Racing In June 2012

So, half way through the season and before the start of June I have already got a win and achieved my 1st Cat licence.


I'll start things off with the Tour of Kent organised by SERRL (south east road race league).
I was really excited to get going in my first ever stage race. I know and my coach know that I can recover quickly and race well after having a race the day before. first off the ITT. Thinking I could do an ok time I was enthusiastic of my chances. But, with the time trial being on a circuit I wasn't too sure how my cornering would stack up. I decided against the TT bike because of all the corners and what I thought would be no point in the circuit to make up time. The briefing was short but the knowledge of a shorter lap with far less cornering was making me think 'shit, should have brought the TT bike...'. good warm up. a mini personal goal was to not get caught by Felix English (rider for UCI - Rapha condor sharp) felt strong and the numbers that were being shown to me made me think I was doing a good time. In Hindsight I didn't take the corners as hard as I should and must of lost loads of time... :( not helping other riders being in the way making me free wheel at parts!! grrr... didn't get caught by Felix and a very good new power reading showing an extra 10 watts more to my 20 minute power profile. even though it was a shit time and I was way down in GC, I was happy for the new found strength! :-)

stage 2 and was a crit on the cyclopark circuit which we used for the ITT. personally a side of cycling which doesn't suite me so I am happy to say I got round and lost no time on GC and with my 3rd ever circuit race done Im happy :-)


Stage 3 and now onto the proper stuff and good hilly road race. I started off strong following moves and staying near the front a group of about 3 or 4 got up the road and I missed it. To be honest I don't even remember when they went! :p going very fast a few riders were being popped out the back. I was always in every major split that would occur on the major climb of the race and frustratingly never stayed away. 2 riders being dropped from the break up the road and leaving  2 who managed to stay away the whole race! they gained just over 3 minutes on the bunch. Me finishing in the bunch and also moving slightly further up GC because of the hard day with quite a few crit riders ahead they dropped out or just DNF.


stage 4 They same course as the Walley gimber road race. So I knew the course with 2 climbs, one on the the finish and the clear and obvious one 7K after the finish. since Team Felt had the Yellow jersey they were very keen to not let anything get away and they did a very good job about doing it!. I thought I could try my hand in a break twice but it was clear Team felt having about 5 riders to pull it back the whole time. no chance! coming up to the bell lap and me moving up on the right hand side another rider was getting a bottle from the wrong side of the road and fetched me off! :-( got back on my bike quickly and my epic battle to get back on began! oh god... I chased and cashed and used my TT ability to be able to see the bunch at the final climb and was going past riders who were being dropped at the top I formed a group of 5 riders together who were dropped on the climb and we worked well and caught them about 3 kilometres later. Yes! done I am shattered waiting for the sprint but wasn't going to really contest it but make sure I am up there and stay clear of splits. Done, all good and no hard feeling to the guy who took me off.
16th of GC. meh... If I brought the TT bike I'd probably save 3 seconds a lap which would have made me around 7th or 6th on GC. still, all learning and happy to move on.

Next race was above the M25 first time this year! :p in Milton Keynes was a flat E/1/2 race and had in my head to get up there in a break and not to give up. too fast of a course to get away tried so hard to get up the road but when the bunch is moving around 35 miles per hour its tricky. I'm now shattered and a break goes up the road at the end I just stroll though to the finish in the middle at around 30th place i think? out of the 80. Training I guess...

Now some TT's I'd have my first 25 TT and felt good with ok conditions (I'm not one of those riders who says every week 'oh, the conditions were terrible') but there was a little cross wind. still went with the disk wheel. good start, and caught a load of people caught my minute man just after the turn to come back to the start/finish and powered home to win! :D get in! :) won by about 50 seconds? decent prize money and a trophy too! :-) only problem is that I now have to go and collect it in November at a 'club dinner' ... fuck...
I guess my family TT heritage is coming out from both sides of my family :-)  Very proud of both my father and mother and what the have achieved in their cycling career.

ok another TT week. starting with a 10 bloody fast to the turn with a massive tail wind (good conditions today) going nearly 70K an hour! went though the many roundabouts but came to one with no directions or marshals with loads of possible outcomes I assumed it as the turn and powered home. But, looking at my SRM i see that I'm getting pretty close and the time its showing me is kinda crazy! finish with what was an 18:47 but I knew something was not right and looked over the course again in the car. Yep, mistake I missed a roundabout!!!! ;-( fuck, waste of a day... even with the extra roundabout it was only 1.2K added on so I might of won it or at least of come 2nd for sure... I told the organiser of my mistake and the time keepers at the finish. I never meant to make the wrong turn kinda the organisers fault needed another marshal or sigh at least! maybe would have done just a 19:something or a low 20.

next day and an early 25 in Kent. got there and the organiser called it off due to too much surface water on the course because of he crazy ass rain! (not his exact words but it was raining a lot.)
came home had a 3 hour nap and did a 20 minute power profile test and happy I am still improving! still getting stronger to my main goal of the season! :-) Thank you Adrian! for making me as strong as I am today! (my coach)


That it, end of another month of bike racing.

July will have some more road races the odd TT and lots of training getting ready for the end of the season!

Elliott Porter