I thought I would start a blog. Just writing down things that are at the top of my mind and keeping everyone up to date on what’s happening! (Blog Kevin Mc Cambridge & Feature photo Sean Rowe)

Foreword Dany B: “When I chose to send Kevin to Belgium in the summer of 2019, I knew this was a very talented young man and had no doubt he would do well, and surely he rode his socks off in Belgium that summer…wins and podiums followed in the next weeks in my homeland. His guest parents Sabien Himpe and Rik Masil reported back to me with high regards about Kevin, his dedication and love for the sport very evident, his manners top drawer and his hunger for more so easy to recognise! He got an invite from “Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling” to join them in 2020, and even with the lack of racing due to COVID-19 he still got top results in the races and TT’s he competed in. This year he got an invite from “AVC AIX en Provence” which is a team-based is AIX en Provence, France racing in Division One. This means also living there, for a young man hard to get used to, away from home and family. But I am sure he will make the best of it and shine in what he does best…racing bikes!! We wish him all the luck and health in the world, we will miss him here, but hey…he will be in touch with all of us through his blogs…here his first blog and details of his website to follow Kevin in his quest for success in France“

BLOG 1! Why am I writing a blog?

I took the idea last week, on my downtime I would put my phone away or turn of Fortnite for 30mins and write down my ‘honest’ thoughts on what’s happening and I thought now would be a good time to start. My aim is to keep it short and sweet, nothing like reading a book but you will get to see my insights on things. Just naming things off the top of my head. I’m also not great at my English and I also thought this would be a good way to improve, so if my English teacher reads this, I’m trying! I will title a question that people ask me and then finish with my thoughts. I’m not really sure how it works, so I just attach something to my social media, or do I make a website, who knows? I hope to make one every week. 222 people could read this or 2 people could, it’s more for me to look back and reflect.

Early January, I’m moving to France!!! It’s a big day! I’m sat here on a flight to Barcelona writing this. I had an early start by leaving the house at 3:30 AM to make it to Dublin Airport for my 8 AM flight. I will fly into Barcelona and then get a changeover which will take me into Marseille. It will be a long day of traveling but It has to happen. The airports and planes are really strange with the Covid pandemic, everything is just a lot more ‘spaced’ if that makes sense? I got my own row of seats and so has everyone else, I’m not complaining! So why am I moving to France? I am moving to France to ‘start’ my cycling career. I think France is a great opportunity for me as it will suit me a lot better as it has a little more hilly terrain. It will give me the chance to make it as a professional cyclist as I hope someday will come true. France is also a beautiful place, especially Marseille where I will be based with the team. I love Northern Ireland, especially the Glens of Antrim. Nobody understands how lucky you are to live there. It is great for cycling as you have the mountains and then the coast if you fancy a flat day, it got everything really! But as you know the weather isn’t always in your favour but it makes the good days seem better I think. Marseille will be great as I will have the weather in my favour but I hope I don’t turn soft! A friend told me I am not going to be the same as he knows me as a ‘hardy bas*ard’! Am I going to miss home? Yes, of course, I will! Saying goodbye to my family and friends was hard for sure but its best to try not to think about it but I will always have in the back of my mind, “what’s mum doing”, “I wonder did I miss anything” “how tall is Annie Rose now?” But yes it’s going to be hard at the start but I will get used to it, facetime will be my most used app and trying to tell granny you can take the phone away from your ear!

What is the team situation? In 2021 I will be riding for AVC AIX en Provence which is team-based in AIX en Provence, France. But I will be living with Team Delko. I have my first team camp on the 8th which is a 3-week training camp with Delko and seeing where my legs are at before I begin my season. That’s it really. My thoughts. I’m nervous, more for the feeling of being away from home in a foreign language. I have lived in the Sierra Nevada for 5 months but that was with 3 of my good friends that speak English, well Adam spoke Omagh which is a different language again. But they were the best 5 months of my life. I hope I can learn the language pretty well, enough to get me around anyway. Duolingo has been helping me a lot so far! But for sure I am excited for what’s to come this year with some of the biggest races on the calendar, Tour De L’avenire is for sure my goal in mind, as it’s a race I dream to win!