I said 'stay tuned' last time and since my last post, half the season has past! Well here goes... I'll try fill to you in! I had a busy first half of the season which culminated in many highs, however, with that came some lows. What I have come to learn though is that without the lows, the high points would never seem as great!
Since returning from the Tour of Mallorca, I spent the first half of the year living in Wales while I raced a predominantly UK based calendar. With the odd return to France to race when I had a free weekend, I had some success, winning the Thophee aven Moros in Kernevel, France in mid May! This was my first win in France and it felt great! During those first few months, I managed to also claim victories in both the Totnes Vire 2-day and also the Southern Regional Championships in the UK.
Tour of Serbia
Following my positive start to the year I was offered a great opportunity to race the Tour of Serbia (UCI 2.2), a week long stage race. It could not have come at a better time! The race itself hosted some great names of the sport past, including the likes of Michael Rasmussen and Angelo Furlan both of the Christina Watches Onfone team, so it was a brilliant opportunity for me to pitch myself up against some great riders.
I had a great race and had pretty good form going into it after another victory in France the weekend before. The 2 mountain stages proved to be key to a good overall position. Unfortunately I had a bit of bad luck on both days, with a puncture with 6 km to go on the first and a crash on the 2nd day in the mountains while going down a very technical decent! This cost me staying with the leaders and any chances at a high overall position.
Following another 4 very taxing stages, I ended up finishing in 19th overall and 2nd in the U23 classification. During that week we covered 1127 km at an average speed of just over 41 kph and I was really starting to feel that the day after when I was travelling home! All in all it was a great race to be part of, with a real insight into the culture of Eastern European life! A big thanks to the guys at Team CMI/BST, who are a great bunch of people and I very much appreciate the opportunity!
Nationals and Island Games
Following exactly a week after the Tour of Serbia was the National Champs and then by the Island Games which was being held in the Isle of Wight. The Nationals didn't quite go to plan so I won't go there! The Island Games on the other hand was a great experience, with the cycling team as a whole claiming medals in every event - something which has never been done before by Guernsey!
On the road side, we started off very strongly thanks to gold medals in the road criterium from both Ann Bowditch and Tobyn Horton. I was doing both the road race and the time trial and after some very strong team work from Team Guernsey managed to claim silver in both, in addition to team silver in both. Also a bronze medal from Ann Bowditch and Karina Bowie from the road race and time trial respectively, topped off a very successful Games!
Mid-Season and still focused!
It is now coming to the end of July, the season is still relatively young. I am starting to feel that I am really digging my heels, in to maintain what has begun as my most successful season to date!
Following a week off the bike after the Island Games, I got straight back into the swing of racing over in France with a race in Mauron on the Thursday and the Grand Prix LeClerc Hennebont on the Sunday. As far as highs and lows came though, this week had certainly had both. On the Friday between the two races I had to travel to Jersey to go to the funeral of a family friend, who was an avid cycling fan. It was then that it really hit home how valuable life is and how quickly it can be taken away. This is what made my victory the following Sunday that much more meaningful.
I now have a very busy last couple of months of racing before the end of the season and I am certainly going to be giving it everything I have!
James
