Half Term and Surprises

I knew Nicky had been planning something for a very long time - since
last July - but even a week before we were going wherever it was we
were going I still had no idea what the plan was. She said I'd need
my bike and plenty of kit, so it sounded like a great weekend was in
store! We set off, me driving with still no idea where we were going.
Nicky gave me directions as and when I needed them. We arrived at a
lovely farm house on the Gower in South Wales at about 7pm. Two of my
non-cycling friends were inside, hiding. SURPRISE! It was indeed, as
later that night more friends turned up and we had a great time
catching up. The next day, after a bit of a stress with a wheel, Si
Ernest arrived to drive me to Afan. We got there to find Ben, Nick
and Phil waiting to go for a ride! Fantastic. Lovely girlfriend :)
We rode all day, 40 miles. The evening was much the same as before -
dinner in the local followed by a long night. Great fun and very
interesting to see my non-cycling friends drinking loads and cycling
friends drinking nothing! Sunday was another ride - this time at
Brechfa. We did 2 laps of the black then headed back to the cottage.
The black was a great loop - really fast and flowing compared to the
rough rocks at Afan. Nicky did a yummy roast for everyone on Sunday
night. Mmmm. Monday was going home day. Nicky and I walked around
Rhosilli Bay. It was very beautiful and a very nice end to the
weekend. I'm a very lucky boyfriend.

This last week has been half term, so I've been riding with Ben a lot.
3hrs a day, up and over the Downs on the road. 3 rides so far, 2 of
them in pissing rain. Nice. Bought some decent gloves today after my
fingers stopped working again which seems to have helped a lot. The
rest of the week pans out as the Davina DVD tomorrow, then long 4hr
rides Saturday and Sunday. probably on the MTB. The weather is
forecast to be crap all of next week, so it's looking good for the
blinglespeed at Tunstall next weekend...

GB

National Cyclocross Championships - Anna's perspective

I left my university halls at 6.45 on Saturday morning (exchanging confused glances with homeward-bound ravers, presumably concerning lifestyle choice!) looking forward to spending the weekend with my family rather than racing; I had only been on my bike once in the preceding fortnight and wasn’t expecting to go very well. Indeed, I had a wonderful day cheering on Dad and Imogen and did remarkably well in forgetting about the inevitable!
Having pre-rode the course early on Sunday morning I began to prepare for the race; kit, food, number etc. Unusually I wasn’t feeling nervous, probably because I had no real expectations or goals for the race.
And so 11.30 came and the gun went. I had decided to have a relatively conservative start in order to test my legs, lungs and the competition. I settled quite quickly and soon felt strong enough to push the bigger gears and attack the short, sharp hills. I passed about five riders on my first lap and, as always seems the case, found myself in no-mans land. It wasn’t too long however before I was joined by Hannah Bowers, in much the same way as at the last round of the National Trophy at Rutland earlier in the year. Experience had taught me that I was stronger technically but lacked the advantage in power. Hannah and I tussled for at least two laps but I knew I needed to get the gap before the finish as, though my sprint is strong, I’m not sure I could have held the wheel on the long drag up to the line. I managed to eek out a small lead on the last lap and pushed hard through the technical copse section in the middle of the course and over the hurdles to create as big a gap as was physically possible. As I accelerated onto the tarmac for the last time I had a safe advantage and crossed the line to finish 11th overall.
It has been a really enjoyable first season of cyclocross for me and the National Champs was a fitting end. There is nothing quite like a fast and furious 40 minutes of racing on my sublime little Salsa green machine followed by that pleasantly exhausted feeling, a roast dinner and Larkrise to Candleford!
What am I going to fill my weekends with now? Oh, that’s right…mountain bikes! Can’t wait.

Never say never!

This time last year, Imogen was adamant that she would never ride cyclo cross  - twelve months and many muddy fields later she has won the South East & Eastern Regional Championship; was unbeaten in the Eastern League with 8 wins from 8 races and has finished 10th in the National Trophy series despite only riding 4 of the 6 counting races.

 

So, what prompted the change of heart? Maybe the fact that after 30 minutes of fun, sliding around on tree roots; negotiating off camber muddy banks; running over improbably high hurdles and wishing that someone would invent a cyclo cross brake that actually works, you get to hang out (is that what young people do these days?) with your friends, drink tea and eat home made cake. And the motivation for winning? If you don't win you have to buy the cake!

 

Imo's races have been largely uneventful - a couple of self inflicted crashes; one 'I've been taken out by a numpty on a mountain bike' resulting in a wrecked tubular and, a mechanical at the last National Trophy round which left Imo way off the back of the field. But it's been a good learning curve - the bike changeovers in the pits have been faultless, Imo has learnt that you can ride on punctured tubs although it feels awful and that a 2 or 3 minute loss on lap 1 can be turned into a tidy result if you keep focussed and keep racing.

 

With the postponed National Championships rounding off the season on 6th and 7th February and Imo's hard and lonely sessions on the turbe trainer begining to pay off it could be a great end to a very good first season!