English
5th March 2010
Revolution Series
I have been the team manager for Team Slicks this year and what a team they have turned out to be. The Future Stars were a mix of Wales’s best up and coming riders and with such a huge pool of riders to choose from its not surprising that they are also the best young riders in the UK showing all the other regions up at the Revolution series. Team Slicks has also had four super team coaches who have played a massive part in Team Slicks success and they are Kyleigh Mannors, Mark Griffiths, Andrew Russell and Alan Davies.
We also had a strong team of elite riders for both endurance races and also sprint events. Sprinting legend Craig McClean was our team captain and you could not meet a nicer gentleman who really helped out with the younger riders unlike some of the other team captains. We also had Welsh double Junior Sprint World Champion Becky James for our most recent event and put in some fantastic results competing against senior World Champion Vicky Pendleton. Welsh senior riders Luke Rowe and Sam Harrison put in some of the strongest performances in the elite races and for Revolution 26 had one of the most respected British riders Bradley Wiggins.
Team Slicks won two out of four races and still managed to finish second on the other two events only one point behind on both occasions. This meant that Team Slicks won the Revolution series with ease and were rewarded with a trophy presented to the team in front of a sold out audience at Manchester Velodrome. Amy Roberts and Owain Doull won the majority of the races they competed in and this allowed Owain to ride in the Leaders Jersey for all four events proving to every one that he was the strongest male Future Star there!
At Revolution 28 the final round I told the Future Stars to ride the Madison event steady so they would save their legs for the main event and stay safe y avoiding crashes. Robbie Westwood and Matt Cross where up first and were soon off the front leading the race (I’m standing there scratching my head) and they eventually finished second and they did not find the race hard so just shows how strong these riders are. Newt up was the girls’ team Amy Roberts and Amy Hill and again I told them to conserve their energy, the next thing I know they are also off the front leading the race (I’m still there scratching my head thinking will they ever listen). The girls finished second with ease and said they felt fresh and didn’t push too hard which gave them confidence for the main event. Not only did the Future Stars do well in the Madison but also Team Slicks rider Luke Rowe and his partner Mark Christian won the 200 lap British National Madison Championships with an average speed of over 30mph!!!
I’m really proud to be part of this exciting and successful team. I can see all these riders producing some top results for the following season and am now already looking forward to the next Revolution Series!
Well Done TEAM SLICKS!!!!
Products and Promotion
Recently Paul (Big Boss Man) from Wiggle asked me if I would be available for a photo shoot at Calshot Track and as ever I couldn’t miss the opportunity to promote myself and Wiggle products. The photo shoot was for a new Ford S-Max advertisement and the idea was to get us riding around the track and find an angle that would suit the shot they were looking for. The idea was to have us super imposed on to a Damn wall with the Ford S-max sitting in front of it (easier said than done). After a few hours of waiting around for the crew to set up they finally found the correct shot, I made most of this time to rip around the track. I have never ridden at Calshot before and it is a lot shorter and steeper than Newport or Manchester Velodrome. It was great fun to ride, you get a real sling shot out of the bankings but I must say I wouldn’t fancy racing on the track with more than 10 riders!
This week I had a delivery of some custom Exposure Lights with my name etched on them…what a treat! I now have a Diablo front light with Micro Red Eye attachment for use on my helmet or for commuting on my road bike and also a MaXx Daddy Front Light with Red Eye attachment for off road use. I have used plenty of light in the past but these are such high quality and look super cool compared to the others. Not only to they have a longer burn time and also the added bonus of the smart port for additional battery or other attachments but there are no cables so it is very neat on your bike. I would describe them as being the ‘iPhone’ in the lights market, sleek looking and very practical.
Not only did I receive my lights but I’m also starting receive my 2010 kit. I have already got my 2010 Focus Cayo Expert Compact training bike which is a dream to ride and my Crud Roadracer mud guards make it a lot more comfortable to ride in the rain and keeps your kit clean. 2XU Compression tights have been a life saver when it comes to recovery from riding and for use when running or in the gym. My Saucony ProGrid Paramount 2 running trainers have been a great tool for my training as it is something I never really used to do but have found that it is a good form or exercise if you are short on time or when it is dark I find it safer to go for a run. I am looking forward to the rest of the goodies I am very lucky receiving! Thank you Wiggle :-)
One last thing I have been working on is a website to promote my sponsors and also professional services which I am qualified to do. So for up to date news and information check out the following links:
My Website: www.elitecymru.com
Facebook Fan Page Link
Follow Me on Twitter
Enjoy the dry and sunny weather while it lasts!
Ben