I am currently gearing up for racing. This means getting my summer bike running smoothly and in clean condition. It means making sure I have all the kit I need to ride in. It means checking my race license is up to date. I’m starting with some local circuit racing, getting back into the groove of things as well as continuing my progression with time trials. Brilliantly, VCL has put on two days of racing on the 10th and 11th of April at Cyclopark in Gravesend. And, although in total it's only four 30 minute races, a little shorter than the road races I'm keen to do later in the year, I'm really grateful to VCL for putting this on. It can’t be straightforward to organise any event at the moment.
I haven’t ridden in a road race for over a year now so I'm itching for a bit of competition. I’m sure others will be in a similar position, so it could make for some quality racing. Having ridden the Cyclopark circuit quite a few times, I know the course fairly well. It’s probably the longest circuit in the area surrounding London, it's got a few lumps and corners thrown to make it interesting. It’s fairly exposed and so wind also plays a factor. When I get closer to race day I’ll pack my bag, making sure I have all the food and drink I need to fuel both before and during the race, as well as warm clothes and recovery for afterwards. It's a routine I'm looking forward to returning to!
The first TimeTrial I’ve entered is a week later on the 17th of April. The course is 25 miles in length, made up of three long stretches of rolling terrain. It starts not too far from Cambridge. As it’s a little further away from where I live I’ll have to plan travel logistics, probably relying on one of my parents to take me in the car. The same course was used for the National Circuit Championship that I competed in in October 2020. I was pleased with my performance there last year but I hope to beat my time and break the hour on this course. Because TT’s are all about going fast, you want to maximize your power by having a position on the bike that enables you to be as aero as possible,
but still be able to get the power out. So over the Easter holiday I will continue working, with the help of my coach, to adjust and improve my position a little. I'll keep you updated on how things are going. Hopefully, there will be much more racing to write up about in the coming months.
