Q & A: Rebecca Durrell (Drops Cycling)

Q & A with a rider who really rose to the top in 2016 with Drops Cycling, Rebecca Durrell

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Q & A: Rebecca Durrell (Drops Cycling)

Photo: Tom Oldham

1. What was the highlight of the 2016 season for you?
Rebecca: There have been many as it’s been a rollercoaster of a year. Winning the inaugural women’s CiCLE classic and racing in The Women’s Tour are well up there.

2. What was your favourite race of 2016?
Rebecca: The Lincoln GP was a massive highlight due to the overwhelming success of our team as a whole, especially with it being my home race. The Tour of California was also a favourite, it took us through some stunning areas of the US.

3. What was the toughest race of 2016 for you?
Rebecca: The Tour of Flanders.

4. If there was one thing you learned most in 2016 to help you go faster/better, what was that?
Rebecca: That paying a lot of attention to recovery between races and during stage races massively helps performance.

5. What is the piece of equipment/clothing that you are looking forward to most in 2017?
Rebecca: The bike!

6. What is your warm up routine for races – rollers or turbo? Music or no music?
Rebecca: It totally depends on the race. I now tend to warm up on the road for road races, or on the rollers when I think I need a solid warm up. Turbo warm up for time trials during which I’ll listen to music.

7. What’s your favourite discipline on the road; road racing/crits/time trials and why?
Rebecca: Road racing and crits. I love how varied and unpredictable road races can be. I also enjoy the pressure of crit racing and the atmosphere from the crowds that it attracts.

8. When will you start training for 2017 and what comes first – long steady miles or a mix of miles and efforts?
Rebecca: The training started in early November after taking a break in late October. I’m currently building the base fitness with long miles but also keeping some efforts in there to keep that area of fitness ticking over.

Photo: Tom Oldham

9. What are the goals for 2017?
Rebecca: Generally to continue learning and growing as an international rider. I’d also like to focus on the Tour Series next season. I really enjoyed racing a few of the rounds this year so would like to follow that up with results next year.

10. Does winter training consist only of riding the bike or running/swimming/gym work (cross training)?
Rebecca: Predominantly riding the bike, but also a few sessions per week strength training in the gym.

11. What have you learnt over the years to best deal with the winter months on a bike!
Rebecca: Despite being northern (so supposedly hard as nails when it comes to the weather) I always feel cold. Wearing loads of layers keeps me warm most of the time.

12. What was the best thing about riding for Drops in 2016?
Rebecca: Being a part of a team that is striving for a positive change, and of course the memories, friends and acquaintances I’ve gained along the way.

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