A British cyclist based in Como, Italy racing for the Swiss team VC Mendrisio
2015 Race Season Closure
Just coming to the end of my three week break/recovery after a pretty hectic 2015 Season.
I ended my season on the deck at the infamous Piccolo Lombardia race...hitting the ground at nearly 70kph resulted in a badly smashed up arm and severe road rash to my leg :(
I was mixing it up at the sharp end of things for most of the race but ran short of energy on the last climb and had to make up time on the descent where I crashed after taking one to many risks.
A real shame as the previous race Ruota D'Oro, another UCI 1.2 I had really good legs and got in the top 30 out of a field of 250 riders.
Really enjoyed my late season 6 week spell of racing in Italy, the style of racing really suits me and I'm looking forward to returning there next year.
I ended my season on the deck at the infamous Piccolo Lombardia race...hitting the ground at nearly 70kph resulted in a badly smashed up arm and severe road rash to my leg :(
A seriously tough race, contested by all the top Eurpoean U23 development teams (AG2R, Lotto Soudal, BMC, Rabbobank etc) made even more difficult due to the cold and wet conditions, around the impossibly beautiful landscape of Lake Como in northern Italy.
I was mixing it up at the sharp end of things for most of the race but ran short of energy on the last climb and had to make up time on the descent where I crashed after taking one to many risks.
A real shame as the previous race Ruota D'Oro, another UCI 1.2 I had really good legs and got in the top 30 out of a field of 250 riders.
Really enjoyed my late season 6 week spell of racing in Italy, the style of racing really suits me and I'm looking forward to returning there next year.
80 Coppa Collecchio, Nr Parma, Italy
Not a great race for me....Was feeling great and started well but not too far into the race my seat decided it had had enough and parted company with the seat post....
Of course this happened in the tightest most technical part of the route so I had to continuously stand up for around 20mins before I could drop back to the team car.
Let's just say various 'undorthodox' solutions were tried whilst I clung to the side of the car and teammate Callum wielded the 'magic spanner' but all to no avail so in the end we stopped and I changed over to Knoxy's spare bike which was way too big, so the day went from bad to much worse....chased back on....another bike change.....chased back on.....another bike change....chased back on....legs now screwed and got dropped on the final circuit :(
Oh well at least I got plenty of 'moving up through the convoy' experience...some days it just ain't your day! On to the next race....this Sunday, stay tuned... :)
Of course this happened in the tightest most technical part of the route so I had to continuously stand up for around 20mins before I could drop back to the team car.
Let's just say various 'undorthodox' solutions were tried whilst I clung to the side of the car and teammate Callum wielded the 'magic spanner' but all to no avail so in the end we stopped and I changed over to Knoxy's spare bike which was way too big, so the day went from bad to much worse....chased back on....another bike change.....chased back on.....another bike change....chased back on....legs now screwed and got dropped on the final circuit :(
Oh well at least I got plenty of 'moving up through the convoy' experience...some days it just ain't your day! On to the next race....this Sunday, stay tuned... :)
26 Trofeo S.C. Corsanico, Pisa, Italy
Yesterday was my second attempt at Italian Elite National road racing and I'm super happy to report that after 4+ hours of intense racing I got my best result to date coming home in 13th from a field of 150 riders.
The course was pretty strange with the main climbs and insane descents being separated by a huge 80km section of flat.
Now feeling much better and with my form staring to return I was aggressive and active from the start and got involved in most of the breakaways throughout the race.
I probably did a little too much work towards the end of the race....My teammate Callum was in the front break and I was marking the chasing group but getting frequently hassled to contribute. Riders were showing their annoyance by trying to put me out the back by letting wheels go and forcing me to chase on so I decided it was probably better to take my turn although this definitely affected my finishing ability on the day.
Having said that it's a huge learning curve and getting 13th in my second crack at top flight italian racing in only my second season of road racing is pretty damn sweet!
Huge thanks to Flavio Zappi for all his help so far and for giving me this incredible opportunity to race for his team.
The course was pretty strange with the main climbs and insane descents being separated by a huge 80km section of flat.
Now feeling much better and with my form staring to return I was aggressive and active from the start and got involved in most of the breakaways throughout the race.
I probably did a little too much work towards the end of the race....My teammate Callum was in the front break and I was marking the chasing group but getting frequently hassled to contribute. Riders were showing their annoyance by trying to put me out the back by letting wheels go and forcing me to chase on so I decided it was probably better to take my turn although this definitely affected my finishing ability on the day.
Having said that it's a huge learning curve and getting 13th in my second crack at top flight italian racing in only my second season of road racing is pretty damn sweet!
Huge thanks to Flavio Zappi for all his help so far and for giving me this incredible opportunity to race for his team.
Giro del Valdarno 2015, Florence, Italy
Debuted at my first race in Italy yesterday, racing for Zappi's Pro Cycling at the Giro del Valdarno 2015 in the Tuscan hills near Florence.
A hilly 4+ hours of racing 160km in 30deg heat after a brief bout of illness was certainly tough, so I was pleased to get around and ended up with a fairly respectable top 30 place (out of 180 riders) - 2nd Zappi rider home.
Looking forward to the next one this weekend where I should hopefully be fully recovered, feeling a lot stronger and playing my A game :)
A hilly 4+ hours of racing 160km in 30deg heat after a brief bout of illness was certainly tough, so I was pleased to get around and ended up with a fairly respectable top 30 place (out of 180 riders) - 2nd Zappi rider home.
Looking forward to the next one this weekend where I should hopefully be fully recovered, feeling a lot stronger and playing my A game :)
South West Divisional Road Race Champs 2015
Pretty happy to take 3rd spot on the podium at the weekend. Good racing with some tough competition - full report to follow soon....
2015 Team Launch at The London Bike Show
Yesterday saw the 2015 Velosure Starley Primal team launch which was held at the London Bike Show. A really great, well supported event hosted by Sky Sport's cycling guru Ant McCrossan.
I'm really looking forward to racing hard for this team and in final preparation for the seasons' racing we are all off to the team training camp today.
Two weeks of hard work in the spanish sunshine - bring it on...living the dream!
I'm really looking forward to racing hard for this team and in final preparation for the seasons' racing we are all off to the team training camp today.
Two weeks of hard work in the spanish sunshine - bring it on...living the dream!
A day of filming with the BBC
Good times yesterday....despite the bitterly cold weather!
Spent the day filming at Brentor on Dartmoor with BBC South West for a piece on the team which is being broadcast today (Friday 6th Feb) at 6:30pm on Spotlight - make sure you tune in and check it out!
2015 Race Bike - Starley JKS-R1
Just had my 2015 Velosure Starly Primal race bike build completed and it's looking sweet - Cheers Paul!
Out filming with BBC South West and the some of the team tomorrow and then 1st race of the season on Sunday to test out the legs - gonna be good!
Out filming with BBC South West and the some of the team tomorrow and then 1st race of the season on Sunday to test out the legs - gonna be good!
2015 Race Kit Swag
Super excited to have received my 2015 Velosure Starley Primal race kit - it's hands down the best looking race kit on the UK circuit....
All topped off with the highest quality Giro accessories - it doesn't get any better than that! Can't wait for the 2015 season to kick off :)
Huge thanks to team sponsors Primal Europe for the clothing and Ziro for all the Giro products :)
All topped off with the highest quality Giro accessories - it doesn't get any better than that! Can't wait for the 2015 season to kick off :)
Huge thanks to team sponsors Primal Europe for the clothing and Ziro for all the Giro products :)
Velosure Starley Primal Announces 2015 Men's Team Roster
The full Velosure Starley Primal 2015 mens team roster has been announced today in conjunction with the new website www.peoplesteam.cc....check it out!
Going to be a strong team this year I'm sure, and I can't wait to get stuck into the racing - lots of preparation work to do over the winter and then roll on 2015!
Going to be a strong team this year I'm sure, and I can't wait to get stuck into the racing - lots of preparation work to do over the winter and then roll on 2015!
25deg C in November
Just back from a fabulous few days riding in Spain with Starley Primal. Great to meet new spanish team mate Adria Moreno and ride some stunning countryside in balmy 25deg sunshine with the Controlpack Ciclismo team. Thanks for the awesome hospitality!
Y Viva ESPAÑA
Just getting packed up for a long weekend of (hopefully) warm and sunny riding - mini training camp/social in Spain with Starley Primal...woahooo - bring it on!
Arrived....and oh yeah, it's warm and sunny alright :)
Arrived....and oh yeah, it's warm and sunny alright :)
Next Season - Starley Primal Pro Cycling
As my first season of road racing has come to an end I'd like to thank my coaches Mark Dolan at EPiC Cycle Coaching, James Marshall at Excelsior and everyone at Mid Devon Cycling Club, especially Andrew Parker, for all the help, support and opportunities they have given me throughout 2014.
Moving forward, I'm super proud to be riding for the Starley Primal Pro Cycling team for the 2015 season!
Really looking forward to the opportunity of stepping it up and racing at the UK's top level.
Some hard winter training ahead and then bring on 2015....!
South West Cyclo-X Series, Round 4, West Buckland School
Having completed a hectic first season of road racing followed by a strict end-of-season break it was time to dust off the cross bike for Round 4 of the 2014 South West Cyclo Cross Series at West Buckland School....
Returning to cycling, after having a solid three weeks off the bike, I knew my form was going to have dropped off significantly so I approached the race with fun in mind and without setting any expectations of producing a decent result.
A couple of laps of the course provided an ad-hoc warmup and at 1:30pm a stacked field of 80 riders assembled on the start line.
The sunny weather and dry short grass meant the race was pacy from the off and pretty soon I was feeling the burn, hanging on to the leaders as we pushed on to quickly establish a gap. Soon enough the lead group of 4 of us (three from MDCC) were away and settled into a good rhythm.
A couple of laps from the end I began to lose touch with the lead group as my lack of form vs the pace began to take it's toll. I let the wheel go and cruised the remaining couple of laps to come home in 4th place overall and 1st in Senior.
Was pretty tired out at the end but not a bad result considering...
Returning to cycling, after having a solid three weeks off the bike, I knew my form was going to have dropped off significantly so I approached the race with fun in mind and without setting any expectations of producing a decent result.
A couple of laps of the course provided an ad-hoc warmup and at 1:30pm a stacked field of 80 riders assembled on the start line.
The sunny weather and dry short grass meant the race was pacy from the off and pretty soon I was feeling the burn, hanging on to the leaders as we pushed on to quickly establish a gap. Soon enough the lead group of 4 of us (three from MDCC) were away and settled into a good rhythm.
A couple of laps from the end I began to lose touch with the lead group as my lack of form vs the pace began to take it's toll. I let the wheel go and cruised the remaining couple of laps to come home in 4th place overall and 1st in Senior.
Was pretty tired out at the end but not a bad result considering...
Colin Lewis Cycles Grand Prix, Torbay Velopark
Saturday saw the Colin Lewis Cycles Grand Prix at the Torbay Velopark. This promised a busy programme of races throughout the day, starting with kids’ competitions and building up to a high-quality hour-long E/1/2 race in the evening.
The E/1/2 race started at a quick pace with various riders attacking right from the start. With a field of high caliber riders I decided to follow any moves that looked strong, keeping my options open.
Several attacks early on looked quite promising and at times began splitting up the field as some riders struggled to stay on in the windy conditions.
Just when it start to settle down, I heard George Pym (Starley Primal Pro Cycling) changing up the gears behind me...I sensed the attack and jumped straight on his wheel and before we knew it we had a fairly decent gap on the bunch.
We worked together to increase the gap as 3 other riders formed a chasing group that started to close us down for a while. We continued to press on regardless, digging deep, to maintain our advantage.
After some time the gap remained constant and with 5 laps to go the chasers realised that they weren't going to catch us so backed off in order to contest 3rd place.
George and I continued to lap at a fairly high pace until the final lap when we knew we would be fighting for the win.
Out of the final hairpin and things had slowed to a track style standoff with neither of us wanting to take it up too early. Halfway down the penultimate straight George really backed it off so I thought it was my best opportunity to attack so I opened up my sprint, catching him off guard and in the wrong gear, as I opened up a gap into the final bend.
Giving it my all I wasn't quite strong enough to hold him off, coming in a strong second.
Was a great evening's racing and I was pleased with the result - shows I've come a long way since starting as a cat 4 just 5 months ago!
The E/1/2 race started at a quick pace with various riders attacking right from the start. With a field of high caliber riders I decided to follow any moves that looked strong, keeping my options open.
Several attacks early on looked quite promising and at times began splitting up the field as some riders struggled to stay on in the windy conditions.
Just when it start to settle down, I heard George Pym (Starley Primal Pro Cycling) changing up the gears behind me...I sensed the attack and jumped straight on his wheel and before we knew it we had a fairly decent gap on the bunch.
We worked together to increase the gap as 3 other riders formed a chasing group that started to close us down for a while. We continued to press on regardless, digging deep, to maintain our advantage.
After some time the gap remained constant and with 5 laps to go the chasers realised that they weren't going to catch us so backed off in order to contest 3rd place.
George and I continued to lap at a fairly high pace until the final lap when we knew we would be fighting for the win.
Out of the final hairpin and things had slowed to a track style standoff with neither of us wanting to take it up too early. Halfway down the penultimate straight George really backed it off so I thought it was my best opportunity to attack so I opened up my sprint, catching him off guard and in the wrong gear, as I opened up a gap into the final bend.
Giving it my all I wasn't quite strong enough to hold him off, coming in a strong second.
Was a great evening's racing and I was pleased with the result - shows I've come a long way since starting as a cat 4 just 5 months ago!
Brentor Road Race
Yesterday saw one of the last remaining road races of the season - the Okehamption CC E/1/2/3 Brentor Road Race. Not really one of my favourite circuits if I'm honest, but never the less one I felt I could do well on.
There was a pretty strong field of riders which I was hoping would make for some good racing. However, the race was pretty uneventful at first with no major attacks until 2 riders got a gap around 2 laps in. This was soon brought back and then the real attacking began...
I followed all the main moves but nothing was sticking and although the race was pacy, with riders continually being shelled out the back, it was looking like it was going to be all together at the base of the final climb.
Around half way around the final lap a couple of riders clipped of the front of the bunch and everyone started looking around, wondering who was going to commit, but none of the stronger/well represented teams were prepared to chase this move down. Rounding the final corner it all kicked off with everyone going full gas up the final climb and splitting up the race into small groups.
I was in the front group of around 10 riders and we were closing rapidly on the 2 man break. It was obviously going to be a dash for the line so I positioned myself well in anticipation of the sprint. With just under 200m to go I came off the wheel of a BH Solidor and opened up my sprint, flashing past riders as I galloped to the line - 3rd in the bunch sprint taking 5th place overall, not quite catching the break.
There was a pretty strong field of riders which I was hoping would make for some good racing. However, the race was pretty uneventful at first with no major attacks until 2 riders got a gap around 2 laps in. This was soon brought back and then the real attacking began...
I followed all the main moves but nothing was sticking and although the race was pacy, with riders continually being shelled out the back, it was looking like it was going to be all together at the base of the final climb.
Around half way around the final lap a couple of riders clipped of the front of the bunch and everyone started looking around, wondering who was going to commit, but none of the stronger/well represented teams were prepared to chase this move down. Rounding the final corner it all kicked off with everyone going full gas up the final climb and splitting up the race into small groups.
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| photo: www.rutrainingtoday.co.uk |
I was in the front group of around 10 riders and we were closing rapidly on the 2 man break. It was obviously going to be a dash for the line so I positioned myself well in anticipation of the sprint. With just under 200m to go I came off the wheel of a BH Solidor and opened up my sprint, flashing past riders as I galloped to the line - 3rd in the bunch sprint taking 5th place overall, not quite catching the break.
VC Venta Summer Road Race
Another early start as we headed up the 303 to Stockbridge in Hampshire for a 9:30am start to the VC Venta Summer Road Race. I had raced here a few weeks ago and really liked the course - a fast, rolling circuit with a draggy hill finish which helps to split the race up making for some interesting racing.
I knew I could go well here but that I'd have my work cut out tactically, being a lone (marked) rider, against a few strong teams. Sure enough the team attacks came thick and fast from the start until a 4 man breakaway was quickly established.
Unfortunately I wasn't part of the break, having been caught out after chasing many attacks. I tried hard to split the race via counter attacks up the main climb but most riders were unwilling to share the work so it all came back together.
So, on the last lap, with the breakaway gone, I was racing for 5th place. I put in a big attack a third of the way up the final climb and blew the peloton apart with only one rider able to stick with me. We worked together to ensure the gap was not able to be closed down before I attacked again and pulled out a large time gap to comfortably take 5th place. Not quite the result I was looking for but that's racing!
I knew I could go well here but that I'd have my work cut out tactically, being a lone (marked) rider, against a few strong teams. Sure enough the team attacks came thick and fast from the start until a 4 man breakaway was quickly established.
Unfortunately I wasn't part of the break, having been caught out after chasing many attacks. I tried hard to split the race via counter attacks up the main climb but most riders were unwilling to share the work so it all came back together.
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| Approaching the finish |
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