I have been racing competitively for 5 years with the last 3 years being on the National and European circuit. I have raced in: Perth & Glasgow in Scotland. Newport & Pembrey in Wales. Loughborough, Derby, Cheshire, Manchester, Scarborough, Colchester, London, Brighton, Reading, Welwyn, Ipswich, Gravesend in England and Tielt, Damme, Vlamertinge, Zonnebeke and Limburg in Belgium. All of these places are different, the landscapes, the roads, the conditions, the results. But same faces, different places.
The whole racing calendar is the equivalent of a bicycle circus. We travel up and down the country, week after week, with a caravan of bikes. A colourful band of racing cyclists. Staying in Travelodge’s and Premier Inns. Arriving at the start lines for recons and races. Everyone talking up the race, checking the bikes, preparing to take to the roads. Then pitting ourselves against each other, on the road or the track, no love lost, competitive and driven to win, but, respectful and understanding. Whilst we are opponents in the race, we have to look after each other, we may well at some point ride on the same team or need a wheel, or share the effort in a break. We have a mutual understanding of what it takes, what it takes to train and race. Afterwards the chat, the smiles, and the goodbyes, until the following week where it all starts again. Same faces, different places.
The end of May saw the cycling circus heading to Yorkshire. Up the A1 on a warm Saturday along with the rest of half-term traffic, we arrived in Sherriff Hutton, a sleepy village with a beautiful 11th century castle, a pub and a cafe. We were here to ride the course and get ourselves prepared for the third Junior National of the season.
Yorkshire holds a special place for me. It is where my Dad is from and as he says, “How do you tell if someone is from Yorkshire? You don’t! Because if they are, they will already have told you”! It is a wonderful county that for one thing prides itself on how hard it is. The Yorkshire Classic would certainly deliver on this. It was ‘proper ‘ard’.
The race was on the Junior National Champs course from last year and took in 7 laps of an exceptionally demanding and hilly course around Sherriff Hutton. 122 km in total with a massive 2000 meters of climbing. The major obstacle being Bulmer bank, a 7.5% climb for 1km, honestly with this sort of climbing as well as the general parcours I was just hoping to finish!
Race Day, overcast and warm but not the heat we had been experiencing. The race rolled out and after two kilometres we hit Bulmer for the first time, surprisingly I felt good, and as the race progressed I started to feel stronger and stronger. Through the feed zone the first 3 times, the bunch were staying together but you could sense it would not be long. After 80 km, the time to move came. Attacking on the downhill into the start of Bulmer Bank, I went with a group of riders that looked pretty interesting, go, go, go. Over the top and 15 of us had made the gap and it was time to move. I knew now I just had to hang in there and I would get my best result of the National season. We rolled through and I tried to spend as little time as possible on the front, doing just enough. Back to the climb I moved up, giving myself sliding room.
Into the last lap, still all to play for and then the final effort, I saw Jacob Bush, Matty Brennan, Seb Grindley, and Oli Peace go and I knew I couldn’t get to them, so sit in and aim top ten. I hung on up the hills and made gains back on the flats and the downhills. Then the final uphill finish came, pushing hard I crossed the line, spent, but Top 10! Taking 9th place. My first Top 10 finish in a National Junior Race.
Super pleased, we packed up said our goodbyes and the Circus disbanded. I headed off to my Grandparents for Sunday Dinner and a trip the next day for Ice Cream at Scarborough. Happy days.
A couple of weeks training and the next National was not far away. This time the caravan headed South West and to Hatherleigh, Devon. We were lucky to have 8 riders entered for the race and somehow they all fitted in our van. The LVYCC team bus rolled out and we headed down the M5 to see what the rolling hills of Devon had in store.
It must be a National Series thing but I had ridden CicLe on my spare bike after smashing my derailleur in Belgium, then on my new bike there have been further issues with the Di2 and the bike has been in the shop to get sorted. It had meant that I had ridden Yorkshire on my spare bike. Thanks to Highway Cycles, Devon was going to be my first race out on the new Trek. Arriving at the ubiquitous Travelodge, we changed and set out. I felt good on the new bike, the roads though were less good. Potholes galore, a very British issue! On a quick descent I hit a particularly deep one and bang! I couldn’t believe it, the bike tyre blown out. Back on the spare!
Raceday. Thankfully we were able to change the tyre and I was eventually going to race on my bike. Rolling out we settled into a good rhythm on the road, an early attack but nothing to worry about, then it was brought back and a few more attacks but nothing stuck. After 70 km the bunch still together took the 16% descent carefully and as we went back up the valley side the move went and I sadly wasn’t in it. The newly signed Jumbo Visma pair of Smithson and Pattison had gone with GB’s Codd. The team continued to work on the front but after coming back to the team car to sort my handlebars that had weirdly dropped, I heard from the car that the 3 leaders had over 3 minutes up the road. Moving into the final third of the race I sat in waiting for the finish climb. As we got to the roundabout in Hatherleigh I exited and moved up, waiting for the right moment and then go. Sprinting as hard as I could I hit the front and comfortably took the bunch sprint for 4th and my new highest Nationals placing. We received our prizes and once again the Circus broke up and we set off on our long trip home and back to school the next day.
With the month coming to a close I had the chance to join a slightly different travelling band and met up with the Track League crew for the Herne Hill Team Track Champs. I had taken part in these as a youth, and knew it was a lot of fun and for this one I was promised Jerk Chicken, who can say no? John, Tom, Sid and I were to make up the Welwyn Track League Ward Wheelz team. I had been pencilled in for the Sprint, Devil and Team Pursuit. I hadn’t done a Track sprint for a while. Last time in the Youth Team Champs I had won at Herne Hill. This time I qualified 2nd, only one of two to go sub 12 seconds for the flying 200m. Happy with this I went into the match sprint, only to mess up a bit when the wind in the sponsors boards made me think my disc was rubbing. Alas I came back and managed to take bronze in the final sprint.
Tom Ward then put in an amazing IP and set a new Herne Hill Track record, chapeau. We rounded off the day with a 2nd in the TP. Taking 2nd overall and having a lot of fun in the process. Then after the famous Jerk Chicken we headed out back on the road. Not home though. First, we dropped my twin sister Maddy off, to stay in North London, as she is going to work at Rouleur Magazine for the week for her work experience, (She should really be writing this for me!) and I went to Silverstone to work at Vorteq and the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub. Playing with aero kit and all sorts of expensive and fun stuff. Dependent on what I do and how secret it is more on this next month!
For now the Circus moves on to Holland for Acht van Bladel. Different places and this time different faces!
Finally, thanks to all my supporters and sponsors. I wouldn’t be part of this wonderful Circus without you.
Gilbank Racing 