Finally getting round to writing a blog entry after the weekend, work and training have taken priority I’m afraid. The first mountain bike race of the season for me was the British Student Champs on Sunday. After a prolonged student career it is a race I have had opportunity to race many times but am yet to win. I wanted to close that book this year with the win and finally be able to call myself student champ on a course which couldn’t be better suiting; 80% climbing. For that reason I can’t help but get overly nervous for the race and with it being the first after five months, doubts of my ability are amplified. 

My plan of being lead to the climb and then hammering it worked, apart from the dreaded noise of someone else’s drivetrain spinning on your wheel. Turns out Tom Bell’s power to weight is as good as it looks and sure enough, he took up the pace mid climb. I got round on the decent to take the fastest lap but he was back at me on the second round of climbing and managed to open up a gap. I like to think I was being conservative… considering I was already maxing my gears and had five more of what was the hardest climb I had raced on to come, I didn’t want to dig too deep so early. The gap stayed around 30s until the last lap when Tom must have seen gold! So I got the silver, second best student for a second time, first loser…

A successful race none the less and still good for the moral. I am pleased to still be able to consider myself a climber, even as the new 4kg heavier model; gym work which has defiantly squeezed more watts and made me a better descender.   

In other news, we had the launch of CNP Orbea on a snowy day in the Peaks back in February which I realised I didn’t do a blog entry for. The team is looking good and hopefully pictured podium caps will be worn out by season end.

I’m doing the Evesham RR on Sunday to get some speed and spring back in my legs ready for the first round of the British National Series at Sherwood Pines next week. Heres hoping this horse surprises the bookies once again on the flatlands. 

John.