2022

I am delighted to announce I will be riding for Embark-Bikestrong this season, a team with some very strong ambitions and goals as well as a great set of ethos’ such as inclusivity and sustainability, something I am personally extremely passionate about and really look forward to supporting with the team. After a team call with the lads the other night, things are starting to shape up nicely ready for the season to start and I am looking forward to sharing some more information over the next couple of weeks, including some glimpses of our amazing looking kit and bikes.

The weather has certainly been a challenge so far

After a pretty successful cross season, with some good success in the later half of the year I found some great motivation and after a little end of season break, I am back into the full swing of things now. Moving up to Yorkshire in September I am currently balancing my training with an apprenticeship in Quantity Surveying, something I am really enjoying, this balance between work and training means I must be very effective with my time. This means a lot of efforts, especially sweet spots, which are not sweet at all and just extremely painful and focusing on clocking up as many hours as possible during the weekends to build up that aerobic base again. However, I have already been battered by my fair share of storms the last few weeks which has proved a challenge, but things can only get better. I wrote this a couple of days ago and today my crank somehow managed to snap off, so time to go again tomorrow.

At least the views have been worth it

For me this year I see the tour series and the national crit series as being my main aims, with my cross background I like those punchy on off efforts over the more technical circuits, so I am looking forward to seeing the list of round locations being released. I can’t help but get excited about the Otley and Ikley national circuit rounds either, I walk half of the Otley course on the way to work every morning and Ikley is only a 15 minute ride away so I hope that ‘home advantage’ and knowledge of the courses will play into my hands as well as my experience from racing them last year.

For now it’s back to the hard work to get ready for those first races. Keep your eyes peeled out for what’s to come over the next few weeks.