Day 3 in our Advent Calendar and today’s photograph is by Ian Walton. There’s a certain stillness about Ian’s work that I really love – he captures the moments before and after the action so well.

The picture : Calm before the race

I love La Volta a Catalunya. It’s the fourth oldest tour on the World Tour calendar (established 1911), though it doesn’t have the greatest prestige sadly, inside or outside of the peloton. It’s mainly viewed as a warm up tour for what lays ahead. But, it’s usually a cracking route in a beautiful part of the world and with a relaxed environment with access to the riders and an interaction with the real world. I’m always on the lookout for something a bit more than a race shot. Something that tells a bit more about the whole event, not just the result. This was a mere 5 minutes before the start of the first stage from Calella.

I also really like gumwall tyres.

Ian Walton’s 2015:  

“It’s been an interesting year and I’m finally feeling like I am making some traction in a life-changing period of my life. The year started with Number 22 bikes commissioning one of my images from a ride with my great mate here in Barcelona, on their new Broken Arrow gravel bike to use for their NAHBS stand sole image. His was one of the first Broken Arrows made and the shot was on a bit of gravel we have ridden many times.

“Over the year I have made new friends through cycling: working with Babici and shooting for La Fabrica Girona café –  owned by Christian Meier (Orica Greenedge) and his wife Amber. We have now become good friends and I’ve got to know the rides with him like a true local in Girona, and boy are they good. We are working on a project for next year which might make the advent calendar for 2016…

“My link with Volata Magazine – a fantastic Spanish cycling print publication – has developed and I am currently finishing the year off with another project for the next issue.

“2016 will be just as interesting and diverse. I am partnering with a mate in London to launch a new bike travel venture early next year, which will allow me to show more people the special local routes I know here and there and photograph a whole range of people and emotions that cycling delivers. This hopefully means that I will be able to do two of the things that make me smile: cycling and photography. My lady’s seemingly endless support may finally be paying off!”

Follow Ian as The Musette on Twitter, Instagram and his website. Check out the features we’ve done with him in the past.