Monday, 18 January 2010

Sky's the Limit?

First race = 1st and 2nd - bodes well for the future! Henderson and Sutton (Team Sky) lead home the field on Sunday in the TDU warm up race. TDU itself starts tomorrow.

94 miles completed personally this week, hopefully will increase again this week and gain some kind of momentum too?

L2P24 almost full only 5 team places left as at earlier today - hurry hurry hurry!

Just need to get a training programme together, plus invoke a few centuries / sportives.

Monday, 11 January 2010

New Year, New Challenge...


So following on from the new years resolutions:-
One long distance ride arranged - check. (see above graphic) - which actually lends itself to achieving the others too!

So the challenge teams of 2 cycling in relay from London to Paris in 24 hours! each team member will cycle around 200miles in total, metaphorically passing the baton from team mate to team mate along the route. Full details of challenge here
The ride is fully supported by Action Challenge and is in aid of Scope.

The sweetener is that the Sunday (which we get to spend in Paris) is the last day of Le Tour which we will get to experience - oh yes another one of thos 101 things to do before you die sorted then!

Again I have teamed up with Simon and our awe inspiring team name is the "Roaring Forties", the roaring bit could be down to our bravado or what our muscles will be doing come July, and the forties bit a reflection of our age!

So personal performance wise, the snow kinda tripped me up last week, but still did around 60 miles, although felt sluggish most days, Wii Fit impressed me this morning telling me it realised i was 39 so well done Nintendo - spot on! Weight came in at 75kg / 165lb so am still 4 lbs above target - that'll come. Hopefully the thaw will set in this week and mileage can consolidate / increase?

In other news TDU starts a next week - looking forward to Sky and the Shack et al performing for the first time.

Lots to write about now so keep checking back for updates.

Thursday, 31 December 2009

Happy New Year!

Pleasantries over, on to the resolutions then....

I will be fitter this year and will be cycling in excess of 5000 miles.
I will endeavour to get out with the club most weeks.
I will organise a long distance ride and complete it this year
Weight will be maintained sub 11.5 stone on average!

Ref the new cycling season, as per last post, can't wait till it all kicks off (quite literally) in the TDU.
Team Sky to make a massive impact and challenge for / scoop up early season victories all over the place.
The Shack to muscle in on the act too.

Still think that Bertie (even without a team to speak of) and Mr A Schleck will be tough to beat in the Tour, but my heart will forever go for Lance (could we see the old postal blue train / disco boys reincarnate in July?) and don't forget Wiggo either and his awesome support cast too.
Cav to continue where he left off, but also develop the cycling brain and get the green jersey in the tour this year.

Off the road will be interesting watching the seperate games of chess played out by Johan and Dave (Brailsford), on that note is Swifty going to Sky yet - do we know? Is Cav gonna jump ship to Sky ready for 2011?

Time to sit back and watch the action unfold, now where did i put Wiggo's autobiography...?

Monday, 28 December 2009

Happy christmas!

Hey!

yeah yeah i know, a few days too late but its a bit sad striking up your laptop on the day innit?

So roll call of pressies was great:
  • A couple of Twin Six T-Shirts probably the coolest bike related T-shirts in the known universe.
  • A couple of CD's - Kings of Leon and Ian Brown
  • A few books - Chris Evans and Wiggo Auto Biogs, Ben Elton newbie plus LEJOG Guide to name a few
  • Wii Fit Plus Game - watch this space for new fitness regime coming your way
  • Others included - New Wallet, socks and sweets.
Furnished myself with a Nokia 5800 phone pre-xmas which i am loving - internet everywhere, so twittering is on the increase.

Looking forward to the new cycling season, will be making predictions just after new year, along with mileage targets etc but can't wait to see Team Sky and the Shack in the peleton, plus hoping Cav continues to obliterate all in his path and goes green this year?

Still a week of hol to go, so maybe another posting or two may surface, but for now wherever you are - A hapy christmas, and if its late i hope it was a good one, if like me you are still off work - eek it out as long as poss!!!!

Thursday, 10 December 2009

Team Sky / The Shack

Wiggo to Sky then (At last)? http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/10122009/58/team-sky-expected-confirm-wiggins.html

Not sure about Swifty though (Katusha got a bit grumpy when Sky announced him on the TDU roster when he is still under (their) contract!

The Shack have a prototype shirt out - a bit Silence-Lotto isn't it?


Tuesday, 20 October 2009

End of season round-up

Bertie tops the UCI Rankings.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/19102009/58/spanish-dominate-cycling-rankings.html
Wiggo wins Down Under
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/58th-jayco-herald-sun-tour-2-1
Cracknell + Hot Chillee guys break 35hours for E2E
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/cracknells-team-ride-end-to-end-in-under-35-hours-23644

Also i managed to take a low speed dive off my bike last night, after running into the verge and entering one of those drainage soakaways - road rash to hip and look what bike radar have published:
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/fitness/article/health-how-to-deal-with-road-rash-23619

Perfect timing!!!!

The answer to the important question is that bike still functions fine and no clothing was damaged in the making of this fall....

Saturday, 17 October 2009

News round-up

So Team Radioshack have a Pro Tour Licence - excellent! Team Sky, still to announce another 6 riders - rumour mill still revolving on that one!

Gilbert tops off his season with back to back wins in Paris Tours & Gran Piemonte.

Only 259 days till the start of the TDF in Rotterdam - what am i going to do till then? Loving the look of the route - cycling brains needed for first week in the cobbles and definite legs / engines for the end in the pyrenees, although why is there another valley finish allowing all the gains to be chased down? No Alpe d'Huez but Col Du Tourmalet twice, plus a summit finish can't be bad.

Only 3 days cycling this week so vastly reduced mileage - starting to get dark as well, so rain and sludge soon to follow. Have purchased and fitted some Crud Road Racer mudguards, to alleviate some of the road spray etc from the forthcoming inclement weather, plus gained (not sure if that's the right word) a slow puncture mid week which was a definitive pain in the proverbial.

note that NABC saturday rides starting from thepub on the corner now fit with my days off so will be venturing out on some of those pre christmas, plus a couple of Audax rides look interesting too so who knows. Norwich 100 date has been published - June 6th so diary has been highlighted / ringed in red etc.

A potential 6 days cycling lined up for the week ahead so should / could achieve some decent mileage again for this next week - its all good.

Wednesday, 14 October 2009

Tour de France 2010 Route Announced


Running from Saturday July 3rd to Sunday July 25th 2010, the 97th Tour de France will be made up of 1 prologue and 20 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,600 kilometres.


These stages have the following profiles:

1 prologue, 9 flat stages, 6 mountain stages and 3 summit finishes, 4 medium mountain stage, 4 individual time-trial stage (59 km).

Distinctive aspects of the race - le Tourmalet climbed twice, a hint of the Classics and cobblestones, 2 rest days, 23 level 1, level 2 and highest level mountain passes.

Can't wait!

Wednesday, 7 October 2009

Dope Testers start reaping the harvest in the off season

Dope testers 2 - Dopers 0.

Bosisio and Comardo first two cyclists to get caught. The only answr to not getting caught is not to do it in the first place - idiots!

Ban the teams too I say particularly when in Bosisio was a team mate of one D DiLuca...

In other news apparently male cyclists are popular with the nations women - http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/british-women-prefer-men-who-cycle-23514

Great to be back on two wheels, and am loving that sound my new wheels make - absolute silence, just a gentle whirr of the pedals...

Sunday, 4 October 2009

Repairs all done

So a week off the bike - allowing the crack in the head time to repair itself - it has pretty much healed, just a trademark scar to tell the grabndchildren about one day? Meanhile a cunningly timed pit stop was taking place in the background!

My set of wheels bought on ebay - just a pair of Bontrager Alloys (standard on a Trek 1.2) complete with brand new SRAM cassette, have been fitted to the bike, plus new chain and also a replacement rear gear cable.

Therefore bike and rider back to somewhere approaching their best, it all bodes well for an assault on mileage this next week, commencing with a club run tomorrow night with NABC - bring it on!

Currently sat here watching British Ironman on Channel 4 - always looks good and the mind often wanders about doing that inaugural triathlon, but still not sure about my swimming capabilities - particularly in open water - maybe you can do a relay team of three? - Just need to find a swimmer and a runner then!

Cycling season definately on a wind down. Franco Belge on at present and Farrar and Boonen finally get wins. All the big boys are pulling the curtains down on their seasons and pretty much only Paris-Tours yet to come. Roll on the transfer season and changes to team rosters. Where will Wiggo and Contador be in 2010, will Team Sky clinch either signature? Who else is joining Radioshack? Any other big surprises? Let's hope not but there are bound to be some close season doping scandals too.

Will be checking in next week hopefully with a decent amount of milege to report.

Laters