Xmas Feature: Kieran Simcox

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A leading junior,  Kieran Simcox, takes the VeloUK Question & Answer challenge

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Xmas Feature: Kieran Simcox

1. What is your team for 2016 and what races are you looking forward to most next season.
Kieran: In 2016 I’m riding for the Neon-Velo Cycling Team. Hopefully I’ll be racing in the An-Post RAS stage race in Ireland next year which I’m looking foward to as it will allow me to gain valuable experience as a 1st year U23 racing against some of the best riders on the UCI Continental circuit.

But I’m also looking forward to the Premier Calender events such as Lincoln GP and also having a shot in the National Road Race Championships and seeing how I fair against other U23 riders from around the country.

2. What were your highlights in 2015?
Kieran: This season was my first proper season as a competitive cyclist, with me making a transition into the sport from swimming. The whole season as a whole was pretty good for me. I raced the Junior National Series, which seemed to suit me as a rider, with rolling terrain and aggressive racing.

I raced the majority of these races on my own with no team support so to come away with result in these races in my first season was a huge highlight for me. The best highlight would have to be the Junior Tour of Wales which enabled me to test myself against some of the best Junior riders from around Europe.

On day two, I managed to gain some time bonuses in Sprints which moved me up into the top 10, but sadly on the last day i missed a move and had to settle with finishing 12th.

3. What race was the most fun in 2015 and why?
Kieran: The (junior) Cicle Classic would have to be the most fun I’ve had in a race. The off-road sections mixed things up a bit, with plenty of ducking and diving to gain a good position for the gravel and then bodies and bits of bikes flying in every direction once we were on the gravel sections.

Sadly, I didn’t have the best of results in this race with me having a double puncture but it was by far the most fun I’ve had racing in 2015.

 

 

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4. What’s the best piece of cycling related advice you have received and who off?
Kieran: I have learned an awful lot of knowledge off Dave Coulson who was my team manager for the past season and a half, which has helped me massively in both the way I train and race. He gave me so much valuable advice that it’s impossible to choose one piece.

5. Tell us about your winter training bike, what is different about it compared to your race bike?
Kieran: My winter bike is completely different to my race bike. It’s an aluminium frame from Dave Marsh, 105 10 speed group set and compete with full mudguards. So its much heavier than anything you would race on. However at the minute I am currently riding on my old race bike because I was involved in a hit and run the other week and so the good old winter bike needs a few repairs.

6. 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?
Kieran: December for me will be spent at home training in the peaks building up a base with a mixture of intervals, to help me make the what is going be big jump into U23 racing a little easier.. I will also occasionally be going on the Donny Chaingang, which is always tough at this time of year with cross winds along the Trent.

The weather so far this December is warm but still quite grim so I’m very much looking forward to going out to Calpe in the new year with Ally Speirs and Charlie Renshaw to train in hopefully more pleasant weather.

Cheeky Xmas one… if you could have any cycling related xmas present – what would it be!
Kieran: It would have to be a Power Meter. I’ve had so many people that keep telling me to get one, but blimey they’re so expensive!

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