Santiago Campelo has been one of the leading sprinters in the OCM peleton for the last 12 seasons, claiming 5 jerseys and 1 trophy as well as the Ame Anderberg Trophy for Rider of the Season on 2 occasions.
After graduating with a degree in Economics in his native Portugal he initially struggled to find a job. He decided to come to Bournemouth, England to learn Business English at one of the numerous language schools in the city in an attempt to improve his marketability in the job market. He was first spotted by the Gradient Levellers Youth Academy scout during a charity ride around the New Forest in Dorset. The Youth Scout later reflected on what he saw that day, "He was quick. Very quick. It was a charity ride but we had 5 guys in the race that day that were riding for Nicodemus Balanchine who had just retired. Balanchine eventually won, but this little Portuguese guy came in second a...
Read moreSantiago Campelo has been one of the leading sprinters in the OCM peleton for the last 12 seasons, claiming 5 jerseys and 1 trophy as well as the Ame Anderberg Trophy for Rider of the Season on 2 occasions.
After graduating with a degree in Economics in his native Portugal he initially struggled to find a job. He decided to come to Bournemouth, England to learn Business English at one of the numerous language schools in the city in an attempt to improve his marketability in the job market. He was first spotted by the Gradient Levellers Youth Academy scout during a charity ride around the New Forest in Dorset. The Youth Scout later reflected on what he saw that day, "He was quick. Very quick. It was a charity ride but we had 5 guys in the race that day that were riding for Nicodemus Balanchine who had just retired. Balanchine eventually won, but this little Portuguese guy came in second and we didn't know who he was. The next day we offered him a contract."
Fans of the Levellers credit Campelo for reinvigorating the team. During Season 27 the team had slipped to Division 7 and was struggling for results. After a season of hard training Campelo was ready to lead the fightback. A couple of podiums in Estonia and Monaco showed his promise but it was at the Division 4 Tour, Giro di Sicilia, that he made his breakthrough. Going in to the 4th stage he was 3rd in GC, but with super legs on the day he won the 4th stage and the GC and YC along with it.
It was Season 29 that will live long in the memories of Levellers fans. He took 3rd in the Volta ao Porto SC and then surprised everyone by claiming the Youth Jersey in the cobbled tour, Haute-Normandie. Three more Division 1 wins enabled the team to qualify for the Germany tour, where he won one of the premium prizes in OCM sprinting - the Germany Green Jersey. 21 results, a brief stint at Number 1 in the rankings and 3 awards in the OCM Season Awards were his prize for a great season.
After such a great start to his career, the rest of it was perhaps a bit of a disappointment. Always a consistent scorer of points, he took only one more jersey in the Vuelta de los Castillos SC in Season 30, and his only trophy in Season 36 at the Helsinki GP Mini. Many cycling analysts put this down to the emergence of Kenyan sprinting sensation Frederick Longosiwa as the dominant force in OCM cycling during Seasons 30 and 31. Always a rider who needed confidence to win, as Longosiwa's star shone ever more brightly, Campelo's seemed to fade and many argued he seemed to be satisfied with just being on the podium.
Whilst he remains a fan favourite at the English club, some cycling journalists think he underachieved. "With his ability he should have won more. Yes he scored points but he should have taken more big wins. Ultimately, if you look at it, he only took two big wins in Division 1, and didn't win either of Norwich-London or Helsinki GP".
The final word goes to the man himself, 'I only came here to learn English. I learned the words for trophy and jersey. I'm happy"
List of achievements
- Ame Anderberg Trophy for Rider of the Season - Season 29 and 30
- Best Sprinter - Season 29
- Germany SC - Season 29
- Vuelta de los Castillos SC - Season 30
- Haute-Normandie YC - Season 29
- Giro di Sicilia GC and YC - Season 28
- Helsinki GP Mini - Season 36
- All time point scorer - 6th - 13443 points
Portugal