A weekend of mixed fortunes

So this weekend I had two races.

 Saturday was a 1,2,3 Category totalling in 130km with a 90km big loop followed by 6x7km finishing circuits.

The morning began with light snow and freezing air temperatures but as the start approached the weather improved and was cold and dry for the rest of the day. 200 riders took the start and the break was established with in the 1st 10km "I wasn't in it". The route was on quite wide open roads snaking up small climbs through woods and little valleys. The pace was pretty good and teams with numbers worked away keeping things in control. On the final climb approaching the finishing circuits I made my way up to the front and went over the top in the first 10. Moves started to go but nothing was sticking and decent down to the Arrivie was pretty quick. Well positioned coming into the finishing circuits I managed to clip of the bunch and work well with a group of maybe 10 riders. We worked well together and bridged across to a group of maybe 15/20 riders. With three loops to go I was getting pretty tired but managed to keep up front and go with most moves. In the final 3 km's of the last lap 5 riders jumped clear and I was unable to go with them, we came in to the finishing straight and 15 of us were going for the sprint for maybe 30th but I'm not certain. I was happy with my race and just glad to get some warm clothes on and some food in me.

2 groups come together on finishing circuits

Sunday was an Elite National race "Route Bretonne" Teams represented included Sour Saun U23 team and several other continental setups who's names are too complicated for me to remember. This was high level race totalling in 150km. A big loop of 118 km and 6 small finishing loops. The race set of pretty sharpish and my legs took a while to come round but after a few hard efforts in the wind my legs woke up and felt really good. My positioning on the other wasn't so good. My race fell in bits at around the 80 km mark. i was caught out in a split in the bunch over the top of a long draggy climb. The group I was in worked hard for upwards of 16km and managed to fight our way back on to the bunch, a hrad effort that had took its toll. I immediately moved up the bunch to seek recovery and shelter only to be greeted by "a sawley brow type climb" to those of you who know it. I went BANG rider after came by in a long string and eventually the string ended I was unable to keep up and unfortuntly only 10 miles from the finishing circuits had to climb off. Normally I would have ridden to the loops but with no more support out on the road and with the chance of a puncture I was told to climb in the Broom, which Im happy to say wasn't empty.... I was dissapointed as my legs were good but with the huge effort just to rejoin the race done its damage and with little time to recover before a nasty drag I have to put it down to miss fortune and bad positioning.

Podium For Route Bretonne

Hope you can make sense of this ........ Hamish

Beaucoup de Soleil

OK so my 2013 racing season began today and I'm happy to report it went pretty well, I'm not entirely happy with it but it was pretty good nether the less.

The race was in the village of Camors about 1 hr ride from where I am currently living in Hennebont. My Club president Sebastian picked me up at 13:15 along with my two new team mates Josh lawless and George Moore. The lead up to the race was what I'd very much expected lots of blingy bikes, big ARRIVEE banner, podium lorry and an outside sign on table.

The race started at 14:30 and was a 13 lap "interclub". The first few laps took some getting used to with the big group "approx 110 riders" and unknown roads, especially after riding mostly with 2-4 people all winter. The race was pretty nippy at points but i have to say i felt pretty good and apart from when I had a few jumps didn't feel in any difficulty.

Unfortunately as of yet I have no exact results of the race but I have been assured by spectators I may have just scraped a top 30..ish. and as for photos I have seen a few and seem to be hidden in almost everyone, a shoulder here, a helmet top there ect... Not worth posting.

Fellow Team mates George moore and Josh Lawless had very good races. George 5th and Josh "15th?"

We then got kitted up and road home behind the car. maybe good maybe not......

Fellow British Rider Doug Dewey made the podium with a strong 2nd place. Well done Doug.

Pastures New

So a long time since I wrote this job. Last season in Belgium I never really got round to writing it, partially because i was too busy and enjoying myself and mostly because I just couldn't be bothered. But I think this time short and sweet is going to be the key to a constantly updated blog.

So on to this season, I've had a good winter with lots of miles mostly wet and perishingly cold riding my favourite roads in the world "The Dales and Ribble Valley" with the best possible company, Wilko, Robbie P , Pete Williams, Sam boast, John Hopkinson "aka Old Hopkin and in the latter few rides two good young local lads Connor French and Oliver Payton. Most of all reason for mentioning the above is to be honest good lads like the above give my training a good boost and makes it so enjoyable.

This year I will be racing in Brittany, France with Union Cicliste Hennebont Lochrist with fellow Brits George Moore and Josh Lawless. Already had a good few laughs ie Dog encounters but thats for later.

My 1st race with the team is this Sunday a local race to our Base Town, Hennebont. As of yet I have no details of the race but if the training I've done so far is anything to go by it will have its fair share of lumps and bumps touch wood it will be dry but I aint counting on it.

I travelled over on Sunday night with the lads and Nick Mills from Portsmouth to Caen. We were welcomed into the Mill's lovely Farm house where the sons are putting in some fair graft renovating which was of interest for me been a hands on lad myself.

The afternoon we arrived the 3 of us went for a spin to get the long drive out of our legs, more so for myself coming from the sticks of "Up North". Well it could have been a better start, literally 5 miles from clicking in we encountered a pretty territorial boxer dog. He stood his ground at his garden boundaries but then decided that wasnt enough and gave chase. I managed to get away but this wasnt case for George and Josh, i thought that was it however thrown down from the heavens a Renualt Clio came to their rescue and gave the dog a bit of persuasion back to his kennel with its Bumper. ..............60kph persuasion. Not the best but better than a savaged leg or worse for the three of us.


Enjoy the read more soon.....

Back to Flanders, the home of gutter death!!!

So the second part of the blog update is focusing on my return to Belgium.

I arrived in Belgium on Wednesday 31st of May and my first race would be the following Sunday in Posele, Nevele. I had done the race last season so i knew the course and what to expect. The course was about 6/7 km round with 3, 90 degree bends and a few twists, mostly on single track concrete roads. As soon as we set of my intention was to get a near the front as possible, staying out of trouble and making it as easy for myself out of the corners as possible. Lap after lap went by and felt good and confident I would finish my first race back in Belgium. However time after time on the small road, lined out in the gutter people were pulling out the line and i only had the legs 5-6 times to get back in the wheels. In the end I finished 55th from a starting field of around 80-90 riders.


My next race was 2 days later Tuesday 5th June in the GP Willy Callens, Wakken. Another race I had done before and this was a race of Cornering. There were 8, 90 degree bends in less than a 10km circuit. I was very focused for this race and wanted to improve on my previous race. I was a rapid start, about 2 km on a wide road then a sharp left into a single track lane. I made my way up to the front on the big road and got a good position going into the lane. In the whole race i never lost positions in the corners always gaining. A split in the peleton on the small lane decided the breakaway but i was in the second group.  About half way through the race I got shelled in the cross wind section, but really dug deep, riding from  group to group and made my way back on, something i would not have not been able to do last season. I managed to sit in and recover take in some food and drink and finished around 10th in the bunch sprint, taking 43rd place and not to my knowledge a 15€ prime.  Happy Days!!!!


After a Decent start i was selected for a couple of Interclubs the next week. Unfortunately they didn't work out to well due to me been a bit panicky and not having the legs.

Team Announcement Before Belsele Interclub

The first of the two was Moorsele, My race was over within 30km, a lot of crashes on little lanes caused split and chasing back on and in the end I didn't have it in the legs on a hard fast crosswind section and went backwards. The second was in Belsele, Waasland. 12 laps of a 12km circuit. The circuit was tight and twisty with 3 cobbled sections, the first half was going great for me holding a good position in the group and feeling good. 5-6 laps to go I was caught behind a huge pile up, with inexperience I panicked and chased back on hard, not realising how many people were behind me, to regroup with and get back on together, consequently I popped and spent a further 3 laps in the cars, going from number 26 car to number 6 and then right to back. When the ambulance comes past you know its game over!!

In the cars in Belsele

A few Kermeses went by with disappointing results, but I got my head down with some good training and the next two were good races. I was set to train from Monday to Friday and race Saturday and Monday. The Saturdays race was a Belofen (U23) in Bachte- Maria-Leerne. It was a tough very fast windy race, with a fast sharp left hander 300 meters from the finish line. I rode strongly in the race, winning the sprint from my group, finishing a respectable 53rd from 113 starters. 

Last Ronde, Bachte-Maria-Leerne

Monday was a 17:00hr start on a rolling course with some big roads on small lanes and obviously been belgium a good few tight bends too. I road very well and just wanted to get the whole 120km in my legs and more confidence in the head. There were around 20 riders up the road so I knew I was sprinting for a top 30 placing, "in the money". I'm very confident in my sprint and from the last corner was around 300-350 meters to the line. Just as the kick was coming, marshals were flagging us down, a rider from the break was sparco in the road so obviously unsafe to sprint and the brakes went on. In the end I finished 51st.

Aspelare 1.12 b

After the two finishes in 3 days I was confident my form was coming good. However a week later in Melle, just 2 km from the start i was brought down in a crash and race over, from the outside a few grazes and a bit of road rash but inside was a different story, my whole left side was twisted, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, ankle. But after going to see my coach/ "Magician on the massage table" I was new man. But after a few days of not been able to much my legs weren't too go for the next few races, and I didn't manage to finish them. 

After these disappointing performances I had a chat with my coach about training and we decided I would focus on endurance training with intensity mixed in and then 1 race at the weekend. I'm pleased to say this worked and my next race was good, I finished 43rd. I was a little disappointed because at a crucial point I hesitated and missed out on the front group where a top 30 place might have been achievable. But it didn't happen and i'm determined it will next time. I now have another full week of good training and race again Saturday.

I will try to update this blog now after every race and keep you up to date with what's happening.

Hamish

Better late than Never

Right about time I wrote up a new blog, I was blogging weekly in the winter speaking of my training and then had my head set on writing another one after the first block of British races. Unfortunately some weeks I would completely forget or others I was just too tired.

I’m going to do this blog in two blocks then it’s not so long,  i’ll first speak of my 2012 UK Races. I was very nervous in the week leading up to my first race of the season, reason being i knew i had good form and my fitness was high, but that’s all well and good out training but you can’t gauge your performance until you come up against racing competition.  Plus it was a local race “Clayton Velo Spring Classic” and obviously as in all races I had the intention to go and put in a solid performance.  With the likes of Rapha Condor Sharp and various other teams coming in numbers it was set to be a good strong race. Im not a rider to be put off by big established names, if anything it makes for better strong racing, and as Wilko had said to me a few days prior “you want to be going to them races, thinking  I’m going to put these good lads away today and show them I’m more than capable”.  I came away satisfied with my race finishing in 27^th place, between groups, I managed to jump clear of the main  group in the final 2 laps  and finish just off the back of the second  small leading group.

End of a very wet Eddie Soens

On the attack in Cockermouth

Week after week my results were good and i was happy with my start to the season. A few races I entered didn’t go my way but in all my events i was aggressive and getting in with the action. Always following the right people in the attacks but not always at the right time, but this just goes to show it takes time to develop a good race head and with the right help it will all come together.

Clayton Velo Spring Classic- 27^th

Eddie Soens Memorial- 96^th

Cdnw Pimbo- 23^rd

Cdnw Saighton- 20^th

Cdnw Cockermouth- 25^th

Merseyside Wheelers RR- 5^th

National Emergency services RR- 8^th

Yorkshire Day @ races- 13th

Northwest Regional Championships- 26^th

I competed in 5 other races but no results shown out of the top 10, so not sure of exact results.

Next Blog will be with in the next few days, speaking of my return to Belgium and how its gone so far. 

Hill Tops Like Cake Tops

If your a regular reader of my blogs you will know I go pheasant beating/flushing on shoot days, with the game bird season ending at the end of  January the last few weeks have been the last opportunity to go and it's been great timing with my shopping list for the race bike going up and up. This last few weeks I've been getting things ordered and bought  to get my bike in tip top condition for the start of the season, i.e, new tyres, rims, chain, cassette, re cabling and paying for races and BC Licence fees all of which doesn't come cheap.

Right i'll start with last Monday and talk through to Sunday.
Monday was a shoot day and another opportunity to earn some vital penny's. Although it's not hours on the bike, i still consider beating part of my training, it's a day of walking through rough ground, climbing fences and walls and continuous flagging to drive the birds to the guns. And at the end of a day having been on my legs from 8:45am to 16:30 im pretty tired. At 12 o'clock i was up for getting home and having a steady hour on the turbo but come finishing time all i wanted to do was relax. So with a big pasta meal in me i kicked back on the sofa and rested up for my ride on Tuesday.

Today "Tuesday" a 3 hour ride was my aim I was well up for it and decided to do my favorite training route, the one i did with Cycling Weekly's Chris Sidwells a fortnight before, however when I got to Stainforth I decided to turn left and climb over to Malham and drop down past the cove. Up on the tops was a totally different world, i likened it to a cake with icing. The valley roads and fields were green as ever but up on the tops was a thick frost and even a bit of snow. But the roads were perfectly clear and free from ice. After dropping down the very fast technical descent in to Malham it was a fast rolling ride home through Gargrave and West Marton. Great ride done and another 3 hours in the bag.

Wednesday I was out for another 3 hours but today i'd have some company, I met my mate Sam "Hope Factory Racing" at Gisburn Auction Mart, a 30 minute ride on the A59 from home. I wanted to do another favorite route of mine, riding through Bolton-by-Bowland to Waddington and through fell woods to the Bashall Eaves RR Course. This is a great area to train, with a mix of quiet B roads, lanes and Single Track wooded roads all rolling and twisty great for the mind and not getting bored. We did a loop of the RR Course and made our way home the same way. Now on this ride the definition of "Typical and Sods law" came into play. To those of you who know the area we were riding from Chaigley to Bashall Eaves, this section of road has a good 2 mile descent. Sam said to me "How often do you ride UP this way?" i said well never why ride up here all the time when i can enjoy this great descent!", what with all the potholes and puncturing risk?" Well yeah but you just not gotta be an idiot and look where your going, then you don't run down em do you! i said. About 200 yards down the road i ran straight down a pothole right onto the rim and sure enough i'd punctured, it was typical Sam just laughed and said "what were you saying about not been an idiot? haha" SODS LAW!!! But there was one thing in my favor, it was a great day sunny and dry so at least we didn't get wet standing about fixing it.

Thursday I was out solo and i decided not to stray to far from home as the weather was forecast to be pretty rough later on in the day, but still get 3 hours in the saddle. In order to do this I did several laps of the Bolton-by-Bowland  rr course, its a good circuit to do, its got lots of small rolling climbs, very quiet lanes and  good stretches of flat and down hill. When I'd done the circuits I rode out towards Malham and Back to Gargrave and home. In the last hour of the ride what the weather man had said happened, it rained, it sleeted and it blew and despite having mud gaurds on the winter bike the rain poured off my front wheel straight into my shoe. But oh yeah here's why, the night before i'd washed my perfect "feet never get wet" endura over shoes and forgot to get them out to dry, so come morning they were sopping and me been me thought "oh yeah i'll be right, i wont get cold" my feet were perished, so cold in fact when i climbed my foot didn't flex and felt like it was going to snap, i half expected when i took my shoe off my foot would still be in there. Coupled with hail stones battering me in the face with the help of a strong head wind it wan't the best end to a  ride but i got home with a strong talking to myself i.e- MAN UP!!! its only winter in the North. 

Friday was an awful day with Sleet, heavy rain and gales. In the morning i had to drop of an application for some funding from my local council. Last year I was given £375 and a free gym pass which was and still is a great help to me. In the afternoon I went to gym and did my usual session, a mix of kettlebell work, machines and free weights. All of which focuses on my legs and core for stability and explosiveness. This program was written up by Paul Sudds  a very talented and recommended personal trainer both by myself and others who work with him. Take a look at his website, maybe you could be benefited?

https://sites.google.com/site/paulsuddspersonaltraining/

Saturday was another shoot day, and to be honest i was grateful for the money but extremely envious of anyone out training. It was an amazing day, cold but dry and sunny. On the tops of the estate you could see for miles.. Fantastic. 

After Saturdays frustration i was itching to get out into the lanes and get a good ride in. My legs were sore after all the walking and wall climbing but soon they loosened up and i felt in pretty good shape. For the second time this week i did my favorite training ride plus an extra loop, getting home with 3 1/2 hours in the legs I was very satisfied and pleased with my weeks training.

Top tips for myself this week:- The other week i mentioned to Ian Wilkinson that when I was racing I felt comfortable and strong on the hudz but uncomfortable and weak on the drops. Wilko said he knew what i meant and it was my hip not flexing enough and unable to get the power through whilst on the drops. So this week most of my riding has been on the drops both on the flat and climbing, working my hamstrings and stretching my lower back muscles and i can honestly say i can feel the difference. Cheers Wilko!! Hope your enjoying your Mallorca Training camp seen some of the "wet" photos, its sunny and dry here now, should of stayed in the dales mate haha!! 

Hope everyone enjoys the read...........cheers Hamish

Getting the hours in the saddle

Well this updates a bit late, but better late than never. Last week and indeed the next few weeks objective is getting the constant hours in. Not so much riding massive hours at a time but riding constant hours day after day  boosting the endurance but at the same time keeping the cadence high. Having a disciplined amount of time in saddle each day has made me really think about where i'm going on the days ride, making my training really fun and interesting.

Now to be honest now been Tuesday evening and me been a busy chap ive forgotten where i went last monday so i'll move swiftly on to Tuesday where a great day was to be had and a great opportunity seized. It was the day I was to show Chris Sidwells "cycling Weekly" round my favorite training ride, a 3 hour ride through small twisty hilly lanes in the Yorkshire Dales. The day went as follows, Chris arrived at my house at 10 am where we talked about how i came into cycling, what made me want to race and the pivotal point when i decided to pack my bags and go to Belgium, and to be honest i couldn't remember when i decided to make this amazing decision, but i can safely say i'm glad i did. Through the experience i learnt so much and made some of if the the best friends i will ever have.

I wasn't to do this ride alone though I had the company of Ian Wilkinson "enduraracing" a great friend of mine and someone who also does this ride quite often. "great minds think alike". This morning was absolutely perishing and i can take the cold but jesus, Ian looked like jack frost when he turned up. With the perishing weather came ice and we had our fair share of it on the ride, but fortunately I'd done this route the Saturday before and had a good idea where tricky patches were and therefore we got by with no issues. I've got to admit when we did get to some ice i ran along the grass while Ian rode across 1 handed on the phone, you know as you do!!!. When all the photo's had been taken Chris treat us to a coffee and cake in the lovely market town of Settle. After the cafe/chat stop Chris had all the info and pictures he needed and left us to our ride, when we got home we had about 3 hours in the legs and with the sun shining and the ice gone it turned out to be a great day.

Wednesday was another great day with a cold start but when the sun came out it was fantastic to be riding over Barden Moor and up lower Wharfedale to Burnsall and through to Airedale round the Malham area. Again a great 3 hour ride with no boring roads just all full on interest.

Most of my recent training has been in the Yorkshire Dales and the previous two days had been and so today i decided to venture into Lancashire and explore the Ribble valley, round Waddington and Bashall Eaves. A ride made up of B roads, single track wooded lanes and 3 local road race circuits each of which i do a lap, this ride tops out at 3 hours and is pretty nippy covering about 60 miles which for round here is a pretty high average speed. These rolling lanes with nippy little climbs and descents sure ramp up the average. FUN!!!!!!

Friday I did the same ride as Thursday but unlike Yesterday where i was bathed in wintery sunshine and had frost and  lovely colours surrounding me in the Ribble Valley I had 3 solid hours of heavy rain, drizzle, mist ect!! but I loved it,  that's the thing with these rides they're so interesting you don't notice how bad the weather is, when i got home i was like a drowned rat but it didn't  matter i could chill the rest of the day and know some good work had been done.

Saturday some money had to be earned and it was my first day Pheasant beating of 2012, a day of rain rain rain but the "mud" walking did me good and with a good coat on I was nice and dry.

Sunday me and my friend Sam went out round Ingleton and Ribblehead, a good 3 3/4- 4 hours ride on exposed roads snaking between the 3 peaks in the Dales, which I can honestly say looked amazing with the mid day sun on them. It was a tough ride, following my 6km walking the day before coupled with a very weird wind, i.e.- every direction seamed to be a head wind. And predictably   this wind blow some rain our way, but luckily we were nearly home and didn't get too wet once caped up.

Hope You've enjoyed the read... Hamish