How did you get into time trialling, given it’s clearly a specialty of yours now?

There was a guy called Anthony Jones who I met through the club, who back when he was my age had been quite handy.

He left the sport in his early 20s and then came back into it, and started doing TTs again – he offered to give me a lift up if I wanted to do a 10 or a 25.

In all fairness, Anthony is one of the first people that got me thinking in terms of racing. He’s played quite a big role in getting me to where I am at the moment.

For the first three, four years or so, he would pick me up from my house and drive to the open TTs in South Wales. I quite miss doing it to be honest.

Are there many differences between that and the British Cycling set-up, where you also rode?

It’s all scale really. Welsh Cycling punch above their weight – they’ve got some really good staff in place there in all fairness.

There’s a lot of ex-GB staff and that’s probably one of the reasons it’s like a mini version of the GB set-up. We were very lucky in that regard.

What was the biggest, or most important, thing you learned back then?

It’s probably the basics really – the things I take for granted really. That was my first taste of structured training: training plans, sending feedback to your coach, training camps – it was a taster of what you were getting into really, and looking after yourself.

How much did that help with the step up to join Madison-Genesis, your first major road team, aged 18?

I think coming from the Welsh set-up, and I was on the ODP as well, that certainly helped. Had I not been exposed to those experiences, maybe it would have been a bit more of a shock to the system. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a big step-up but maybe not so much.

To be fair, I really enjoyed my time at Madison-Genesis. We had a really nice group of lads, and Roger was there as well – as a DS he was spot on. He looks out for you, knows what he’s talking about and you buy into it. Madison as a company looked after us really well as well.

That year worked out really well for me. Initially I had hopes of joining the Academy, but they weren’t at the stage back then to offer you a road programme. It was still very much a track programme.

It’s funny how everything falls into place, because that year was also Commonwealth Games year. I still rode for GB, and Keith Lambert looked after me, let me guest a few times so I had the best of both worlds.

I had the opportunities with GB, but was living at home and did my own thing, and could prep for the Commonwealth Games as well.

How has it been at Team Wiggins, certainly in your first year, not being one of the riders with a track focus?

It’s changed a bit. In 2015 the whole point of the team was to support riders in their lead-up to Rio – that’s why the team was set-up – and then they had a re-assess after Rio and decided they wanted it to be more of an under-23 development team like Axeon-Hagens Berman, BMC Development, that sort of thing.

Whereas it was a road team for track riders, that’s not the case anymore – it was quite good timing for myself.

I’ve done a bit of track in the past, with the Academy, the ODP and what have you, and it’s just not my forte. As a rider, I’m just not made for the track. It’s definitely helped my development, I’m glad I did it, but looking ahead it’s just not where my future lies.

Who were your cycling inspirations growing up?

2012 was the first year, and maybe 2011, I started to really take an interest in cycling, and watch the race on TV and that kind of stuff.

Obviously, I was watching Brad win the Tour in 2012, Geraint Thomas had been in white for a bit in 2010 as well. But it’s more so after that.

Obviously, Brad’s up there because he’s done what he’s done. It’s amazing. And I do really admire Steve Cummings, and how he can just pull it out of the bag. He can be quite low-key and then one day just comes out the blocks on fire and wins a stage of the Tour de France.

We’re lucky as British cyclists though in that there’s almost too many to choose from. The pro scene is crazy at the moment.

What does it mean to be a four-time national under-23 time trial champion?

It’s a real nice feeling, especially when you’re racing on the continent, and you can wear the national champion’s kit. You get a bit more go in you. You feel quite proud.

I think what means more to me is the fact I’ve won it four out of four. Say I’d not won it in 2015 or 2016, people could argue it was a fluke or I got lucky. To win it four out of four, I’d like to think I’ve proved it wasn’t.

You raced the Commonwealth Games road race in 2014, where just finishing was a big achievement, and came tenth. How big a result was that?

That and the nationals were my highlights of 2014. With Geraint winning the road race as well, they are memories that will stay with me forever.

Again, I felt a bit out of place – it was almost too good to be true, like ‘what am I doing here?’. It was a really nice to be involved and race with that team.

It was probably a similar feeling to my Junior Tour of Wales result because it gave me a bit more confidence and a bit more hope that I was doing the right thing, and could turn pro if I got my head down.

You have also had a lot of top-ten results overall abroad. What have you learned from those?

The last 18 months have been a big, big learning curve for me. In 2014 and 2015 I was still very new to it all. I hadn’t quite sussed the scene out, you don’t quite know how the cycling scene works or what it takes.

But these last 18 months I’ve learned a hell of a lot. I’ve still got a lot, lot more to learn but I think the biggest thing it’s taught me is not to lose hope. When you’re up against it, and things don’t go to plan – in the past I’ve let my head drop. I’ve learned that inevitably the ups and downs and massive. At times you wish it was more stable but that’s professional sport.

The other thing is that, eventually, all the hard work you put in does pay off. It takes forever at times, but every result I’ve had I can look back two-three months before that and see where I’ve really knuckled down or put a shift in.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

It’s very much an if everything goes to plan scenario, but I’d love to be selected for the Grand Tours. That’s one of the reasons I got into cycling, and that’s what I’ve always aspired to.

It’s just a case of trying to keep my head down and work hard, I hope I’ll be good enough to earn selection.

And finally, if you could pick any race to win in future which would it be?

I’d have to pick the Giro or the Tour… I’m split between both but if I could choose any it would have to be one of those.