Lockdown Q&A with Leon Mazzone

In this latest Lockdown Q&A, we chat to new signing for Crimson Orientation Marketing RT who are also sponsored by Brother UK, Leon Mazzone

Lockdown Q&A with Leon Mazzone

In 2020, Leon is racing for Crimson Orientation Marketing RT where he will mainly be based at home on the Isle of Man. His highlights from 2019 include being 4th in the British National Marathon Championships on the Mountain Bike and also 9th in a CX National Trophy in Irvine. On the road, he says he’d have to go for his 8th on stage 1 of the Isle of Man 3 day.

Q: Your last race was and how did it go?
Leon: My last race was the British Cyclocross National Championships where I finished in 18th place overall (10th Senior) As I am still quite new to Cyclocross I was pleased with how I performed considering the conditions on the day and limited equipment. My last race on the road was Ryedale GP where I wasn’t feeling too great on the day but still managed a top 25.

Q: With racing cancelled, what’s a typical week training wise for you?
Leon: A typical training week now that the racing has been cancelled for a while hasn’t changed too dramatically I would say. In the Isle of Man we are fortunate to be able to train outdoors but in respect of the NHS workers, I am including more indoor sessions a week to minimise any risk. Training wise, I am currently doing 16-20hrs per week with a mix of endurance and interval sessions.

Q: Are you having to use the turbo or avoiding it like the virus?
Leon: I have included some more turbo sessions during the week in which I like to use Zwift. British Cycling are currently running a series of races every Tuesday which is a nice little target to aim for each week and test the legs. I also ride with Tom on Zwift quite a bit which is quite funny as we just seem to attack each other all the time so ends up being a good workout.

Q: If using Zwift to race, how close is it in terms of physical effort to a race on the road?
Leon: It’s as close as you’re going to get at the moment. You can definitely get a good workout from it that’s for sure. As you are racing the other guys, you can push harder than you would if you were on your own doing efforts so it’s a great training tool for when we do race again on the road.

Q: Where do you do the majority of your training?
Leon: When training outdoors I like to mix up my ride as much as possible. Mostly on endurance rides as I can go where ever I like as you’re never far away from home over here as you can probably imagine. This week I rode every road/lane on the whole east of the Island up to Douglas which was a cool little challenge I set for myself.

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Q: What’s the hardest thing for you about the Lock Down
Leon: Being restricted on what we can do mainly. It’s good that it’s like this though as it’s definitely reducing the risk of covid-19 spreading. I’ve come to terms with it now and I’m in a good routine so it’s not effecting me too much.

Q: Besides cycling, what’s your biggest distraction as lock down continues?
Leon: I am currently working as a delivery driver 3-4 times a week so that is one of my distractions. I am also big into my cars so I like to keep it in the best condition I can, so I regularly clean the whole car inside and out.

Q: What’s the bike that gets the most use by you and why what is the best thing about it?
Leon: At this current moment the bike that is getting used the most is my Cinelli Superstar Road Bike. My favourite thing about it is that it’s super light but also stiff. You can tell if a bike has the quality in the first few rides and this definitely has it for sure. The colour scheme is also cool, with it having flack in the paint, it’s shows up really nicely in the sun.

Q: What’s the weirdest thing you have seen since this crisis began
Leon: Probably seeing the roads so quiet. Normally the roads over here are always busy so I’m only just getting head around it now. It would be nice if it stayed like this but eventually it’s going to be back to normal.

Q: How do you deal with riding solo or do you and Tom smash each other on the Rocks roads.
Leon: Tom is currently in the UK so I am riding on my own currently. We have smashed each other a few times on zwift though haha. It’s quite strange not having him as a training partner for such a long time but he half wheels me anyways so it’s quite nice to be half wheeled by my shadow instead. Personally I find it peaceful training solo but sometimes you could just do with someone there for a bit of company to pass the time a little quicker.

Q: Finally, how is the weather on the Isle of Man now and are the roads quiet like here?
Leon: Surprisingly the weather is the best I’ve seen in a long while, typical really. Most days have been sunny without a cloud in the sky but I’m not sure how long it’s going to last. The wind is still pretty blowy but as long as it’s not raining I’m not complaining. As I mentioned, the roads have been super quiet, Christmas day quiet every day which is great as people are listening and following the guidelines.

Leon would like to thank to: Larry at VeloUK (thank you!) for this Q&A opportunity, Crimson Orientation Marketing, Champion Cycling Services, IOM Sports Aid

Personal Sponsors: LMS Partners, Luvi-Air, Patricia Wild Opticians, Hunt Bike wheels