Red Arrows Fly British Cyclist Over the Tour de France

Professional cyclist Ian Stannard swapped two wheels for jet power at the start of the Tour de France, by flying with the Red Arrows.

The British rider took a ride with the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team on Saturday, as the Red Arrows performed a flypast over Harewood House, West Yorkshire, as stage one of the world’s biggest cycle race got underway.

Ian was accompanied on the flight by his brother, Flight Lieutenant Matthew Stannard – a Royal Air Force Tornado pilot. Each was carried in a different Red Arrows jet, sitting in the back seat of one of the nine Hawk aircraft, which were flown by the aerobatic team’s 2014 pilots.

The flypast over the Tour de France start had long been scheduled for the Red Arrows, with the Stannard brothers joining the existing, planned sortie.

The cyclist was in the back seat of the jet flown by Red 9, Flight Lieutenant Mike Child, while Matthew flew with Red 8, Flight Lieutenant Martin Pert.

Ian, who represented Team GB at the London Olympic Games, had been due to ride the Tour de France but an injury sustained earlier this year left him without the necessary recovery and preparation time to race.

But the 27-year-old said flying with the Red Arrows, and in the same sortie as his brother above the Tour, helped make up for this disappointment.

Ian, who’s based in Manchester, said: “The Red Arrows flight was truly amazing – it gave me a very special position to see and cheer on the Tour de France, not to mention the fact that I was also in the air with Matt, making it a unique experience.”

The Team Sky cyclist, who became British National Road Race Champion in 2013 and took part in last year’s Tour de France, said the flight allowed him to describe the similarities between elite cycling and the fast jet flying undertaken by the Royal Air Force.

He said: “It’s been massively interesting to compare what I do with Team Sky to how the Red Arrows and pilots in the Royal Air Force go about their highly-specialised work.

“There are so many similarities. In cycling you are riding at speed, just millimetres away from another bike in a group of 200 people. The Red Arrows are just as precise and accurate – nine aircraft, as little as six feet apart, flying at more than 400mph.

“Everything that we do as professional cyclists and when we’re racing is reviewed and looked at and I know the pilots also employ the same level of detail, analysing every flight and display.

“Fundamentally though it’s all about teamwork. Both Team Sky and the Red Arrows are great examples of many different people, each with a different role – whether on the ground or in the air – coming together to achieve high performance.”

Matthew, 25, is based at RAF Marham in Norfolk with 9 Squadron and has flown frontline operations over Afghanistan and Libya in Tornado GR4 aircraft.

He said: “To be flying with the Red Arrows over a Tour de France start in the UK with my brother is something I’ll never forget.

“In my view professional cycling is the biggest team sport and to be flying over this event, with so many people watching, is a real honour.”

He added: “It was great for Ian to see behind-the-scenes of the Red Arrows and how skilful both the pilots and ground crews are.”

Following a mandatory medical check for Ian, the brothers took off with the Red Arrows from the team’s base at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, before flying to Harewood House and performing the flypast – with the nine jets trailing their trademark red, white and blue smoke.

They then landed at RAF Waddington, also in Lincolnshire, where the Team is displaying at this weekend’s international airshow.