Feature: Danny Grieves Q & A

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Feature number three today as time trialist Danny Grieves takes the question and answer challenge

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Feature: Danny Grieves Q & A

1. What will be your first time trial for 2016 and why that one to kick off the season?
Danny: My first race will be the Hilly 21 in the north east, its traditionally always the first race of the season and the trophy is well sought after

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2. What time trials will be your targets for 2016 and why?
Danny: I’ll be looking to do well at the British Time Trial championships, the Tour of Cambridge chrono, the National 100 and I’m aiming for a top 3 spot in the BBAR

3. What phase of the training schedule are you – base miles or intervals?
Danny: I do zero traditional Z2 base training, but at the same time don’t do many intervals. I’ve come to a point recently in training where I think I’ve maximised the FTP I’m going to get at my current Vo2 Max, so I’ll start to introduce shorter 3-8 minute intervals in the next few weeks to continue improving.

4. Do you train on a road bike or TT bike?
Danny: All my turbo stuff is on the TT bike, about 50%, the rest is commuting. My commuter is a CX frame with road forks which drops the front end and gives it a steep seat tube, I have a 140mm 17deg stem on it – on the drops it gives a similar hip angle to my TT position

 

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5. What is your favourite distance and why?
Danny: I like all distances, I can’t really choose, but I do prefer drag strips over hilly stuff, suits me better.

6. What is your favourite course in the country and why?
Danny: Probably the M47 (Tyneside Vagabonds MTT) as it’s where I got my first ever win so it’ll always be pretty special

7. You’re doing a ’10’ – do you take a bidon on the bike and if so, what’s your drink of choice when racing?
Danny: I only take a bottle for anything over an hour, if I do its normally a cheap maltodextrin/dextrose mix, with caffeine, and BCAA’s added

8. What is your weapon (bike) of choice for 2016? 
Danny: I’ll be riding the exact same setup as last year, Scott plasma 3 premium, flo wheels, DI2, pro missile evo bars – I’d like one of the new Trinity’s but unlikely to get one this year

9. What is the key to going fast for you?
Danny: For me personally I’d say being healthy. Early last season I was really fit but in hindsight, unhealthy. I’d dug myself into a massive hole, after some blood tests highlighted a lot of deficiencies and a few health issues. Once I got them sorted, my numbers rocketed. Mental state is also a big thing for me, my heads a bigger factor in performance than my legs.

10. Finally, if you could change one thing about the way time trials are organised, what it would be (ie, closed roads, etc)
Danny: Like others I’m constantly trying to juggle the sport to fit around my family. Some weekends I won’t know if I can race until the day before. It would be nice to be able to enter on the line, but at the same time this would probably create issues for organisers.

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