First race, First win. I like this title.

So after months upon months of bar-chewingly hard training from my coach Mark Walker of Intelligent Cycle Coaching, the first race of the season kicked off proceedings on Saturday.

This summer has been unrelenting for me, but I've had good times, and have spent a very large amount of time in Nandos. Nandos time is happy time. One of the exceptionally good times was in Switzerland. I went there for 2 weeks for some training, it's ideal really as I have family there! I have this weird sort of affinity with Switzerland, it's my perfect place. Everything is quiet, and the scenery is something else. The whole place is perfect. 

Training around Lake Zug

Zuri Fascht

Breakfast every morning

Whilst in Switzerland, ITV4 aired the episode of 'The Cycle Show' which featured my few seconds of fame, I was doing motorpace training. Famous. 

I've been spoiled rotten by my sponsors with amazing bits of kit, like the Normatec System from Neon Velo, the amazingly practical luggage from Ventoux Ltd and the few box loads of kit from one of my closest sponsors Quest Sportswear.

Saturday was an odd day for me, first races of the season usually are. I was pretty organised which was especially odd. The course was 'different' shall we say, not my cup of tea, nor my forte, but it's the same for everyone. Last season on this course as a first year junior, I won my category and got 6th in the senior race, starting from the back as I was ungridded. Anything less than that would have been disspointing!

So I was getting into my race gear about 45 minutes before the start, and that's when this massive load of nerves just amassed in me from nowhere. I'm not sure what I was even nervous about as I had nothing to lose, and nothing was particularly expected of me. But nerves can be good I guess.

I got changed into my race kit, and went to warm up by the start. There was a bit of confusion about ranking and gridding due to a technical fault but at least I was well in the front row at the start. So with the masses of nerves i was up against, I had a really good start, so good that it was completely irrational and ill thought out. I led the race up the start straight to and up over the first climb... And then for the consequent 2 laps. 

Yep, I was on the front in a group of 6 for 2 laps before it occurred to me to let someone come through. I was riding fairly strong, gapping other riders on the longest climb of the course, but when Dan Stevens of Neon Velo caught us from behind, the pace rocketed. Soon enough, with 2 laps to go I started to flag, and was dropped. 

I raced on for a win in the junior category and 6th place in the adults race; exactly the same as last year. This wasn't a disappointment by any means though, as the riders I was up against were very strong and had nearly all just come out of a Road season. I'm happy with how it went; I got the Strava KOM for the course. 

This weekend is my home race at Springfield park, literally 400 meters from my house. It's so close that GPS data for Strava won't show up because it's within my 500meter privacy zone. A real home race. I'm hoping for a win there, as I am for every race, but especially at Springfield. Now the season is winding up, with things really getting busy in October. I'll report back as and when. 

Check out Anna Buick's report from Saturday here.

As usual, thanks to my sponsors for keeping me going, I really appreciate the help. 

Ciao mateys. 

Follow @seanmdunlea

Another win!

I went crazy the other night and had a Nandos with my new college buddies. Toffee frozen yogurt and Coke isn't that great FYI.

I'm going to start this post a bit differently to normal, upon request of Mrs Wyman... 

Since my my last post about my first race and first win of the season, a lot has happened! I started at Writtle College, studying Sport, Fitness, and Development, I went on a bloomin' tough training weekend in Derbyshire, and I've won another race... As well as seeing my first real 'Cat Lady' on one of my rides into college every morning. 

Riding into college has opened my eyes to a lot of things really, as well as opening up my legs for a lot more abuse in the evenings. I've realised how peaceful it can be early in the morning, how much the cold air wakes you up... And how people *love* to stop and chat with each other in ludicrously stupid places like footbridges, gateways, and yep; bike paths. On a different note altogether, the 'cross season is here, which means I won't be able to go out to parties, or pretty much any other social event that occurs in the evenings leading up to races. I don't think they understand why I'm missing said events in order to ride (hopefully fast) around cold, muddy fields. But that's commitment I guess, and it sorts the real cyclists from the weekend warriors. 

I'm struggling with writing about my life, sorry Helen. So here's my take on my last couple of races:

On the 15th I did the opening round of the Wessex league. The course was hard and the heat was unrelenting. There were some pretty good riders there in my race, Matt Hargroves and a few of his team-mates, so I was hoping to do a good ride to get a look at where abouts I am in terms of national junior levels. I was gridded 2nd row, pretty good considering I'm a completely unranked rider in the Wessex league. 

Seeing as it was still early season I wasn't expecting fireworks, but to say I rode sh..Crap is an understatement. After the re-start (which occurred after the start loop was a bit hard to follow), I got into about 4th, and steadily worked my way back to 9th overall by the end of the race. I had a couple of lie downs on the course, and my legs felt unusable. I finished in 9th senior, and 4th junior, which wasn't really too bad I suppose!

The day after (16th), was my home race at Springfield park. Literally within 500 meters of my house. I know that because it's so close, that my strava record of my training lap won't show up correctly because it was within my 500 meter privacy zone. The course there suits me anyway, it's so euro in the way it's all watchable from one point, and it's FAST. The three sets of stairs a lap adds to list of good things to say about this course (Which my team, Ciclos Uno pioneered in 2007).

I got front row gridding, and from the gun I was in the top 3 with Tim Guy (Iceni Velo) and Canadian Hayden Wood. For the first 15 minutes of the race it was all so compact, the first 10 riders were all strung out in a line, so we put the power on and narrowed it down to us 3 leading, with Paul Sheers (ViCiOUS VELO) dangling on to the back of us. About midway through the race, Tim made a huge effort and put a gap between us and Paul which would grow to over a minute by the end of the race. 

In the final 200 meters or so of the last lap, I let Haydens and Tims attacks go, and rolled over the line as third placed Senior rider, and first Junior, 14 seconds down on the Hayden, who won. Felt pretty chuffed with myself. 

I've got a pretty busy couple of months coming up, Superprestiges, National Series, Rapha Supercrosses, and hopefully European Championships. As per usual, thanks to Trevor, Ewan and Jane at Ciclos Uno, and Windwave for the support, which I couldn't do without! 

A bien tot.

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