English
Hello All,
I can’t quite believe that I haven’t written a blog for over 6 months! I wrote every fortnight for the first 6 months of 2010. I can honestly say that I’ve missed it and now I’m back!
Where have I been? Well I’d like to say that I’ve been off cycling the World having wonderful adventures in far flung corners of the globe, but that would be pure fantasy. The reality is a tad more sobering. Following a nasty injury in July, I embarked on a gruelling schedule of work (and I don’t work in the cycle industry) which lasted about 3 and a half months.
During this time, finding the time to ride my bike was really difficult. I worked long hours and during time away from work I needed to spend as much time with my family as I could.
Thankfully towards the end of the year the work pressures eased and I am now 100% focused on 2011. It has served as a timely reminder however just how difficult it can be to juggle the work, family, cycling balance and get it right! As cyclists we are often described as “enthusiasts”. In general, I believe, it goes way beyond that. Weather you’re a weekend warier or an elite racer you have one common goal. You want to go faster, right?
Last year I had a bona fide excuse for my focus. It was the year of my 40th birthday and I was determined to prove that I was not over the hill and was, in fact, capable of achieving some respectable results. Although I managed to find some early and mid season form the fact that I was unable to achieve my number 1 target, competing and completing La Marmotte, still hurts, but it has made me determined to do better this year. I have learned some valuable lessons from last year and I believe that I have the skills and knowledge to succeed in 2011.
Once again I have some big sportives planned. I shall be taking part in as many of the Wiggle sponsored events as I can. The new route for the Wiggle Dragon Ride is looking interesting and I notice that the event has sold out in less than 48 hours. This is a sure sign that the sportive boom that had gripped the UK looks set to continue for the foreseeable future. I shall also definitely be returning to the Wiggle Magnificat to try and better my 2010 time. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem as last years progress was hampered by a tyre blow out that severely slowed me down for the first 40 miles of the 127 mile route.
I am hoping to exorcise the pain of missing the Marmotte by completing La Maratonna Dles Dolimtes in Italy in early July. This is a ride that I’ve longed to do for some time and certainly ranks alongside the Marmotte as one of Europe’s finest mass participation cycling events.
Along the way I hope to be keeping you informed of my progress as well as having my say on all things cycling, including my opinions on the Pro-Tour ups and downs.
There appears to be many changes in the professional side to road cycling for the 2011. There are a few new sponsors and a couple of new teams. Some teams have gone and a couple have merged to form new alliances. It’s all going to kick off again in about 10 days time for the, now traditional, season curtain raiser Tour Down Under. It looks as though Lance Armstrong will repay the Australian organisers for their fantastic support of his 2009 comeback and make the race his last as a professional. The Texan is bound to be the big draw, but is unlikely to feature at the sharp end. For all knowledgeable fans, the battle between the ex Columbia team mates Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel is a mouth watering prospect. It will be early in the season for both riders, but neither will want to loose to the other, especially after their public disregard for each other in 2010. I have to say that I’m a little surprised that HTC Columbia have chosen to send Cavendish to the race in what looks like a very long season for him. They have some good sprinters in Matt Goss and Bernie Eisel who could have given the other teams something to worry about. Time will tell, but I think that Mark has everything to loose and very little to gain at such an early stage.
That’s all from me for now. I’m off into my garage for a turbo session. Not everyone’s “cup of tea” but I enjoy the focus and the data that comes from an indoor session! Apparently it’s all about the numbers? I hope the weather keeps warm enough to ride for all of you. Stay safe!