Q & A – Matthew Smith (Team Bottrill)

BioracerBanner

Team Bottrill rider Matthew Smith looking to do well in the CTT Championships events in 2016 starting with the ’50’

RST Cycle Clothing & Trigon Bikes

Q & A – Matthew Smith (Team Bottrill)

MattSmith

1. What will be your first time trial for 2016 and why that one to kick off the season?
Matthew: My first TT in 2016 will be round 1 of the Classic series. It’s local to me this year and it should draw some good competition which will act as extra motivation and give me a measure of how the winter training has gone.

2. What time trials will be your targets for 2016 and why?
Matthew: My main targets this year will be the national championships, starting with the 50. I’m riding for the newly formed TeamBottrill this year and one of our major goals will be the team competition at the National events. For myself, I’m aiming for a podium finish at any of the National Championships so I’ll be riding as many of them as I can.

3. What phase of the training schedule are you – base miles or intervals?
Matthew: I’ve just finished a really good few months where I’ve been building the training load with lots of Zone 3 and 4 work. For the next few weeks my coach Bob Tobin of CyclePowermeters has prescribed a bit more intensity before we start the next build heading into the National 50.

4. Do you train on a road bike or TT bike?
Matthew: I do a lot of training on the TT bike, but do mix it up a bit – I like to use the road bike for high intensity intervals, to make sure I can get out the maximum effort. I also tend to leave the TT bike at home when the roads are really bad.

5. What is your favourite distance and why?
Matthew: I like 50’s, mainly because I’ve tended to go well at that distance.

AlpsCyclesMidstory

6. What is your favourite course in the country and why?
Matthew: I enjoy some of the hilly TTs a lot but I think the E2 courses top my list, just because it’s where I’ve had my best results

7. You’re doing a ’10’ – do you take a bidon on the bike and if so, what’s your drink of choice when racing?
Matthew: No – I don’t take a bidon for anything below a 50 normally.

8. What is your weapon (bike) of choice for 2016? (spec of machine please)
Matthew: Giant Trinity Advanced Pro TT – Giant are supporting TeamBottrill for 2016 and I’m really excited to be riding the new Trinity.

9. What is the key to going fast for you?
Matthew: Good pacing and holding an aero position when going full gas

10. Finally, if you could change one thing about the way time trials are organised, what it would be (ie, closed roads, etc)
Matthew: Some of the national events over the last couple of years, and a few of the open events I have raced, have been fantastically organised, and made a real event of the race – with live updates of split times and results in the HQ, and great prize presentations for the winners. I would like to see more races trying this sort of thing.

2016_Feb_Caspv2

 

Send your results as well as club, team & event news here

Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)

Other News on VeloUK

Tags: