Cauberg Race Report

My final race of the 2011-12 season was here. The cauberg cross is one of the toughest on the cross calendar and I had been looking forward to it since Worlds. 11th here last year I was hoping for another good ride this year. However during the week I had come down with a cold and come race day on such a tough course I was really struggling. I was still with ex French Champion Mourey FDJ big mat so I wasnt going too bad but felt awful and once again after beginning to cough during the race thought it was in my best interest and for the sake of my health I stopped once again. I hadn’t quit a race at the beginning of the season but since Nationals it seems its all I have been able to do. It’s left me dissapointed, but looking back this season I had two goals. One to move up the UCI ranking and improve my starting position which I achieved scoring 500UCI pts and ending the season ranked 29th in the World. Second goal was to win my first ever British Cross title which I finally did.

Season over and out.

Heerlen Race Report

Following yesterdays dissapointment I wanted to put things right on a tough old school kind of course which suits me a lot more. I got a front row gridding and took full advantage of this 3rd place going off the road and 11th after a lap, i felt good and settled into a good group. However over the next two laps my legs gradually gave in from the previous days efforts. To do two hard races back to back you need form and at this time of year for me its something I am really struggling to find. Having peaked for Nationals its really hard to pick things up again before the end of the season. Having had a couple of crashes while trying to push things when I was totally on the edge I called it a day and went home to recover.

Middlekerke Race Report

The final round of the Superprestige series was up on the coast and I wanted to finish off the series with a decent ride. The course was a funny one, very tight and pretty technical for the majority then some real long hot dog style sections where you could see all you competitors ahead or behind you. I felt pretty good in warm up and although it was a deep freeze again the course didn’t seem to be so bumpy or tough on your back which I was pleased about.

I took full advantage of my 2nd row start and was well positioned going into the first bend. However as everyone turned in the inside line just got blocked and I had to come to a hault and watch as everyone rode around the outside of me. Going into the technical uphill sections near the back led to more bad luck and by the time we came out I was actually last. I thought to myself things can’t get any worse so put my head down and tried to make my way through. By mid race I had worked my way up to 19th but then began to fade and battled in for 22nd position. I was obviously dissapointed as felt in such conditions on that course I was obviously going well to come through so strong. I didn’t have time to dwell though as it was onto Heerlen for the next days race.

Hoogstraten Race Report

After the mid week race in maldegem I was looking forward to getting stuck back into the big races. This being the penultimate round of the Superprestige. However with my dodgy back and the deep frozen conditions I ended up pulling out of the race with 3 laps to go. The constant power output over such hard bumpy ground had just left my back in pieces. I was going to continue until the end but a cool head from the pit told me to stop. With nothing at stack lying in 25th position I was only going to make things worse for myself in the last few weeks of the season. It’s such a frustrating injury to deal with, especially at Cross.

Maldegem Race report

It’s always nice to get an unexpected race contract out of the blue but just as you have walked through the door after a below zero 4hours in the hills with a group isn’t always the best preparation.
However the money was good and it would be a good opportunity to get a cross session done mid- week. These smaller races are a good opportunity to experience racing near the front of a big race with some big names who although might be taking it easy, you can learn a lot from them. This theory still relies on a good start. 300m into the race and there was a big bottleneck and a few riders lost spokes and rear mechs! I was left dangling 100 or so metres off the back of the lead group and never made it across. I settled into the group going for 14th and enjoyed the fun course. Its strange racing cross after a long days training or with tired legs, it’s like someone has moved the rev limiter down 10beats. I felt comfy in the group with 4 to go so tried to go away on my own, half a lap later I was swinging off the back of the group I had just attacked. Brain said yes, legs say no! I rolled in for 20th and a fun really good session in my legs.

Next up is the Superprestige in Hoogstraten on Sunday, that is of course if a late contract doesn’t come in for Saturdays GVA in Lille!!

World Championships Race report

The World championships are always a funny one. It’s another one off event where nerves and expectations go to another level and the person who often copes best with these outside factors does well. The other issue with the World Championships is when it is, 3 weeks after the National Championships isn’t great timing in terms of a getting the training right for both. Peak for the National Champs and you are desperately trying to hold onto form come Worlds weekend or train through Nationals and risk losing but hit Worlds with big form. I have tried both in the past and have seen really good rides at Worlds before but Nationals has always suffered as a result. This year project Nationals was put into plan a long time ago so I knew it would be a bit of a struggle come the day of Worlds. I thought I could make up for a bit of lack of form with knowing the course inside out and being able to ride the sand really well. Turns out you need some lady luck as well.
I had felt good on the course all week and was really looking forward to the race. Lots of family and friends had made the journey over to watch me and I didn’t want to disappoint them. At the start I had a 3rd row gridding which is what I had been working towards all season gathering up UCI points. Normally from 3rd row I can make my way into the top 20 down a longish start straight. Green light comes on and mentioning no names but ex liquigas pro and Italian stallion forgot to move! I was left battling my way down the start straight watching the top 30 ride away from me. Koksijde is like no other course, the sand is so deep and tricky! First lap carnage began 500m into the race and didn’t finish until I was pulled on the 80% rule with 3 to go. This is where I went from being disappointed to pissed off. You are meant to be pulled when you are 80% down on the leaders first lap time, Albert had done a 6.30 on the first lap meaning you had about 5.15 to play with. I was 3.48 down when I got pulled. The rule is meant to stop people getting in the way of the leaders. I most definitely wasn’t in any way going to do this over the next 2 laps! I was just off the back off a biggish group who were going for the final top 30 position. Who knows what would have happened but I felt pretty good and had just got some clear track ahead of me. The elitist will say if you’re that far down you’re not in the race anyway. These elitist’s have never ridden a World cross champs. Albert was averaging 27kph through sand up and down dune, running sections and tricky corners. I was averaging 24kph, this is the pinnacle of the sport, I’d love to see a national UK event on this kind of course so people get to experience how tough it actually was! I ended up 36th which wasn’t the end of the World and it has just made me hungrier for next season when the World Champs travel to Louisville USA.

Hoogerheide Race report.

Final round of the World Cup, this was my final real test before the World Championships and was really needed to see if my back would hold up. Hoogerheide has been a regular venue on the World Cup scene for as long as I can remember. It always offers up a pretty tough course and usually not too much to think about. This year however it had been slightly tweaked and made for a much better course in my opinion. After a good couple of days checking out the course I was looking forward to the race.

I got an excellent start without really trying which is always a bonus. I managed to remain calm and hold my position over the first lap then I settled down and tried to ride with my head, riding a little bit conservatively due to my back worries. However I had nothing to fear and finished a respectable 27th 4.30 down on the outstanding and dominant kevin Pauwels. It’s always nice to get a decent result in your legs so close to a Championship race.

Lievin Race Report

The first real race where I got to show off my National Champs kit and I couldn’t finish due to the re-occurring back injury which had hampered me in the lead up to the National Champs and why I didn’t get to race so much over the Christmas period.

After a good start I was in the top 25 but was holding my top 30 position feeling good holding the right wheels on the super-fast but equally slippy course in France. However after only 25 or so minutes I could feel my back tightening up like it had in Namur however this time given the course there was nowhere to really ease up and try and loosen it off. I was so disappointed to have to stop and go back to the van in a foul mood. With the bigger picture being the world champs now in just under 2 weeks’ time on the mega tough course on the sand of Koksijde, pulling out and not really injuring myself was in hindsight the best option.

I great massage two days after the race got the rehab started then today, Thursday I managed to see my Chiropractor who was able to manipulate my back into working order. Obviously this has put a downer on my training in the lead up to Worlds but after visiting the course yesterday I’m in a positive mood. Over the past few seasons my skills in the sand have really improved and come on fast with hours of practice. I got to grips with the course pretty quick and I really believe my goal of a top 25 is possible come race day.

Next up is the final round of the World Cup series in Hoogerheide, Holland. It’s the last chance to up my UCI points tally before the World Champs.

NEW British Champions Kit.

New British Champs Kit arrived today still hot off the press from Hargroves Cycles via Kalas. Big thanks to them for the fast turn around!

Hope you like it.

National Champs Race report.

This was the big one. National Champs is always a strange race, it means so much to so many people for different reasons but you can guarantee one thing. Everyone wants to win it!

I got a good start and settled down into the lead group, for the first 20mins Liam Killen was content to set a good pace and try and simply ride people off his wheel with his Diesel like riding style. Around the 40min mark there was still a group of 5 at the head of the race and it was beginning to get difficult to hold my preferred position of 2nd in the group. I put in a big attack on the hardest section of the course, I got a small gap but it wasn’t decisive. I sat up and let them come back to me, Liam immediately carried on with his unrelenting style. I attacked again the following lap and that was it the race was set it was going to be a 2lap race one on one against Liam. Over the last lap Liam really tried to stretch things and kicked out of every corner as hard as he could. He was taking some risks in the corners but I always felt comfortable following. With the final section being a tricky off camber series of corner before a short uphill drag to the finish it was vital to lead into here. I left it to the last possible moment to overtake into these corners so he didn’t have an opportunity to come back at me. I left the braking late and got into the corner well clear only for me to feel my back wheel being hit just as I tipped it in. Liam unfortunately went down and I was left to ride the last 400m to the line. Thats part of racing and I hate to think how many times I clipped his rear wheel during the race but managed to hold it up.

My first National Elite Title!