Cadence

Fast, slow, laboured or like silk, everyone has their preferred cadence and pedalling action. Some look better than other and some turn the pedals just a little bit faster than others. Cadence is something that levels the peloton in some way because in essence everyone has to turn the pedals and spin the gear, yes some put it to better use than others but inevitably that almost perpetual circular motion is the same for everyone. I do actually have a race to write about but I felt that the name of the race offered some poetic licence that few do. Yes this weekend saw the first round of the junior national series take place in Wales at the 'Three Cocks' circuit. The first big race of the season is always a little strange and you can't help but go into it a little apprehensive as the magic of 'form' can often elude riders so early in the season and others can be dishing it out after working hard over the winter, so it really is a case of 'let's see where we're at'. In my case it's a new season with a new team, Haribo-Beacon, and Sunday was our first opportunity to see how we gelled as a team and to see how we stacked up against some of the best riders in the country. Fortunately morale was not something to be concerned with in this team, since coming together in January the banter has been top notch and every get together we have had has been a blast! I'm riding with a completely new group of riders this year and although I have known them for years I haven't raced with them as part of a team very much at all. Once Sunday morning was upon us we were all really looking forward to the start of the race, we all arrived together in the Haribo-Beacon team car and had our bikes and preparation area ready and waiting for us when we got there. It's brilliant to be part of a team that takes such good care of its riders, it allowed us to perform at our best and not stress about the little things like having somewhere warm to sit before the race or prepare our bikes. The race itself was pretty typical of an early national series, a few small attacks early doors but a lot of people sitting around waiting for things to happen. That is apart from us and namely Tom Baylis who got stuck right in attacking very early on in the race to swallow up the first three primes and set the tone for how the race was to pan out. Once Tom was swallowed up by the peloton it was James Shaw who then took his opportunity to attack the bunch and as it ended up he took a solo victory from around 50km out which was a massively impressive ride. Back in the bunch it was a bit of a different story with the vast majority looking at me and my Haribo-Beacon team mates to animate the race to our constant reminder of 'we aren't going to chase our own bloody team mate' so a number of frustratingly steady kilometres rolled by, in this time I punctured which added a degree of excitement as I had to chase back to the peloton through the narrow lanes and past the convoy which is always a thrill. James' advantage grew and grew much to the delight of our team and it gave me and Levi Moody a chance to kick on over the top of the climb with two laps to go which saw us quickly gain an advantage over the peloton and eventually arrive at the bottom of the final climb together. With James already claiming victory it was down to a bit of a kick from me up the final climb to take second place and Levi to round off the podium and an impressive 1,2,3 for the team. After his early efforts Tom rode to an impressive 6th (although the jury is out on whether it was 5th). A clean sweep on the podium is something rarely seen and certainly something I have never experienced before, I was so proud after the race. To get the win was fantastic but to dominate the race in the way we did was something special and will remain special to me, however cadence is over now and it's time to re-focus and look ahead to the next challenge. A teams season is never defined by their first victory and in 3 months Sunday will mean very little but for now it's to be enjoyed and taken forward as a morale boost.

Groundhog Day

It's quarter to seven in the morning, my alarm has just started ringing and I've got the overwhelming feeling that I've been here before. Whether it was yesterday or last year is irrelevant but I have definitely been here before, in a Holiday Inn Express room with it barely being light outside trying to haul my heavy and lethargic body out of my bed that seems to be tightening its grip on me. Days on a training camp rarely vary, you wake up to the same faces everyday, the food is largely the same, and the focus of the day is constant, bike riding. In a way the near monotonous nature of the days is almost a comfort, no uncertainties, no hidden surprises to knock you out of your rhythm. You become consumed by the bubble of camp, all that's on your mind all day is bike riding. It's almost like the the outside world doesn't exist, to say you're totally disconnected would be a lie but it can feel that way at times, sat in the track centre under the artificial light, no phones, no communication, you don't even know what the weather is like (although it's a fair guess that it's raining in Newport) so for five or six hours a day anything could happen and you would be none the wiser. The only thing that's important is the riding whether it be on the track or the road the bike riding is what is important and why we are there. The efforts are always hard and everyone is tired but it never does morale any good if tiredness is a constant topic of discussion, it's better to forget about fatigue and soreness and dither away the time talking about irrelevant crap. I don't want my description of a training camp to be misconstrued in any way negative because it's quite the opposite, it's an excellent way to not only get some quality work in but also to see how you stack up against some of the other top junior bike riders in the country. It's an important part of any riders development, learning how to take care of yourself when mum and dad aren't there to wash your kit or get your bike sorted. Being alone on a training camp surrounded by other athletes requires you to get on with it, make yourself accountable for your mistakes but most of all learn from them and develop that maturity. It's always tough coming home from a camp, getting back to reality. Going back to school after a week away just doing what I love riding my bike is difficult. I always feel so deflated and dissapointed to be back, obviously I like being home and eating my own food and seeing my friends but I can't help but dream that one day I'll be able to ride my bike on a daily basis without having to go back to 'reality', well that's the aim anyway.