Warwickshire RC 2 stage hill climbs

Photo by Mick Stallard

Today was 2 hill climbs by the Warwickshire Road Club. First was Saintbury hill and after warming pretty well and rolling up and down the road before I had to start, I felt good. On the start line I was ready to go and soon I was off and sat in the saddle trying to power my way up the hill. As I was on the steep part I could see my minute man and I managed to turn the 39x25 over by standing up and powering my way to him and as I got around him the hill started to ease off a bit and I could change up a gear. But then I hit the next steep bit and I was again down to bottom gear but once over that I could see the finish line and I went up a gear or two to dig deep and get to the line, I crossed the line in a time of 7:27. something and was winning for a few mins until lots of people went a bit faster.





After getting back to the HQ and seeing what time I had done and laying down in the boot of the car, it was time to try and get warmed up again ready for the next climb. While warming up I suddenly realised I had not eaten anything since breakfast but then as I got near to the start I forgot about that. On the start line for a second time today I felt good and knew this hill is shorter than the last. I was soon off and once again I was climbing in the saddle with getting out of the saddle to try and use some different muscles and then I managed to get up to my minute man again and go past. But as I climbed I had a song by the Bloodhound gang stuck in my head that I think may have helped me to get up there but as I got near to the top and could hear people cheering I felt I was pushing as hard as I could and once over the line I did 5:02.6 and was very close to being sick at the top of the hill but luckily I was not! I found out I managed to get 4th junior with some prize money, so it was a good day racing.


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results are here

Banbury Star open 25

Today was the Banbury star 25 mile time trial, and it was a bit cold to start with and when warming up I was still cold. At the start I had a good down hill bit to get up to speed and then a left had turn up a hill soon got me feeling a bit warm and I soon started feeling good and getting comfortable. Before turning left onto the dual carriageway I caught a rider and continued feeling good. Getting to the first roundabout I saw Jon Simpkins Stood on the side of the road who was off 2 mins in front of me, must have been unlucky and had a puncture. As I got to the next roundabout the next rider was in sight and as the road sloped upwards I managed to get closer and closer to him until I went past him. It was then another left and the road went upwards not too hard but I was starting to suffer and going up to a roundabout a lorry overtook me and slowed me down going around the roundabout. Then as I passed the start for my second lap I was feeling good and on the second lap not much happened until the last road towards the finish where I passed another rider and after passing the start again I had a good down hill bit again but as I was getting closer to another rider and a van was behind him and I could not get round the van but he turned off right and I sprinted as hard as I could for the line and did a 59:43 not my fastest but not too bad for the day.

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Stratford CC hill climb

Tonight I did the Stratford CC hill climb up Saintbury hill. I had a good warm up and was ready to go. I started and felt good, and tried not to go too fast at the bottom like I did last year on loads of hill climbs. I was climbing and feeling good it was steep so I was in bottom gear (39x25) just turning the pedals and was starting to hurt a lot and once I got to the flat bit kept the pedals turning trying to go fast but to get a short rest before it kicked up again. Once the finish line was insight I started sprinting and got to it but once I started slowing down I felt bad. I stopped on the side of the road and felt dizzy it stopped so I turned round but had to stop on the other side and was very close to being sick but I got back on my bike and felt ok and I found out I did a 7:44 a new PB for that hill and I'm very happy with the time.

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BMCC 2up 10 miles TT

I've only just noticed I forgot to do a blog post about this time trial so here it is. However to start with I would like to start with Monday, and I had planed to go out for a 40 to 50 mile solo ride but after turning on the computer I got distracted. Later that day I went out mounting biking with some mates and found out why I hate it. I crashed going down a steep hill but short hill and now have cuts over my scars from my last crash. A helmet would not have helped because I went shoulder first into the ground and rolled a few time to the bottom and am still finding new cuts and bruises. Tuesday I was planing to go out but was feeling a bit sore from the crash and then Justin messaged me asking if I wanted to do the Bicester Millennium CC 2up and I said yeah!

Me and Justin were ready to start he was held upright and I had to stand behind him, but as we went I got clipped in quickly and we where off. and the first two laps went well with Justin going on the front for the fast bit with a strong tail wind and me taking up the harder bit into the headwind. After two laps a 2up pair caught us and going into the headwind I could see them and felt good I could have pulled them back slowly but I heard Justin shout and I looked round to see him suffering so eased off, I decided to do all the work on the front from there to try and get us the fastest time we could Justin managed to keep on my wheel well and we did a time of 24 something. It was a windy hard night so I think together we did well and being on my no UCI legal setup felt a lot better.

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British Time Trial Championships

Today was the British time trial Championships and I have been excited about this since entering. When leaving home it was raining but at we got closer and closer to the the course it got better and better! At the headquarters we had to get a bike check by putting the bike in a jig to check everything was within UCI rules. My bike past, but the man checking it did measure my saddle and then said it was all OK, after that it was a gear check to make sure top gear was within 7.93 meters for one pedal turn then off to sign on. As I got on the turbo to warm up I did a few mins and then it started raining only lightly to start with and then after warming up really well I went to the start and felt OK and it rained a bit harder. I started the time trial and felt good and soon got to the first left hand turn and found out that it was into a headwind in parts without trees. After getting to the end and turning left I had a hard cross wind and felt like I was fighting it with my tri spoke getting push constantly into the side of the road. But after turning left it was a good tail wind and into top gear for some of it and then turning left and a junction in a village and down another small road with a few hills to get over. I the turned left yet again to pick the head wind part but this time it was a bit left time into a head wind but still raining and getting harder. I found if I pushed back on the saddle and sat up a bit more I could get a bit more speed and by doing this helped in the cross wind part and I was so glad to get to the last road to head to the finish, this was longer than any other road on the course but with a good tail wind all the way ...and a few rolling hills ...and rain. As I hit the big hill I sat up to get over it and kept it in the big ring and by this point I was wet every where from the rain that just got harder and harder since I started. At the top of the hill there was a house with an exercise bike for sale in the garden, maybe hoping a cyclist would buy it for training ...it made me laugh. After more rain and a hill or two I was caught by a rider who was off after me I got to the turn off for the finish and just sprinted as hard as I could. Once finishing I had to have another gear check and then I got to ride back to the car (still in the rain). My time was 49:58 for 20.9 miles and I think about 14th in the juniors so a good day racing even if it was raining. Henry Latimer also from Zappi did a quick time of 48:57. Alex Dowsett won the men's event and Wendy Houvenaghel won the women's.




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Results are here