Blog 4

I am writing this as I come to the end of my time in Spain for pre-season training. I've got a few races under my belt now ; some Spanish regionals and some Nationals. This has just wetted my appetite to go and get stick in to a packed Calendar of Italian National and UCI races.

In an early Break at Don Benito

Picking up from where I left the last blog, the team has since competed in Don Benito. This was a Spanish National Race that was over a flat course with one kick half way around the course. My job for the day was to try to get in the early moves and to help our team sprinter, Scott Auld. We did well in the race with Ben Hardy getting the Green Jersey and Scott sprinting to a great 9th place. All in all, a very successful trip! It was also great to race as a proper unit, riding as a team, all working together. We have since competed in another two Spanish regionals.

These races are quite deceptive as they seem easy on the face of it only being 70 odd km. However, they are 'full on' and highly competitive. We've managed to organise well as a team, especially in the most recent race to really thin the field out and dominate, which is good for morale. I feel like these races will have got my legs going, ahead of giving them the first major punishment in Montecassiano our first Italian national on the 19th March.

Currently, we have come off a pretty intensive block of training so we have all felt pretty knackered but hopefully these hard days will stand me in good stead ahead of the start of the Italian season.

We have been very lucky with the weather compared to the first block I spent here in Spain. The temperature has been consistently 24+ degrees this last week. This has made the long days all the more enjoyable topping up the suntan. My legs are definitely starting to feel the benefit of the big workload with 5200km of riding under my belt so far in 2017. 

Anyway, enough of the 'on the bike' stuff. As seriously as we train, we always have time for a laugh and a bit of down time. In the last month we've had a few days enjoying taking in the picturesque surroundings of old Altea becoming regular tourists for the day. We've also had a few evenings in Benidorm.  I don't think they need much more explanation...... We have also enjoyed a nice chilled day at the beach which was nice to take in the sunshine. All in all, it's been a very good month and I feel in good stead ahead of the packed Calendar that is about to meet me on the horizon.

Ciao!