Interview – Olympic Champion Laura Trott

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Talking to a young lady who is a star of track and road cycling and thrilled the crowds in Redditch on Tuesday night – Laura Trott

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Interview – Olympic Champion Laura Trott

For a Series debutant, British Road Race champion Laura Trott looks like quite a talent and one to watch for the future! - Gordon Wiseman chats to her …

After the race, Laura of Matrix Fitness explained to Gordon – “It was my first Matrix Series race and I really enjoyed it. I was a bit gutted when it said ‘four to go’ I just wanted to keep going. It’s a really good circuit and I hadn’t gone round it before the race so I didn’t know what to expect.”

“I thought it would be like, you know, a standard evening town centre crit but it has everything, lots of corners and that big hill. It really made it different, quite draggy in a way. I’ll definitely come back for more, I just can’t remember which ones!”

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Pre Race, Laura spoke to Gordon Wiseman
VeloUK.net The last two winners of the Matrix Fitness Grand Prix series have gone on to race for World level women’s teams’ – Hannah Barnes to UnitedHealthcare and Eileen Roe to Wiggle Honda – ‘so what makes this such a series that it attracts interest from world class teams looking for talented riders?

Laura – “Because these really are hard events. These races are only 45 minutes long but the circuits are quite short with lots of corners so it’s all about bike handling which itself is quite important to top levels teams. They need riders who are confident in the bunch, confident in handling their bike so when it comes to the end of a race they can be there to help out the team leader”.

VeloUK.net – “How have you been preparing for this year’s Series?”

Laura (laughing) – “Falling off and being ill! I’ve not had the best two weeks prep, they’ve been two weeks from hell. I got a bit sick, just like a normal cold but I was soon back riding again. I was out on my bike, sat up to put my cape on and fell off as the wind took out my front wheel and I hurt a ligament in my shoulder”.

“Then I had something wrong with my stomach and for four days I was just in so much pain and couldn’t move so I was in bed for those four days. But I’ve been riding again since Saturday and feeling good so I think that’s because I’ve been resting. So yes, now I feel good and I’m hoping for the best, especially as this is my first ever Matrix race”.

VeloUK.net – “What about your experiences so far this year racing in the World Cup rounds with Matrix Fitness?”

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Laura – “I’ve been really pleased. For me it’s a bit different as I came into them straight from the track season so I think I’d have done better and perhaps worn the National Champs jersey better if I’d come into them from more of a road background. I didn’t win the Nationals by being a crap road rider but I don’t think I ever get to show my potential on the road because I don’t get to do the training I need to do that as the track has to be my priority”.

“I did Flanders this year but it was a week after the Track Worlds which is not exactly the best preparation but I really enjoyed it. I then rode Fleche and that was really good. Last year I was 12 minutes down on the leaders but this year it was only 5 and less than that behind riders like Lizzie and the main group so I was really pleased with that. You go from riding with a group of, say, 25 girls and you know all of them, to riding in a group of 200 where you know almost nobody”

VeloUK.net – “Who do you think in your team is going to do well in this year’s Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series?”
Laura – “I think Elinor could be a surprise. She’s not a sprinter but she’s strong and if she can get up the road on her own she’ll be really difficult to pull back. Lucy Martin is one to watch as a sprinter and I think she’s just getting her form back and once that does come back I think she’ll again be the old Lucy and winning bunch sprints”.

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VeloUK.net – “And what about the other teams, who will you be looking out for there?”
Laura – “Obviously any of our team pursuit girls who are all so incredibly strong. But as most of them ride for the same team’ – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International – ‘only one of them can win on the day. Katie Archibald is obviously epically strong and the same can be said about Ciara. I think Ciara Horne is on her way through the ranks and people may not think much of her going into this race, but, like Elinor, if she gets away on her own she’ll stay away, they’re just that kind of rider”.

“There’s just so many girls and it’s great to see UK racing getting the way it is, it’s just so hard to pick who’s going to win just because there are so many girls. It’s a just such a different level now to two or three years ago. But that’s great to see, this is what we need”.

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