Q&A: Matt Smith (Team Bottrill/HSS Hire)

Final Question & Answer for today is with Team Bottrill/HSS Hire Elite rider Matt Smith with his highlights of 2017 and goals for 2017!

RST Cycle Clothing & Trigon Bikes

Q&A: Matt Smith (Team Bottrill/HSS Hire)

Matt says the best thing about hsi team for 2017 is “the camaraderie and collective desire to win backed up with all the support you could ever need”.

1. How did you get into cycle racing?
Matt: Like so many others, it started with my local cycling club and an evening club TT. It spiralled quite quickly from there!

2. Is time trialling your main discipline or are there others?
Matt: I just race Time Trials but love riding the road and MTB too.

3. What is the best thing about racing a time trial?
Matt: Finishing!

4. What was the highlight of 2016 for you and why?
Matt: The Circuit Championships were pretty special to me this year, taking my first individual medal (silver) and being so close to the win.

5. What was your favourite (most enjoyable) race of 2016
Matt: Round one of the Circuit Series. I set off two minutes ahead of Alex Dowsett – he looked much more in control than I felt as he glided past! It’s pretty cool to race against one of the best TT’ers in the world, and great to have the chance to chat over a cup of tea afterwards.

6. What was the toughest race of 2016 for you and why?
Matt: Probably the Shaftesbury 50 mile TT – it was roasting hot and I really suffered in the second half of the race. It was a super quick day and if I could do it again I would adjust my pacing and hopefully not fall off a cliff like last year!
… continued after advert

2016_ShuttVeloRapideAdvert

7. If there was one thing you learned in 2016 to help you go faster what was that?
Matt: Getting a position with the right balance between aero and power – you have to compromise.

8. What is the best piece of equipment to do with racing you are proud of most?
Matt: My Giant Trinity Advanced Pro TT – it’s an absolute rocket.

9. What is your warm up routine for races – rollers or turbo? Music or no music?
Matt: I like to warm-up out on the road when I can, but failing that on the turbo with my own thoughts.

10. What is the hardest drill that you have in training that you dred
Matt: It’s a toss-up between one minute intervals and tabata (high-intensity interval training) – tabata is over quicker but it’s amazing how deep you can push yourself in 4 minutes.

11. What are the goals for 2017?
Matt: Podiums and team awards at the RTTC National Championships. I would love to go one better than the two individual silvers I got this year, but it’s a tough ask.

12. What will be the first race of 2017?
Matt: First race I have planned at the moment is the Lea Valley CC 25 on the E2 in Newmarket

AlpsCyclesMidstory

 

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

Cero

Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)

Other News on VeloUK

Tags: