This year I am moving to France from March to September to race for a DN2 team called Hennebont Cyclisme. It is based in south Brittany - 4km from the coast. I will be staying in an apartment with another English rider - Phil Gale - and an American rider.
I am going over on in the first week of March and my first race will be the Manche Atlantique on the 9th, which is a 160km Elite National race. Its definitely going to be a massive step up, but I have had a really solid winter and so I'm hoping to have a very good year.
I was planning to go to Belgium this season but this opportunity came along and it is definitely the best option.
My aim for the year realistically is to get settled into the team and get used to the races. My long term goal is to turn pro. I am only 18 and this is my first year abroad so I'm not expecting much results-wise from this year. But I don’t really know what to expect so that might change when I get out there.
This winter my training has gone really well. It started early in October and the average week has been about 20hrs. Luckily, I have been in the situation where I can do this full time, so my recovery has been really good - and I havent been ill all winter, which means I havent missed any training.
I raced the Perfs Pedal RR last Sunday - it went well. I was very strong. The race was down near Portsmouth. It was short - 43 miles, but it was a good entry with teams from KFS, Sigma Sport and Rapha Condor Recycling.
I was very conservative in the race because I didn't know how everyone would be going because it's still so early - and it's the first race of the season. I ended up coming 15th (officially – but so where like 20 other riders). There was one rider away from KFS who won - James Stewart. KFS rode a really good race - dominating it. They had 5 riders on the front at all time with at least one going with every move.
I felt really strong for the whole race and never struggled really. I was getting stronger also, as the race went on, which is a good sign for when I go to France and will be doing 160k races! Next time I know that I can race a lot more aggressively. The race gave me another confidence booster.
This week, I am trying to sort out everything that I will need for France and get it all now – so I don’t have to worry about anything the week before I go. There’s so much to think about! From pillows to new wheels, but think I have got everything written down which I need to get.
I’d like to thank everyone at the team for helping me get to this position – coaches, managers, and riders. I owe a lot to you, especially Alan for coaching me for the last year.
