Shrewsbury GP

Believe in your dreams enough and one day they may come true

On Sunday the 25^th of May exactly that happened. My dream ambition of winning an Elite Town Centre Crit became a reality.

The Shrewsbury GP returned this year after 20 years of not running; consequently there had been a huge build up to this event in Shrospshire with many news articles and an official Shrewsbury GP website drip feeding the public with news about the event in the weeks prior to the event. The biggest news being Jo Rowsell MBE, Team Pursuit World Record holder, 4 x Team Pursuit World Champion, Individual Pursuit World Champion and Olympic Medallist had entered and was set to ride the event. With the knowledge of Jo riding I knew the race was going to be an exciting one!

Arriving at the event the atmosphere was electric, the music was pumping and the crowds were in their thousands.

Standing on the start line I felt quite nervous as I had never ridden a course quite as tight and technical as the course set out before me. The course started out on a straight of cobbles before sweeping round into a short sharp climb. It then consisted of a series of corners sweeping down into a very tight bend onto the cobbled 200m finish straight. I knew being on the front on the start line was crucial if I was to keep up with the leaders due to the narrowness of the circuit which wouldn’t allow for much movement once you were in position.

The countdown began…5…4…’God I need a wee’…3…’not sure if Im really ready for this’…2…’oh crap’…1…’go go go!’.

From the off Jo Roswell hit the front like a bullet out of a gun and set a hard fast tempo stringing out the bunch behind. I knew I had to stick on her wheel like glue or else id be out the back so I did just that! After 2-3 laps I had a quick look around to see how the bunch were looking and to my utter surprise realised there was only myself, Harriet Owen of Matrix Fitness and Lydia Gurley of Merlin Cycles following my wheel with Jo infront. ‘Wow’ I thought, maybe this could go quite well.

Jo set the pace for the majority of the race putting in a couple of attacks to see if she could separate herself from us but with no such luck. I tried to take some laps leading our group to help Jo out as I felt that it wasn’t right she did all the work whether she’s an Olympic Champion or not! I was feeling pretty comfortable at this point and was starting to get abit giddy knowing if we continued in such a way I was going to get 4^th as a minimum. At 30 minutes however, a group of about 6-7 riders caught us from behind and I thought…bugger! But then Iona comes charging past onto the front and I was very pleased to see her! It seems Jo wanted to keep our group away however as she immediately attacked up the short climb and that was it…back to the four of us in the original breakaway again.  

The crowds throughout were phenomenal banging on the side boards, cheering and clapping their hands, ive never felt so electric in a race being in the front group with so much support behind us.  

Coming into the final 5 laps with our group having an extensive lead on the next bunch back, I felt so comfortable yet I never thought I was going to win it I was just so happy that I was potentially going to be in the top 4 in an Elite Crit.

On the final lap Lydia attacked up the climb and I knew I had to be 1^st or 2^nd wheel minimum coming into the final cobbled corner so I jumped onto her wheel and dived through the last series of corners into the final cobbled corner where we had to negotiate our way through a bunch of riders we were lapping in maybe the worse place possible on the course! I took abit of a do or die line through the corner and saw the finish line approach. Lydia moved to the right which gave me a clear line to the finish which I hardly ever get so I took the chance and sprinted my heart out leaving nothing left in my legs. I came over the finish line and was actually very confused! I thought ‘Oh my God I think ive just won it!’ But I was so surprised I just didn’t believe it until the commentator came up to me and told me to come up to the podium for an interview on my win!

Iv only ever felt as happy as I did that evening once, and that was when I won Bronze at the U20 World Age Group Triathlon in Budapest 2010 as a 16 year old and the feeling was unspeakably good!

After the podium presentation I was whisked away for interviews and a prize presentation in which I received a pair of Bontrager wheels, a pair of Podium glasses, a bunch of gorgeous flowers, an amazing glass trophy and £500 cash prize money! What a haul!  And what made the evening that much better was that my boyfriend Rob Watson won the Elite Mens Race to make it the double!

We had a very happy car journey home with our prizes retelling our races to each other over and over not quite believing we both had won!

Iona also did very well getting a 5^th place and taking home £80 J

I am very grateful for the hard work and efforts of the organiser of the race and everyone involved in making it such a successful evening including all those that came out to watch.

I am also so grateful to my teammates, friends and family, boyfriend and coach for helping me to achieve one of my biggest ambitions in cycling.   

Brit Tate

Our Breakaway group consisting of myself, Jo Rowsell MBE, Harriet Owen and Lydia Gurley

Managed to get my arm up in celebration after the initial shock

Prize Presentation with the Mayor of Shrewsbury

       

Bedford Classic (Off-road challenge)

I really like this course, a few short hills and some good downhill sections.  Five laps, totaling 40 miles, so it was a good distance for me at this stage in the season.  My aim for this race was to ride nearer the front, I wasn’t sure how my legs were going to be because I hadn’t eased up training prior to the race.  The Sunday ride was a good 4 hours with some efforts up hills (you know who you are...Jim)!

 

So the race went to plan, I rode off the front at one point, right into a head wind and then was left there (as is only right if you attack).  It was good fun and I was feeling strong throughout, I even enjoyed the hills...well as much as you can...

I'm going for some really interesting (!) photos in this post, and I took this picture (not on my bike I might add) but because this was hill to the finish.  I had been riding near the front on the 3rd and 4th laps, there were a few attacks but no one kept away.  On the last lap I was about 15 back, everyone trying to get the best position, we all went for it up the hill, I was coming up for 3rd when a rider next to me tumbled, I did a bit off-roading on the verge but stayed upright.  The group went by I clipped in and rode to the finish, a bit disappointing but still really pleased with my performance overall.  Definitely my best road race so far. 

Well done to the rest of the team in the team series race, thanks to Steve as always and a big thank you to Physio Trevor for easing our aching limbs. :-)

 

May 5th 2014

Linda

A Weekends Racing

This weekend was about the Cheshire Classic. But before we get to that let's talk about Saturday.  Saturday was a small local crit in York, and I'd decided to ride it,  just because, yep just because. .......because I wanted to! No other good reason,  if there's a race I'll usual try to ride it regardless of if I should or not!

Now after returning from Tour ta Malta and Sicily training camp two weeks earlier, I'd managed to nearly train myself into a black hole the previous week, with no rest followed by a Easter weekend of a planned 4 days of back to back racing, (I say planned as I had to finally admit defeat and pull out of 2 day stage race, and that's a first, I never abandon a race!) Here you see the flaw in the plan with trying to enter every race possible!

So anyway back to last Saturday!  Today was going to be first day back on bike after forcing myself to have complete rest week (well 4 days!)
There were 20 women on the start line, and Brit and I hoping for something a bit more interesting than the usual 2 up team time trial of a race! So we were happy when they didn't handicap the start.

The race went of steady enough,  I came to the front straight away and decided to make sure it at least stayed a decent speed.  Next thing and a lap or two laps in Brit shouts and comes around me to take a turn. Apparently we have a gap! Wow ok so I hadn't even attacked and 3 of us were away.  Someone had simply let a gap go on a corner and it had caught quite a few of the stronger riders napping! Brit and I pressed on all to aware that we had escaped a few potential threats in the bunch behind!
Our third break away companion didn't seem keen to work but we solved that problem,  when Brit let my wheel go forcing the other girl to chase!

The race was only 30 minutes today,  and we worked well with a good lead over bunch.  Up until 8 laps to go when I thought I'd mix things up a bit, and through in a few attacks.  I had no expectations to get away but it at least forced the other girl to chase.
3 laps to go and stale mate, she didn't trust us now and working together was long gone!
Now we were in was cat and mouse,  the pase slowing as Brit and I tried to force her through.  It certainly made things interesting.  We were be caught again by lapped riders we had just caught.  And apparently we weren't far off being caught by bunch!  With two laps to Brit took up front, before I took over, this was was going to be a long lead out with 1 1/2 laps to go!

I led the sprint out from last corner, and just tried to hold it right to the line,  and hope no one but Brit can get round!  This time however I managed to hold on for the win, Brit in 2nd (but she'll be back :-)!)

Now for Cheshire Classic!
There was 3 of us riding,  myself, Jo, and Nicola. Sandra hadn't made the start sheet,  so our suicidal attack from the gun trump card was missing,  but she was there in force riding the course in reverse to yell support at us as we passed each lap!

This year the field was stronger than ever, and this proved true of the pase, fast from the start!  But for some reason today none of this bothered me.  Early on Eve Roade up and said something like, u can do this, get stuck in there! I don't know why but I moved up! I kept losing position on the climb a few times,  but it was certainly easier moving up the bunch than in previous years. Wheather the faster pase was shelling out more of the dodgier riding I don't know, but it certainly felt like a safer bunch than a lot of flat team series races andoso for once I was happy to be in the bunch.

End of lap 2 and I was out the back of bunch over fast section after top of climb! We flew past Sandra shouting to get back in there! Legs wouldn't go any faster but by the dual carriageway, me and another rider made it back to bunch.

The first lap it was like they sprinted up that climb. Subsequent laps it eased a little and I felt that I could maybe survive a bit longer.

Lap 6 of 12 tho,  and it was finally the prime lap that caught me out,  the one time I hadn't managed to move up bunch before climb and I find myself without a wheel to follow as they sprint into the hill for the line. I'm gone and out the back!  Damn if only I could of survived till top of climb I might have had a slim chance of getting back on, but not now!

Instead I caught Hannah Walker,  who had been in an earlier break. We worked together for another 3 laps before we were pulled out with 3 to go.

Jo was still hanging in there, well more than hanging in there,  taking turns on front,  getting in breaks, and making it her mission to mark the strong riders, it certainly worked and she hung in to finish with the bunch,  great riding Jo, onwards and upwards!

I too strangely enough enjoyed the race, despite being dropped, it was still a good race for me and progress on last year's result!
Now for over coming the bug bear of Bedford and the flat horrid courses,  with cars around every bend and choppy riding!  It's never a favourite race of mine, but all I need to do is believe it's an absolutely fantastic course, and all will be fine ;-)

Iona

Tour of the Reservoir 12th April, by Karen

After our success at Capernwray and Jo's awesome result at Tour ta Malta, it had the potential to be another day for the GB Cycles climbing whippets on 12th April at Derwent Reservoir in Northumberland.

This race was put in my calendar months ago when it was first publicised, and a long time before it was added to the National Series. So I was targetting it as a key early season race with ambitions of doing very well.  I managed to persuade Jo to come and join me, while the other girls were still enjoying the sun in Sicily.  I had previously ridden most of the course as part of a triathlon and also went out to pre-ride it last weekend in preparation.  It wasn't super-hilly but with prevailing winds whipping down the reservoir it was going to be a tough race.

We all lined up in the square in Blanchland just before 9 on Saturday morning - about 60 women took to the start line.  We did a couple of nervy neutralised miles then the racing started.  Epic - Scott with 9 riders in the race were always going to be the dominant team and so it turned out right from the flag dropping.  As always there was a lot of fighting for position in the early kilometres and I thought I had done ok getting up to the front quickly, but found myself swamped going into the big climb for the first time.  No one pushed the pace so the whole field was bunched up.  I had an inexperienced rider in front of me who was making me nervous.  I was proved right when she wobbled and fell into the verge right in front of me, leaving me nowhere to go.  I fell as gently as I could, stayed calm, picked myself up, popped my chain back on and off I went again, with the whole field up the road ahead.  I chased hard, catching up and overtaking the back-markers quickly, but then started to struggle in the crosswinds on the top.  A few others were around with me, and together we managed to get back on just before the road turned into the headwind.  I moved straight through the field back to the front ready to watch and cover any moves from Epic - Scott or Matrix.

Karen sitting comfortably in the lead group

The next lap and a half saw the field gradually being whittled down, and at the end of lap 2 attacks were starting to fly off the front only to be caught again.  I was there and feeling comfortable (although hadn't realised that Jo had been having mechanical problems and had been dropped) when disaster struck.  On the descent into Edmundbyers Hayley Jones (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International) lost her wheel on the slightly greasy road, sliding out right into me; nothing I could do to avoid hitting the tarmac very hard and sliding across it for what felt like an age.  Then I felt someone else go right over the top of me.  OK, is anything badly hurt? No, I don't think so, but a quick decision that I wasn't going to carry on any further.  I picked me and my bike up to see who else was down.  As well as Hayley and me, it was Mel Brand (Epic - Scott) and Liz Malins (Fusion RT).  Everyone else was looked after by team cars but after a quick check over by the paramedic I was left on the side of the road in pain with no extra clothes and an unfunctional bike.

Having sent one spectator to go and send a message to Mr Red Riding Hood at the feed zone, another very friendly spectator lent me his coat and let me sit in his car until I was picked up.  By this time I had realised that there was very little non-painful movement coming from my left shoulder.  Mr Red Riding Hood (my knight in shining skoda) eventually arrived a whole lap later with Tom and Eve's dad also in the car.  I got bundled in while the bike was put in the boot, and we drove round to the finish.

By this time in the race, a 2-up break of Alexie Shaw (Epic - Scott) and Nikki Juniper (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours) had gone clear, and with Matrix seemingly lacking fire-power in the bunch the gap was never going to close.  Jo was storming through the tail-end of the now disintegrated peloton, having sorted out her mechanical problem.  On the final sprint Nikki outwitted Alexie to take an impressive win.  But as always Jo was our hero, having pulled herself back up into 25th position.  Here she is crossing the finishing line.

This new race on the calendar was a great success.  Hopefully next year the girls will get to do the full two-day race that the men do, which will certainly sort out the women from the girls.

And just in case you are wondering, the shoulder is not broken, but it has a visit to my very friendly shoulder physio tomorrow to see what is wrong with it!

Post Tour Ta Malta training and mostly eating camp in Sicily

After a very physically and emotionally taxing four days racing in Malta, mainly down to suffering with a violent stomach bug/food poisoning over the last 2 days of the tour, I was definitely ready for some chill out time, recovery rides and then some productive training in the sun (without horrific stomach pain!) before returning to the UK.

Our Sicily group consisted of Iona, Sandra, Steph, Michelle me and Rob. We spent two days off the bike in Malta recovering after the Tour doing some sight seeing in Valetta the old capital city of Malta which was definitely needed as I was still suffering from some of the post effects of the stomach bug so I did a lot of sleeping too!

At 4am we woke up to ride down to the ferry which was a surprising nice ride considering it was just past dawn! My legs were still very heavy from the Tour so it was nice to spin them out before we rode later in the day in Sicily. We all had a good sleep on the ferry before we got picked up at the ferry port by our lovely host called Salvo in Sicily. Later that day we had an easy 2 hr spin out to Milo were I was starting to worry if my legs would ever feel the same again!

The next day, after a humongous pizza and a good sleep my legs suddenly reappeared! We set off up Mount Etna for our first climb of the training camp. It was a long 20k climb so 1hr and 30 mins later we arrived at the top of Etna. The mist was really thick at the top and the temperature as sub zero with not much of a view to see except the team saxo bank car that we all got very excited about, we all huddled into the restaurant for a quick coffee before we descended. At this point however both me and Iona shivering badly so when we started descending I really suffered. My body completely froze up and I don't think iv ever been as cold on a bike and thats saying something as iv been in some bad situations in the uk! Then I got a puncture! Rob very kindly sorted out my puncture as I couldn't feel my fingers! I decided I needed to go home to get warm so Rob very kindly escorted me home and the girls carried on to do abit more of a ride. When I got back to the hotel I got straight into bed and slept for 4 hours! All the girls rode really well today and climbed great!

Day 2 I finally felt like I was recovering from the stomach illness and was excited to ride up Etna again, today we were riding up the steepest side of Etna and as soon as we hit the climb me Rob and Iona hit it hard! I loved this climb it was my favourite climb so far since iv started cycling...just a brutal climb for 1hour 30 mins! It was a much better and warmer day thankfully! So when we got to the top we got an amazing view and took a lot of pictures which I didn't think we would get to do considering how cold it was at the top yesterday. We had a guide today a lovely guy also called Salvo, it seems everyone in Sicily seems to be called Salvo! After the ride Salvo invited us to go to meet his Mum who ran an old people's home at the most of Etna she cooked us a three course meal which was amazing including all homemade wine, vegetables, and olives. We had a lot of banter although only Steph could understand Salvo who couldn't speak any English and we couldn't speak any Italian so it was a rather amusing meal signing to each other.

I am currently sat here about to go to tea with the team and I can officially say I have my appetite back yeppeee! Tomorrow we are planning an easy 2 hour ride before we head back to Malta for one day then fly back to the UK on Monday :(

It's been a great four days in Sicily the girls have been great fun and have all ridden really well and I definitely want to come back here to batter myself up Etna some more next year!

That's all for now, next race Nigel Measom 2-day stage race then Cheshire Classic...bring it on!

Baby Tate




D

A few pictures from Stage 2 Tour ta Malta St Martins RR.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tour ta Malta, Stage 1

Today was TT day!  There had been a last minute change of course a couple of day's before we were due to fly out to Malta.  So instead of the 3 laps and 15 miles of the coast road, it was moved to a straight bit of dual carriage way on top of a hill!  With 7 laps!

On route to course!

1. One of the motor bike marshalls drove into the kerb and fell off!
2. Nic thought she had a puncture, but no it was just the shorts!
3. Eve realised her wheel was not in straight and was rubbing against frame. (She wondered why the hill was such hard work!
43. We got there, and rode course!

What else can we tell you! 

Oh we must thank the lady who owned the pet shop!

TT time!
Jo managed to miss the turn point on first lap!  She headed straight round roundabout instead.

Anyway we rode the tt, I caught several people, and it was very windy!

Results in and as per usual they were dubious!  Jo was in 4th despite the missing turn and adding on valuable time.  She did a 33min 43sec, so we thought she might stand a good chance of a podium place, but no!  Instead the winning time was 32 min!
With all of us in the first half of field, and 5 of us the first 11, we are set for road race next day and the best course of the tour, despite the rather bumpy decent and corners!

Iona