Melton rider Rob Muzio marks cycling return with world gold

A former national champion and professional cyclist, Muzio was part of a four-man squad which won team pursuit gold at the World Masters Track Championships in Manchester.

The gold medal was the culmination of a long journey for Muzio and fellow Team Jewson MI Racing riders Mike Twelves, from Kirby Mallory, Rutland rider Richard Oakes, and Antony Wallis, from Kent.

“We’ve been working hard for the last 18 months for that very day,” he said.

“A group of four mates doing that together is totally, mind-blowingly special.”

Competing in the 45-54 years age group, they laid down a ferocious early pace and set a new world-best time in the qualifier, lowering the previous mark by nine seconds to 4min 23.881secs.

It helped them through to an all-English final, with defending champions and traditional powerhouses, the USA, going for the bronze.

“The final ride was perfect,” he said.

“We started the faster from lap one and demolished the other team lap by lap until we caught them 12-and-a-half laps in of the 16.

“We caught them in 3.22, and if we were able to carry on, we were on schedule for a 4.17 time.”

Muzio (54) started cycling at 14 and quickly got on the national squad, representing Britain regularly.

He became their first individual medalist at the junior world championships in 1983 and went on to win numerous national medals in the senior ranks.

The year 1986 was particularly fruitful, becoming national individual pursuit champion and winning a team pursuit bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Muzio turned pro the following year for the ANC squad which managed to get in to the Tour de France, and won more cycling medals in the pro ranks.

But his pro career was to be short-lived and he retired for personal reasons in 1988 in the middle of the Tour of Britain.

His love for competition was rekindled when the Derby Velodrome was built, returning to track racing and then joining Team Jewson three years ago.

Originally competing as a three-man team over 3km, they won silver at the national championships two years ago, and 12 months later won and set a new national record.

After the team profile changed to four-man and 4km, Wallis joined the squad in February.

They gained momentum for their world bid with eight medals, including five gold, at the BC National Masters Championships in June, and then took the Team pursuit title along with six gold and two silver medals at the LVRC National Championships.

Muzio added: “We had a good idea we stood a good chance with the times we were producing, in training. But you are never quite sure.

“The American team had won eight years on the trot so we knew what to aim at, and they were the record-holders at the 4km.

“The world record is really special, but to stand on the top step with the rainbow jersey as well as the gold is beyond special.”