Cali world cup!

4k pursuit, 4min 28sec and a 4th place.

Where it all happpened, more crowd though!

It's all over!  Nearly 4 weeks on the road and it's all over.  Cali world cup was one I was looking forward to.  Last year I came here with the team pursuit and I  really enjoyed it.  There is a nice atmosphere and I think the fact that the track is open has something to do with it.

My second omnium started of good by winning my qualifying heat and a 7th place in the flying lap but from there on the first day turned to shit.  The points race was a disaster, I suffered the whole race and I made myself look like a fred!  I think I finished it 16th but didn't bother to check it.  Next up and last event of the day was the elimination which I was terrified off,  turned out there was good reason.  I was kicked out 3rd or 4th but to make it worse I was relegated to last place for not stopped when I should off.  Honestly the last thing I was doing was looking around me.  After a firm bollocking by Andy I went back to the hotel and contemplated my future!  I soon snapped out of it though and focused on doing a good pursuit the next day.

Day 2 and I had a nice lie on as the racing didn't start until after lunch.  Today my main focus was doing a good pursuit and nothing else.  With a good warm up and a good psych up I was in the start gate and ready to go, i'd upped the gear from the europeans in hoping that I wouldn't die off as much.  It kind of worked, I set a PB and finished 4th in the event, happy enough.  The scratch race was next up and after my last couple of bunch races I wasn't exactly jumping for joy at the thought of it.  I raced a better race but still didn't do much better, 15th.  At this point thinking back on the race there is still a bit of luck involved by getting in the right move, next time though.  3rd and final event of the day and of the omnium was the 1k TT.  It's an event I like but was just ok at.  With another good warm up and psych up I was in the start gate and busting to go, my face and fingers were tingling with anticipation.  My start was perfect and being on a bigger gear than usual I was surprised at how quick I got it up to speed.  1min 3secs and 3rd place in the event, delighted! Another PB aswell, by nearly 2 seconds.

All said and done I'm pretty happy, there is still a few what if's floating around my head but that's what the next time is for.

Talk soon,

M

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It just feels right…..

Image
Well, I never actually thought this day would come. All through my cycling career I’ve seen teammates old and new “retire.”   Something that I initially thought could be the worst thing ever to happen to me. As I sit here here now typing this it just feels right. Don’t get me wrong though, this decision I have not taken lightly. Something has just happened to me over the last 1-2 years and I can’t really pin point it. Okay, I’ve had a few crashes that have left metal inside me but I came back from them. I mean, I won a European medal 6 months after breaking my hip! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that its a mental thing. However, its not that simple. I really miss racing, even now when I’ve barely stopped. It just feels like a natural end though. For the last year I’ve been racing and under performing across the board. Frustration has been setting in all year and I’m sick of just turning up to bike races. I set my own bar by winning 7 medals in a row. Worl
Read more

Up to date...finally!

Image
A smart man said he read my blog and thought, "What's this crap, its out of date" So, part 2 of "out of date, up to date" I left you after I had somehow pulled a medal out of my backside and that's exactly how I feel. World Champ medals are hard to come by. I had the minimum amount of track time and a below average build up.  The only thing got me that medal was the desire to have it!  Anyway, America! A word that I have used a lot. This year though the meaning of it has slightly changed, just slightly. I'll come back to that some other time. My road season started off in Taiwan with a stage race and after that I was a blow in, B string crit rider. UHC have an awesome team and it's pretty hard to even get a start with them in the first place.  Honestly I never really got going with the crit guys and I'm not really sure why. I know I have the engine to do the job but mentally I wasn't there. I was willing and able to do what the
Read more
Just to be clear! I felt the need to say something because I feel like the “hard done by” theme is being put out there when it comes to myself. I am really happy! All the stuff you have been reading is true, not a word of a lie but people are jumping on the - lack of, shoulda, woulda coulda stuff. I loved racing bikes. When I got shit at racing bikes, I stopped! I still love the thought of racing but getting paid for it was becoming hard to do. I do feel that things need to change to help young athletes become champions. It’s not cycling that is the problem, it’s not the sports council’s problem, it’s not the sponsors fault, it’s ours! All these organizations meet demand to a degree, there are exceptions though! The sports that get the help in Ireland are the highest supported sports when it comes to bums on seats. There was a Class 1 UCI race held in Ireland last year. It was a track race, I was in it and it was held at Sundrive Velodrome. It was ran perfectly, ever
Read more