As I have started this blog a bit late, I'll just quickly say what's happened so far!
Started my winter training in November, mostly walking, running and a little bit of cycling. Did less running and walking in December and a bit more cycling, still not much though. In January I went with my friends from the Forme cycling team to Calpe in Spain for a couple of weeks to get in some solid training in the sun! I went back home for one week before getting on a one-way plane to Milan...
Even though I was planning on moving away for the longest I have ever been, I didn't really think about what I was getting myself into. As a result I didn't prepare myself too well, and ended up packing my bags the night before I left, which wasn't ideal...
Once in Italy, I quickly became aware that living on my own in a foreign country, when you don't know anyone and can't speak the language, is actually not much fun... At the time the weather was really bad, there was no racing and I had also crashed badly on a dodgy descent, so things weren't going well. I wanted to go home pretty badly!
Thankfully, I managed to move out of my original place and into the house of the team's, main sponsor and DS, the Giani family based in Ispra. This along with the weather improving and racing just round the corner helped a lot! The first races came as a big shock to this system, a combination of not so great legs and the Italian way of racing. So far I have been slowly improving as the season is getting underway, so hopefully I can start to look at getting some results in the next month of racing.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Before I got here...
Think it's best for me to give a quick intro to my cycling experiences before I got her....
After spending a few years of good times with my friends riding mountain bikes, building jumps and just generally messing about, I decided to buy my first road bike in 2006. My decision was helped by my dad who raced as a junior and has been into cycling all his life. The following year I rode a fair bit, but just for fun and without racing. I completed the 2007 Etape de Tour, however by the end of the year I was looking for a new challenges...
In 2008 I took part in a few local road races and time trials, and also rode the Etape again. At one of these time trials, some Italian guy took a liking to my old Pinarello, it turned out to be the local ex-pro, Flavio Zappi. I got chatting with him, and he told me to go with him to race a few times later in the season.
Some Kermesse in Belgium, 2009.
For the following year myself, Flavio, and another local rider, Dexter Gardias, joined forces and with the help of a few small sponsors raced nearly every week of the season. Although we didn't achieve any important results, we had a lot of fun, learnt a lot and also travelled to race in Belgium and Morocco. At the end of the year I also got to spend a couple of weeks with one of the top amateur teams in Italy, UC Bergamasca. I learnt a lot here about the lifestyle needed to be a good cyclist, 3 riders from the team that year turned professional.
Training in Italy, Cesare Benedetti on the left, me on the right. 2009.
For my second full season, 2010, I raced for the newly formed Team Zappi's. We had help from a few sponsors, and a good bunch of guys, we definitely had a good time during the year and also achieved some results. For me the highlights were winning the National Uni Road Race, 5th in the National TT U23, and a few other top 10s.
Motorpacing with Will Fox, left, and Dex Gardias, right, and me in the middle. 2010.
Team Zappi's was unable to continue for the 2011 season, so I had to look for other options. Thankfully, with the help of Flavio Zappi, I was able to gain a place in small but friendly amateur team based near Varese in Italy, SC Fagnano Nuova.
After spending a few years of good times with my friends riding mountain bikes, building jumps and just generally messing about, I decided to buy my first road bike in 2006. My decision was helped by my dad who raced as a junior and has been into cycling all his life. The following year I rode a fair bit, but just for fun and without racing. I completed the 2007 Etape de Tour, however by the end of the year I was looking for a new challenges...
In 2008 I took part in a few local road races and time trials, and also rode the Etape again. At one of these time trials, some Italian guy took a liking to my old Pinarello, it turned out to be the local ex-pro, Flavio Zappi. I got chatting with him, and he told me to go with him to race a few times later in the season.
Some Kermesse in Belgium, 2009.
For the following year myself, Flavio, and another local rider, Dexter Gardias, joined forces and with the help of a few small sponsors raced nearly every week of the season. Although we didn't achieve any important results, we had a lot of fun, learnt a lot and also travelled to race in Belgium and Morocco. At the end of the year I also got to spend a couple of weeks with one of the top amateur teams in Italy, UC Bergamasca. I learnt a lot here about the lifestyle needed to be a good cyclist, 3 riders from the team that year turned professional.
Training in Italy, Cesare Benedetti on the left, me on the right. 2009.
For my second full season, 2010, I raced for the newly formed Team Zappi's. We had help from a few sponsors, and a good bunch of guys, we definitely had a good time during the year and also achieved some results. For me the highlights were winning the National Uni Road Race, 5th in the National TT U23, and a few other top 10s.
Motorpacing with Will Fox, left, and Dex Gardias, right, and me in the middle. 2010.
Team Zappi's was unable to continue for the 2011 season, so I had to look for other options. Thankfully, with the help of Flavio Zappi, I was able to gain a place in small but friendly amateur team based near Varese in Italy, SC Fagnano Nuova.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Benvenuti
I have decided to start writing a blog to give me something productive to do during all the time I spend on the sofa with my feet up! I hope to share my experiences of racing, as well as living here in Italy....
As I normally do, I'll probs start this properly tomorrow or the day after, I'll give some background on myself, and how I ended up here!
Ciao!
As I normally do, I'll probs start this properly tomorrow or the day after, I'll give some background on myself, and how I ended up here!
Ciao!
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