July had been a month of flat track racing with the only slope encountered being the 42 degree banking of Newport Velodrome. The weather had been fine when the circus was in South London and when indoors at Newport Velodrome the weather was immaterial. However August had a different story to tell.
I left the Velodrome, reflective. I was delighted with my National Silver Medal in the Scratch and pleased with my 3km Individual Pursuit, but the crash had left me sore and I was fatigued from the efforts of the 5 days and the emotion of the final day crash as well as the disappointment of the result. Ideally, I wanted a break but I had committed to riding for Tofauti Everyone Active in the East of Belgium at Aubel-Thimister-Stavelot, a 3 day UCI 2:1 race. I was pleased to have been asked and also was interested to experience the feel of a different team and to see how they operated, compared to my previous experience.
We headed out a week after the National Track and although I was pleased to be there, my legs were certainly not! We trekked across Belgium and arrived in the beautiful town of Thimister. Just east of Liege and well into the Ardennes. I had read about the Ardennes from the History of the War but also from my knowledge of Liege-Bastogne-Liege. I knew it was hilly but I didn’t know how hilly! I soon found out. We headed out for a reconnaissance of the Team Time Trial course and the finish of the second stage. It was then that the heavens opened and it rained. Going up a hill and rain coming down were to become a constant theme of my August.
We headed off to our hotel, in the rain, for the night and to ready for Stage 1 in Aubel. It was a lumpy stage and very quickly I realised I was not quite in the right shape for the hills of the Ardennes. A lot of the riders around me were 60 kg waifs. I managed though to hang on, my aim to get to day 2 and support the team in the Team Time Trial. The first one I have ever done in competition.
Stage 2 and we had a dryish morning for the TTT. We set off and I put in a big turn getting the team up to speed and then when we hit the hill, I was done, managing to roll in within the time limit, I was pretty despondent. The team, however, managed to finish in the top five, and so we were pleased with the overall. I guess I had done my bit. The fatigue was catching up with me and I had two stages to go. I ate, rested and tried to get my head in the game. Stage 3 was lumpy, in fact lumpier than Stage 1. I set off, in the rain again, and managed to stay in but on approaching the feed my gears packed up and so did I. I was out the back of the cars, onto the spare bike and the road went up and away. Turning round I dejectedly rolled back to the van, showered, changed and headed to the finish. The boys did well but I had DNF’d; something I didn’t like doing, but it happens. I recognised that it wasn’t to be. From the Highs of the Silver to the Lows of DNF in a couple of weeks. That is sport. I, therefore, turned my mind to helping out the team. Dad was on his own in the feed so I helped where possible, loading and unloading, filling and distributing bottles, being out in the feed zone and seeing the race from a different perspective.
Stage 4 was even lumpier that all of the others, my initial pang of regret of not racing soon changed when I saw the steepness of the climbs and the relentlessness of the roads. Oh and it was torrential rain. So feed duties it was. It was good to do this and see how stressful this side of the race can be. Finding the locations, getting to where you need to be in the time. Positioning on the road side and fighting for position amongst the other teams for the best spot for your team mates. Then getting the bottle across in the melee of the race. Critical to the team’s performance. Job done, we headed back to the finish and sorted out the recovery and warm clothes ready for the returning riders. Two of our riders were pulled in the stage and the other two finished. It had been an attritional race and very tough.
Whilst it hadn’t been a success on the performance front, it had been successful from an experience perspective. It had been nice to see how another team operates and also nice to go to another part of Belgium. I had also enjoyed being in the feed and gaining respect for the support side of the team. I would like to extend my thanks to Toufati Everyone Active for the invitation. It was very much appreciated.
Back to the UK I had a couple of days off before heading up to my Grandparents for some training on the North York Moors. You guessed it, more hills and more rain. Throughout the week (interspersed with Golf, Theatre and watching the mighty York City play football), I managed to train on the hills of the Moors, 25% climbs at Beck Hole, Grosmont, Littlebeck and Wheeldale moor. Time Trials through Pickering. Hill repeats on the Ryedale GP course. All readying for the Junior Tour of Wales. All tough climbs, all in the rain. August was proving tough. The fatigue; physical and emotional, I knew was never far away. But neither was the JTOW or the season end.
Then after a good couple of days in Manchester, watching Cricket and visiting Old Trafford for my brother and Grandad’s birthdays we headed off to South Wales.
It was good to see my team mates again and we set off to Ebbw Vale for the opening Time Trial of the 2023 JTOW. Guess what. The course was hilly, up the back of the Tumble and it was raining! No surprise there. I was one of the latest off and I set off in slightly better conditions, however, my physical condition was still not in the form of June and July. Finishing the Time Trial I was disappointed with my time but I had struggled on the final kicker. This week was now about an experience of hilly stage racing and ensuring I finished.
Stage 2 took us to the Black Mountain. The sound of it struck fear into most of our team. We had 4 first years and 2 second years, so experience of the course was limited. However, the Black Mountain was not too bad in the end. The stage had a transitional feel about it. The bunch had decided to ride at a pace that meant we all stayed together before the lower slopes of the Black Mountain where it would all kick off, and kick off it did. Feeling OK I found a rhythm and knew I just had to reach the top and then Stage 3 would be within grasp. Reach the top I did. Another hill, a bit more rain and back to the hotel. Rest.
Stage 3, we headed to Pembrey Country Park. I had been once before for a 2-Day U16 National. I remember the course being tight, sketchy and mad. I wasn’t overly looking forward to the stage but as we set off for the 25 lap crit, I settled in. This was good. The bunch were better skilled and more confident riders than last time, their experience was obvious. My intent and confidence grew. I wanted to be up there at the end. Two laps to go, I moved up but a squeeze on the left moved me to the grass, unclip, reclip, back on, regain position, all not lost, keep hunting. Final corner, pedal hard, clipped pedal! Bounced! Regain, go again! 20th overall. Not bad, I felt more at home in the sprint, on the flat, in the dry!
Stage 4 took us North but due to an incident we were neutralised on our way to the circuit. We chilled and chatted on the way up. New and old friends in the bunch. Onto the circuit we raced. Up the kicker climb from the old stone bridge, attacks repeatedly going. I aimed for the bunch sprint, lap 3 and all go. The Citroën Berlingo parked two feet off the curb on the left side of the road, was not for messing with and my move up the left was halted as it was me or the car so I shifted right, lost position and dropped my chain. 30th overall.
Stage 5 and the Tumble. I had climbed the Tumble whilst on a National School of Racing Camp in Newport and I know just how hard it was, what I didn’t know was how hard the climbs were getting there. Joe, the Team Coach, discussed our plan at the start. I was to get in the early break and see how far it could go and then finish either within the group or within the time limit. After the first sprint I decided to go; some others came with me and before we knew it, the gap had extended, at one point a minute plus gap developed but then the road went up, again! I could not stay with them and although gaining points in the previous sprint competition I had nothing to sprint for the first KOM. Hanging in, we reached the next climb. The bunch had caught up with as and were going hell for leather for the top. I slid through the bunch. Arriving at the feed I could have, unhappily, stepped off, but no. The plan was the break and finish. So, I cracked on, and found myself in a group of four. Ironically an Englishman, Irishman, Welshman and a Scotsman; we made our way along the open dual carriageway (quite a scary experience) and along to the bottom of the Tumble. I tapped away and gapped my comrades to finish inside the time limit. Mission complete and time for an ice cream from the van at the summit. I later figured out that just as I turned onto the lower slopes, the stage winner was crossing the finish line, 19 minutes before I would.
A gruelling few days. A gruelling month. A month of hills and rain punctuated with some fun and family time. September beckons so back to school for me now. A little weekend of Belgium Kermesses and a return to Wales for my Gold DofE expedition. A few more hills and hopefully a bit of sun!
Thanks as ever to the guys at Highway, for making sure my bike was race ready. Bob, Julie Joe and Emily at Lee Valley, for taking us all to Wales. Pedal Potential, for their support and your enjoyment! Thomas, those spare wheels came in handy. Cheers! And as ever, all my family that supports me through the rain and up the hills.
Here’s to dry skies and descents in September!
Gilbank Racing 