Pine Barrens

Right then. Two things to mention. One is that the title of the post has nothing to do with anything other than it is my favourite episode of 'The Sopranos', and as I had that on my mind this morning, well, there's your title! Secondly, why so long without an update? To be honest it's due to a few reasons. Training in Calpe (Spain) at the start of 2011 for 6-7 weeks was great, but with only the wi-fi at bars and cafes to use, updating wasn't easy, especially with so many other things to do on the internet (legitimate things I may add, such as correspondence with sponsors ahead of the season). This all made it hard to update regularly. This pattern then continued with going back to the UK, starting to race, jetting off to Croatia for a UCI one day race and then a stage race, then coming back to the UK again and moving straight into the team house for the season. Once in the house, besides needing time for training, the majority of all team organisational issues were dealt with by me, again taking time. Not that I'm moaning, I like all these things, it's just that the blog was the one to bear the brunt of it, and once I'd left it a while, well, it became easier to then keep ignoring it!

With the above set straight, I'll sum up the season the best that I can.

Spain was great. I went there heavier than I wanted but came back at more or less race weight, but I feel in hindsight that I should have trained slightly differently, as the terrain there makes you strong but good at slogging away, and not necessarily 'fast'. I know what I need to do though and will change a few things in 2012.

The season started, and the first few months I was just finding my feet after not really racing properly for some time. The UCI 2.2 Istrian Tour in Croatia was good, with riders such as Michael Rasmussen in attendance, and it helped me start to adjust. The Tour Doon Hame Premier Calendar wasn't good for me though. Feeling great the day before the race, during the first stage I was simply terrible and so simply tried to help the lads on stages two and three. Jack made the front group on the last two days, coming home in the top fifteen, so it wasn't too bad. Other notable races were UCI 1.2 Rutland-Melton, where a puncture at literally the worst time possible meant I had to ride round just to finish once rejoining a group after a wheel change. At the Lincoln Grand Prix I felt brilliant, though a puncture at 22km in and the convoy avoiding the town centre due to the cobbled climb meant the end of my race; the bunch rode off with me stood at the side of the road!

The next big race was the 'An Post Ras' in Ireland, a UCI 2.2 eight day stage race. To sum it all up in one word - CRASH! Stage one, all of the team were at the front in readiness for a sprint finish. The biggest en masse crash I've ever seen saw nearly the whole bunch go down, Jack snapped his frame, and we all lost time! Stage two saw some big splits in the bunch - I rode too defensively and ended the day in the main group some time down. Stage three I worked to position Fox as we hit the finishing circuit climb, but with the break staying away it made little difference. Stage four however shaped my season. Having got barged off of the road into a ditch as the bunch squeezed to one side of the road at about 35km into the stage, I got up, dusted myself down and was rejoining the race through the convoy when we hit a particularly bad stretch of road. As the team car was next to me I hit a HUGE pott-hole which jolted me to the side. I hit the car, slid down the side of it and then rolled numerous times along the road, having been going about 60kmp/h just before. I was attended to by the race medic, who thought that was it and that I should get in the ambulance. After some time I managed to get myself together a little, took a load of painkillers and rode 110km by myself to finish the stage. I then got in an ambulance and was taken to hospital. I received six stitches in my elbow (which had a huge hole in it) and three stitches in my knee. My right hand was mangled with very little skin left on the upper part of my fingers, though luckily it wasn't broken, though I had fractured my elbow. I was treated for quite a while before being able to leave. I rode the next stage (160km) again by myself just trying to beat the time limit (which I did), all with a hand that looked like one of the big PMU hands from the Tour. The lads on the team started to refer to my hand as 'the claw' such was it's size! I started stage six but abandoned after 15km as I was simply nailed.

The long term effects of the crash were that I then got run down and ill from pushing myself, and so had no form at all until mid July, whereas the other lads that did the Ras were flying from mid June once they had recovered from the race!

With the lads getting some decent results and holding quite good form I then simply rode for them whenever possible for the rest of the season. Which although I was happy to do it was also to my detriment a lot of the time, as I didn't really get any results of note myself. I won two races in 2011 but neither of them were anything to shout about, just small races.

We finished the season though with the Tour of Bulgaria, which was a cool race. An eight day / nine stage UCI 2.2 stage race, with temperatures in the 30's every day and a max of 38 degrees, it was a good way to finish the season. The second day was a split day with a morning stage and an afternoon stage giving a total of 250km racing that day, which to be honest I think I enjoyed the most. The overall effects of the race has left me very motivated for next season but also with good legs, but no races to use them in. My season would really have been very different if I hadn't crashed in Ireland, but c'est la vie!

2012 will see me being part of a bigger set-up than 2011, and with a large role to play in the structure and organisation of the team. With a worldwide cycling icon as the Team Ambassador and riders experienced at the very top level of the sport, 2012 looks like being a good year. For now though there's lots to do, and some kilometres to ride as well. It's the first of November today and the sun has just come out, so I'm off out to ride. Catch you later.