Welcome to my site

Cycling

World & European Results

TDF 08 is off and running (sorry pedalling) check out the latest info here

Classy Nicole Cooke claims 2007 Geelong Tour crown - full report here - official web site - here

And now the 2nd Round aswell - full report here

Womens Cycling Home page - worth a look.

Local Results

2008

Reviewing my situation (injury) I have now moved on and focused my attention to European cycle races.

I have a feeling that this might be my one and only european race (due to not being able to re-arrange time off from work) So I am hoping to prepare well, and enjoy the week-end away !!

Cyclosportives Movie Clip

The 3rd and final event of the year - The Charly Gaul 07th September 2008 - 159k in Echternach, Luxembourg.

Race Details - here (very good)

Hotel Details - here

Post Race Hotel - here (very good)

Race Report - here

The 2nd effort - The Laurent Desbiens 23rd August 2008 - 162k in Armeterries (just outside of Lille).

Race Details - here (not the best site n the world)

Hotel Details - here (after race, see race report)

Race Report - here

The 1st of which is the Eddy Merckx 14th June 2008, a nice little 165k race around the pleasant Belgium hillside.

Race Details - here

Course Details - here

Hotel details - here

Only one or two or three or four hills of 20% !! Nice !!

Race Report - here

Not to much to report. 1 sportive undertaken, 2 more to go. Report on the sportives page.

Might take in a couple of local races (?) to bring in some speed.

2007

Personal Cyclosportives races in France (May 2007) - here

Tuesday 12th March 2007 World Police & Fire Games - Adelaide Australia

Please click here to read more

2006

Sunday 03rd July 2006 - JCA 50m Time Trial St Ouens 0700hrs

Time - 2hrs 13min 50sec

Sunday 18th June 2006 - 25m Time Trial St Ouens 0730hrs

Time - 1hr 03min 10sec

Place 17th of 52

Reports

03.07.06 - 50m TT

Well as it turned out this was to be my last race under the VeloSportJersey banner. Now the DFS Bikers is born. Anyway back to the race, pretty hot - for the time of day - 1st off 0700hrs, doesn't bother me, the sooner you start the sooner you finish! So as pre warned some of the marshall's might not be awake yet, so a little bit of care is needed. Game plan? Yep, try a 'level split' for each 25. Which might be a bit tricky as I have not really done a lot of pacing, anyway upwards and onwards. Marshall's I hear you say, not sure really sure what happened there, the regulars turned up, thanks, but there was several others missing, and unfortunately all at major Junctions!! You cannot run a race like this safely with the amount of Marshall's missing. But hey not my problem now......anyway back to the race, being 1st off allowed me the pleasure of having no one to chase down but have everyone chasing me! Once I'd realised several Marshall's were missing an air of caution took over, its not worth the risk. The wind seemed to be circulating around, a little variable but nothing to tricky. Reached the turn point in 66min (want around 2.15 total) so this was in 'target range' again took certain parts easy, encounted bits of traffic, not a lot you can do about that, but on the whole the 'extras' didn't make a lot of difference to the final time.

Stayed away till halfway way the second loop, 2 went passed, one checking out the others back wheel setup, if you get what I mean!! bit drafty in here typing this report! They say it takes 2 to draft, why only 1 DQ then?

Anyway enough of that, tested the SIS energy gels on the way round, working on the theory of using 1 every half hour. They seemed to work, although I think the 1/2 hour is the limit. I will be using them during IMC. The race? oh yes, everything going well, not completly flatout, no need, returned to the finish in a time of 2hr 13min 50 sec, so the spilt was near as dammit level, thats OK. The other test is of course the recovery, not just after the race but the next day. After the race fine, tired - to be expected - the next day, up and training, swim/run sessions, no stiffness.... the gels working during the race? Who know's ( Bet Mr Williams know's).

Well thats the race season over for me in Jersey, final assessment done, overall feelings are I just need to keep the mileage up for the next month, shoudn't be to much of a problem...hopefully.

18.06.06 - 25m TT

Some say that conditions were perfect, others wonder, personally a little breeze does wonders for cooling down and concentrating the mind. So 22c, light F1/2 variable 52 riders lined up for this 25m hack around St Ouens and St Martins. It is a hack because your just flat out all the way, no let up, burst your legs and lungs, now thats where the wind helps, helping the latter - lungs - to cool down a touch (my opinion). So really as its just flat out there isn't a great amount to write about. For me it was a test for the bike, position/feeling/etc for IMC, with a further assessment on July 02nd (50m TT), you see speed hasn't been on the agenda, endurance has, so to finish with a time of 63min 10sec was a pleasant 'happening' - its not easy to cool down on a TT bike is it, tried for 90mins and thought better of it, home and food, then flop, nice. So as reporting goes, that's it, sun shined, wind dropped, legs stayed in one piece, no arguements (sorry polite conversations with fellow road users) with traffic, awaiting next race (oh and by the way, raced under Velo flag, DFS not quite ready yet, July 3rd launch date)

Sunday 23rd April 2006, JCA 10m TT, La Mare;

Well the first rule is to know the course Now you'd think that I did, but for some reason I had it in my head that we, the racers, went all the way to St Catherines and back...not so ...so it did come as a bit of a shock to find 2 marshall's standing in the middle of the road @ what I would have said was 1/4 of the distance..not easy slamming on the brakes and doing a 'hard complete turn' and re-starting in what could be discribed as the wrong gear...I do have another phase if you wish...please 'e' me if you would like to see that

Anyway back to the race, its a hard and fast flat out race really, not the best for me.... no pace just last longer.....still finished in 25min 33sec, got no idea what that means, but its an outing and the training still goes on, no rest period yet. 'Real races come soon', they are the assessment races...

Friday 14th April 2006, Easter Stage Race, Road Race 46k;

Day 2 of 3 for me, interesting race, could have done a little more, but circumstances held me back. Worked with the pack for 3 laps (4 in total), still learning about 'racing' when to go when not to go. Anyway eventually finished with not a lot in the 'pins', but I did 'TT' the last lap to try and bring Sarah S back to the pack. Failed as you might have guessed, but it was a workout

Thursday 13th April 2006, Easter Stage Race,

Hill Climb - Splash 3k;

Oh what fun we had, a nice breeze on the rear end and away we go, eventually. Decided to enter this, and the rest of the Easter Stage races 'online', early start, early away, or so I thought !! But no, the CCC's tell me that they are not using that entry procedure! THEN WHY HAVE IT ON YOUR WEB SITE!!!!! So you've guessed it started last, nice and cold and not a happy bunny. Anyway the race, only using these easter races as a guide, still training for 'main event in August', with it being downwind F5, it wasn't really a test, 5.46 for 3k. First time up for me so a PB - I make the rules. Nothing else to add, and so to tomorrow.

Sunday 12th March 2006, Hougue Bie - 6 Laps;

Now that was Cold, average temp and in fact maximum temp = 2c, ouch. Anyway race report, started in Div 3 group, 6 laps 43k in distance, comfortable pace with a couple of up and coming juniors involved, so the name of the game was to suck it and see who was doing what and when. Had Peter D for company in a Velo strip, had a chat and we tried to work out a game plan. The 6 CCC's attacked on the slope out of Queens Valley, then dropped off, took the hint and worked out that when the final lap comes round thats where they were going to go.

So hatched a plan to go out on lap 5 just before the slope and see who goes with me. Well everyone really DOH! but still kept on going, lasted a lap distance in front, but came back to the slope on the final lap and got shallowed up and spat out the back. Lessons learnt? well I should have just gone out on lap 5 till the top of the slope and eased off, waited and try the same on lap 6. Well hindsight is a wonderful thing, but its a learning curve and I learn't ... so there!