First trip to Belgium

Eventually i was able to get over to Belgium for a bit of racing! We arrived in Belgium on Tuesday morning and it rose from 23 to 30 degrees on the way over to the race, mega hot!

Tuesday - Zottegem, Senior Race
Seen as this was my first race over here it was going to be pretty tough with the seniors! We'd driven round the course and it was looking quite good but then we discovered some nasty downhill cobbles, ouch. The cobbles weren't nice, you could hardly brake at the bottom of them because you couldn't feel your hands! It wasn't flat at all either, plenty of short climbs and downhills, so it wasn't going to be easy.
We turned up at the start line just at the right time, and i was pushed to the front, which i normally wouldn't mind, but it just didn't seem right today, a little bit nervous i think. Anyway the race started and i quickly realized that i needed to be well positioned as it was harder to move up on the narrower roads. Then Katie came past me and i followed her up to the front (maybe not the best idea at the time!) and ended up doing a turn on the front up one of the hills. What was i doing! It was the second lap and we still had 9 more to go, oops. In the end though i don't think that mattered at all, i had a bit of a mechanical problem after going down the cobbles a few laps in, involving my back break locking on, not cool. By the time i figured out what was wrong and started to sort it out i was being dropped. After the 5th lap or so i was pulled out, not going to lie i wasn't too happy with being dropped, but i had a good go anyway!



Wednesday, Maarkedal, Junior Race

(i don't like this picture, but the only other one is of Steffi thrashing me at the finish!)

Well today’s race start was pretty interesting! I’d managed to get on the front row again but then, after a few minutes of race briefing in dutch, we all had to turn round, walk down the road and get geared checked one by one (although at the time I didn’t have a clue what was going on..). Anyway, that meant I was stuck down the side in the gutter for the COBBLED start. Basically I almost decked it on the cobbles and it was complete carnage!


The first few laps were a bit all over the place, some bad positioning from me and the narrow roads making it impossible to move up and also getting stuck behind a few fat ones up the hill. After the 4th lap prime though, I attacked. I caught up the girl who won the prime, going straight past her, but about half a lap later she caught back with me and from then on we distanced ourselves from the bunch. We attempted to communicate too, she knew a little English and I knew a bit of German, so we sort of understood each other. I knew she was a good sprinter too, so as we got to the last couple of laps I tried to lose her on the hill, but it wasn’t working :( I kicked early for the finish, but then she kicked straight past me and unfortunately I didn’t catch her. But I was definitely happy with the result, seen as the bunch didn’t come in for another 2 minutes.

I definitely had a really good time in Belgium though, and hopefully will be going back in a few weeks! It’s brilliant having closed roads too, I loved smashing down the descents and round the corners :)

Also, after forgetting to put on sun cream on on the first day, I have very bad tan lines on my arms :( oops.

Well the past 4 weekends have been eventful to say the least! Starting with a high, then seemingly forgetting how to race!

Darley Moor E/1/2/3

What a messy race, with the two going up the road on the first lap, nothing to panic about, then next time I look, theres 5 up the road with almost a minute! What happened there!? So I hit out and got joined by Matt, Andy Eagers, Webbie, Tom Lowe and Duncan Putman, to form a good chase group and we cut the gap down fairly quickly, but in the end it ended up with Matt, Eagers and me rolling through, So I fisted myself to bring the gap down as much as possible, because Matt was longer strong, he clipped off with 5 to go and took Webbie, who might I add had been sitting on for the whole race! Bandit! And Eagers, so I was left with Lowe and Putman, and was fairly happy to secure 9th out of the sprint with them, but they knew that as well and sat on me, so for the next 4 laps I kept jumping them, then counter attacking myself until they cracked! Which worked and I road the last lap on my own for 9th, with Matt getting 6th was not a bad result.

Gerry Thurlow Crit

I was unbelievably up for smashing this race to pieces! My legs felt mint and it was on a real tight, twisty circuit, like being a youth again, but actually having the legs to ride!

I jumped away straight from the start, not wanting another cheeky break going away like yesterday at Darley. I road the whole lap off the front and as soon as I was brought back, Matt countered and was away for 20 laps with another lad.

I sat in trying to disrupt the chase a bit, because Matt looked good for the win, and kept jumping on to chase groups going. I got in a chase group that got across to Matt and hit them straight away, but was brought back almost straight away, so I counter attack myself, knowing Matt was absolutely swinging after his effort. I road about 3 laps solo, then another 4 with a lad who jumped across to me. When I came back, Matt hit out and got the winning move of 3 going. I absolutely reamed myself and got in a chase group. Sitting on, because Matt was up the road. But kept hitting them for the last 10 laps to try and solo across to Matts group and not bring anyone else across. But I couldn't make it. Happy that I knew Matt would win I set myself up for winning the sprint out of my group and getting 4th. But messed it up and ended 6th. Not bad considering I don't know what the term training means since my exams have started! But really made up for Matt! What a race to win, him and me 1 - 2ing a 40 man bunch for an hour and a half!

Curborough National Series Crit

Felt quite strong, but pretty drained after my last exam yesterday. It was incredibly hard, and was hitting out early on to try and get a move away. But ate too much before the start! And went through a real bad patch for 20mins, when the break and chase group got away. Just swinging around last man, about to throw up, or go out the back doors! Managed to hold on to the bunch and felt good again, so kept hitting them for the last 5 laps trying to get another move away, but didn't have the legs to make it stick. Then got 4th wheel coming into 450m to go, round the hairpin on the last lap, and just I was about to hit out for the finish, a load of riders came round the outside and just sat up with about 300m to go! So I was boxed in and wasn't keen on sprinting for 20th. So not a bad day, but eating a bit too much before was not clever!

Belgium Trip

It was never going to be the most successful trip, after getting a bit of an ear infection the day before I left!

The first race on Saturday was never going to good for me, after a long car journey, which always makes my legs feel like metal. It was spitting but warm, did a bit of attacking getting in a few moves, but they didn't stick, I just haven't got the legs to keep things going, after having to back off a bit during my exams. Then the bunch split in two about 3/4 of the way through the race, and I was in the 2nd split, but put in one huge effort and managed to get across! Which made me use all of my bullets, and was absolutely fisted now. So missed the break and put in a good a sprint as I could and got 23rd.

Sunday was better, because my legs felt real good, but my ear infection had flared up loads and was killing me. But decided to just get on with the racing. A break of 5 were up the road around a third of the way into the race, and I kept hitting out, until I eventually took then eventual winner and my mate Tom Moses from Glendene. And we got across to the break. But I was hurting now, possibly because of my ear, and the race was split to pieces, with only the break pretty much left as the main group on the road. After about 5 laps I completely cracked and blew my tits going out the back of the break. And decided to call it a day as my ear was throbbing now! So a pretty eventful trip, but I got a PB in the go-karting so that makes up for the poor legs!

Oakley Road Race

My legs felt quite good, but got major carried away and just kept hitting out and attacking far too much and again I missed the break again. I need to be much more patient I think! Then rolled round in the bunch, as the break looked like it was coming back as it was at 20secs for 2 laps, but on the last lap the gap had opened up to a minute. I then got good positioning for the sprint for 10th, but it was slightly downhill and tailwind, and hit it with 250m to go and went hard, but my junior gears felt a bit too small and got a little swamped with 50m to go. But I've learnt a hell of a lot about road racing and how I need to race them now, so I wont be missing that many breaks anymore!

Well that was a fairly lengthy post! But exams are all finished now, so time to be a bike rider and to actually train now!

Hello Blackpool!

Well i'm pretty sure this is the only picture taken at Blackpool where i didn't look like i was in absolute agony! (taken on the climb)

The day started well, nice and sunny, and i went for a warm up ride in the morning through Blackpool and Lytham. I got stopped by about a million sets of traffic lights and had a beast of a head wind on the way out, so i thought that it would be a tail wind home, but oh wait! No, it was pretty much a headwind back aswell and i had to smash it for the last mile or so to get back to see Jack's race, but a good warm up for the legs tonight.

After waiting almost all day it was finally time to race, and it was looking like we had an nice headwind down the finishing straight and combined with the climb it was going to be tough! The race started well and i was positioned near the front, (maybe too near the front at times) but i was out of any trouble down the horrible 180 degree corner (which i wasn't too good at!).
After the first prime, where i came through in 3rd somehow, the break went up the top of the hill and i just couldnt hold on over the top. There were 3 out front and then the chase group i was in then split in two, leaving me in the second bigger half, because yet again i couldn't hold on over the top and was a bit too far back.

A few laps later i attacked and left the group, as no one was working and i was still annoyed at missing the few infront. I spent a few laps smashing it on my own, before another woman joined me with a few to go and we caught a couple that had dropped back from the group infont. I was about done now, and my legs weren't good! I went to sprint at the finish though coming 10th, so i suppose it was okay ( i wasn't too happy with it ), but it could have gone so much better!

On the plus side, i didn't look as wierd as usual walking into a pub in my skinsuit (off to get changed), as there was one women head to toe in leopard print and another dressed as a pink fairy.
Oh i have missed racing in Blackpool ;)

Fast in the race, slow to blog

What A Weekend!!!

2 weeks ago it was a busy weekend, with an elite race at Darley Moor on saturday. where i was keen to continue my top 10 record at the circuit, which i believe i started 2 years ago :)

After a very tough race, in which a break went on the first lap, whilst i was still shifting into the big ring!!!

Later on in the race i was part of a 5 man chase group, with only Andy Eagers (derby mercury - very good rider), Paul and I were only working to bring back the 5 man break. It was a very tough ride and towards the closing laps i manged to clip off the front hoping to take paul with me and finally close the 15sec gap to the leaders.

only Eagers and Wayne Webster could follow me, and with a lap to go, out of frustration really i attacked again to drop Webster (seeing as he sat on to our chase group earlier) and just about caught the break, but having very little left in the legs i couldnt compete in the sprint and rolled home to a hard earned 6th.

Rego recovery bottle and compression tights later . . . . . . . . Sunday was the Gerry Thurlow Memorial Road Race.

I wasn't sure initially how my legs would feel after the battering from the previous race, but still highly motivated to do a good ride after a disappointing 8th at the same race in 2009.

I didnt really get a chance to see how my legs would feel at race speed given that Paul clipped in and smashed it from the start and gapped the bunch from the word go!!!

When he was reeled in by the bunch i decided it would be a good time to attack, and this started the 1-2 tactics for the length of the race!

My move saw me get a decent gap, with another rider and we tapped away for 20 laps off the front until the bunch caught us,

Massive attack from Paul!!!!

I did my best to disrupt the chase and recover at the same time, thinking that if Paul stayed away he would have it in the bag.

Within 10 laps to go, paul was back in the bunch, and with the massive encouragment from Mick shouting all race. I attacked again, and worked well with Steve Guymer from Raleigh RT.

A Chaser then caught us and it was a 3 way battle for the finish.

Given the technical last 200m i knew i had to lead in to the last corner to win, so i jumped very early adn sprinted into the last corners and continued to the line, arms raised

Mega chuffed with that :)

Liverpool Tri

Last Sunday was Liverpool triathlon, up early ready for the race. I was the day of the England game, so it was an incentive to race fast to get home!! After registering i went to the portable toilets and out came Malachy from Hollyoaks! :) I then put my bike in transition, i found out i had to put my bike on a different rack because mine was full when i got there, i then ended up being on the other side of transition. After I'd sorted my transition out i went to watch the waves before me and did some warming up :) It was then time to put my wetsuit on and get ready for the start of the race, now starting to get bit nervous :S i got to the start line in the water and went to my usual position, on the end by the buoys. I was quite disappointed with my swim, not the position i wanted to be in. This race had the longer transition i have ever done :O i felt i had already done my run before the bike. After the long run to my bike, i got there and one of the straps had come undone so NOT a fastT1.Another long run to the mount line and finally i could get on the bike, i felt i was having a good ride until i finished the race, but ill tell you about that after. Then i was coming into T2, which wasn't to bad, much better than T1. Then finally out on the run, VERY hot and i tried to get as much water at the water stations as possible without slowing down, so i just through it over me to cool me down, which was nice :D Then i was coming into the finish line, had a sprint finish and took a few people. Overall, i really enjoyed the race but i didn't have the best race, times weren't what i wanted, but looking forward to Eaton triathlon on the 10th, where hopefully i have a much better race.

I was meant to be racing this weekend but have a problem with my shoulder so going to give it a rest and hopefully its better next week :) Ohh and sorry about the photo's everyone, next time i promise to get some on my bike, The mother fault :P