The full, original version of this article was published in the 19th June 2025 print edition of Cycling Weekly as part of our 'Meet the Maker' series. Subscribe online and get the magazine delivered direct to your door every week.
Long before Alex Dowsett was setting Hour record times, winning Grand Tour stages and repeatedly becoming British time trial champion, there was another Dowsett from Essex who was speeding around and breaking records: his father, Phil. Hailing from a motor racing family – Phil’s nephew Oliver runs a successful British touring car team, Napa – the 74-year-old raced single-seater, saloon, sports and touring cars for 22 years.
