Llewellyn writes … September and we’re in the last full month of the season.
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Llewellyn Kinch: Full-Time Cyclist for Terra Footwear – Bicycle Line
Admittedly, the final kermis race isn’t until mid October but anyone who’s raced all year should by rights be well on the way to doubling their alcohol tolerance and body fat percentage by then! Riders have been cracking every other day over the last week or so. Those who are still here are now to be found at the pub more regularly than at a race and doing a training ride that doesn’t include at least one coffee stop is considered an outrage.
With only a few weeks left the temptation is to race as much as possible to try and get that one last win. The problem is that after 6 months of racing flat out – including eight stage races – my body just can’t recover as quickly. If I don’t take enough time off between races my legs feel dead from start to finish. As I can still get into the breakaway and finish top 10 with bad legs there is a danger of thinking I messed up tactically rather than accepting I just didn’t have the power at the end.
I have, however, been feeling good in the last couple of races. At Izegem pro Kermis I got into the break and, as the only rider there on an amateur team, was casually swapping turns with the pros. Including Sep Vanmarcke(Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda) and Robert Wagner(Radioshack-Nissan). Unfortunately, we were caught with about 20km to go and my legs were finished as I rolled home in the bunch gallop that ensued. Now I have to try and hold form for a couple more weeks and secure another win before the season’s out.
Outside of racing I have, along with the other riders, been at the pub a bit more than usual. I guess the end of the season is a bit like the Friday afternoon of a working week. The weekend’s so close you can taste it and it’s hard not to relax a bit already. I need to get my alcohol tolerance up a bit before I go home anyway; otherwise even my sister will be able to put me under the table!
Unfortunately it was working on this theory that I woke up on Sunday morning with a sore jaw, cut chin and chipped tooth. To be explained by a vague memory involving sausages, a damp grassy slope and a rather more solid tarmac car park at the bottom of it. This occurred in front of a large crowd of people but, as was kindly pointed out to me, it was later on in the night anyway so I didn’t have much dignity left to lose!
Obviously I’m looking forward to having some time off the bike when the season does finally end. What might seem strange to some, especially if not a cyclist yourself, is that actually I’m also looking forward to hard five hour rides in the cold and cruel British winter. Perhaps, because it’s so long since I was last doing it, I remember the crisp, dry mornings with the sun glinting off the frost, rather than the grey, wet ones when I’m soaked through before I’m ten minutes in. Either way there’s nothing better than the post-refuelling recovery snooze on the sofa, with the days training already done and dusted.
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Result: Beverley Town Centre Races
- Hill Climb Championships: Change of Course
- Crit Result: Portsmouth Evening Circuits 11
- Crit Result: RCR FatCreations Goodwood Summer Special
- UK Armed Forces Inter-services Road Race
- Report: TLI Cycling ‘Belgium Training Series
- BMCR RESULT: The Ron Day MK Bowl Circuit races (July 23rd)
- RR Result: Bath RC Junior National Series Road Race
- Crit Result: West Thames League 15
- Crit Result: SACA Salt Ayre Tuesday Series 15
- Crit Result: Bath CC Mid Summer Series 2
- Crit Result: Full Gas Summer Circuit Series #17
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 10m TT
- TT Result: Kernow Racing Team 10m TT
- News: Men’s Tour of Britain Route (Stage 1 & 2)
- Youth Result: RL360 Isle of Man Youth League 14
- TT Result: Verulam Cycling Club 25m TT
- TT Result: Manchester & District Ladies CA 25m TT
- TT Result: Ferryhill Wheelers CC 25m TT
- Crit Result: Banbury Star Crit Series #2
- RR Result: Lakes Road Club Summer Road Race
- National Circuit Series: Colne
- TT Result: Kings Lynn CC 15m TT
- TT Result: ECCA 10 mile Time Trial
- TT Result: Chorley Cycling Club 10m TT
- TT Result: Houghton CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 10m TT
- TT Result: Farnham RC 10m TT
- Crit Result: King&Queen of the Bowl Series #13
- TT Result: Kernow Racing Team 10m TT
- Crit Result: Lichfield/Velospeed No Frills at Curborough #7
- TT Result: Swindon RC & Swindon Wh 50m TT
- Crit News: Spatzwear Friday Night Crit Series #6 | YBC
- GB News: Paracycling Squad for Paris 2024
- Crit Result: Thanks Crit it’s Friday 7
- Crit Result: Omega Portsmouth Circuits 6
- Result: BMCR National Road Bike TT Championship
- Crit Result: Ride Revolution Coaching Summer Crits #2
- Crit Result: Shutt Velo Rapide Hitters Crits Rd2
Other News on VeloUK
- Hill Climb Championships: Change of Course
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 25m TT
- News: Men’s Tour of Britain Route (Stage 1 & 2)
- GB News: Paracycling Squad for Paris 2024
- Ribble Redefines Road with launch of Allroad
- BMCR: National Road Bike Time Trial Championship
- SUNDAY: Bath Road Club Junior National Series Road Race
- TLI CYCLING FEATURE: SUPER4SERIES
- NATIONAL CIRCUIT SERIES UPDATE 2024
- News: Josh Tarling Extends Contract at Ineos
- Tour of Britain for Men 2024
- News: Connor Swift Extends Contract with Ineos
- Updated GB Olympic Team News
- Sunday: 2024 Youth Circuit Race Championships (Cyclopark)
- ROBBED BY THE HIGHWAYS AGENCY – National Highways
- Startlist: BMCR National Road Championships E/F/G/H
- OLYMPIC NEWS – Team GB Announces First Riders for Olympics
- News: Alex Richardson Retires
- New Releases from Shutt Velo Rapide
- STARTLIST: Men’s British Road Race Championships
- STARTLIST: 2024 Women’s British Road Race Championships
- Startlist: 2024 CAMS Yorkshire Classic Road Races
- Startlists: 2024 Circuit Race Championships
- Startlist: CAMS Ronde van Wymeswold
- Startlists & 2023 Results: National Time Trial Championships
- NEWS: Star Studded Line Up for National Road Champs
- Riders so far: London Dynamo Summer Road Races
- Women’s Tour of Britain Startlist (provisional)
- News: Lincoln winner hit by car
- Entries Wanted: Ilkley Cycles Races
- GB Team Named for Women’s Tour of Britain
- STARTLISTS: NW, Yorkshire & NE Regional RR Championships
- Startlists: East Midlands Road Race Championships
- News: Ribble Rebellion Race USA’s Armed Forces Cycling Classic
- TT Result: Legato Racing Team 10m TT
- Pre-Race Rider Quotes: Ford RideLondon Classique
- STARTLIST: Witham Wheelers Road Races
- Team News: Tour of Britain for Alba Development RT
- Startlist: Totnes Vire 2024
- Starters: NW Junior/U23 360cycling Two Day