I can't walk but I can cycle...

Sorry no picture today

Today was the Wyre Forest CRC SPCO time trial and first off my leg was still hurting and quite hard to bend after Thursdays crash but I got on the turbo trainer and the first minute was spent trying to get my leg to bend. I then spent some time just trying to get it moving and once I had been on it for a while my knee was not to bad. I was on the start in a low gear so I could stay in the saddle and just roll away. This plan of staying in the saddle worked until it got to the first hill and I felt I was going too slow so I got out of the saddle to try and speed up and my knee was fine, no pain, nothing. I then spent the rest of the race in my time trial pace and feeling not to bad. I had just caught a rider and turned off the road heading to the finish and was just getting to the bottom of the last hill, I sprinted up it flat out to get a time of 34: something and 8th place and first junior. Although afterwards my knee went back to being stiff and painful very quickly.

Thanks for reading
Results coming soon

MK bowl With a crash

Last night I raced at Milton Keynes bowl and it was half on the inner loop and half on an extra bit. I keep up OK and once we started going around the outer loop the group got a bit strung out going around the bends. The race was fun, the speed we where taking some of the bend entering the bowl was great because it swung right with a hard left then a hard right and hard left, this was fun and when everyone is in a its line safe. After laps at the same sort of pace we caught the break away and we where getting ready for the sprint finish. As we where going up the hill we where flying and coming over the line I got 7th place. However someone fell off and hit my back wheel and sent me heading for a pile of spare wheels on the side, I then did what I think is the biggest bunny hop I have ever done but landed and rolled my tub off the wheel and just soft of slid along the ground a bit until I stopped (the garmin say 29.7 mph to 0 in 13 seconds ...without using the breaks). I now have some road rash on my left knee, left of my backside and left shoulder with a couple of bruises. The Bike is all OK just a few marks on my left brake leaver but I have a very big crack in my carbon front wheel and big hole in the tub.

But at least I got 7th place and 3 points and I'm happy with that even if sleeping was a bit hard last night. Not sure if I will be able to race tomorrow in a 14 mile TT I was planing on doing but I will have to see.

My knee after the crash

Thanks for reading
Results are here

BSCC club 13

Today was Banbury stars club 13 mile time trial like last week but this week it was a solo, it was a hard night because there was no tail wind only head winds and cross winds. I started off and felt like I was going ok but by the time I had to turn off that was into a headwind and the head wind felt like it was there until the last road but by that time my average speed was lower than I wanted it to be. Down the last hill felt fast but was not a quick as the week before but going up the hill I felt like I got up that very fast and then heading for the line I was pushing as hard as I could on the pedals. My time was 30:46 only 31 seconds off my PB from last year and I'm very happy with that.

Thanks for reading
Results are here

Warwickshire RC 28 mile time trial

Just Starting

I was on the start line ready to go and as I went off I sprinted away ready for the 28 miles of pain ahead. I just got up to speed and then had to sit up to go around the first bend, and once around it was a nice down hill bit. This road was very fast because it was mostly down hill with a few up hills. However the next road was mostly up hill. Once at the end I turn left to a lot of hills but once past the line I had one more lap to do and that meant the fun fast bit again. By the end of the fast bit I had overtaken three riders and was about to head up the hard road. I had caught a rider and the James Wall came past me (6 mins off after me and won the event) and as I hit the hill I put it on the small chain ring for the first time and started inching towards him but once over the hill he powered away and I never saw him again! I had turn off on the last road towards the finish and was going up the last steep hill and just catching a rider so I set myself the goal of staying on the aero bars and in the big ring. Coming up to the finishing line I was starting to get quite a bit of pain in my legs but I was catching a rider and once over the line I was glad I had done a good time of 01:08:32 first junior and 6th overall. This was a very well marshalled event and very well organised. Although once we got home I found out I had a puncture in my rear tub.

Just after the first lap

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Oxford City RC 10

Sorry no pic's

Today was a 10 mile time trial on a new course the H10/181 and a simple course just all the way out to a roundabout and then back to the finish. After I started I got into a good pace and just kept pushing all the way out, once around the turnaround point I got round safely and started heading back and was going hard to the point I can't remember much of it. I started to see the finish line in sight and just put it in the 53x11 and sprinted. I did a 22:12 a new PB and congrats to my team mate Henry Latimer beat me by 11 seconds to get a 22:01 also a PB.

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Banbury star 2 up time trial

Me and my 2 up partner Justin

Today was the Banbury Star CC first club time trial of the year a 2 up and after having a good warm up I was on the start line behind Justin waiting to go. We got off to a very fast start after Justin pulled his foot out of his pedal. We where going fast and sharing the work well up the first road. On to the second road and a rider was in sight but I had to ease off a bit for Justin but we still kept a good pace together. We where soon on the last road and on the right day can be very fast today however was not because it was a cross wind all the way. We where into the last village and caught a car that we overtook and never saw again. On the last down hill before going up hill we hit 46.1 mph according to my garmin and up the last hill I kept the pace steady and Justin held my wheel and over the top of the hill towards the finish I may have pulled out a bit of a gap but we got to the line in 29:44 to be the fastest.

Thanks for reading, results are here

Thames Velo Road race

Today was the Thames Velo Road Race, 43 miles long and fast. The average speed was 24.7 mph and I managed to hold a position up near the front of the bunch for the race, the race started and was quick I was near the front on the start line and after the rolling start still up there. We went down the hill and got up to speed quickly and everyone stayed together and finally we got to the hill and going up it was not to bad but coming down the other side was very fast. After a some time it was the last lap witch was also a prime. On the last lap my team mate Henry Latimer went for a solo break away, I meanwhile stayed in the bunch and as we went down the last hill I heard a lot of bike going down and looked around and saw people going down, soon after this everyone eased up a bit and heading for the finish Henry still on his break away was in sight and in the last 500 meters got caught and passed. I was getting ready for the sprint on the left hand side of the road and just over the hill and I got myself into 4th place but my sprint started too early and I got passed by a lot of riders. I'm not too sure but I think I was in the top 20, Matt Derrick another team mate got 5th place.

Thanks for reading, results will be posted when I find them.

Stratford CC 10 miles time trial

Last night was the Stratford CC 10 mile time trail and it looked like it would be a fast course because there was no hills. I soon found out it was very windy and the first 5 miles was in to a headwind. As I started off I felt Like I was going quick but then started slowing down and then just focusing on getting to the turn around point and hoping for a fast tale wind home. Once around the small roundabout I got up to speed quick and just when at hard as possible for the next 5 miles. Once over the line, my time was 24:03 (13:21 to the turn around point and 10:42 back). I was surprised at how long it took, but then seeing the winning time of 22:51 (by Tony Kiss) I don't think it was too bad for the day.

Thanks for reading, Results are here

MK bowl season starter 2

Me trying to get into a breakaway

Today was the 2nd and 3rd cat race at Milton Keynes bowl and as soon as we started I know it was going to be fast and to make it harder we had to do an extra bit round the bottom. After a lot of suffering we where about half way into the race and I saw a rider ahead and so picked my point to attack and jump across the gap and as I got onto his wheel I sat there to get a quick rest but as it was my turn to go on the front the bunch where just about on top of us. On the next lap I tried to go again but the bunch did not let me get away. I then sat in the bunch for the rest of the race and on the last lap I got boxed in on the second to last bend but got round the last bend OK and then when it came to the sprint I was a bit far down but sprinted to the line but I don't think I was that high but glad to keep up with the 2nd cats. Average speed of the race was 25 mph.

Thanks for reading

Spring Chicken Road race

The bunch

Today was the Spring Chicken Road Race, My first race on the road this year and I loved it! It was very well organised and fast paced. There was only about two crashes that I know of but the second one was a big one. We started off and had a down hill tail wind and was going very fast and as we slowed down for the first bend we all got around it and I had to ride over a rough bit and felt my bottle fall out and looked down and it had, I then saw it on the second lap but not again after that. I was sitting near the back and not sure what happened but someone went down, not sure if he had touched wheels or not but he looked like he hit the ground hard! I think there was a bit of bumping shoulders for every one in this race. The last lap I felt OK so I had a energy gel but could have done with a drink (oh well). I was a bit boxed in at the back and the pace had slowed down and I could not move up, but managed to get on to my team mate Henry Latimer's wheel but soon got split up. As I hit the hill I got over still in the bunch and at the top heard cheering from my mum and Dave Anson (a cyclist from BSCC) and I then managed to move up a bit. On the descent I managed to move up on the out side and in about the last mile I think I heard this crash and managed to keep going but there was not a lot people about and as we sprinted to the line I passed my mate Tony Kiss and counted that only three people where ahead of me and thought "bloody hell, how did I get here" and then Tony came passed me right on the line so I ended up with 5th place and am very happy with that.

I'm now going to use the price money for a new water bottle...
Me and Henry
Thanks for reading
Results here

BSCC Hard rides

First time trail of the year today on a cold morning but at least it was dry. I did this time trail last year in a time of 1:03:27 (17th place), this year I did a time of 59:39. The course has a few ups and downs and one massive hill (sun rising hill) that us lucky riders get to ride down then up. I started off and felt like I was going fast and it turned out to be a tail wind all the way to the turn around point. I was a few miles up the road and could see a rider so I tried to dig deep and catch him and by the time I got to the top of sun rising hill I was not too far behind so I went down and was catching him, after the hair pin bend I got the pedals turning and was in the 53x11 spinning out at 48 mph as I past my minute man. I then passed another rider on the way out but as I got to the turn around point I had some bad timing and had to slow right down for a car on the roundabout. As I got around the round about I found out that there had been a tail wind all the way out, and that I now had a head wind all the way to the finish line. I caught another person on the way back but after that I could not see any one in font or behind me until I got to the finish. Sun rising hill, its a painful hill that every one suffers up and it was now my turn. As I hit the hill I saw the time was on 45 minutes ish and when I got to the top 49 minutes ish, as I was climbing I was in the 42x25 only just turning the pedals but thanks to good cheering from people watching on the bends (the more painful parts for us riders) I managed to drag my self over the top and push hard all the way to the finish and get my average speed back up to just over 23 mph to just get under the hour.





Thanks for reading
Results coming soon

First race of the year!

Today was my first race of the year and first race in new team zappi kit and first time ever racing at Hillingdon cycle circuit. The race was 50 mins and 5 laps and as my first race this year I was in the 2nd and 3rd cats race so it was going to be fast. We had a fast pace though the race we did 27 miles in 1 hour 4 mins (avg. 25.1 mph) and not much happened no crashes but pace was high for most of it. On the last lap I felt good but was too far down the bunch to sprint to win so just tried to keep up and came over the line I think in the top half and was happy not to get dropped or crash and to keep up in the sprint.

Also Magnus Backstedt (the retired pro cyclist and winner of paris-Roubaix) was there watching his team (UK youth) who won.

Thanks for reading, also here's a video of the finish.

national hill climb champs

Today was the National hill climb champs and after a week off because of being ill, it turns out laying on the sofa is not good training... Dovers hill was fun standing around at the bottom it started raining and I was already cold. As I started I sprinted away fast and felt good but after hitting the first bends it became harder and as I got further up it got harder. But the nice Mike Vaughan cycles guys half way up cheering help. as I got near the top the noise was amazing but once I got over the top and stopped my legs where in so much pain I could not stand up so I sat there for a long time on the top tube. My time was 5 mins 31 seconds 20 seconds slower than last time I went up it.

Thanks for reading Results are here

Coventry CC hill climbs

Today was Coventry CC hill climbs and it was so cold but that's part of the fun of hill climbs. I was the first one off and so I tried to sprint away as hard as I could to start with and before I knew it I was on a steep bit but after that it was fairly flat to the finish and I gave as much as I could to get there. My time was 1 min 59 seconds to give me 4th place (8 seconds off the winning time).

The second hill was about twice as long as the first one and a lot harder. The start had quite a long flat bit before the hill and then on the hill it was steep but half way up it the tarmac turns smooth but its still hard. At the top once I finally got there I had to keep going to get to the finish line and I was so glad to get there. My time was 4 mins 18 seconds to give me 4th place again.

Thanks for reading

Bike Blenheim Palace 2010

Today was another wet windy and cold day and I was racing the 20km time trial at Blenheim Palace. As I started off I sprinted away and got into a good pace quick and overtook a trike (they set off before juniors) and went around the first bend sat up as not to fall off on the first bend. Going around the back of the course was fun but with some not so fun descents. After the first lap I started to feel good so kept pushing hard and after my second lap had overtaken loads of trikes and other riders. My last lap was going well and after overtaking loads of people and felt like I was doing an OK time and on the last straight heading for the line I suddenly thought "wow, no ones overtaken me yet" and so I kept going and still no one passed me. As the finish line got closer I started sprinting out of the saddle and as I pushed down with my right leg felt the back wheel slip. But then I had to break very had to stop stop and my front break made the loudest noise ever as I slowed down. My time was 31 mins and 57 seconds to give me third in the junior

Thanks for reading
Results are here

Warwickshire RC 2 stage hill climbs

Sorry no picture

Today was two hill climbs both on the same day Saintbury hill and then Dovers hill and both are very hard and on a extremely cold day, sat warming up I was using the same as I would for winter training. Saintbury hill is one I have done a couple of times before but this time would be my fastest, I set off and got going very well and managed to drag myself up the hill to a time of 7 mins 55.3 seconds a new PB for that hill.

Dovers was next and it was still cold but this time I got a bit warmer going up this hill unlike 2 hours before up the previous hill. Dovers hill is shorter but steeper but is steep all the way up unlike Saintbury that changes a lot. My time once I finally got to the top was 5 mins 19.7 seconds. My time for the two hills was 13:15.0 to give me third out of the juniors however prizes where only for first and second junior...

Thanks for reading

The Dulcie Walker Road Race

Today was my first long road race and it was 62.5 miles (100km). The first 25 miles started not too bad and with a few fast bit but nothing too hard but the bunch split into two groups both of about the same size - and I was in the second group. The gap between the two groups would close a little and then open even more this made the last two laps (over 30 miles) very fast and over those miles my legs where hurting and cramping mainly when I got out of the saddle. By the time we turned on to the last road heading for the finish line I was just glad to get there but the closer I got to the line the more I though about sprinting for the line so that's what I did. As we hit the last hill I was near the back and so was my club mate Justin so I moved out to the right and just kept turning the pedals as hard as I could still sitting down like ever one else trying to sprint. As I got over the line my club mate Justin just got his wheel ahead of mine and I sat up and started getting even more cramp in my left leg. as I stopped in a layby on the side of the road the cramps was hurting so much but did start to go after a while and I then found out my other club mate Luke Souter who was in the first group got 2nd.

SCC hill climb

Last night was Stratford CC hill climb a nice warm night for a hill climb, The hill climb was long but fun with a few steep bit on the climb. I started the climb and felt OK and started getting into a good pace and after what seem like a short time I got to the top of the climb in a lot of pain. My time for the climb was 8 mins and 17 seconds.

Warwick Town centre race

Today was the Warwick town centre race race and it had been raining before my race but was starting to dry before I started. On the start line I was at the front but got a bit cut up just after the start. As the race went on there was 3 of us that where riding together with a few attacks but we stayed together well and where overtaking/lapping riders quite often. on the last lap a rider attacked before the last bend and got around then in the sprint for the line I was 3rd out of that group.

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SCC 10.4 mile TT

Last night was the Stratford CC Long Marston time trial (10.4 miles) on a nice sunny and warm night, the time trial was two laps with a few sharp left hand bends. I started off and got into a good pace very quickly and keep it up till the bends and got around them fine, but by the second lap it was getting quite hard but I managed to block the pain out and keep going. I overtook quite a few riders and did not get overtaken so I would class that as a good ride.

Thanks for reading
Results are here