Velo29 Elite Team Rider Jack Rees comfortably sprinted to victory at Croft this weekend in the Velo29 Winter Series, a great start to the team’s season!

Jack sprinted home with a huge gap, arms in the air in a sweet victory for Velo29. The race went as planned for the team, Chris Mark was away briefly after 5 laps, when Chris came back Jack went immediately and established a group of 5 whom were uncatchable by the 70 plus field.

Jacked opened the Sprint with 200m to go and the outcome was never in doubt. I great win!

1 Jack Rees Velo29

2 Mike Sloanes Sunderland Clarion

3 Ryan Fenwick Gala CC
4 Sean Moon Edinburgh RC
5 Matt Rositer Durham Uni
6 Chris Mark Velo29
7 Mathew Bulmer Dirt whls cycles
8 Andy Heath Fietsen Tempo
9 Mark Johnson York Road Club
10 Tony Macullach, Phian Carbon

I think on the whole we can class the season as a great success, we finished by far the best team in the North East, had some outstanding results, and sent a team to compete in a UCI tour (Morocco). We’ve also had a presence at the Premier Calendar races and have a brilliant starting point on which to build over the next 12 months.

How’s the Winter training going, have you changed the plan since 2011?

I spent most of January in Australia last year, and I don’t think it worked that well for me, with it being there Summer and everyone being race fit, I did a bit too much quality and neglected base miles, and paid for it later in the season, don’t get me wrong though it was a fantastic experience and I met some great people.

I’ve completed re-evaluated my training this year and put a lot more planning time into it, each session now has a definite goal and there are blocks of specific work during rides, as opposed to going out and just riding.

What’s the team’s goals for 2012, there are loads of big races in the UK now, must be a lot of travelling?

We’ve made some good new signings which has really increased the strength on the team. We will be looking to transfer our regional success into national success. We are sending a six man team to the 10 Day UCI Tour of Morocco in March, which is going to help set us up nicely for the bigger UK races, I know that just from a brief look at the calendar, May is a big month.

We are aiming to ride the Elite Criterium series which we didn’t this year, and also looking to fit another UCI tour in that mid season lull so that we can finish the season strongly. There are a lot of new E/1/2 races popping up particularly in Yorkshire, and with the strength of the team now we can realistically have a split programme sending two good teams to two E/1/2 races.

I think the travelling is just part of parcel of the sport, a lot of races are northern anyway so we are quite lucky. We’ve got the team cars as well which really help.

Any new Sponsors for 2012, have the old ones been retained?

Bike food has come in to supply nutrition and Vankru frames have continued sponsorship. We also have a physio on board which will help in the multi-stage events.

It’s a big team at Velo29 this year, what’s the selection process for the big events?

I think it will be pretty simple, whoever is in the best shape will ride the bigger event, the others will race another event on that weekend. We have different riders with different strengths so this will all come into play when selecting the team for races, and if riders are performing well week in week out, it might create a bit of a selection headache for the management, but I think that element of healthy competition within the team will help push everyone forwards.

You guy’s must win every race in the North East, is this a good thing for local Cycling?

We had a lot of success this year but we didn’t win everything. It’s helped bring the whole area on and there are still other strong teams, who have signed some good riders over the winter and will be more competitive this season.

Finally, I see you are putting on your own coaching sessions now, what’s the story here, how’s it all going?

I have a degree in Sports Coaching, and sport is really all I know, I have various different sports qualifications but I wanted to start a cycling specific coaching setup that I could build on and progress over time. The weekly sessions at Prissick have proved popular and there is a core group of riders who have been attending week on week and really improving. It’s also been a good opportunity for lad’s who are looking at getting into racing and are a bit daunted by it, each week I’ve been focus on different racing skills as well as building fitness, so that when the races come around the riders will be well prepared for it.

I’m a big advocate of quality sessions even during the base period, it works for the Australians who race all year round and also GB Track riders, so as well as catering for the novice racers, the sessions have been a good opportunity for the lads who already race to drop in get a quality 2h00 session during the week, when normally they’d be on the turbo or resting.

If anyone wanted to know more about the session, you can find it at www.achievecyclecoaching.co.uk

The interview went as follows;

So, you’ve joined Velo29 for the 2012 season, what was it that brought you to the Team? 

Riding on my own in the premier calendar this year has been really challenging. The importance of being part of a Cycling Team in races of this calibre becomes more and more apparent every time you race in one. Although I raced well in the Premiers this year I felt that had I of been part of Team I would have really fulfilled my true potential.

 Joining Velo29 Cycling Team has been a really positive move for me. I first saw the Team in a race last year and couldn’t help notice they’re ambition to move forward. The Teams’ goal is to be a significant force in the Premier Calendar which fits it exactly with where I want to be. The Team itself is made up of a good mix of experience and Youth. Riders like Dan Smith and Matt Kipling will really help the Team become stronger.

 I can’t wait to get going with Velo29. There’s a real buzz around what this Team is doing and I’m sure we’ll achieve some great results in 2012. 

Tell us about your Cycling before joining Velo29.

 My dad got me into Mountain Biking when in was 13. I starting racing when I was 14 and travelled around the country competing in the NPS and Sams series. I converted to road racing when I was 19 and started racing when I was 20. I raced with cc Luton for four years and achieved some good results. I’ve moved up the rankings and raced in the Premier Calendar in 2011.  

 It’s quite a big squad of 12 riders, is this a good thing?

 Yes I believe it’s a good thing. The team has a 6 rider allocation for the Premier Calendar races so competition for places is going to be difficult. Everyone is going to be keen to ride the big races so it will make everyone work harder and hopefully make the team stronger.  Having a 12 man team will give us the flexibility to have two teams riding on the same weekend which will be good for getting the Velo29 name about. 

 What’s the race program for 2012, what are your targets?

 The Team is aiming to do the Premier Calendar Series, Elite Crit Series and 2 UCI stage Races.

 My aim is to achieve a top 20 or better placing in the premier calendar events. Having ridden 5 of the 7 last year I know what is required of me to achieve this. I’d like to do well in the Uci races too.  In between the big events I plan to ride the local National B races as well as supporting the team in the North East. I will be riding evening criteriums too as I always think its good get a midweek race in.  

Tell us about your preparation for next year, sounds like a long tough year is ahead, what are you doing different to last year?

Since Joining Velo29  my 2012 winter preparation has been a lot more structured..  In previous years I’ve hit peak form at the end of July which isn’t ideal really. This year I’m training a lot harder in November and December instead of cramming most of the training into January. In 2011 I partially trained myself fit and partially raced myself fit. This year I aim to be race fit for the first major road race of 2012 and hopefully hit peak form in April/May time.  

The UK standard is getting increasingly high, with 6 UCI teams it must be hard for the amateurs to complete at the highest level?

Punching above our weight is going to be the only option. The majority of the team have full time jobs so putting in the equivalent training and racing hours the UCI team riders will be difficult. The team is planning to ride two UCI stage races in 2012 which will of course give us a good springboard into the premier calendar races. The Team has also made some good signings which will bring the Team up to level required.   

Finally, I hear Velo29 are part of the Tour Of Morocco, are you part of the squad for this?

I hope so! I’d love to be a part of the Team going to ride the Tour of Morocco. It’s a 10 day stage race which will be really testing. I’ve been speaking to some of the other Team members that went this year and they it was a really good race. I tend to go well on hot days too so Morocco’s climate should suite me!   

Check back over the next few months to see how Anthony and the rest of the Elite Team are getting on.

Velo29 have been title Sponsor and majority backer since the teams conception back in 2009. This new 1 year deal comes at a time many big names are pulling out of the Sport. It’s a sign of Velo29′s commitment to competetive bike racing in the UK.

The relationship between sponsor and team is really close and it’s a relationship which works well. Velo29 Retail is ran by ex-racing cyclists so they understand the needs of a top Team. The 4 year deal reflects the ambition of the shop and thier belief in UK Bike Racing as a tool to promote thier business.

Company director Richard added “We’ve been behind the Team since day one, it’s a relationship which really works for us. The Team have some great beliefs and have made huge progress in a short timwe. They have taken the National Team by storm and with the really good signings made over the last few months, they are going to make a serious noice in 2012. We are right behind them!”

“We love that the Team is local to us, for an internet shop this is great as it really helps local trade. The Velo29 brand is growing and the Team is a big part of this. The Velo29 events, which we are also part of complete the picture. The ambition is that when the people of the North East think of Cycling, they think of Velo29.

You can follow the Team’s progress, checkout the shop and also Velo29 Events at www.velo29.com

“Matt’s pedigree cannot be questioned. With a decade of performing at the highest level in the biggest teams, Matt can sprint, climb and is a real contender in any race he enters.”

The Velo29 Elite Team, sponsored by Velo29 Online Retail and Vankru Performance Cycling have been on the scene for three years now and have grown rapidly in this time. The team have a great ethos and though very focused, they really work to enjoy their racing. Despite the French name, the routes hail very much from the North East of England.

Richard Williamson, Velo29 Sporting Director adds’ “Matt joining the Team is a credit to how far we have already come and a sign of our real ambition for years ahead. This is an important move for both Team and Rider. It’s great that Matt has been able to sign for a local Team and shares very much our ambition to take on the big players in the UK. Velo29 is an ever growing team and success is coming fast. With the rest of the already very strong team behind Matt, 2012 will without a doubt be our and Matt’s best year so far. We did the deal on Friday, this was a really proud day for us and a huge step, the racing season can’t come fast enough!”

In other signings, CC Luton’s Anthony Moye has signed for Velo29 and the NE squad has also signed bronze medallist in the National Junior RR, Alex Bottomley.

Youth Racing

Starting with the youths as usual, there were double the number of A and B cat riders tonight. But this made little difference to the results as Bradley Naughton, Matthew Worton and Alice Grieve all won their respective categories and consequently their overall classifications too.

The C, D & E categories were well supported throughout the whole series and tonight was no different. The youth winners tonight were:

Boys A: Bradley Naughton
Girls A: Alice Grieve

Boys B: Matthew Worton

Boys C: Toby Tanfield
Girls C: Ffion Lanigan

Boys D: Connor Eyeington
Girls D: Abi Smith

Boys E: Patrick Kilkullen
Girls E: Hannah Liddle

See below for the full youth results for the series.  Well done to the Stockton Wheelers who came away with no less than 4 winners medals this year! 

Senior Racing

Consistant points scorer Michael Dales of Velo29 came away the overal victor of the Martyn Dobson Memorial Trophy courtesy of wining the 6-up sprint finish in the final round.  Second place on the night went to Craig Anderson of Black Hawk Bikes in his first ride of the series, and third place went to Richard Meadows (Velo29) who had lead the series from the first week until the final round.  Richard was clearly disappointed to have missed out on the overall win, and having finished equal on points with Dales can consider himself very unlucky.

With a strong wind blowing, the race tonight was hard from the gun.  It wasn’t long before the race had split into 3 distinct groups.  Leading the way were Dales, Meadows, Jack Rees (Velo29), Craig Anderson (Black Hawk) and Simon Baxter (Herbalife Wheelbase). 

In the chase group was eventual 4th placed overall Kevin Byers (Fietsen Tempo), Marcus Smith (Black Hawk Bikes), series organiser Dan Smith (Velo29), Chris Mark (Velo29) and dispensated youth riders Charlie Tanfield (Velo29) and James King (Columba CC).  Doing the majority of the chasing in this group were Smith, King and Byers who had most to gain and they almost made the juncture… but not quite.  They did however provide the launch pad for Chris Mark who powered across the gap alone to join the leaders.

Back in the bunch, Giles Pidcock (Epic Cycles), Alex Bottomley (Fietsen Tempo) and Thomas Timothy (Velo29), who had all been overall contenders found themselves stalemated and out of the running for victory.

The Green Jersey Competition was sown up tonight by Martin Hopkinson of Fietsen Tempo without him having to turn a pedal, thanks to his big lead in the competition.  The winner of tonight’s sprint though was S Deeley of Southport CC, and this was enough to give him 2nd place in the competition.  3rd place overall went to Graham Topp of Stockton Wheelers.

1st: Michael Dales (Velo29)
2nd: Craig Anderson (Black Hawk Bikes)
3rd: Richard Meadows (Velo29)
4th: Jack Rees (Velo29)
5th: Simon Baxter (Herbalife Wheelbase)
6th: Chris Mark (Velo29)
7th: Kevin Byers (Fietsen Tempo)
8th: Charlie Tanfield (Velo29)
9th: Dan Smith (Velo29)
10th: James King (Columba CC)

The top 10 overall in the Martyn Dobson Memorial Trophy Series:

1st: Michael Dales (Velo29) 29 pts
2nd: Richard Meadows (Velo29) 29 pts
3rd: Harry Tanfield (Wallis Cycles) 17 pts
4th: Kevin Byers (Fietsen Tempo) 16 pts
5th: Giles Pidcock (Epic Cycles) 16 pts
6th: Alex Bottomley (Fietsen Tempo) 15 pts
7th: Thomas Timothy (Velo29) 15 pts
8th: David Johnson (Adept Precision) 13 pts
9th: Simon Baxter (Herbalife Wheelbase) 12 pts
10th: Jack Rees (Velo29) 11 pts

If anyone would like to see full results for the whole series, please email us at contact@velo29.com and we will send you the Excel Spreadsheet.

And finally a big thanks to everyone who turned up and made this race series happen; the riders, the many helpers and of course Martyn’s family.  I feel sure that Martyn would have enjoyed racing on this new circuit, and would undoubtedly have been capable of winning races here himself.

We hope to see you all at the Velo29 Winter Series next year.

Youth Racing

The C, D and E categories once again completed 8 laps and the A & B categories 15 laps of the Middlesbrough Cycle Circuit. 8 out of 10 of the youth categories were represented tonight. The winners tonight were:

Boys A: Bradley Naughton

Boys B: Matthew Worton

Boys C: Nathan Smith
Girls C: Megan Hopper

Boys D: Connor Eyeington
Girls D: Abi Smith

Boys E: Zachary Johnston
Girls E: Hannah Liddel

Overall Youth Results After 3 Rounds

Senior Racing

There was some enthralling tactical racing as riders placed in the top 10 started riding for the overall.  With only 2 weeks left, tonight’s results could have a big impact on the final outcome.

The scratch group lacked its usual organisation this week, with many riders trying to bridge the gap to the front group on their own or by taking only a small group of riders with them.

This meant that the 3rd and 4th cat groups easily stayed away long enough to take the points for the green jersey.  Martin Hopkinson (Fietsen Tempo) once again won the sprint and strengthened his lead in the competition over Graham Topp (Stockton Wheelers).  Martin needs to gain only 1 point in the final round on Tuesday to guarantee victory in the green jersey competition.

Tonight there were less than 10 riders from the scratch group that caught the handicap groups, and the only riders from the top 5 overall to get across were series leader Richard Meadows (Velo29) and team mate Michael Dales.  Richard however failed to capitalise on the opportunity to distance his rivals as he steered off the track and onto the grass in the final sprint.  

Tonight’s event though was won in style by Thomas Timothy (Velo29), who soloed clear of the group with 2 laps to go to win by a straight from the rapidly closing bunch as they sprinted for the line.  Results as follows:

1st: Thomas Timothy (Velo29)
2nd: Harry Tanfield (Wallis Cycles)
3rd: Kevin Byers (Fietsen Tempo)
4th: Graham Topp (Stockton Wheelers)
5th: Simon Baxter (Herbalife Wheelbase)
6th: Taylor Cardus (Velo29)
7th: Chris Mark (Velo29)
8th: Michael Dales (Velo29)
9th: Mike Rennison (Cleveland Wheelers)
10th: Stu Morris (Fietsen Tempo)

The final round is wide open with no less than 12 riders still in with a shout for the Martyn Dobson Memorial Trophy.

1st: Richard Meadows (Velo29) 21 pts
2nd: Harry Tanfield (Wallis Cycles) 17 pts
3rd: Giles Pidcock (Epic Cycles) 16 pts
4th: Thomas Timothy (Velo29) 15 pts
5th: Alex Bottomley (Fietsen Tempo) 15 pts
6th: Michael Dales (Velo29) 14 pts
7th: David Johnson (Adept Precision) 13 pts
8th: Kevin Byers (Fietsen Tempo) 12 pts
9th: Marcus Smith (Black Hawk Bikes) 10 pts
10th: Rob Carter (Velo29) 10 pts

Youth Racing

As usual the youth racing kicked off procedings with the C, D and E categories doing 8 laps, followed by the A & B cats who raced for 15 laps.  With prizes for each category winner and a handful of primes thrown in for good measure, the racing was exciting! 

The winners of each category were:

Boys A: Bradley Naughton
Girls A: Alice Grieve

Boys B: Matthew Worton

Boys C: Nathan Smith

Boys D: Connor Eyeington
Girls D: Abi Smith

Boys E: Patrick Kilkullen
Girls E: Hannah Liddel

Senior Racing

Tonight’s racing for the Martyn Dobson Memorial Trophy was filled with thrills and even spills in the course of the action.  The handicap groups came together fairly early again this week, but not before the intermediate sprint had taken place.  Martin Axon (Velo29) kicked off the sprint with nearly a full lap to go, but was beaten into 3rd place by Martin Hopkinson (Fietsen Tempo) and the comeback king Graham Topp (Stockton Wheelers).  Martin now holds the Green Jersey for next week’s race.

The race came back together just a lap after the sprint.  Immediately the attacks started; Marcus Smith (Black Hawk Bikes) and Michael Dales (Velo29) were in the first break, but this was shortlived.  Then it was Richard Meadows (now of Velo29) who launched a blistering solo attack.  Next it was the turn of race organiser Dan Smith (Velo29) who stayed out front on his own for several laps before being caught by brother Marcus.  This break lasted until less than 20 laps to go before eventually being reeled in.

But the main break of the day was led away by Rob Carter (Velo29), Alex Bottomley (Fietsen Tempo), Taylor Cardus (Velo29) and a bit later Michael Dales (Velo29).  Despite huge efforts by Herbalife Wheelbase rider Simon Baxter to bring the break back, the leading 4 managed to stay away until two laps to go.

Now you would think at this point that the Velo29 had it won with 3 riders in the break and a climber to dispose of in the run in… but disaster struck as Rob and Taylor both crashed out with just 2 laps to go!  Young Alex took advantage of the confusion to forge away on his own, and he took victory by about 10 bike lengths from Michael Dales.

Leading the bunch home was the consistent Giles Pidcock in 3rd place.  Full results below:

1st: Alex Bottomley (Fietsen Tempo)
2nd: Michael Dales (Velo29)
3rd: Giles Pidcock (Epic Cycles)
4th: David Johnson (Adept Precision)
5th: Richard Meadows (Velo29)
6th: Marcus Smith (BlackHawk)
7th: Kevin Byers (Fietsen Tempo)
8th: Alex Hopper (Velo29)
9th: Graham Topp (Stockton Wheelers)
10th: S Johnson

Overall
1st: Richard Meadows, 21 points

2nd: Giles Pidcock, 16 points

3rd: Alex Bottomley, 15 points

4th: David Johnson, 13 points

5th: Michael Dales, 11 points

6th Marcus Smith, 10 points

We hope to see you all back again for the penultimate round of the Martyn Dobson Memorial Series on Tuesday 9th August.

Youth Racing

The evening started with youth racing just like last year, with more than 20 kids from aged Under 8 all the way up to Under 16 taking part. With youth categories C,D & E racing for 8 laps, and A & B racing for 18 laps, there was an appropriate distance for all age groups!

The winners of each category were:

Boys A: James King
Girls A: Stephanie Hall

Boys B: Matthew Worton
Girls B: Emma Brady

Boys C: Thomas Mein
Girls C: Demi Hall

Boys D: Connor Eyeington
Girls D: Jemima Love

Boys E: Patrick Kilkullen

Senior Racing

The senior race was run as a handicap event as per last year, with the 3rd and 4th cats being give 1min and 1min20 start respectively on the scratch group. The race came back together fairly early, which led to Richard Meadows (Pendragon) taking the sprint for the green jersey from Jack Rees (Velo29) and Simon Baxter (Herbalife Wheelbase). Richard will struggle to maintain his lead in this competition as it is intended for the 3rd & 4th cat groups… the sprint will be brought forward next week so that the prize will go to the riders for whom it’s intended. (Sorry scratch group!)

The race was truly exciting to watch from beginning to end, with strong attacks coming from Matt Kipling of Raleigh (last year’s series winner), Richard Meadows, Simon Baxter, Rob Carter (Velo29) and many others too numerous to mention.

In the end, a group of 9 riders escaped the field with less than 10 laps to go, consisting of Meadows, Carter, Rees, Kipling, Harry Tanfield (Wallis Cycles), David Johnson (Adept Prescision), James Alder (BlackHawkBikes), and Giles Pidcock (Epic Cycles). Just as it looked like the group might be caught, Richard Meadows launched a powerful attack which converted into an impressive solo victory. Just behind was the only rider to react instantly, Velo29′s Rob Carter, and taking the sprint for 3rd was Giles Pidcock who had already won a prime earlier in the race.

Richard winning at Velo29's Stockton Cycling Festival earlier this year

Full Results:
1st: Richard Meadows (Pendragon)
2nd: Rob Carter (Velo29)
3rd: Giles Pidcock (Epic Cycles)
4th: Harry Tanfield (Wallis Cycles)
5th: David Johnson (Adept)
6th: Marcus Smith (BlackHawk)
7th: Jack Rees (Velo29)
8th: James Alder (BlackHawk)
9th: Matt Kipling (Raleigh)
10th: Michael Dales (Velo29)

Well done to all who took part; please encourage your teammates to come ride next week, and your friends and family to come and watch. The racing was exciting, and with the excellent cakes and drinks on offer at the club house it would be a shame to miss out!

See you all next week; Tuesday 2nd August at Prissick (the Middlesbrough Cycle Circuit).

The following weekend I opted to ride the Dalby On One Hundred MTB Maraton, an event that’s in its first year and hopefully one that will continue. This time I rammed my jersey pockets with as much food, fluid and spares as they could take, not wanting to make the same mistake I did the previous week. If you blow with 40km to go on open exposed moorland, that’s going to be a very hard, lonely journey back in a world of hurt. We set off at a fairly comfortable pace with 4 of us pulling away from the rest of the field. I soon realised that one of them was last years Kielder 100 winner!! Oh dear, this will be tough. We dropped the fourth man after 15 minutes and it was 15 minutes later when the two leaders started to edge a gap on me. Not long after I could see them stood still on the moor and when I came flying past one guy said his back wheel had dropped out! As I was thinking, man that must have been frightening I clipped a pedal and went crashing head first into the ground. A quick check of bike and body and I was off again, behind the leaders again. I soon realised that my pedal axle was badly bent but pushed on. The next incident happened on some single-track over Goathland, I had hit my rear disc rotor on a rock and had to stop to bend it back into some sort of working shape. This was shaping up to be a tough day for my bike. All alone on the moor top racing hard got me to thinking what mtb racing is all about. For some it’s about winning but for most it’s about pushing your body and mind to it’s absolute limits then seeing if you can push it some more. On every climb my legs were screaming for a break and I knew I was sporting my ‘race face’. That didn’t matter as I had some potent caffeinated gels in my pocket to get me through the last 30k. After stopping at the feed station to fill up on water I knew there was still 40k to go but it seemed to pass in a blur of fast fire-road and caffeine concentration. A long, steep fire-road climb compounded the fatigue into my legs and as I approached the finish line I thought ‘this can’t be it’ finishing in a time of 3 hours 34 minutes, 3^rd finisher in the 100k. I had to check the map to make sure I had gone the right way!  I know I pushed hard as it’s 2 days after the event and my hip flexors are still sore.