On the telly racing...

A couple of years ago Andy and I popped down to Stoke on Trent to watch the Tour Series races in the city centre. We had a great day out and enjoyed watching both the men's and the women's races. Since then we've watched the coverage on ITV4 and cheered on our favourites.
This year I have had various people ask whether my team was going to be riding the series. the short answer was no, they are mostly miles away and would involve people taking time off work, travelling a long way and finding the racing really hard.

On tuesday morning I got a message from Alan Sheldon, he looks after the women's team at VC St Raphael. "How would you like to come and be a guest rider for us at Stoke Tour Series?" Wow I thought, really?? Quickly followed by, why the hell not! What an opportunity to go and experience a big event. So I said "Yes!"
Great - Alan sounded happy and said he'd try and get it all sorted with the organisers. Now came the stumbling block - the series doesn't allow guest riders - boo!
By a series of flukes and good fortune it all worked out that I got permission to ride as myself and in my Manchester Wheelers kit - winner all round!
A huge thank you to Alan for giving me the opportunity, driving me down there and looking after me.

On the start line - photo Alan Sheldon

So what was it like? How did I get on?
Hmmm, well it was an amazing experience. Lining up at the start with a big crowd of people, music a commentator/crowd pumper and a totally railed off course was amazing! My getaway from the startline was frankly appalling! One of those occasions where you completely blow getting your foot in, which under the circumstances was less than ideal. The race shot off the line at a high speed so I was in full chase mode immediately. The start finish straight is an uphill drag and then turns down a fairly steep little hill, round some good wiggles, up a little hill past the pits and then back onto the start finish straight. Within the first couple of laps I was already off the back of the bunch along with a few other girls and by half way through the race our group had swelled to around 10 riders. Some we picked up some in front and some others that came round and joined us a lap ahead. The leaders came through with one of the MuleBar girls on a race wining solo break, she was super strong and managed to take a minute out of the field and hold on for the win - well done Natalie Creswick!

We lapped riders continued along in our own race and had a mini sprint for the line at 3 laps to go when we got pulled out. I was not totally disappointed with how I rode, I know I should have stayed in for longer, and having positioned myself at the front on the start line that would have been a real possibility had I got my foot straight into the pedal! But I was never in any danger of getting left behind by my group-mates and they main thing was that I really enjoyed the whole atmosphere.
My final result was 32nd - which wasn't last (40 riders)!

Some great pics on Ed Rollason's flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/ed_rollason/sets/72157633609607946/

The TV coverage was well, minimal! The women's race got the starting few seconds and the last lap shown and a load of chat.....they are promising more race footage for the next round. If you look closely at the start you can catch a glimpse of the Manchester Wheelers kit.....
https://www.itv.com/itvplayer/cycling-tour-series

Enjoy!

Stripey jumpers and more

Right at the start of this racing season I made a little list for myself of the things that I'd like to achieve - I confessed to one of those after getting a top 10 at the Great Budworth race last month, now I'm going to confess to a couple more......

Last weekend was the TLI National Crit Championships at Marsh Tracks in Rhyl. I raced there right at the start of the season, so I knew what the circuit was going to be like and having done a couple of the TLI series out at Lower Withington I felt like I had a reasonable handle on the TLI set-up. This meant that I was feeling reasonably relaxed about the race, I knew there would be a bunch to ride with and it probably wouldn't end up split up all ver the circuit like the Palatine race. Having seen a start list I also knew that there were only 3 women entered into the race - which was both good and bad! Good because it meant less competition and bad for the same reason! Heather entered and said she was coming along to help me out - which she promptly did early in the race by sitting on the front of the bunch and setting a good tempo for a couple of laps and letting me sit in behind and shelter from some considerable wind. Shortly after this a small group nipped off into a breakaway and I didn't react quick enough. I did try and bridge across but I think I'm learning quickly that I struggle to have enough power for long enough to get across. I'm fine if I go straight away, or I get a tow at least part of the way but not when I've left it a few seconds too long. So, I was not best pleased with myself and stranded myself in no-mans land for a while until I got swallowed back up by the pack. I then knew what I had to do, stay off the front for as much time as possible and keep a close eye on the other woman in the bunch. Vicky Thomas who may a few years older than me, but has been racing for an awful lot longer and has her ex-pro husband for getting all the top tips! (Phil Thomas - who incidentally won the previous category race)
Andy was along to support and I could see he was getting slightly agitated and concerned that I was doing too much/not keeping tabs on Vicky. This was demonstrated by a pointing at his eyes signal as I went through the start/finish line. Little did he know that I was actually feeling good, and in control of the situation - I knew that Vicky was sat behind me and following me around, but I was making sure that I was tucked in behind whoever was in front and I was finding the pace pretty easy. The lap board came out - 5 to go. Right I said to myself - "come on Taylor" this is yours for the taking! My major concern was that that I was going to get stranded on the front of the bunch too early. The last lap came around and I was still second wheel - then a tall chap in Graham Weigh kit came past onto the front with Vicky latched onto his wheel - I could hardly believe my luck - this meant she was going to lead me out for the sprint. I jumped straight onto her wheel and as we accelerated through the final corner into the finish straight and the headwind I had to make myself stay tucked in. Don't go yet, don't go yet I said and then I could see I only had a 150m left and I pulled out, channelling my inner Cavendish, I out down as much power as I could muster - came along side, seemed to hover a second and then shot past and over the finish line to win the sprint from the group and in the process the National Champs jersey!!
Andy, Fred and Heather were jumping up and down and cheering - thanks for the support!
So, yes in my secret list of ambitions for the season, this was up there and as it turned out was totally achievable - tick number 2 for the season!

Not just a jersey - a medal too!

Andy was too excited at the finish to take any pictures of me actually winning - so just a jersey shot I'm afraid!

Monday saw me pinning a number on again but this time for a Club 10 time trial. Now, I have an uneasy relationship with time trials so far - I find that my mind starts to wander whilst I'm riding and that means that I don't perhaps concentrate as much as I need to on making the pedals go round faster. I've only done 10 milers - I can't even imagine how bad I'd be on a 25 or 50. But anyway what I realise is that if I can get better at doing a concentrated effort for a time trial it can only help me to get better at racing - see above for not being any good at bridging across to a breakaway!

So I have started the time trial season with a positive attitude and the will to get a faster time than last year. I think I'm fitter and stronger but maybe I'm just better at sitting behind people and getting them to do all the work? Time trials are as they say the "Race of Truth" and the truth hurts! Last week was my first outing and the conditions were less than perfect. The thunderstorm that had affected central Manchester missed the Cheshire plain and the sun was shining out at Chelford unfortunately it was both chilly and windy. The standard headwind breeze was more a damn sight stiffer than usual. Ah well good to get a rubbish time in at the start of the year and having ridden the extra long way out I was treating it as a training ride. I set off and settled into the ride and by the time I got back to the finish I'd only been overtaken by 1 person - which I thought was pretty good going. My time was 1 second slower than last years best (which was 28:04)- can't complain about that. So this week I rode out the direct route, the wind was the standard head-breeze and the temperature was much higher. I signed on behind a chap on a fixed gear steel frame, wearing what appeared to be Ron Hills - now surely I thought to myself I stood a chance of actually catching someone?! I tried really hard to concentrate and I managed to catch the chap just after the turn for home. Right I said to myself, this is it, keep pushing don't relax now you've caught him. So I pushed on and had perfect luck on Chelford roundabout, clicked up a gear and really went for it on the last stretch. I felt like I'd gone quicker but it's so hard to know. I don't have a computer on my bike at the moment so I literally hadn't the faintest idea, I had to wait for the official timekeeper. Eventually they turned up and I went to look at the timesheet - 28:56??? Is that an 8 I asked? Oh no, sorry we nearly gave you a 20:56 - it's a 6! 

26:56??? Oh my goodness!! I practically bounced back across the carpark to tell Andy my time. I couldn't believe it 1minute and 8 seconds quicker and well below my target time. So yes, here is confession 3, I'd wanted to go below 27:30 at the start of the season - looks like I might have to up (or should that be down) that target. 

This is a little bit of footage from week 1 - why does it always feel like you are trying really hard and your legs are spinning and yet this makes it look like I'm out on a sunday club run?!

More random excitement followed the next day but I'll get around to that tomorrow or something!

All Change.

As predicted after my wonder week, the following week proved to be quite hard work and also gave me chance to learn some more about me and bike racing.
The first challenge of the week was being in chrge of getting Manchester Wheelers organised to come along to the Tameside Circuit and help out for a evening's racing, somthing we need to do 3 or 4 times over the 20 week season. After the success of the road race out at Great Budworth I was worried that people might think they had done their bit, but how wrong I was people voulnteered and turned up in droves! I like to think it was because I'd promised to bake muffins, but I think they would have come anyway. On the plus side the commisaires were very happy to have muffins delivered, I'm hoping that'll stand me in good stead for future races!
I'd brought my bike along and thought I could ride the late race (4th + Women) if there were enough people helping out - and there were. It was also a sunny evening and so it seemed like everyone in the Manchester area had the same idea, a field of 50 - terrifying! I personlly think the circuit is a bit narrow to have 50 4th cat (for that read inexperienced) riders, but I'd paid my money and got myself warmed up so I took to the start line. I decided the best tactic is to be near the front and duly spent the first 4 or 5 laps right near the font of the bunch, thus avoiding the wobbling etc behind. I then found myself on the inside heading into the hairpin- no problem it's plenty wide enough for 2 or even 3 riders to go round together. But not according to some of the other riders who started shouting at me for going up the inside, I'm not sure whether they thought I was going to drift out and cause a crash, but anyway, I ended up a bit further back and then the trouble started. After a couple of minor excursions onto the grass and some close shaves with a few other riders I made a decision....... I was going to climb off. I could have dropped out of the bunch and ridden round on my own or even joined up with some of the other little groups, but I suddenly realised that I didn't need to do that. I wasn't stopping because I couldn't keep up, I was stopping because I just didn't want too. I didn't want to get knocked off and I didn't want to get involved in having to elbow my way around the circuit. A strange feeling and the first time that I have ever not finished a race.

The next day I headed over the Litherland, and was relieved to find the field was much smaller than the previous evening. Looking back I think I may have been suffering a little bit of fatigue from the week before and I was frustrated to find that I was struggling to have much oomph in the legs. The positive side to it was that despite not feeling at my best I still stayed in the bunch and managed to scrape into the top 10 with an 8th place.

The next event was to be something rather odd - a women's only crit race at the Palatine circuit in Blackpool - a place I hadn't visited before and was quite looking forward too. The good news was that it was really going to be run as it's own race, the bad news we had superstar double Olympic and World Champion Laura Trott riding - why?? I have absolutely no idea, I can only assume it was as some kind of favour to the race organisers as it was never going to be an actual race for her. She rode the mens 3/4 race before and then took to the start line. After about 2 laps of the 1and a bit kilometre circuit she attacked off the front and proceeded over the course of the next 10 laps or so to lap the enitre field - no great surprise and I am happy to say that as she came past me I did manage to hitch a ride for a lap or two. I was disappointed with my performance but I still just didn't seem to have any zip, I know I should have been with the group of 4 that constituted the peleton having ridden with all the girls before, but it just wasn't happening.

Time for a little break perhaps? Well, no not really as the following day Andy and I headed out for a big hilly ride with Heather, Fred and Rob. A birthday treat for Andy!!! I was feeling slow and steady and point blank refused to go uphill at any great speed - I'd decided I was just out for a ride and wasn't thinking about it being "training". A really good day, and good cafe stop at Flash too - it's seems like forever since I went on a cafe ride!

The whole of the week had left me feeling a bit concerned that I'd lost some fitness, or power or something. Andy did his best to reassure and so I headed along to my second TLI race with a bit or trepidation. Not only was I feeling low in confidence but I'd also been moved up to the higher race category after having done well in the first round. And then we were also informed that it would be 6 laps of the course instead of the previous 5!!
Ah well I thought, what's the worst that can happen? I get dropped by the group I'm in,I can go back to the group I was with last time. Luckily my fears were unfounded and I found myself comfortable in the group, doing a reasonable job with positioning. Doing my turn on the front when we were reeling back in 2 riders who chipped off the front and generally not feeling like too much of a fraud. The young lad who'd been ungraded with me, went off on a solo attack on the last lap and about half way round I thought I'd see if I could get across to him..........I couldn't! But I was pleased that I managed to jump back into the main group and still have something left to put in a reasonable sprint. It think I came over the line 11th, no idea where that put me in my category, but I was pretty happy with my performance anyway and restored some confidence in the legs. Andy took some bits of film - this one is from bell lap - well tucked in and out of trouble...

The other big news from this week is that the Biketreks Women's Squad has been disbanded, so I'll be riding back in my Manchester Wheelers club colours for the remainder of the season - which means that I'll match  my bike but not the pair of swanky Oakleys I managed to win - oh well doesn't do to look too coordinated!