Blogs

“I don’t have an engine in the bike guys. Don’t ask me how I did it.”

Fabian Cancellara has just staggered up two flights of narrow stairs, an exhausted appearance spread across his face, into the VIP room in the Roubaix velodrome . He begins to tell the story of his emphatic victory, one that places him in the history books as one of the few to do the Flanders/Paris-Roubaix double not once, but twice.

“I think the hands are okay, but the rest of the body just, how can I say, flat fucked.”

This is why. 'Nuff said.

People win British Cycling points all weekend, every weekend, they win them during the week, seemingly to a Category 4 rider such as myself, they win them in their sleep.  It takes 10 points to move up from a Cat 4 to a Cat 3... 40 to move up from Cat 3 to Cat 2, 200 to move up to a Cat 1 and a whopping 300 to become an Elite...

2013 marks my first full season on the road, racing for Wheelbase/Altura/MGD. I'll be using this blog to give a bit of an insight into the trials and tribulations of a young rider in the UK scene. For more day-to-day ramblings, you can follow me on Twitter @liamtglen.

Last week I recalled my experience of riding the Ronde Van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) a few years ago. I refreshed my memories last Saturday and rode the new route, which now finishes with a double whammy of the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg. But more on that ride in a future blog, this week has been too busy to allow me time to write it up.

Spectating at Ronde Van Vlaanderen is an unforgettable experience. The weekend, with the sportive on the Saturday allowing anybody to ride the same course as the pros do battle on the following day, is a wonderful experience. It’s more than simple bike racing, it’s a festival of everything that Belgium stands for.

A bit of confidence, is it good or bad?

We've all read or heard racers talk about their confidence levels and how it can greatly benefit or adversely affect their racing performances.  The last few weeks have been good, I'm feeling stronger than this time last year and keeping pace with riders that are clearly better than me... getting up in the dark, the pissing rain, the snow, the negative temperatures and putting in those winter training miles has (hopefully!) not all been in vain.

First race of 2013

This weekend I’m be escaping the clutches of the frozen UK and heading to, ermm, an even colder Belgium, cos I’m taking part in the Ronde Van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) cyclo event. For cyclists it’s a must-do event and is right up there with doing the Etape. In fact I’d even say it’s the number one event for cycle racing fans.

On the Mendips the mist from the night before had frozen on to one side of all the branches of the hedges and trees, blown and chilled by the incessant north easterly winds. A thin film of ice on every twig. The mists were long gone but the wind remained, keeping the temperature high up on the hills below freezing. At least we were travelling with it. Come Glastonbury, we'd have to turn round...

Nick Hussey is the founder of Vulpine cycling apparel, who launched in March 2012. They are about to launch their women’s range and support Matrix Fitness Racing Academy as well as creating free cycling events, the Vulpine Cycling Fetes, which raise money for cycling charities. Their stuff is quite pricey. www.vulpine.cc