LOCKDOWN! with Madeleine Gammons (Team Boompods)

Lockdown Q & A with Madeleine Gammons (Team Boompods) studying sport and exercise science at the University of Birmingham & currently based at home in Lincolnshire

LOCKDOWN! with Madeleine Gammons (Team Boompods)

Lockdown Q & A with Madeleine Gammons (Team Boompods) studying sport and exercise science at the University of Birmingham & currently based at home in Lincolnshire

Your last race was?
Maddie: My last race was the first round of the British Team Cup in Milton Keynes. Unfortunately it got cancelled part way through due to numerous crashes but it gave me a bit of an insight into where my form is at.

With racing cancelled, what’s a typical week on the bike for you?
Maddie: My training has ramped up with university exams being cancelled so I have a lot more time on my hands. It mainly consists of endurance rides hanging on to my boyfriend and lots of Zwift racing.

Are you having to enjoy using a turbo/rollers or avoiding it like the virus?
Maddie: I’m trying to get out whilst I still can. However I’m enjoying the turbo more and more at the moment.

If on the turbo, what’s your favourite distraction – Zwift or some other entertainment?
Maddie: Zwift has changed my experience on the turbo. It makes me want to ride the turbo and with the help of the Zwift races, I can spend hours on the turbo now! Although I couldn’t live without my Boompods Speaker.

What’s the hardest thing for you about the Lock Down ?
Maddie: The hardest thing for me is being stuck inside. Off the bike, I love spending time out and about. Lockdown means I have nothing to do other than ride my bike so I get really bored.

Besides cycling, what’s your biggest distraction as lock down continues?
Maddie: I’ve started a Sports Massage Course so learning the theory for that has given me something to do. I thought I’d try and be productive and make the most of the extra time. We’re also having family games and quiz nights which keep morale high.

Photo: Simon F Blackwell

What’s the bike that gets the most use by you and why what is the best thing about it?
Maddie: I spend most of my time on my Cannondale Super-Six Evo complete with Edco Maloja wheels and Continental GP 5000 tyres. It’s the only bike I’ve ever ridden that I am yet to find a fault with and looks real classy. Tried and tested down mountainous descents in Cyprus earlier in the year, I’ve been especially impressed with how stiff the wheels are! They ride like a dream. Coupled with the tyres, they give me plenty of confidence in all situations.

What’s the weirdest thing you have seen since this crisis began?
Maddie: The weirdest thing I’ve seen is the amount of people in my town seemingly double. It’s become so busy with people home from work with nothing to do but exercise.

Finally, where you do you enjoy riding the most in this country or abroad?
Maddie: I prefer riding abroad. Living in the fens, the hilly British calendar doesn’t really suit me. I love racing in Belgium and the Netherlands because full gas, flat racing is more my sort of thing. It’s usually a bit warmer abroad too.