Found this little clip

Hi all,

Managed to download this little gem :)

From my race win at Prestatyn Promenade at the start of September.

assen european youth tour!

This was going to be the first time that i had races abroad and to be honest before i was quite worried about it! 150 youths all giving everything on little country roads and cobbles didn't sound too safe to me. This was going to be the first proper racing that i had done since May i wasn't at my fittest aswell so it was just going to be a fight for survival.

We left on the friday night, got an over night ferry and arrived at the hotel the next day at around 12 ish, the racing started on the Sunday with a short prologue of around 1km. I dont really like things like this and i wasn't at my fittest and finished 106th, which i wasn't post pleased about.

The second stage was a crit, around a 2.2km circuit 22 times, the circuit was very twisty and tight which some really sharp corners which are always fin when you have 150 lads going round them! i was gridded about 3/4 of the way back which was abit annoying, but i managed to make up places off the start, and get up to about half way down. The pace was so quick for all of the race that it was almost essential that you stayed in the top half just to be able to keep on out of the corners. The peleton soon started to thin out and by half way we have dropped about 60 people, there were a few big crashes taking down about 20 at a time, normally off the road into a big ditch. but i luckily managed to stay on and i came across the line in about 50th which i was happy about.

The third day was the big day, a 70km road race over lots and lots of cobbles! right from the start the pace was proper fast, and it was really danderous, about 10km there was a big crash which took down about 30 people. This split the peleton in to several groups as everyone attacked from the front to try and drop everyone. I was in a big group, and which about 10 km of chasing we were back on to the peleton. By the time we got back two groups had got off the front of the peleton. About half way through there were about a mile long stretch of massive cobbles! which were the most painful things ever! ths split the group again which meant more chasing on again, but not as much this time which was abit nicer. I ended up finishing in the main group, as everyone behind us about 80 or so got broomed up. On GC at the end of the day i had moved up around 30 places to around 50th which i was very happy about. But around 20 people fell out this day due to crashes, so there was 130 of us left.

The fourth day was another time trial, but with one was about 8.5Km around the assen circuit, it was very windy and very hard. i didn't do brilliant, but ended up about 70th but managed to stay roughly where i was on GC.

The fifth day was an 'omloop' which was basically just a big cirucit race, the citcuit was about 9km which alot of cobbles and small patch of very bad cobbles. The first lap was abit dangerous, which some very big crashes, snapped frames, snapped wheels etc! but i stayed up and again just about hung onto the main group and finished around 40th, which i was pleased with.

The 6th and final stage was a 3.8km loop around the campsite and woods in which most people were staying for the week. It was a tight twisty course, with cobbles and very narrow roads, it was probably the fastest stage aswell, which after a whole weeks of racing, was very hard. Again i found my self just being able to stay in with the group, after being caught behind a couple of crashes, i finished about 50th once again, but i think i'd had enough of racing by this point and i was just relieved that it was all over and that i hadn't crashed or dropped of the group and i'd had a relitivly good tour!

Looking at the tour as a whole i was very happy with it, i had only come to gain experience, as i'm a first year, so next year is going to be the real thing! i finished 45th out of 150 which was a good result in my mind! :)

isle of man tour

My first isle of man tour and my first time to the isle of man actually, so an all new experience. We left on the thursday, so i could get a ride round the road circuit and ready for the TT on friday. After a long drive up and a ferry which seemed to take forever, we finally got there and settled into our hotel.

When the 1 mile firday night TT came round the wind had got up and especially as it was down the promenade it made it alot worse. I got a ok time on the time trial, it was brilliant but i was happy with it. The next day on Saturday it was a very hilly road race on a circuit about 4 miles long. I got a good start and was around the top 10ish after the first hill, but then unfortunatly got knocked off by a crash right beside me, as if i hadn't had enough crashes this early in the season! i was ok and so was the bike so i got straight back on and started the long chase, this sounds familier. i got into a group with a few people and finished the race with them well down on the front group and lieing around 30th. The next day was a crit stage at the isle of man sports centre, round an 800m circuit. While i was riding round the circuit and whilst warming up, my knee was hurting alot, which meant i had to pull out of the race. So not a good weekend all in all, and my knee is still hurting so i'm off the bike for a bit. Still, i enjoyed the weekend i was nice just to go and see the isle of man. :)

Rutland

On the friday afternoon before the race dad and i went down to the track at owston just to check it out, looking all pro in my normal clothes, helmet and shoes. The ciruit was great, it had a reasonable sized hill, a gravel section just like the real cicle classic and should be interesting in the race!



The next morning we were up brigh and early and set off again for Owston, i was feeling abit tired but i was hoping this would wear off when i got on the bike. After a warm up and a few laps etc. it was time to race, and for the longest race i have ever done. From the start i was well down as i had got a bad start because i was about 4th row back on the line. After this to make matters worse, a few laps in there was a crash which i got caught behind and then the whole race split up in to lots of small groups.

I chased for the next 7 or 8 laps just to get into a group which half killed me. Then the rest of the race was just chasing and chasing. I think a this point we were just under a minute from the front of the race due to the race spilting up. I managed to stay on to this group until about 3 laps to go when i dropped off and died completely. I was kinda happy with my race, i need to get a better start so i'm able to stay out of trouble and then end up out the back.

First race of the season. 03/04/11

After being ill for the start of the season and missing the first few races, my first race ended up being a national, brilliant. This year i moved up from u14's to u16's, where i am one of the youngest, so i knew it was going to be a very hard race! So we set off to Bristol on the Sunday morning for a lovely 3hr drive. When we got there things only got worse, the races were running about 2 hours late due to terrible organisers. The circuit was terrrible as well! a whole section of it had roots breaking through the tarmac so that there we big bumps all the way down the back straight. So finally after a further few hours of waiting around and a big down pour my heat came. There was around 40 in each of the heats and 20 would go though to the final, so that was my aim, just to get through. The pace wasn't a high as i thought it was going to be and about 15 of us got away in a group and then took it easy til the end because we knew that all of us were going to get through anyway, so i was quite relaxed after it and didn't see what all of my worrying was about! The final on the other hand was probably the quickest and hardest race i had ever been in. I only got about 1 hr after the heat to get recovered and warmed up again for the final because how late the races were running. The final was quick just about from the start right to the finish, with quite alot of unsuccesful attacks going away all time. I managed to stay in the front group of about 25, and staying up towards the front. On about 4 laps to go, there was a touch of pedals, or something between me and another rider which sent me further to the back of the group. Down the straight i then came round the outside back up towards the front. Unfortunatly was then on the outside of the track for the first corner, then got some one came of line, pushed me out onto the gravel and then down i came. First race, first crash again, brilliant. I didn't come away too badly, just with mashed up hands, and a few big grazes on the left side of my body, bike was fine though which i was very relieved about! But the day wasn't all a failure, i now know were i stand in pace wise to the other lads which is good, i just can't wait for ilse of man where theres hills which is what i love the most! :) i cant find any photos of my at the moment but when i can i will upload them with this. :)

Do you wanna do the BUCS Champs?

Hi All,

I got asked the question by the UCLAN (University of Central Lancashire) Cycling team

"Did I wanna do the BUCS (British University and College Sports) Champs?"

I said yeah I will be doing it but don't worry yet cos the road champs isnt until around May.

"No, the mountain bike champs?"

What a crazy weekend that was!

We travelled down on saturday, after a week of wondering why I had said "yes". All sorts of questions rushing through my mind seeing as I have never ridden or even raced a cross country mountain bike course.

As it turned out the venue for the BUCS champs was at Molfre (a formidable Down Hill mountain bike course). Our race would consist of a 1.5mile climb up the 18% fire track and zig zag down the down hill course, and then blast across a soggy field and back up the hill. 6 times.

A few practice runs, and I started getting the feel for the course and began looking forward to the race on sunday. Trying not to think too much about what it would be like racing agains 139 riders.

A beautiful sunday afternoon for the 1pm race, I was grided in the 2nd box (I dunno how!). and managed to get right up with the elite guys for the epic ride up the hill but lost them down the other side after decking it on a tricky section (made harder by all the spectators pouring water on the course!).

My 6 laps consisted of catching all the decent riders up the hill and losing them all on the way down.

It didn't end in complete disaster either, I was the first rider from UCLAN and finished 19th overall.

Was a good experience for me, but I am not sure if I will be that quick to jump back on the mountain bike!

Matt

Its Nearly Here....

Hi all,

First blog of the 2011 season, I will start with a little bit about whats been happening up here in Preston.

Uni is going good, really enjoying the 2nd year with more technical work its really interesting. But bloody hell its going quick, it doesn't seem like 5 min ago I was just moving my stuff in as a fresher.

The roads here are fantastic for training, I am continuing to find new roads over Bowland, the Lakes and even getting into the Yorkshire Dales. Having my first proper winter bike to has made winter training a lot nicer. My Langdale Lombardy is such a nice bike to ride over all the fells come rain or shine.

We were lucky up here not to get snow (think we only got 2 bad days) on the really frozen days I have been doing a bit of mountain biking, a good laugh with mates and definitely breaks up the monotony of winter road miles.

I have also been doing more gym work to help build good core stability and also using free weights to develop raw power. Not long now to see if its all paid off!

Living close to Manchester has enabled me to race the Tuesday night Premier Track League at the Velodrome. A great chilled out programme with fast racing has helped me getting a few decent efforts out, as I can't really be bothered on a turbo session. This track time and the results at the Velodrome has given me a new excitement for track racing, so watch this space!!

My 10 minute challenge on the Elite Real Tour Turbo Trainer, is here www.langdalelightweights.co.uk/Turbo_Trainers.htm on the difficult Bardolino-Verona course.

I would also like to mention a top mate from up here, Lewis Balyckyi, who was a great lad on those long 6hr winter rides, or the crazy mountain bike rides and sitting with coffee in Scorton cafe. So many good times had and plenty of funny stories. Who was sadly taken from this life after being hit by a Ford Transit van whilst out on his bike on January 18th 2011.

Definitely not the same on the bike with out you mate.

Sleep Tight

RIP

Lewis Balyckyi

Looking forward to getting back home to Nottingham in a few weeks and see how the shop re-development has gone.

Keep checking back to follow me and the team as the season gets underway.

Matt