, that was 2 sentences!!)