Ayup, well there's a bit to catch up on. First thing after my last blog was that i got ill and it was bloomin awful, i was stuck in bed for 5 days and it took me another week to recover after that. Still not sure what it was, but it's gone now, so who cares. But it meant two weeks off the bike a short while before one of my big objectives; the national championships.
I did however manage to fit one race in before my return to England, it was a pan flat race and i struggled round, but somehow i made a lucky split not far from the finish and got third from a group of 5. So this gave me a bit of confidence even though my fitness was lacking after being ill.
After this race i crammed in a hard week of training, before heading back in the car from issoire to Leeds which is a darn long way but i was with two friends that had being staying with me for a week, so at least there was someone to talk to. I then had a couple of days before the Otley town centre race, i love this race as it's only a mile or two from my house, and there is always a large crowd with lot's of family and friends on the roadside. The race was a bit frustrating this year though, with the first real break staying away from near the start and every attack from me and my brother being chased by a team mate of the riders in the front. I did feel good though and was never in difficulty so i was happy enough.
The national championships was even more frustrating. I started the race quite far back, and after the neutralized section, the race stayed neutralized by team sky until they decided they wanted to send a few guys up the road. On the small roads and the speed low i was struggling to move up and so didn't see the break go, i then never saw a time check, didn't know how many were up the road, my dad couldn't hear me asking and everyone i asked didn't know. It was a strange race and for the whole thing we were riding slowly and i didn't know what was going on. I left there disappointed, and with my brother in the same situation plus breaking his chain and so not being able to finish it was a rubbish day.
But i am writing this from France and am back concentrated on racing here. I am back training hard and hope for a good second half to the season when i have a new English team mate,Harry. He is a former triathlete and is a very good climber who could do some good things on the hard climbs, we'll see.
The tour de france heads to issoire next weekend, and so i've got a race on friday before a weekend of watching the tour, i'll hopefully get some pictures and put them up here.