Mansfield's Ross Lamb is ‘back on the bike’ as he recovers from rare injury

Mansfield cyclist Ross Lamb, who has participated in the Tour of Britain, is a former and honorary member of the Mansfield Road Club.

He currently cycles for the Novapor Speedbike Team, along with fellow British cyclist Oliver Robinson.

Lamb attributes his athletic career to community sports as in his early years, he showed promise as a footballer and was part of Notts County's youth setup. Later, he spent two years with his hometown club, Mansfield Town.

Despite his passion for sports, he eventually realised that professional football was not the right career path for him.

He said it was this realisation that led him to find inspiration in cycling, and he has been cycling ever since.

Lamb unfortunately missed the 2023 season after suffering a rare injury and undergoing an operation for external iliac artery endofibrosis (EIAE), also known as “cyclist's iliac syndrome” – a rare condition that typically affects young, high-endurance athletes.

Thankfully, the 28-year-old made a comeback earlier this year at the Danum Trophy in South Yorkshire, 18 months since his last race.

He said, "As you can imagine, having time off for the operation — especially the first couple of months back — involved making easy gains, but now there are a few issues that I am facing.

“I have to accept that my ability is not quite there yet, but with time, it will come back.”

He said it was a “privilege” to have been invited to the official opening of the Warsop Health Hub, a new community leisure facility, on Thursday, July 18.

He also mentioned that it was an “honour” to be recognised for his sport.

He added that it was during the Tour of Britain in 2022 that he connected with the community network, which included Mansfield Council and its leisure partners.

He explained: “It's great to be connected to the health and professional sports aspects.

“There's always a strong connection between sports fans, sports enthusiasts, and the community – the health benefits are important.”

Lamb also reflected on how surreal it was to cycle through Mansfield during the Tour of Britain in 2022.

He said that the typical British weather was memorable as he cycled through the familiar roads of his hometown during a heavy downpour.

Lamb said it was amazing to be welcomed by a sea of local support from the community, as residents cheered on the contestants by the roadside of the race.

His participation in the race was a personal achievement, as he shared how he managed to complete the stage despite suffering from a bad bout of food poisoning.

He said: “I’m not quite sure how I did it – but I did. I will never forget that day.”

The remaining three stages of the Tour of Britain 2022 were cancelled after the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8.

Lamb shared that his future plans include recovery and regaining his full ability, as he intends to spend August and September cycling in Europe before finishing the season on a high note.

“It would be great to compete in the Tour of Britain again with the team”, he added.