Life on a tour series team Blog numero dos - A week of ups and downs
Friday 4th- surprisingly after my late night/early morning I woke up fresh and didn’t feel rough in anyway. Nick Sayer came over for a leg loosener where I had to go for a photo shoot in Cathedral Square in town for the ET paper. Photos done and on our way, good tempo and a cafe stop...in the sun, I love these days!!! Saturday 5th- 1hour 30mins on the bike, wash bike, pack car, drive up north for the Ryedale GP Premier Calendar. Met the team after they had come back from their ride, good catch up with Jack Adams who I’ve not seen since the training camp in Mallorca, and some of the other lads who I’ve not seen since the Lincoln, that was only early May but with racing 3 times a week that seems a life time ago! Sunday 6th- Ryedale GP Rain Rain Rain =leg pain.... wanted to pack had to really fight the demons in my head. The Ryedale is a hilly leg breaker long at 185kms with a 10km ride to the start from the HQ so thats 195km in the legs by the time you cross the finish line! Tried getting in a few early moves but nothing really went, then it really started to hammer it down with rain so I sat back but the pace was on shelling riders making a group of 25 riders, 3 got away so we came to the last km sprinting for 4th, two got away on the 1mile climb to the finish, I was sat on the Endura lead out and basically where we was sat on the train is where we finished! Hard day and to prove to my team I’m hard I rode the 10kms back to the HQ.... Monday 7th slept, washed kit , stretched, rode rollers for 15mins watched the lost finally Tuesday 8th Tour series rd 5, Southport Mission of a day, lil ride in am which I think for me helps before a crit or TT then a 4hour car drive, oh yeah, drove up with my mate Brian for some company, and he just loves bike racing so great to have him along. After I left the Kinesis Team last year I thought I would never have to go to Southport again but alas I’m here in 2010! The course would be fast slow fast slow crazy fast super slow fast, basically one massive straight where we were doing 40mph super slow for a hair pin bend back on your self slow for corners. Had a chat with Brian Johnston my team DS - he said sit in attack if you can later, cool, did as he said but too fast at end came across line in 20th , felt ok but to win on that style course you have to be a massive engine. Team slipped down to 5th one point either way to Sigma and Raleigh in 4th and 6th. Long drive home, but fast - sod the fuel consumption I wasn’t happy but we did have a tour of Chris Opies ipod on way home, why does a 23 year old have 100 best love songs??? Wednesday 9th 2hour spin with Chris chilling didn’t rain so that’s a bonus.... ate lasagne living the dream. Thursday 10th Kettering Tour series 6, close to home but should have stayed at home! Up for this race as had 100% of my fan club there Nick and Karen Sayer, USA Brian and his wife Jen, all shouting abuse a bit of a twisty course a hill, felt good not tired if anything I’m responding to the racing well. Course was about 1.6kms with a slight up hill on really rough pedestrian cobbles a sharp right hand a long straight section with funnel type sections on it basically two lanes into one twice which was dodgy, then a fast downhill with a fast tight right hander complete with hay bales at the bottom....all tight. Race started fast but comfy but couldn’t seem to stay at the front, basically we as team rode well with Casey an Rhys in moves but mucked the finish up, all too far back I felt alright but couldn’t attack, made one move all race couldn’t recover not sure why but ho hum, took it personally that the team rode bad at the finish as I should have been there but that’s racing, we slipped down to 6th overall only a few points in it an I wanna pick it up again. Good thing about racing close to home, back in time for Big Brother!!!! Not so many mile on the car this week only 770 but lost count on coffees drunk... Steve Lampier - Pendragon-Le col-Colnago |
