NO EASY RIDE
James Golding doesn’t look like your typical clean-cut bike rider. In a sport where the elite operators tend to be whip-thin and small boned – think Bradley Wiggins or Chris Froome – Golding stands 6ft 4, with broad shoulders and hands like a navvy. Viewed shirtless, his abdomen is enough of a mess to be a little disquieting. The puncture wounds dotting his ribs, belly and arms are complemented by two large scars –›one circular and dark, the other long and jagged – stretching from below his navel to just beneath his sternum.
A thoughtful talker and frequent smiler, the ultra-endurance specialist makes for pleasant company. Yet in common with many athletes who push the limits of human capability, he shows hints of darkness, too. The odd frown, a piercing gaze – it’s pretty obvious that James Golding has seen some shit.
From Rugby, in The Midlands, Golding is unique in the world of competitive ultra-endurance cycling. Not
