Xmas Feature: Hannah Walker

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Question and Answer with Hannah Walker who had a mixed season which ended on a high with a British championship silver medal

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Xmas Feature: Hannah Walker

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Hannah Walker (centre) racing the British champs at Lincoln in 2015

1. With your team all sorted for 2016, what races are you looking forward to most next season?
Hannah: In 2016 I’m looking forward to racing abroad with Team WNT. It’ll be the first time WNT will race abroad and they’re really keen and supportive of everyone’s goals. At the minute, the full race program is being finalised. Next year there is a women’s Lincoln GP, so I’m extremely excited to race that. I loved the course when it was the 2015 National Road Race Championships.

2. What were your highlights in 2015?
Hannah: During my 2015 race season was very up and down after donating my bone marrow to my brother, Tom in February. I found it hard to get back to fitness and then I was struggling mentally to motivate myself because I felt I wasn’t getting fit, so it was one big circle.

However, I had a break during September and October and then began training in November. I won a silver medal in the National Derny Championships at the end of November so that was my highlight for 2015 after a tough year!

3. What race was the most fun in 2015 and why?
Hannah: For me, I really enjoyed racing the Banbury Star RR in May. I came 4th, and for those who’ve ridden the race, know the huge climb which is a mile long and very steep. The race was positive and riders were always pushing to create a break and split the peloton especially over the top of the climb so you were always conscious of positioning especially as I knew my fitness wasn’t 100% so I had to race smart.

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Hannah working at the Tour of Britain with the media part of Sweetspot, interviewing Alex Dowsett

4. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given and who gave it to you?
Hannah: Two things I’ve learnt: 1. Don’t tell everyone everything you know! And two ….

5. Tell us about your winter training bike, what is different about it compared to your race bike?
Hannah: My winter bike isn’t much different to my race bike to be honest although our race bikes had Shimano Di2. The wheels are my training wheels from the 2015 season, they’re Hope Tech 45’s with Continental tyres.

Soon we will be getting our 2016 race bikes so I’ll be on that shortly, and I’ll try and get abroad as much as possible this winter so I won’t actually need a ‘real typical’ winter bike with mud guards, although when I am home in Manchester, I have lights, mud guards and a well equipped saddle bag just in case!

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Hannah, second from left, with Team WNT at the Bath Tour Series

6. Finally, How will you spend December on the bike – at home or abroad, long miles only or a mixture of intervals and miles and bike only or gym/cross training too?
Hannah: The first part of December I’ll be in Lanzarote with Mouldy (Jon Mould) then I’ll be back home for the remainder before he goes to Australia for two months. It’ll mainly be trying to get the miles in whilst I have good weather to train consistently in.

Luckily I am a part of the Cheshire Athlete Performance Academy so I have a gym plan mainly to build strength in my core, so I’m able to do the program wherever I am in the world although when I’m home I go to the gym to do it.

7. Cheeky Xmas one… if you could have any cycling related xmas present – what would it be!
Hannah: I’d love a Mavic disc and 5 spoke LoL! Realistically, I’d love a new pair of cycling shoes. I’ve had my Bonts three years and they’re looking a little worse for wear now!

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