Junior Womens National Hill Climb Champion 2011

Having chocolate profiteroles the day before a hill climb is not the best preparation but it seemed to work for me! This hill climb was 4.44 miles on an average gradient of 3% and time trial equipment seemed to be the preference for most cyclists. There were a lot of fancy bikes around so I was a bit apprehensive that my Cannondale and Mavic extra light wheels would be enough. However, it seemed to work with my style of hill climbing. Setting off I measured my effort not trying to go too hard but still trying to smile at the camera men! The atmosphere on route was brilliant seeing lots of cyclists out to watch the event and spectators at every corner. I was feeling reasonably good coming up to the finish I picked it up for a sprint knowing every second counts (which proves on the results, only being 2 seconds behind my nearest competitor). After the event I was left thinking that I would be 8th woman overall and later found out I had actually won the Junior Women’s prize!

Eve

The Ramsbottom Rake Hill Climb

As the second hill climb I have  ever competed in,  it was most certainly one of the steepest hills I have EVER cycled up, despite living in the lake district! On the steepest part of the course people were running faster than I could cycle - truly demoralising! I still managed to complete it in 3 minuites 47.4 seconds which was good considering I had never been up the hill before, so lacked the knowledge of where to use my effort and where to back off a little. I know next year the national hill climb championships are on the same course and I would like to really improve my time. The atmosphere was amazing with the load speakers, commentary and many locals supporting the event and shouting as I climbed! I’m really looking forward to the national hill climb championships next weekend because the gradient is only 4% which I hope will suit me better.

Eve x

My ride in the National Senior Track Championships Points Race!

Feeling excited to be riding in the senior track nationals, I had no idea how the race would develop, but being on the track made me feel slightly more confident and once racing (after the gun had made me jump like usual) I started to follow some good wheels and made my way slowly to the front. All the other cyclists were watching each other so I managed to sneak off the front, amazed by my own cycling I got over half a lap on the bunch and was starting to get in the same straight as the peleton, just when the whistle for a sprint was blown.  The peleton started to contest the sprint but due to the large gap I won the first sprint and collected the first 5 points. I glanced at the leader board saw my name at the top. I was feeling so pleased but with 110 laps remaining, decided ease up and re-join the bunch to conserve my energy for later in the race.  After each sprint I was slowly seeing my name drop down the leader board although I did get one more point. I was still feeling strong but too tired to go for a lap like some of the other riders, namely Lizzie Armitstead (pro). I am just a first year junior - I may try that next year! When I came off the track with 6 points I was still feeling elated to have finished 7^th overall.

Tywyn Crit & Abergavenny Road Race

After a great result for Maxgear the day before with Mel coming 5^th and me 6th in Tywyn criterium and each of us winning a prime, I was hoping to ride this race as well as Naseby, although there were quite a few inexperienced cyclists with some being dropped in the neutralised zone and the bunch was extremely sketchy in places. On the first lap I decided it needed to be broken up a little more so I attacked and got over a minute off the front of the main bunch (they were unable to see me on the duel carriage way!). I decided to slow as nobody had come with me and I knew I wouldn’t last the 40miles on my own. I should have stayed away, as when the bunch caught me they were going not much faster, as there had been some attacks off the front in an effort to catch me. I settled back into the bunch spending a bit of time on the front to catch Sarah Byrne (who solo’d a 2 minute lead) and trying to liven up the pace of the race, although it didn’t really ignite like I’d hoped.
On the sprint up to the finish on the lower slopes on the final climb we were in a bunch of 30 on Hannah Walker’s wheel coming up the outside with just 800 metres to go when I heard a scream and crashing from the other side of the bunch. I pulled over to the other side of the road to safety. The crash rippled through the bunch in a domino effect and Ruby Millers head came down just in front of me. I swerved off into the bush to avoid the crash and wrapped myself around a tree in the process. Once I’d gotten out of the tree with only minor scrapes and bruises, I found my chain had come off so I pushed my chain back on and rode up to the top of the hill. I came 17th because a few dropped cyclists had passed the crash and came ahead in the standings. It was a very bad end to the race with my team mate Nicola (also from Maxgear) hitting the deck pretty hard and unfortunately broking her collar bone. There were many other bad injuries and the scene has been described as like one from M.A.S.H with only 7 of the bunch managing to avoid it.