Lets do the excuses first: no racing for nearly a year; long recovery from major shoulder surgery; moved to a ski resort where winter riding doesn’t exist; less training time due to new job; long car journey from Switzerland; tired from sleeping in strange places and lastly stomach cramps on the day.
Phew, now we can get real. Being in the UK for the week (to get married of all things) meant I had a Sunday afternoon free, and of course the next logical step was to see if a) there was a race on and b) I could fit my bike in the car for the trans-European journey. With both criteria met it was the Surrey League race at Ewhurst (although actually on the Walliswood circuit due to roadworks) that seemed the best fit, with unfinished business having finished second last year.
So much like my race, I’ll keep it short. The goal was to avoid sitting in, race aggressively and be under no pressure at all, so from lap one I tried to attack a few times (and was at least once pulled back by a team-mate, although to be fair I had only met him a few minutes earlier). One move looked promising, with race-tweeting buddy Rob Enslin and two others, but after a couple of turns my lungs felt like they were inside-out and my guts were screaming in agony, so I dropped back to the bunch, and as it accelerated off the next bend something inside clicked and the pedaling went soft, letting the following cars overtake.
I tweeted earlier that I’ve never pulled out of a race (other than puncturing) but there was a handicap back in 2007 where I went off like a bat out of hell and quit with lower back pain, so it’s not unprecedented. When I see people’s advice about starting racing I’m always slightly wary of the advice that you should expect to be dropped in your first race, then hang on and be proud of finishing in the bunch. This progression is alien to me having never had a problem when I started racing, yet today’s experience has humbled me a little and I can now understand that perspective, although the old adage remains: “proper planning and preparation prevent piss poor performance”.
Tom Southam, whom I have raced against a few times in the Totnes-Vire and Surrey League 5-day back in 2008 sums up my current state of mind very eloquently in this excellent piece of writing for the Rapha website. This quote in particular wraps today’s race report up:
“recovery is so slow and the increments so small, that it is easy to miss a bit, skip a session for a brew ride or forget about it completely. But then you race, and you know exactly what you have and haven’t been doing.”
One thing is for sure in endurance sport: training is not like money, you can’t put it in a bank and save it. At the end of the day, there really is no faking it.
Being on an extended summer holiday has allowed for ongoing exploration of all the local climbs, and for route planning the excellent climbbybike website has been a great resource, as has the useful bikeroutetoaster when trying to work out total climbing and whether a ride is going to be painful, really painful or just plain punishing.
Riding around with a lowest gear of 39×25 means that the steeper ascents tend to be a grind, although as fitness returns and weight drops I was beginning to wonder if a compact is really necessary after all. That was until further exploration of climbbybike revealed this little gem lurking just a few kilometres from home…
This week I ventured beyond Martigny to the excellent Col des Planches, a back road that heads towards Verbier. The plan was to climb it and descend the back side before heading up to Verbier, but on reaching the Col it clearly wasn’t the high point of the climb, with a road signposted to Saxon (a village in the Rhone Valley) heading up. Taking this road less travelled led to stunning remote pastures, yet I failed to notice for a few hundred metres that tarmac had given way to a hard-packed dirt road with rather chunky drainage channels.
Seeing as this road was just about rideable, I proceeded upward to the Col du Tronc manualing and bunny-hopping the drainage channels (the Sl2 coping admirable with the abuse) until eventually the descent started, initially quite gingerly on loose dirt, then back on tarmac, although frankly dirt would have been preferable given the state of the road. After the first village the heavily weathered road gave way to the more familiar smooth Swiss tarmac and after a very long descent I was back in the valley, smashing into the ever-present headwind riding back towards Martigny and Bex.
This is just one of many rides this holiday, with fitness and weight both heading in the right directions, and a beautiful set of tan-lines coming along, inspired by Thomas Lofkvist of Team Sky. The Swiss racing license should be in the post by now, and a track bike is very much on the shopping list ready for a winter in the velodrome.
Thanks to part time Villars resident and fellow SE England racer Graham Hills, I entered the 102km Seeland classic unlicensed race yesterday; part sportive, part road race with 200 riders, a massed start and well marshaled semi-road closure. Essentially it’s a series of support races for the Sunday Tour of Berne, an Elite UCI race.
The real excitement came from learning Fabian Cancellara was on the start sheet, I had presumed he was making an appearance to start the event, but it turned out he was riding the same race, resplendent in Saxo Bank National champs jersey and of course with the very pro saddlebag (reminds me of Dan Lloyd’s frame pump in the handicaps last summer!).
The parcours was pretty tough, covering 3 laps of a course with a 450metre climb including a long section at 9%. Although I’ve been riding a lot more recently, I found the first ascent hard going, and although I was near the front fell back to the rear of the leading group. During a brief lull I managed to have a chat with Cancellara, saying: “this must be a walk in the park for you”, his reply was a very modest: “It’s not easy! first time up maybe, but second and third, that hurts. What you have to remember is that the pain is temporary but the memories last forever” and with that he rather comfortably moved up to the front.
In spite of my very careful positioning coming into the start/finish area to get the optimum ‘me racing Cancellara’ shot, this was the best we could find in spite of head soigneur Cat taking about 200 photos. I’ve added some annotations to help the reader understand the situation (click to enlarge):
Having survived the first lap in a large group of 50 or so, I felt far better second time up the climb, this time glued to Cancellera’s wheel that acted like a giant magnet. On making the summit I shifted to the big ring and disaster struck, dropping my chain and having to stop to sort out the subsequent jam of metal and carbon. The group whizzed off and I was left in a chasing pack of around 10 riders, some of whom worked well, others who were at the limit and unable to share the load. We never caught the front bunch, and rolled in 5 minutes back, where I led out the sprint but got caught on the line, finishing 43rd (only 9 places behind a decidedly conservative finish from Cancellara).
This was the perfect return to competitive riding, not quite the heated intensity of an elite road race but also not an easy roll around. The winners average speed was 39.4kph and mine was 38, I’m sure the elite race will only be a fraction higher. The obvious highlight was getting to race against a hero, even if he was just enjoying a local training ride. If I didn’t respect him enough already, there was a great moment where another riders saddlebag came loose and Spartacus gave him a push for a couple of minutes falling to the back of the group. I just wish he had been on my wheel when I dropped the chain and I might have got the same treatment!
Stats show some way off race fitness, and my CTL is not even at 50 TSS yet (WKO geeks will know just what that means!). The only way is up… literally when you live on a mountain.
Today was the first ‘proper’ Alpine ride, taking in the Col du Pillon and Col des Mosses. The Col du Pillon is a long 22km climb of 1129 metres, and features a deceivingly easy flat middle section before stinging you in the last 3km. Although still overweight and out of shape this was a very enjoyable climb, with the easy middle section providing ample opportunity to recover. Once over the col the descent to Gstaad and Saanen is through glorious Swiss-German villages and surrounding rolling pastures, before once again entering Romandie at Rougemont. Throughout the ride it was easy to get off the main road without any prior planning or GPS using the excellent signposts marking quieter bike-friendly roads, although at one point I did find myself on a rough surface in a wood, provoking an Arenburg forest visualisation and subsequent surge in watts.
A left hand turn took me up the Col des Mosses, technically the easy side, the same way it was ridden in stage 15 of the 2009 TDF (Contador’s win at Verbier) and the opposite to how it will be used in the 2010 Tour de Suisse however with a real lack of form and a long climb already behind me it still felt tough, especially the final run up to the top. I can’t wait to watch the pro riders come through here.
The descent back to Aigle was very fast, with several long straight sections to practise the aero tuck, although I struggled to get better than 71k.p.h, and on reaching the town in the bottom of the valley I’m slightly ashamed to say I accepted a lift home rather than the 10km climb up the Col de la Croix road (we live at the 1200 metre mark on that profile). Once the Col de la Croix opens in May this ride will be even better, with a circular route taking in three solid climbs.
I now have three consistent weeks of riding in the legs, building towards some events in May including the flat 180km Cycletour du Leman and perhaps some hillier events. I’m seriously considering gearing options living on a mountain, although with a few less kg’s and a bit more fitness the 39×25 shouldn’t feel quite so hard!
Three months ago I underwent major shoulder stabilisation surgery (Bristow-Laterjet procedure for those interested). The NHS were predictably poor in terms of communication; firstly a last minute deferral of the operation then opting for a more extreme procedure at the last minute. Day surgery involved being booted out of the ward within an hour of coming around, and the aftercare has involved no contact with the actual surgeon, who I must point out has done an amazing job.
With my arm still in a sling my partner Cat and myself somehow managed a complete move to the Swiss Alps and within a few days of removing the sling I was in my new classroom teaching. Thankfully Swiss physiotherapists are in a different league to those from my UK experiences (although of course with private health insurance you pay for the privilege). I am happy to report I have nearly full strength and movement back, although there is a certain air of disappointment that the screws don’t set off the airport security alarm.
Living and working in a ski resort has made a return to training difficult, although I have been out on the trainer (I say out because the apartment is way too hot to train in so have been using the balcony) where the view on a clear day is of the beautiful Dents du Midi.
One way around the conditions was to put a bike in the car and drive down to the Rhone Valley and train on snow free roads, but the hassle factor has meant this has only happened once. The UCI velodrome is as yet an unexplored option, perhaps I’ll reserve that for next winter when I can afford a track bike! The only way forward has been to embrace the winter, and inspired by the cross-country events at the Vancouver Olympics Cat and I have made our first forays into classic skiing (think sliding on the kitchen floor in socks and you get the basics) including a fabulous two hours today away from the main ski area in a stunning area around the huts of Sololex.
As well as the XC the plan is to try ski mountaineering on normal alpine skis with a special binding. There is quite a big local race scene in this discipline although I’m sure most visitors to Villars would scratch their heads over the idea of an uphill ski race!
As for the cycling, there are no specific goals yet, and of course this removes a certain element of urgency and motivation compared to last year. The riding here will be nothing short of spectacular and I’m sure the urge to race will be a strong one, so I think a balanced schedule of XC skiing, touring and alpine skiing and a few trainer sessions a week will serve me well, with a view to getting specific in April when the snow starts to disappear. With a long summer holiday in July and August it makes sense to aim for a late racing season…
Last night was my first experience of the Surrey League AGM and prize presentation where I travelled with club-mate Maryka Senema. I won’t lie, it was the lure of trophies, cash and free food that took me to Handcross parish hall but I’m glad I went to say a goodbye to many of the guys I see week in, week out at races and see a village hall without half-naked cyclists and a stench of embrocation.
The evening started with a healthy buffet and a couple of beers as Keith Butler opened proceedings, running though what directions the Surrey League could move in. Then we moved onto the prizes, where I picked up the overall runner-up and the time trial champion, as well as the 4th place winnings for the Kingston Wheelers (it was noted how close the top four clubs were).
I have to say I found myself wanting to win the overall next year as well as helping the KW’s to the team prize, but instead I will be watching from afar, although Keith whet the appetite by offering me a place on the Ras Muhman stage race at Easter if I can turn up fit… I’ll have to assess that one in the new year!
On Saturday I raced what is likely to be my last race for some time; fittingly it was my host clubs annual John Bornhoft Memorial Hill Climb, up Leith Hill in Surrey.
The morning saw strong winds and a stronger field than last year with me setting off 3rd from last. The early pace was set by Tim Lawn, former National Hill Climb top ten finisher, before the seeded riders set off at the end. I had treated myself to a long warm up due to two days off the bike that included a good three minute full effort up Pitch Hill from Ewhurst. On looking at my watch I realised I had left it close for my start time so the warm up continued with a tempo effort back to the bottom of Leith Hill!
Starting after Matt Melville (AW Cycles) I made a solid start, aiming to hold 500watts up the climb. I was caught out by the flat section going into the farmyard walled area and probably eased off a fraction too much. Never mind, as I headed towards the mass of Kingston Wheeler Tifosi on the last few bends a second wind arrived as I made it over the line with lungs feeling ravaged and the legs bursting. Total for the effort was 495watts so pretty much on target.
The last two riders, Chris Mcnamara (Team Corley) and Pete Tadros (Ingear) proved the final seeding to be spot on with the podium the exact order of the final three starters. Tadros flew up in 3:43, a whole twelve seconds faster than myself. You can see his interview on London Cycle Sport and there is even a write up on Bikeradar. Full results are available as a PDF.
So this event wraps up my year neatly, although without the elite license I was going to chase to the death. The reason for this was an unforeseen and rapid change in direction, as my teaching career takes me to the Swiss Alps for January. I have no doubt I will be riding at every opportunity, but my own competitive racing will be playing second fiddle to what really is my dream job. One of the hardest parts of making the decision was going to be sacrificing all the hard work over years to get to where I am, indeed I had a strong feeling next year was going to be a big one for my racing. Sometimes life catches you by surprise and I firmly believe the opportunity of a lifetime must be taken within the lifetime of the opportunity.
So, a season in review. A quick look on the BC website reveals:
26 top-10′s
14 top-5′s
7 podiums
1win!
On top of this I managed to rack up some titles:
SCCU Road Race Champion
Surrey League TT Champion
KW Road Race Champion (not official yet, but pretty safe I think!)
KW Hill climb Champion
A win was my main goal, as was consistent top-5 results in big races and these goals have certainly been fulfilled. Dave Hayward sent me a great selection of images from the year’s racing, have a look at my Flickr feed when you get the chance.
Cycling has been a very big deal for the last three years, representing the Kingston Wheelers as a nervous 4th Cat at Chertsey back in 2007 to getting on the podium at the Revolutions stage race this year. Thanks to all the readers of this blog and followers on twitter- the thing I will miss most is the strong racing community, people I see every week who I have the utmost respect for. It is no mean feat balancing elite level racing with a full time job, yet there are many heroes out there who do just that and make it look easy. Let me tell you it is not. A club mate sent me an e-mail yesterday saying it would be a shame to stop racing as I had ‘natural talent’. I don’t believe this for one minute, and for me the best thing about cycling is that it rewards hard work and persistence. If you do the miles, and especially those hard miles you will go faster, it’s really a very simple equation:
“work out what you want to achieve, work out the cost of achieving it, pay the price.”
So many people in life know what they want, and many get to working out the cost of getting it. Very few seem willing to pay the price.
This is not quite a final goodbye, I hope to post on my mountain biking exploits between now and January, and of course if I’ll post from Switzerland in the new year. Until then, thanks for reading!
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” -Calvin Coolidge
Today was the SERRL Championships held on the testing Bells Yew Green course near Tunbridge Wells over a short 90km. This meant that being under-distance and without Elite riders there were only fifteen points up for grabs for the winner. Never mind, that would help and more importantly there was a chance to get that elusive win.
A very small field signed on, with the low points availability and the fact that many riders are hanging up their Sidi’s after a long season racing probably the reason. Thirty or so riders set off, and there was a sure chance of winning with only a couple of other 1st Cat riders in the field. You can only race who turns up, and even if you are one of the favourites on paper nobody is going to just let you ride off into the distance.
After a slow start I launched the first attack of the day on the back end of the circuit, but it was clear I was going to be watched in this race. The legs were not quite playing ball at this stage, with the constant punchy climbs feeling a little harder than they should have. A number of moves broke clear, stayed out for a bit and were then counter-attacked bringing things together. Thankfully the legs started to feel better and better with each passing minute.
With a couple of laps to go, Dave Seager (San Fairy Ann) and Pete Wager (VC Meudon) attacked and got a healthy lead. Wager had looked strong on the climbs so this was one to watch. With a lap and a half to go, on a part of the circuit with several climbs and false flats the small bunch started to fracture. Ishmael Burdeau (Agiskoviner) and I started applying the pressure and after persistent hard riding four of us broke clear, Burdeau, Malcolm Davies (Kent Cycles), a lad in blue Pinarello kit (sorry didn’t catch your name- will check on the results!) and myself. Up the finishing climb we caught the two leaders and became a good group of six. This felt like the winning move and with a bit of cajoling everyone started to work well together.
Coming into the final 6km or so, I had marked a point in my head I was going to make a devastating attack and solo to glory. Wager was savvy to me sitting at the back waiting to launch it, and before I had the chance Davies went solo. There were a couple of chase effort from myself and Burdeau, but Davies dangled off the group by a couple of hundred metres going into the final climb to the finish.
Playing it cool, I drifted to the back of the break, and waited to go. As the climb flattened out I wound it up and attacked from the rear, bridging to Davies with a one minute effort and putting more than enough distance between us and the chasers. On catching him, I could see his early attack had taken it’s toll, so after sitting on for a few seconds to catch my breath, and with 300m to go I sprinted for home, crossing the line with arms pointing skyward. You can tell I don’t win much as I made the decidedly unprofessional error of not doing my jersey up for the photo!
To get a win is a huge relief. I set clear goals for the year including at least one road win. Other bonus rewards have come my way such as becoming SCCU Champion and the overall winner of the Surrey League TT series, but nothing beats actually winning. It makes all the miles worthwhile! It seems daft to stop racing now just shy of an Elite license, and that would be the icing on the cake. By my reckoning I need another nineteen points…
The data shows that this was a tough couple of hours- the shorter distance meant intensity was up a bit from normal. Normalised power of 337watts and av HR of 172bpm shows that winning ain’t easy!
I got home to watch the World champs on Eurosport, with Sean Kelly’s ‘I’talians and other such idiosyncrasies putting me to sleep. I’m glad I woke up for the last two laps, and was impressed by Evans’ solo attack to win- not such a wheelsucker now! Chapeau.
Finally, thanks to the SERRL organisers, motorbike outriders and helpers who make their events so good to ride in. Today was the last race of their summer season and if you’ve never done a SERRL race I recommend them!
If you haven’t seen Any Given Sunday, it’s a film about an American football team and their ageing coach Tony D’Amato (played superbly by Al Pacino) and how they lose their star quarterback to injury. “What has this got to do with Cycling?” I hear you cry, well, amongst the guys I race with week in week out there is always that belief that on any given Sunday, it might just be your day. It’s more than that though. In the film, Pacino makes a speech to his team before their final match about inches, and it seems to strike a chord with competitive athletes.
Saturday 12th September, Team TT, Alford
Two Kingston Wheelers teams lined up for this Surrey League event, with Guy Powdrill of London Dynamo keen to knock me off the top of the Surrey League TT series. Team time-trialing is a real game of inches. If you’ve ever seen the team pursuit on the track you’ll see how a slick team rides in a compact unit, with only a small gap between the back wheel of each rider and the front wheel of the rider behind. A team of Martin, Phil, Luke and myself had done a couple of practice sessions in Richmond Park to try and find those inches that could make all the difference, and it really helped us ride well.
The first lap we stayed together, all sharing the work, but on the second lap Martin couldn’t stay on the wheel up the drag to Plaistow so we continued as three, with Phil just about hanging in as Luke and I tried to drill it to the finish. I really enjoyed the race, but the stats reveal how much more I had in the tank (I reckon I have an FTP of around 360watts). That is part of the fun of it though, trying to get around as a team! Sigma Sport were dominant and destroyed the field by minutes to win.
The circuit at Hillingdon is perhaps my least favourite place to race. Having been spoilt by racing in the Surrey and Sussex lanes, a wind-swept brownfield site in the heart of West London doesn’t float my boat. The venue does however do a lot for grass roots cycling and many love it’s constant wind and flowing bends. The lure of points took me there, but I wasn’t the only one as several strong riders showed up including a strong Sports Beans outfit with Polish hard man Marcin Bialoblocki. Indeed it was Bialoblocki who made the race, and as I followed his first attack my lungs were in bad shape after a two minute effort at over 500watts to hold his wheel… The race remained fast throughout, until Bialoblocki got away on his own and won in some style (the bunch averaged 43kph so he was in some form!). The bunch sprint was my idea of hell, as riders were all over the place on the grass verges and shooting for gaps that simply were not there. These were the inches I wasn’t willing to die for so rolled in out of the top twenty.
In a season where I have not manged to get a win, I went into this race full of thoughts of my victory here as a 3rd Cat back in 2007. That day I had won the uphill sprint by inches that I fought for with everything I had in my legs. The circuit was changed today due to a horse event around the normal finishing climb although it didn’t make the race any easier as we still had to climb to the same point just from a different direction!
Again, a very strong field took to the start line with many Elite riders entering on the line. Many of the top five from the Surrey League 5-day were here, including the winner Gareth Hewitt (Team Sabbath) and runner-up Chris Spence. (Caesarean CC)
I was in the first attack of the day with Grant Bayton (Sports Beans) but the strong field was not keen to see an early move go. I was feeling good up the finishing hill, and tried to make those behind suffer a bit each time up. Just after I had made a big effort to get away from the dead turn at the back of the circuit Hewitt came past like a train, with Chris Spence in tow. They were followed by Roy Chamberlin (Team Corley) and having just had a big dig myself I couldn’t find the inches I needed to latch on. Perhaps I wasn’t willing to die for them. This was a big mistake, as the bunch looked at each other and let them get up the road. I suspected with strong guys up there we would have a hard time bringing it back, although there were still plenty of talented riders still in the bunch. I persisted in attacking up the climb, only to be brought back by the end of the fast downhill section following it. Several times I had Cam Austin (London Dynamo) for company but we couldn’t make it stick.
With two laps to go, Austin again attacked up the climb, and thinking the same pattern would play out I gave it a miss. This was a mistake as he then got up the road for the remainder of the race! With ten riders away in various groups, it came down to a desperate sprint for points that I led out, before crossing the line in 17th place or so. David Sinclair (GWR Team) took the win.
A very hard day where nothing really went my way- including repeatedly dropping my chain at the top of the climb. Still, at least I might have another couple of points…
Road racing is truly a game of inches, and requires constant decision making. Some days, it seems like you make all the wrong choices and the inches you need to win are nowhere to be found.
As the season draws ever closer to ending, and the air takes a decidedly autumnal turn the road racers of this world start thinking about when their season will end. For me, with fifty points still to go if I want an elite license and no win for the year there is still plenty of motivation.
Today was a chance to get that win, at the Giles Ree Memorial race held on the amazing Beachy Head circuit in Sussex. This race was in danger of slipping off the calendar until Alan Denman rescued it and moved it to the new course. Essentially the race climbs up from East Dean to the top of Beachy Head, turns back into the wind and then a fast run back to the bottom of the climb. Perfect. You even get the Samaritans sign after the finish to talk you out of jumping off the cliff rather than take another lap of pain.
The field was smallish but strong, with Dan Staite (Python RT) fresh from two wins at the Surrey League 5 day, and numerous others on some late season form. Straight from the off moves started to go, with team mate James Beaumont in one early move. After the first climb the race started to come together and another move went, and as it was caught various counter attacks shot off including moves with Dan Kogan (BMC), Ian Paine (London Dynamo), Matt Melville (AW Cycles) and a duo of Staite and John Heaton-Armstrong (Fit-For). I wasn’t immediately worried with several strong riders still in the bunch, and proceeded to hammer it up the climb to try and get things moving.
Alarm bells started to ring at the top as the break was still some way up the road and on looking back the race had split up with only a group of twenty-five or so chasing. Actually chasing is the wrong word- only myself, Alex Higham (Wyndy Millar) and Ishmael Burdeau (Agiskoviner) tried to drive things, with cameos from others at times. Before long, in spite of some strong efforts up the climb the break pulled out to over two minutes, and each time what was left of the bunch climbed another rider or two were shelled off the back.
After a slightly frustrating final few laps. the bell lap came, and in the head wind coming into the descent David Streule (London Dynamo) put in a dig, taking a rider from SURC (didn’t catch his name- he was strong up the climbs though!). I liked the look of this so put in a monster sprint to detach myself from the rest and bridge across, making the junction fairly easily. The three of us worked well, and it was clear those behind lacked the motivation and legs to chase hard.
Coming into the finish climb, I sat on to watch the other two, and the SURC rider put in an attack, before releasing a “F**K” which I took to be an indicator of cramp. Taking this chance, I went for it and moved away to the finish for seventh place. Dan Staite took the win having made a bold attack on the final lap, a fine way to take victory.
In spite of missing the key move of the day, this was a thoroughly enjoyable race. Normally I would be annoyed at not giving myself the chance to win (and of course I still am a bit!) but the spectacular scenery, extreme nature of the course and generally good roads (the climb itself was super-smooth, used for gravity sports apparently) made this a race I would want to do for years to come. The only trouble is, if I get to elite I won’t be able to!!
Steven Saunders is a cyclist based in the Swiss Alps, formally an amateur racer in SE England. He plans to race in Europe in the latter half of the 2010 but is most likely to be found on the snow somewhere in the winter.
Seeing as this road was just about rideable, I proceeded upward to the Col du Tronc 
