Early season update

The 2013 road season has got off to a memorable start. For all the wrong reasons. Following on from my 2nd at the YCF10 in the last weekend of February, I rode up on the Tontine with a pleasing 3rd. To miss out by only a few seconds to a ninteen year old who has been heralded as 'The next big thing' was a really pleasing performance on my part. A combination of a new warm up protocol and the fact the 'the next big thing' is one of those lads who winds me up meant that I hit the line determined to give him a good run for his money. And I did.

The following week was supposed to be a hilly ten at Sledmere, high up on the Wolds. It's bleak up there at the best of times but one degree celcius, sleet and a bitter east wind meant that aside from the challene of becoming motivated, it simply didn't make athletic sense to ride. A 120mile round trip to ride for twenty minutes and then probably leave myself cold, wet and suceptible to infection simply wasn't an option. So a tactical DNS and a quality session properly wrapped up was the order of the day.

So we moved on to The Circuit of Ingleborough. A classic event, and one I've strangely never got round to riding. Having been right down at 12st all winter, I knew there was a good prospect of doing a ride, so I was well and truly 'on one' within a couple of minutes of the start. Despite all best intentions of riding a controlled race, I did the first ten minutes at nudging 400w as there was serious damage to be done on the relentless climb towards Clapham. After a terifying wet descent I went into the left hander coming into the vilage at around 45mph just as my rear tub flatted. Some how I stayed on, "But for you Smales, the war is over". A DNF to add to the week's befor DNS.

So, on to the Harrogate Nova hilly 24. Being promoted by my 'native club' (who I'll ride for when my sponsors get fed up of me!), it's always one for me to give it ten tenths in. Despite best intentions, the event was cancelled due to snow.

So I now find myself in the situation where my weight is spot on, I've trained properly, but I'm seriously under raced. I really need some consistency and hard races. On Thursday, I fly out to Majorca for ten days training before coming back to effectively start my season again. Looking on the bright side, at least the form will come a little later, and consequently the point where I become stale may now coincide with the end of my season.

So it's off to warmer climes now and hopefully a thousand miles of smooth roads, lovely mountain scenery, working the Germans over and an incredible amount of food.. Perhaps the odd cool beer as well.