January 2025
I’m writing this on a plane flying out to Calpe, to join the traditional cycling pilgrimage to warmer weather for a solid week of training before the road season kicks off. After the stresses of exam season and a long winter spent on Leicestershire’s finest roads, the excitement of some sun (and fewer potholes) is unmatched.
The new year has brought a few big changes, the biggest being the exciting opportunity to join a new road team—BCC Elite. Things have been building up over the winter, with team rides out of Derby University and workshops focused on various aspects of performance to complement our racing. It’s also been great meeting my new teammates, not just from the Senior Elite team but across Beeston’s Senior, Junior, and Youth ranks, as well as all the support staff and parents. All the lads racing for our senior teams are U23, and many are at local universities, just like me, so the transition has been much smoother. I’m already getting along with everyone and enjoying the camaraderie.
I’m also happy to say I’ll be staying with One Life Cycle for my track racing in 2025. They’re now the only British UCI Track team, and this year is looking bigger and more exciting than ever. The team will be racing in two separate 6-day style events: James and I will represent at the London 3Day, while Frank and Tom will fly the flag at Berlin 6.
My season properly kicked off at the UCI Cymru Velo Cup in Newport. The racing was spread over three days, with the omnium on Thursday and Friday, and the Points and Elimination races on Saturday. Unfortunately, due to exams, I was only able to race on the Saturday, but it was still a good pre-nationals run-out. The field was very similar to the one that’ll be racing in Manchester at the end of February, so it was a great opportunity to gauge where everyone’s at.
Saturday’s racing started early with elimination qualifiers. Strangely, we were racing scratch races to decide who would qualify for the elimination final, but no worries—I managed to take a lap with four other riders, which allowed us to roll in safely and avoid any unnecessary sprints.
Next up were the finals. Elimination races are always fast, as everyone wants to be near the front, but the biggest difference between elimination and other races is how tight the bunch can get. The key is staying relaxed, even when the elbows come out and everything heats up. I started well but ended up getting stuck out of position, leaving me in 14th. I wasn’t thrilled with this result, but there was still another race to come.
There was a long wait between the elimination and points finals—seven to eight hours between races. It was a chance to relax, refuel, recover, and prepare for the night’s 120-lap race.
When the time finally came, it was full gas from the start. I managed to pick up three points from the second sprint, but not long after, my legs started to tighten up. From there, my priority shifted to simply making it to the finish as best I could. I did get through, but having lost two laps, I wasn’t in contention for anything. Still, I was pleased I stuck it out when many others had pulled out during such an attritional race. I think the stress from exams also had an impact, as that mental load is always in the background when you’re training and racing during busy periods.
February is shaping up to be an exciting month, with nationals and BUCS coming up, meaning I’ll be spending plenty of time going round in circles. But honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way!
Gilbank Racing 