Saturday 29 June 2019

June update

I’m currently sitting in scorching thirty degree heat on the north Norfolk coast, preparing for the National road race championships on Sunday. The time trial has already passed, which wasn’t the best day for me, but it was great to see my team mate Charlie Quarterman take the national under twenty three title, which was thoroughly deserved. In the road race, I will be facing the likes of Mark Cavendish and other WorldTour opposition, which will be a first for me, so as usual, it’s a mixture of excitement and nerves. Many athletes use the words ‘nervous’ and ‘excited’ interchangeably, particularly when under media presence, to make themselves appear more confident, but I don’t have to worry about that yet.

In other news, perhaps more important news, I’ve been selected to ride the Giro Valle d’Aosta. This is a six day stage race in the alps featuring more mountains than you can keep count of. This is one of the biggest under twenty three races in the world, so will be incredibly tough. The race takes place between the 16th and 21st July and you’ll be able to keep updated on our news with Flavio’s unique live videos on Facebook. This is a massive opportunity for me, so I’m doing everything I can to make sure I arrive with the best legs possible. 

I’ve managed to spend some time at home during June, competing in a few local races, where I could honestly say I was excited instead of nervous. The difference in the level of racing between the UK and Italy is huge, so it’s been refreshing to be racing to win races, rather than just to survive. It’s strange what you start to miss when you spend five months in Europe. Family and friends are a given, but I can’t tell you how good it was to have my first roast dinner since Christmas. 

In August I’ll be back out living in Italy, this time near Milan, following a similar racing structure, but I like to think I’m much more prepared now, so I can really start to get competitive in the Italian nationals and UCI’s. I haven’t had time to catch up with everyone since I’ve been home, so if any of my friends would like to visit in the summer, It would be great to see you. Living in the company of twelve other cyclists can take its toll. For instance, we’ve developed many colloquialisms, using cycling terms to describe everyday life, so it’s good to see normal people every once in a while to remember what the world is like outside of our bubble.

Thanks again to all who are supporting me to make it possible. 

Keep you updated,

Ciao.

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