Feature – Liam Stones Q & A

Question and Answer feature with former Raleigh GAC rider Liam Stones who rides for Sportgrub in 2016

Feature – Liam Stones Q & A

1. When will you start your road season and what will be the first race?
Liam: I guess I’ll start in March with a few good early races like the Jock Wadley and Roy Thame just to wind back into it. The team have a few other things lined up early doors that could be quite interesting as well.

2. What races will be your targets for 2016 and why?
Liam: Tour Series has been my main interest for the last few years, I feel comfortable there. It’s something that feels a bit more natural to me and I’ve had one or two good results that I’m happy with but haven’t quite been what I wanted so I’m still really hungry to improve there.

I’ve been close to good things but it’s never worked out so I need to prove its still in there. I also hope to get back into a bit of road racing here and there this year but no specific target as of yet. I’ll sit down with the team at some point and try to structure something a bit more solid than previous years.

3. How will you spend the time on the bike between now and your first race in training? Long miles or cutting back to do top end efforts?
Liam: Time on the bike has been a pretty mixed so far, so a bit of both really. I’ve been working with someone new the last few months and it’s been going well. The sessions are a bit more suited to me and like I said, it’s pretty mixed so it keeps it interesting.

Personally I prefer the shorter but more intense effort sessions rather than sitting for hours in the saddle but one’s no good without the other I think. Iâ€™m heading out to Gran Canaria to get away from this weather at the back end of this month for two weeks and then I’ll have another two weeks in Majorca with the new team in February so I wonâ€™t be short of time on the bike!

4. What was your favourite Xmas present?
Liam: It was a bit of a surprise and a tad random but I ended up with a drone. It was as great for around 7 minutes! That was until I watched it lifelessly fall 80 metres out of the sky. Turns out the 2hr wait for the battery to charge only gives it 7 mins fly time. Should have read the manual!

5. When it rains, which its doing a lot right now, is it turbo time or wrap up and get wet? (if the latter, what’s your favourite tip to stay dry in the rain)
Liam: Me and my turbo had a fall out a few years back and our â€™thing’ hasnâ€™t quite been the same since, so I’m kinda forced into the ‘get wet’ option. If it gets really bad out there, we work sorting out short term but it just makes things worse and I usually end up in the rain eventually sometimes 10 mins into a session!

Iâ€™ve managed to get by so far recently avoiding it and getting out so it keeps us both happy. As far as tips go to keeping dry, I have no idea! I donâ€™t think its possible unless you perhaps wrap yourself in clingfilm or get hold of one of those rubber one piece suits you see in those â€¦. I’ll leave it thereâ€¦ (no idea what you meant Liam ;-)

6. If you could do any race in the world including the best ones in the world etc, what would it be and why?
Liam: I think Paris-Roubaix. Its probably quite a generic answer but it’s not your ordinary race. Iâ€™m sure it wouldnâ€™t take me long too regret my decision though.

7. What piece of food can you not do without where ever you are on the road during the season!
Liam: Probably some sort of fruit juice or a good M&S sushi platter, canâ€™t beat that on the road!

8. What is your favourite music track when warming up for a race or on the turbo?
Liam: Got to be â€˜Right Hereâ€™ by some guys called ‘The Story So Far’, or some insane track from a band called â€˜Brand Newâ€™. They get a bit of adrenaline flowing easily.

9. If given the option, would you prefer normal brakes or disc brakes on your road bike?
Liam: I think its cool to try something different but if I had the choice I’d probably stick with the conventional system. Mainly because I’d have a garage full of wheels that would then become utterly useless. If money wasnâ€™t an option thoughâ€¦.why not?

10. What’s the spec of your race bike for 2016 and your favourite bits on it? (include a pic or two if you have them!)
Liam: Our race bikes are pretty nice and I canâ€™t wait to get hold of them as they’re probably one of the best looking bits of kit out there but thats about all I can say at the moment until the team make an official announcement. I donâ€™t particularly want a bounty on my head this early in the year.

For now Iâ€™m crusing around on a Specialized Venge, pretty standard winter bike set up with SRAM Red, a nice shallow pair of 50mm Mavic Cosmics and a saddle bag. And no mudguards! It probably doesn’t quite qualify to some as a winter hack from the historic Bike Bible, but there’s no place for it on my garage wall.

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