I’ve progressed well with my training and approach to racing from January, as I’m shaping up for an exciting month of racing next month in March including my first international race of the year, Quarteira Junior European Triathlon Cup, in Portugal.
This month I took my first multisport win of the year, winning the Trail X UK off-road duathlon at Crow Hill, in New Forest. A really exciting and muddy course suited me well with a technical run course around some of the technical areas where the Southern XC A + B lines go and a bike course switching between areas where I could hammer down some power and between rooty singletrack sections. Leading from the start, I took fastest splits across all sections for the Full distance overall win, on the first day of the month.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUOqDsKAP2O
On from that I was racing the following weekend at the London & South East Cyclocross Team Champs. Without my own cyclocross bike this season unfortunately I was only able to do 2 races, which I both came 2nd in, since I had to share my dad’s old cross bike with my brother who raced before me. This time luckily I was able to borrow someone else’s spare bike, where my recent improvements and progress on the bike helped me close the gap to the senior leader once I moved up to second on the first lap. I then lost the gap when stuck behind some lapped riders, but then I attacked him again and a gap in the lead was sealed, extending it to put just under a minute into him on the last 2 laps of 9 or so to take first across the line as a junior with the seniors.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUgidmNAIv1/?img_index=1
The following weekend I headed into my final county league race of the season at rd.4 of the Sussex XC league. With 210m of ev gain in 9k, it suited me well. Running as an U20 with the seniors I took the lead from the gun. It shortened to just about 20 metres 10s in but then I kicked on and opened it up well over the next 2 laps and finished 1st to take another U20 win and my first U20 + senior xc league win, capping off a good small block of a few races I could fit in with training.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUwGJTJgKz0
Heading into March I’m looking forward to continuing to be able to work hard and develop some really exciting through sport.
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