This month has been less of the big races, and more prepping and shaping up with some good consistent training for some big international races I have coming up, now confirmed to represent GB in Austria this September as well as head out to Romania next week racing up a category for the European Junior Cup there.
The rest of this season’s looking like this so far for my bigger international races, with potentially a few others in between:
- European Junior Triathlon Cup Izvorani, Romania – 09-10/08
- European Youth Triathlon Championships Kitzbuhel, Austria – 12-14/09
- XTERRA Youth World Championship Molveno, Italy – 28/09
June/July Bike Racing:
I’ve managed to get a few MTB XC races in this year progressing from not a great result of 4th at Round 1 of the Southern XC Series, before picking up a 2nd at Round 2, less than half a second off the winner, clawing back a time deficit and then at the New Forest round finished 10s off the podium. With some better racing it was good to see improvement but I hope to race some more next year for my second year of Junior MTB racing.
I’ve done some road racing over the last two months too, starting with round 1 of Lewes Crits at the beginning of June, which started well before I fell off the group after chasing hard to get back on, having been boxed in a the front when the guy ahead of me and next to me sat up when an attack went down the outside, leaving a group and gap that went down the road. Despite the grim weather and being only 1 of 2 off the back who carried on I got a good workout and session in, helping to shape up for some future racing.
It was better at the next and final round though, after the 2nd round got cancelled. I was working well in a fast paced race, not getting dropped – an improvement – in the Cat 2/3/4 race as my 2nd proper road race and holding on for the 60km long race. I got in a couple breaks which got pulled back and pulled back some myself, but a break of 5 or so went and stayed away pretty much until another group of similar size broke away and caught some of them. I pushed on from my group (3rd group or so), which splintered by the last 10km lap and attacked and dropped some others to finish 15th, 20/30s off the winner, and race a much better race than last time and get another good workout and effort in, averaging 45km/h for 56km or so.
The week before last, I headed down to Brighton to race the Preston Park Circuit. It was going well and I was strong the whole way round getting in various breaks, which were difficult to hold due to the flat velodrome’s course with no-one else’s getting away either, but I got in one two up one with my other teammate which lasted one of the longest, which was good. With a lap to go I sensed an opportunity and broke the bunch with a lap to go (600m) and was holding good momentum before I slipped my finger on the bars, putting myself into the inner ring and losing my momentum, before quickly shifting back up before being swamped and caught with 150m to go. A pretty gutting and stupid mistake which was very much preventable, but again helping me to shape up for some fast triathlons coming up, plus doing a run effort off the race is putting me in good shape and I’m happy with the way things are going, and my bike strength improving a lot more from a couple months ago.
I’m really looking forward to the opportunities ahead and again if anyone can support me with the many costs of increasing my level of competition, racing against the best in the world at Youth and Junior level right now, I’d be very grateful and you can read my story at the Elite Athlete Fund here, where you can donate and help support.
Thank you for reading and look out for the next post, now I have a few weeks off with exciting races coming up now I’ve finished school this week.
My Triathlon Journey 
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