Can I keep going?
This has been a long year of cx racing for me. I started way back in May and have been racing pretty much non-stop throughout the summer, autumn and winter. Whilst I really enjoy racing there are times when I really just want to ride my bike for a few hours at the kind of intensity that I feel up to at that moment. This is in opposition to cx training sessions which tend to be 1 hour or so in length and very much interval based (no surprises there!).
I think the quality of my training has started to decline a little and perhaps my maximum power output has declined as well. Coach Tom has spotted this and adapted training plans accordingly. He has incorporated some more fartleck type activities, fewer really hard sessions and creeping some more club style rides in as well.
Only 2 or 3 more races this winter to go at, then next year's challenges need some attention.
Shibden Hall Yorkshire Points race
What a fantastic course! I have been there before for a Rapha race (I think), but big kudos to the organisers who designed a really testing, yet fun course. The weather was proper wet and muddy which made the going really tough. There were lots of falls in the races before us old gaffers got on the course.
My target for this race was to not fall off and ride within myself to ensure that I did not burn all my matches too soon in the deep mud.
Off we went, things started well. I played to my strengths and struggled on the long, long climb where I lost places each lap. On the long downhill with added corners I made lots of these back. As previous races I knew where I wanted to dismount and stuck to the plan. As before it worked well as there is nothing worse than an emergency jump off the bike.
There was a long slight uphill section that was sooooooo muddy that I had to run the majority of it. This is where I lost most places as lighter riders did not sink as deeply as me and managed to ride through.
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| Proper muddy bike |
I stayed on the bike, managed to clear mud each lap and finished with a good result that definitely will help me in the overall league.
This race really brought home to me that the difference that power/weight ratio makes in cx is different to road riding. I was passed by riders that I will usually beat on a dry day. These riders are lighter than me and (I presume) less powerful. In deep mud if you are light you float over the top far more and can keep momentum. Larger and (once again I presume) more powerful riders who often beat me in the dry were passed by me on this day as they struggled even more in the mud than I did.
Target for next winter: LOOSE SOME MORE TIMBER!
Great Skills Session with coach Tom
Tom put on a cx coaching session at Yorksport which was realy enjoyable for several reasons:
- It is great to train in a group
- He set up a proper mini course with proper taped corners
- We focussed on key areas - Start, corners, dismount and remount
- I could push the limits without compromising a race which I did and fell off quite a few times
North of England CX Championship
York Cycleworks and Yorksport hosted the championship race. I was lucky enough to pre-ride the course on the day before the race, after helping a little to set it up. The course seemed quite big, a lovely design with lots and lots of corners that could be taken at speed. A long slog up a hill would sort the real fast riders from the rest.
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| Some things will always make me giggle and this number is one of them |
Race day was damp under wheel but not proper wet. Should I go mud tyre or intermediate? I went mud tyre to ensure that I could keep speed in the many grassy corners.
My race came around so soon, gridded riders to the front, I was mid pack in the "also there" group behind. And they are off!
The start at Yorksport makes use of the tarmac cycle circuit meaning it is a faster start than usual for Yorkshire cx races. 25mph in a close bunch, each looking to gain advantage, is a nervous place to be.
I held my position well and once off road was a lot happier. I made good ground first lap or so then settled into a rhythm. Once again my main strategy was to stay on the bike except for planned dismounts.
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| Ian Taylor with broken bike |
OK, I will have to admit that he was carrying his bike in 2 pieces, but I still officially overtook and hence have a lap recorded where I was faster than the current World Champion.
He made it to the pits, got a new bike and flew past me a couple of minutes later.
This is one of the magical things about cyclocross racing. Very few riders of any other discipline will get the chance to ride in the same race as a World Champion, National Champion or professional riders from big name teams. I have raced with all of these, been lapped by them and have nothing but admiration for their skills, strength and regard for other riders.
