Team Launch

Last weekend I went down to Oxford for the launch of Zappi 2017 Race Team. It was a good opportunity to meet up with my new team mates and to chat with supporters of the team. The day began with some medical testing to ensure that we are all fit and well ahead of the coming race season. We then went to the team gathering where all of Flavio's teams were introduced- junior men's, women's and our U23 team.

It was also great to check out our new Colnago Concept team bikes, with some great personalised touches. They look fantastic and I cannot wait to wack a leg over it in January. I have to give a huge thanks to Windwave who have enabled us to acquire these Italian stallions along with Aero helmets and glasses from BBB.

During the day we found out more information about the year ahead including our race calendar. We start the year training in Calpe, southern Spain from January till March. Then we go across to Italy. The race schedule looks amazing with a possible 60 races including 20+ UCI races. We will be racing all over Europe. I am looking forward to experiencing different styles of racing.

Another big thanks has to go out to the team supporters and most importantly Flavio Zappi who has been super busy putting together such a great programme for us lads. Really excited about the upcoming year now; cant wait to jet off to Calpe!

Forza 2017!

Off Season

This year I decided to take some time off my bike following my last race of the season. Over the past few years, this is not something I've done as injury and illness has forced me to take time off my bike mid-season! In 2015 I picked up campylobacter poisoning after drinking from a dirty water bottle. I was really ill and took over a month to recover from this - I wasn't a great experience! I also had a couple of nasty 'offs' which stopped me riding. This season, although I've been stitched up at A&E a couple of times, I've luckily not had to take much time off.

Initially NOT cycling was a novelty, but after a few days I was missing my bike especially when the weather was good. However, with thoughts of the big season ahead with Zappis, it seemed a sensible idea to take a break and use the time to catch up with family and friends.

The Welsh Cycling Awards Night was an ideal opportunity to catch up with many friends. I was honoured to be nominated for the Colin Thornton Award for Junior Performance. The well deserved winner of the Award on the night was Jess Roberts but I was happy to have been nominated for a second consecutive year following my 2016 season.

It was a fun evening and the last evening of excess before Winter training began.

Ciao!

Trofeo Buffoni

Last weekend I travelled to Italy guesting for the Zappi Junior team for the gruelling Trofeo Buffoni UCI 1.1. This race marks an end to my 2016 road race campaign and gave me a taste of what's to come when I begin racing with Zappi Pro Cycling next season.

It was a crazy trip as I travelled Saturday, raced Sunday and returned to the UK on Monday! This was my first experience of Italian racing and I was excited and apprehensive in equal measure.

The race comprised of two loops. A flatter 1st loop which was to be completed 4 times which led on to a hiller 2nd loop to be completed 6 times. Our team comprised of 4 riders - Charlie Quarterman, Will Roberts, Dan Combe and myself. There was a 200 rider strong field which included multiple national teams such as Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Slovenia and Slovakia. It was a beautiful day in Tuscany and about 28 degrees.

The pace was fast and furious from the off. As soon as the race was de-neutralised, the pace went up to 57kph immediately so I knew I was in for a hard day at the office! I expended a lot of energy on the sea plain circuit constantly try to move up the bunch. I made a conscious effort to move to the front before the first part of the climb. However, I got swamped by a lot of riders coming around the outside and got bulked almost coming to a standstill at the narrow entrance to the climb. I lost ground on the lead riders. This meant I was now to play catch up for the rest of my race.

The race was blown to pieces on each ascent of the climb but there wasn't a lot of respite on the 'flat' between each climb. On each lap riders were getting dropped. I managed to stay in until 106km when my race ended. Only 40 riders completed the race out of 200 starters. This is definitely the hardest race I've ever competed in, physically and tactically. This has made me realise that the Italian style of racing is the way to progress as a cyclist; it takes no prisoners.

A massive thanks goes out to Paul Quarterman who gave me the opportunity to race out here and also to Flavio Zappi for looking after us during our stay in Italy. It was a fantastic experience.

Ciao!

Welsh Crit Champs

Last weekend I competed in my last race for Velocity Globalbike. The race was the Welsh crit championships at the welsh showground in Builth Wells. It was a twisty and testing circuit on the flat part of the show ground. The Junior men raced with the Seniors which made for a very fast race from the off. With 4 laps remaining I attacked and had a gap over the chasing peloton. Sadly, I was caught with 2 laps to go and then had to compose myself for the inevitable sprint finish.

I was 5th overall and first junior in a very close sprint.

I was very happy to finish off my 2 years with Velocity with a win!

2016 round up

2016 has been my most successful season to date. I have been really happy with the results I have managed to achieve and the experiences I have learnt. I have travelled a lot more this season than previous years racing all year starting off doing a UCI track race in the Netherlands and I'm to be going to be finishing off the road season in Tuscany at a UCI race guesting for Zappi's. The experiences of travelling and different styles of racing have proved invaluable. Racing on the continent is very different to the UK in that it is very 'full on' and the riding style is a lot more attacking. I much prefer this to the very negative UK style of racing where everyone just looks at each other.

I started off the season as I before mentioned racing at a UCI track race in Alkmaar where I raced in all of the endurance events with my highlights being the team pursuit getting 5th with a new welsh record. I also got 5th in the elimination race which I was chuffed with and got a new PB for the 3km individual pursuit.

It was a few months before my next race which was the Betty Pharaoh E,1,2 road race where I managed to get 5th with a field packed with top riders. I was very happy with this; it was a big confidence boost for the rest of the season. Then the next race I had was another local regional race in Wales, The Abergavenny handicap, where I managed to get 3rd. Another confidence boost ahead of my national series campaign.

National series round up. For me this started with the junior tour of the Mendips where I managed to get 8th on GC, it was okay but I wanted more. There were lessons to be learnt from the different style of racing at a national compared to the regional races I had been doing. My next national series race was the cicle classic where I get 8th place. Once again I was very happy with this as it was not a targeted race and not usually my preferred style of course. Next up was the IOM junior tour which has always been one of my favorite races of the calendar. I ended up 5th here after 3 days of very hard fought and attacking racing. Next for me was Scotland national series which was a 3 stage race and was very testing with a lot of climbing. I was super happy to get my first national series podium here with 3rd on stage 2 and on GC after a breakaway.

Next national race came a long time after my last due to a European trip. It was the Bath road national in Milton Keynes where I crashed out pretty hard which was one of the most frustrating moments of my season. This hampered my preparation ready for my most targeted race of the year the Junior Tour of Wales. The penultimate race of the series was in Scarborough. I got a pleasing 6th place on a testing circuit where the race ended up with just a few select riders at the head of the race. Last but definitely not least was the Junior Tour of Wales this is the last national series race of the year and the most prestigious UK junior race. I didn't come into the race with the form I would have liked so I was a bit apprehensive. However, I managed to win stage 2 soloing up Rhigos mountain which I was overwhelmed with! This was my first win of the year and my biggest achievement as a Junior.

But after a hard race my bad prep caught up with me as I dropped from 2nd on GC to 4th by the end of the five stages.

After a season of up's and downs, only completing  6 rounds of the series, I ended up 3rd overall in the National Road Race series which I am very pleased with.

My European race season round up. The first European race of the year was Axel junior tour in Netherlands. It started well on the first stage being up near the front and in contention but I was involved in a big crash with 6km to go which ended my race abruptly. This was disappointing.

The next European race for me was for Wales in a big trip where we first raced in Belgium doing the Kontich stage race before travelling to do a stage race in Austria. Kontich was very fast and full on but more importantly for me it was flat so did not suit me at all. I ended up top 35 on GC but it wasn't my best race and I was looking forward more to Austria which was mountainous. The Austrian race had a very good field with most European counties represented along with American and Mexican riders. The stages were very testing with lots of climbing and challenging roads. It was very much my 'cup of tea'. I managed to come away with 16th on GC which I was pleased with but I also came 7th up the very hard summit finish on the Queen stage. This ended a successful European trip where I gained a ton of experience learning so much about continental racing.

As well as road racing I do a lot of time trialling. It probably works out that I do more time trials than road racing throughout the season. I do weekly Chippenham wheelers club 10 mile TT's. I like doing these as they work as a good hard training session but also a form indicator ahead of bigger races. I have done other events this year such as some hard riders TT's and DB Max Castle Combe 10 mile TT's. I have definitely seen a lot of progression in my riding over the years and this season alone from doing plenty of TT's.

I also like doing them as what you put in is what you get out, there are no real external influences compared to road racing. My PB for a 10 mile TT this year was on the Bridlington cc U718 event where I managed to get a 19:15. I was very pleased with this and it was a good confidence boost ahead of Scarborough and the Junior Tour of Wales.

Hope you enjoyed my first blog and a little round up of my year.