Final push of the season

Taking 3rd on the final stage

After a full on year of new racing this season, now in August I come to my final couple of races. This year has absolutely flown by and it doesn’t seem any where near 6 months ago that I started my junior career at Kuurne Brussels Kuurne on a wintery February morning. I’ve learnt so much since then and am pleased to say that in this month of August I have gained some more results that have given me a good bit of confidence going in to the final 2 races of the season now at the Tour of Wales junior National series race, and La Philippe Gilbert Juniors UCI 1.1 to finish off the year. This is before having some pre-winter testing, and then a couple weeks off before hitting winter training hard to prepare for next season which I am already looking forward to.

Getting across to the break

The month started with me travelling to Spain for the Vuelta a Pamplona which I raced with HMT cycling team. I was looking forward very much to this race, having really enjoyed racing in Spain in the month previous at the Tour of the Basque country and was hoping for a good result. The race was held over 4 days, with 4 stages and all of them hilly. The stage race started well as I managed to get in to the front split of around 15 riders after bridging across to the front 5 on the first categorised climb of the day. A few others also got across after and this break ultimately stayed away to the finish, gaining over 3 minutes on the main peloton. There was a bit of tension however as when the break had a large gap of over 1 minute, the race was neutralised after the peloton went the wrong was through a town and ended up ahead of us for a time. This was unfortunate as when the race was restarted we were only given 38 seconds as that was the last official time check taken before the peloton went the wrong way. Thankfully the break still stayed away after I pushed very hard immediately after the race restarted to try and give us a chance of sticking until the end which we thankfully did. In this process however 6 more riders came across in the confusion unfortunately, but one was my team mate, so it put HMT in a stronger position for the race which was good. 2 Riders managed to break away on the final climb, but I wasn’t in the right position to follow them frustratingly and they stayed away until the end and I took 8^th in the sprint from my group to take 10^th on the stage. I was very pleased with this as the first stage was often where I had lost stage races in the past, so it was good to break this spell.

In the winning break

Pre race ride

Stage 2 was a very hard day and was absolute carnage, but very enjoyable at the same time. The race continually went from wide dual carriageway roads where the peloton bunched up to thin, twisty and hilly streets through town centres and also some cobbles and dirt sectors randomly as well. This made for great racing which slowly whittled the peloton down until only around 20 remained. I tried to attack on the final few climbs of the day but paid a price after being in the break yesterday and didn’t have the legs to stay away. This came down to a depleted bunch sprint where I again took 8^th for 8^th on the stage which I was again pleased with showing I have some good sprint legs also which I had struggled with at some parts this season.

Racing through the narrow streets

Stage 3 was the queen stage with a very steep summit finish, but unfortunately it was my worst day of the Tour as I had not felt great all day and finished a little disappointingly in 15^th. This still wasn’t a bad result, but I had dropped out of the top 10 on GC from 9^th to 11^th. The day wasn’t all bad though as 2 of my team mates got in the break which stayed away and one of them won to take he overall lead also. I waited in the bunch for the counter if the break which had my team mates in came back, but it never did. I went in to the very steep finishing climb in a good position but just didn’t quite have good enough legs to stay with the best riders from the main bunch and effectively took 12^th from the main group up the final climb for 15^th on the stage.

At the summit finish

Marking the Columbians

Finish of the last stage

The final stage was yet again a very hard parcours with a short but tough uphill cobbled sprint to the finish at the top of a castle in the city centre of Pamplona. This was my best day of the Tour taking 3^rd on the stage and moving back up to a top 10 on GC to 7^th overall. For most of the day I was marking moves from the Columbian National team as they were a threat to our rider in the overall lead, should they get away. This worked well for me as I managed to get in to a break with one of them and then didn’t work as otherwise it could’ve taken the lead away from my team mate. We lead over the only categorised climb of the day which I won over also just to get my name out there. Once we were caught, it was just me and my team mate in the overall lead for a time and I put some pressure on some up and downhill sectors to try and put the rider who was a close overall 2^nd in to some bother. This didn’t work however and after continually attacking throughout the day, only for all the HMT riders to chase him down, he finally got away on the final uncategorised climb of the day. I knew the attack was coming and jumped on it immediately but unfortunately the overall leader from my team missed it and was left behind in the peloton. I stuck in the break which swelled to 8 riders at one point in the really hard cross wind sectors at which 2 riders got dropped leaving just 6 in the break with the rider in 2^nd overall at the start of the day being the main driver. This break stayed away to the end and I took 3^rd in the uphill cobbled sprint to the line to take 3^rd on the stage and gain 30 seconds on the bunch to move up to 7^th overall on GC as well. I was very pleased with this performance but a little gutted I couldn’t take the win after getting out of the saddle on final set of cobbles sapped my speed and I lost the wheel of the rider in front of me. I was still really pleased overall, gaining what I believe was my best result so for of the season in the process.

Team presentation

After a weekend off, next came the Yorkshire regional championships on the infamous Penny Pot circuit. This was a very frustrating race for me where I finished a disappointing 6^th. This was however after being in a 3 man break for 50km with 2 riders from the same team. Unfortunately though one of those riders said that he was ill so sat on leaving just 2 of us but as I was outnumbered, I didn’t work at 100% for fear I could be countered in the final. We were then caught and the rider who sat on won the sprint to take the victory which was very annoying. I was upset with this race but know I was very strong and aggressive and it was a good test before the big race of the Tour of Wales next weekend where I hope to do well.

A big thanks once again to everyone who has supported me this month at Gian Halifax, HMT cycling team, Pedal potential and Trainsharp. It is all much appreciated as always! I am now looking forward to my final 2 big races of the season at the Tour of Wales and La Philippe gilbert JRs and hope to gain some more results!