Q&A: Jimmy Smith (VCUK)

Jimmy Smith (VCUK Champion System RT) takes the VeloUK quiz on his 2016 highlights & goals for 2017

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Q&A: Jimmy Smith (VCUK)

Jimmy Smith (VCUK Champion System RT) takes the VeloUK quiz on his 2016 highlights & goals for 2017


Photo: jessykinnes photography

1. What is the best thing about your team?
Jimmy: The team has added some really strong riders to the roster for 2017, so I’m looking forward to getting stuck in with them and hopefully getting some decent results.

2. What was your highlight of 2016 and why?
Jimmy: Probably winning the first round of the North Wales road race series on top of the horseshoe pass, it was one of those days where everything just fell into place and to win on top of an iconic climb like that made it extra special.

3. What was your favourite/most fun race of 2016
Jimmy: Probably the Rutland-Melton Cicle classic. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the finish, but the experience of a UCI level race was awesome.

4. What was your toughest race of 2016 for you and why?
Jimmy: The North West champs, really tough, lumpy circuit and some strong riders made for a hard race, but coming away with a top 10 was a really nice result for me.

5. What is the best piece of equipment (clothing/bike/gadget) to do with racing you are proud of most?
Jimmy Smith (VCUK Champion System RT) takes the VeloUK quiz on his 2016 highlights & goals for 2017 Our Shark composites team bikes for next year look really good, can’t wait for better weather to get out on it!

6. What is your warm up routine for races- rollers or turbo? Music or no music?
Jimmy: I have a 20 minute routine that involves some progressive efforts and short sprints, can be done on turbo or the road, depending on where the race is.

7. What’s your favourite discipline on the road and why!
Jimmy: I love rolling races that really test you. It’s races where it doesn’t let up where the strongest riders tend to show.

8. Will you be staying in the UK to prepare for the next season during the winter or get in a training camp or two abroad to get in some serious miles?
Jimmy: The team have a training camp booked in Calpe in January, then Ii am off to Tenerife in Feb before the first few races of the year.

9. When will you start training for 2017 and what comes first- long steady miles or a mix of miles and efforts?
Jimmy: I never really stopped riding, due to doing a few CX races, but my training has been a nice mix of intervals and long rides so far. I think my coach, Richard Bott of aspire fitness consultants, plans to up the duration after Xmas, so I’m looking forward to that!
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10. Do you use a special winter bike with mudguards etc or using a normal race like training bike?
Jimmy: I’m currently using a Specialized Crux with some mudguards on, does the job and discs in winter are a godsend.

11. What are the goals for 2017?
Jimmy: I’m hoping to build on a good year in 2016 with some wins in Nat A and B, and to get a couple of tours done in Ireland with the team.

12. With the darkness now upon us, are the long rides now only on the weekends and how many hours a week would you do in a typical week?
Jimmy: I get Wednesday and Sunday off, so I get to do a decent ride with plenty of recovery in between, but a lot of work on the turbo keeps the legs ticking over too.

13. Does winter training consist only of riding the bike or running/swimming/gym work(cross training)
Jimmy: My coach has me in the gym and doing S+C sessions on a regular basis, its nice to mix things up and I’m already feeling the benefit.

14. Finally, what have you learnt to best deal with the winter months on the bike?
Jimmy: Riding with friends is a good way to force yourself to go out, but good kit goes a long way to making it more bearable!

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