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How to Request Sponsorship During the month of November we encourage athletes to apply to us for sponsorship and will consider these applications during December.  Only completed PDF application forms submitted by email, fax or post by 17:00 on 30 November 2010 will be considered. TCL Sports Featured Athlete We'd like to welcome Chris Pilgrim, scrum half for Newcastle Falcons as our latest TCL Sports sponsored athlete.
Mark McNally
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TCL Sports Sponsored Cyclist
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After a few good performances I was given the call from the GB squad for the European Championships in Rosslare, Belgium. It was a good lead up to it I knew my fitness was good but unfortunalty I went into the race with one too many things on my mind and being young and angry as I sometimes am, I started making stupid efforts far too early on which later on with less than a lap to go on the finishing circuit I paid for dearly I was like a Digestive biscuit that had been dipped one too many times and I fell to pieces.
Then I took a well earned week off after a disastrous Crit in Brighouse, where once again the rain was my undoing, I crashed twice and was forced to retire before the halfway point. I was oddly disappointed as neither of my crashes left me with any wounds at all which proves just how wet and slippery it was!
After a week off from bike racing and a couple of well earned social sessions I was raring to go again with a new found energy and motivation! Believe it or not my first race back... was yes you guessed it another crit, this time in the Lancashire town of Colne. I felt like ten men forcing the pace all night and was rewarded for my aggressiveness with a very respectable 4th place when you look at who was in front of me!
Then came the National Criterium Championship in Beverly on a wet Friday night in Beverly and the east Yorkshire Classic, which where run in tandem by the same organisers so it was to be a long weekend in Yorkshire.
Just before the crit started there was a massive downpour, which prompted a quick wheel change which paid off greatly and we were all going like the proverbial clappers, after the first 30mins the course started to dry out, but bad luck struck and I had a front wheel puncture after a quick trip to the pits and a swift wheel change I was back into the peleton. I quickly settled back into my rhythm and put in a well timed attack and found myself off the front for three laps solo until I was closed down by one of the rival teams. After a few more forays off the front, we committed to our ever reliable sprinter Rob Hayles. Rob Partridge did a massive turn taking us round pretty much a whole lap and then coming through for the bell, one lap to go I drove hard over the cobbled finishing straight round the top bend and a fair way down the back straight then I pulled over completely spent to Andy Tennant who took Rob as far as he could, unfortunately Rob was dive bombed into the last corner and two lads got the jump on him so he settled for fourth, but we put on a good show and we showed that as a unit there aren�t many teams who can challenge us!
Then Came the East Yorkshire Classic, it was a weird race to say the least, a break went early on and we never saw it again, once again bad luck struck on a drag out of Beverly and I had another puncture, luckily my team mate Ed Clancy was close at hand and selflessly gave his wheel too me and even gave me a swift wheel change including a push! I was soon back into the safety of the bunch but after following moves and creating moves all day my efforts came to nothing, the break stayed clear and we were all left scratching our heads, I ended up 20th on the day, which edged me a little closer to taking the U23 national Series, which I am currently sitting second behind my team-mate Andy Tennant (but just between you and me I plan to switch places with him before the series is finished!)
Until next time! Take it easy Mark
PS It was my birthday somewhere in amongst all the madness so now I'm the grand old age of 20!
June 2009
The last few days have bought a lot of success for
both me and the team and in between travelling up, down
here there and everywhere I've been making sure I've been
well compressed with my new 2XU
Elite Compression Tights making sure my legs feel
light and fluffy when I've arrived at a race!Well I'll start with last Thursday when we won our third Tour series crit in a row which moved us to within one point of taking the lead overall in the series! It was pretty much my local race with a one hour crit up and down the main high street in Southport. It was the Halfords show really we were all over it like a rash piling on the pressure on the leaders Candi TV! My team mate and Olympic champion Ed Clancy won it from a 3 man break and we finished it off with the team win which is what this whole new Tour series is about taking the emphasis off individual win and putting it on the best 3 placed riders from each team! (You can catch al the action from the remaining rounds on ITV4 at 7 O'clock on Wednesdays and Fridays)
Then on Friday night we headed east for the Northern Rock Cyclone, which consisted of a one hour criterium on Friday night around Leazes park in the heart of Newcastle, then a Cycle sprotif ride around the Beaumont Trophy course which was the blu riban even t of the three days a 180km race, which took in the infamous Ryals climb a soul destroying three times!
The crit went well it was a tight and twisty circuit with a nasty little climb and a fast decent, Wilko won the crit form a 8 man break with another of my team mates, David Fletcher taking 7th and I took the bunch gallop for 10th. We had a little bit of bad luck when my other team mate Ian Bibby was taken out by a spectator crossing the course he injured his shoulder but luckily there is no lasting damage! The on the Saturday we had an easy ride two and a half hour ride having a look at the course and saying hello to some of the 2000 leisure cyclist taking part in the sportif ride. Then afterwards it was a quick change and then a quick drive into town for some lunch in a nice Italian and a few sneaky cookies from Sainsburys! (But don't tell my team manager about them!!!!)
Then
came the Sunday morning it was a beautiful day the sun
was shining and the temperature was just about rite for
a bike race. We rolled out of the quiet town of Stamford,
which was bought to life by the bike race at 11.30. The
racing was soon under way with 2 laps of a rolling 11
mile circuit, coming to the second of which a break formed
including myself, Wilko, Reigning Premier Calendar leader
Russ Downing and former world and reigning Olympic champion
Bradley Wiggins. Wiggins was on fire doing double turn
and pulling the break along. Once we'd started our 3 circuits
of the larger course which took in the Ryals it was clear
there were only four of us who could stand Wiggins' pace,
second time over the climb the group was slimmed to five,
Wilko, Wiggins, Downing, David Clarke and myself. I was
feeling good Wiggins was piling the pressure on but I
thought he was going to make his final move last time
up the climb but to my complete shock he launched his
race winning move about three miles from the climb, at
first everyone was a bit shocked and confused until Wilko
attacked and got across to him, which left me to mark
Clarke and Downing. Unfortunalty Wiggins' relentless pressure
proved too much for Wilko he was distanced over the top
of the climb and he was soon swept up by the two chasers
and me. Then we went about trying to soften up the opposition,
with me and wilko taking turn to piece to attack, nothing
stuck, and we were inside the last 2km I was nervous but
I knew I had good legs for a decent kick at the finish
we hit 250 to go and I went with everything I had, I thought
I had it but Downing was too fast a the finish he past
me taking second place and I held on for third. This was
my best result to date and to be honest I was a little
disappointed but if you look at who beat me its nothing
to be ashamed of!Now its more Tour Series TV crits for the next two weeks and the finished off next weekend with the British national road race championships in Abergavenny, which is one of my main goals for the season. So I'm hoping I can continue my good run of results!
Long time no speak its been another crazy month and to be honest I don't feel like I've had a moment to myself since I got back from the amateur Tour of Ireland, the FBD insurance RAS, and 8 day stage taking in a stages in and around various counties around Ireland.
Going into the race I knew with the condition I had I'd be in with a good shout to take the best young rider jersey, the first few stages didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped, I lost three minutes to a Norwegian lad who got into a break on the second stage that was won by my team mate Ian Wilkinson which was a bit of a consolation prize.
Things weren't looking great over the next two days try as I might I couldn't make up any time on my Norwegian rival! Until the forth stage, this was the 'Queen stage' (this is a term used by bike racers to describe the hardest or the pivotal stage within a stage race) a gruelling 190km stage from Castle bar to Co.Kerry, taking in the infamous Connor pass. The stage started well I got myself into a move and because my team mate was in the race lead tactics dictated that I just marked the break and just sat tight while my breakaway companions drove hard! Although things were going swimmingly for me upfront, the rest of the Halfords team were coming under attack from all angles, unfortunately Ian lost the race lead but as when he took the jersey and I thought I'd lost hope of taking mine, I took the lead in the U23 classification which is the white jersey competition! I only had a slender 5 second lead over the former leader form Norway.
The following day I didn't let him out of my sight then when the stage turned onto some tight and twisty roads, he took a tumble and unfortunately dislocated his shoulder forcing him out of the race, which gave me a 30 second cushion over my nearest rival.
The next few days went past pretty much problem free! The final stage was going to be the final obstacle between me and my goal of securing my white jersey! All was going well, the last stage finished with two laps of a 15km circuit with a short sharp climb. Coming through for a lap to go a small break went away and the 2nd place rider in the white jersey went on the attack I had to react, I put my head down and attacked hard marking him, then we got working there was a group of five of us and with 5km to go we had a 40 second gap over the chasing peleton!
With 2km to go we started attacking each other and unfortunately the gap was coming down rapidly and before we knew it 1km to go had come and we were once again swallowed up by the peleton! I'd kept my lead and became the best young rider in the race finishing 14th overall after 8 days and over 1250km of hard racing in horrendous weather and taking the White Jersey.
13 May 2009
Well hello again! It's been a few weeks since my last entry but as usual it's been none stop! I've had a busy few weeks with the Rutland Circle Classic 2 weeks ago then the Chas messenger Memorial last weekend and then the Lincoln GP the weekend just gone, three very big races on the domestic race calendar some of which went better than others for me and some of which went very well!
The
Rutland started well. This race is well known for its
bone shaking off road sections it was a 160km jaunt zigzagging
around the country lanes and through fields in and around
the towns of Melton Mowbray and Rutland. The race was
flat out from the beginning, this is the UK's only UCI
ranked race on the calendar, which attracts teams from
all around the world. Lots of moves were going in the
first 30km but nothing stuck until about 50km to go when
a Rapha rider attacked and so I quickly responded jumping
onto his wheel, I looked back and it was looking good
we had a small gap and so the two of us pushed on, soon
we were joined by about 8 other lads from various other
teams, this was to be the break of the day so the 10 of
us began to forge a gap which never really rose about
a minute and a half over the chasing pack. The break worked
well up until about 60km to go and then the attacks started
coming thick and fast I tried my luck a few times but
my efforts were in vain, we were striking together until,
an Irish rider put a dig in and we thought like all the
other attacks it would be soon nullified, but it started
to stick and two other lads jumped across to it, I was
now stuck in the second group on the road but we were
still working well until 30m to go when we were caught
by the reminiscence of the peleton. My team mate and pre
race favourite Ian Wilkinson came across to us still with
3 lads up the road, I put in a good turn leading up to
the final ascent of the Somerberg, a farmers track over
a hill which was pretty much a dirt track through a field.
Wilko made his move here and I began to pay for my efforts
in the break, I lost contact but was still within touching
distance of joining Wilko and his Danish companion, to
make the bridge to the front group there's a picture showing
just how tantalisingly close I was to getting across to
it over the top but when we got back onto the main road
running into the finish my legs left me completely and
I was swept up by the chasing bunch. Wilko went on to
join the leading three from the original break with a
Danish lad, and then he and the Dane dropped the other
three, Wilko won the day and I rolled in 22nd after some
major cramp in the run in to the finish, it was a great
day out and a good ride today but I know there's more
to come!
Then
in the week in-between the Rutland and the Chas Messenger
I had a easy-ish week which was not very productive to
be honest, it came to race day and felt ok, but we got
going and I made the front split of about 40 feeling good
following moves making a few attacks, with 60km to go
I got myself into a move with every major team represented
we soon had a leave of about a minute then bang! The man
with the hammer hit my legs as soon as we hit the main
climb on the circuit, I couldn't breathe my legs were
on fire and I was going backwards. In the space of about
3km I went from the front of the bike race to the back
of the bike race and with 30km to go I was out of the
race, I was truly baffled by my lack of strength today
but I guess that's bike racing! Hopefully a good week
this week and then the Lincoln GP on the weekend may bring
some sort of reward?
So
after my poor week last week I decided to have a big week
this week in preparation for the FBD Insurance RAS in
Ireland starting on the 17th of May. So I had my usual
rest day on Monday just generally chilling and getting
a few odd jobs done around the house then on Tuesday I
hit it hard. The weather was a bit rubbish with light
rain and seriously overcast skies, but I got out for three
hour with three hill efforts up a short sharp nasty climb
called Sheley Brow, it's a real burner, and by that I
mean once your over the top, your lungs burn your legs
burn and pretty much everything burns! Then that evening
I did a turbo session with some intervals at pace. Wednesday
was to be a long ride, it was another rubbish day weather
wise I managed to get 5-hours in around the lanes and
to my delight the weather brightened up by the last hour.
Then that evening I rode a local criterium in Litherland,
it was a handicap and I started off at the back of the
race with 3 other lads, I did a lap just rotating with
them and then I decided it was time to go on my own so
I put my head down soon dropping my three companions,
picking up momentum I began to catch groups and then drop
them accordingly until I was joined by one of the lads
who I'd started with, then we settled into a nice rhythm
working well until I tried my luck with 3 laps to go,
I couldn't break my rival so I decided to commit to the
sprint, I lead into the last bend and then hit it with
everything I could, I opened up a two bike length gap
and drove all the way to the line for my second win of
the year. Then Thursday I did a 3-hour ride with Pete
Williams around the local hills around Ashurst and Parbold.
Which finished off a good three day block and to be honest
I felt pretty wrecked so Friday was an easy ride to the
caf� just a general recovery day to get ready for Sunday.Saturday came and I travelled up to the race hotel in Lincoln city centre with my team mate Rob Partridge. Then we got ready and headed out on the bikes to have a look around the course and most importantly the climb of Michaelgate, which is what makes the Lincoln so famous, it has a gradient of 1 in 6 and is cobbled all the way up and in the race we do it eleven times!!! So we went up the climb for the first time on the ride and it dawned on me just how hard tomorrow was going to be, the course resembled more of a Belgian kermesse course rather than a conventional British road race. So after a few laps of the course and about two hours of riding we returned to the hotel to relax and prepare for the morning.
The morning came I woke up feeling pretty good but my legs felt a little groggy from a heavy week, but after a cup of coffee and a good breakfast I was well awake and ready to race! We set off after a half hour delay due to parked cars on the course, the pace was fast and furious from the outset with the first three laps being a bit of a dog fight, with everyone jockeying for the front positions for the entry to the Michaelgate climb! Then three laps in seven of us slipped away on the drag though the town over the top of the climb! It was flat stick then for the next two laps or so but on the up side I didn't have to fight for positions for on the climb every lap. Next time up the climb we were joined by another three lads so the break swelled to eleven riders in total. The laps soon passed by and before I knew it, it was three laps to go! So all hell broke loose with attacks coming left right and centre. I tried my hand coming round for a lap to go on a slight drag but it was short lived, I was quickly chased down by a hungry pack not wanting anything to go. Then we hit the climb the penultimate time the break exploded Russell Downing putting in a massive attack which took Wilko, Chris Newton and himself clear of the rest of us. Then because I had a man in the break I was left to police what was left of the break, my team manager was in my ear on the radio telling me to sit tight and just follow the moves. So I did nothing was going until we hit the last time up the climb I started it in a good position, I was flat out with Malcolm Elliot just ahead of me try as I may to get round him he was too strong and before I knew it we'd crossed the line with the massive crowds roaring around us. I finished 6th and was the first under 23 rider, so I was ecstatic to be honest, the Lincoln is on of the UK's most prestigious bike races and one of the hardest!
Now it's going to be another few good days training before I start to ease off and freshen up before my trip to Ireland! Until next time!!! Hopefully I will have had some of the luck of the Irish to tell you about!!!!
21 April 2009
Well hello there its been a good last few weeks! As I sit here on the couch after a good days training reminiscing over my last few days I'm happy to say I'm finding a bit of form! I'll start with last weekend with the second round of the premiere calendar, The Girvan 3 Day up in Bonny Scotland.
The Girvan is well know for its tough, rough and open roads of Scotland. It has 4 stages over 3 days, A road stage on the Saturday morning and then a crit in the evening followed by a roll Road stage on the Sunday finished with the 'Queen Stage' on the Monday with 3 major climbs, the last of which is the infamous Nickerballau.
The first stage was a challenging 62mile rolly stage starting and finishing in Girvan, I was following a few moves early on but nothing came to fruition, on the run in back to Girvan a move of 7 clipped off with one of my team mates in so all that was left for me to do was stay up the front of the peleton and make sure that nothing else clipped off the front. I rolled in the bunch happy with the days work. Once we were finished it was a short dive back to our accommodation before we came back for the Criterium in the evening. On arrival back at our digs attempted to get out the van and to my extreme discomfort and extreme amusement of my colleagues both my hamstrings cramped rendering me helpless squealing like a pig, until I managed to communicate, in broken English to our mechanic that I needed someone to stretch my hamstrings out or I may pass out with the pain!!! Like I said everyone apart from me found my pain very amusing!!!!!
The Criterium followed that evening was a 16.5 mile blow out around Victory Park in Girvan town. I started well making the decisive move of about 20 riders, and then I started picking up points in the Sprints classification, which after 2nd and 3rd respectively in the hot spot sprints moving myself up to 2nd overall in the sprints competition. Unfortunately with two laps to go I was caught up behind a crash on the top of the circuit which meant I had a major chase on to make my way back to the front group which I just about managed to do finishing just on the back of the lead group keeping my GC hopes alive.
Sundays stage bought another undulating road stage of 76miles from Girvan to the little village of Newton Stuart. The stage started well when I took the first hot spot sprint after 4 miles of the stage moving me within 3 points of the Green Jersey. There was only one major climb today which came late in the day at about 15miles to go. When we got over the top no one really wanted to take control of the race which left it a free for all with attacks coming left right and centre, nothing was going as I said there was no one controlling the peleton so nothing was allowed to go. On the run in it was a bunch gallop won by Russ Downing and once again I kept my GC hopes alive finishing in the safety of the peleton.
Then it was the queen stage 3, three category one climbs over 72 miles starting and finishing in Girvan. The race went from the gun going up the first climb after just 3 miles. I was feeling pretty good today still with my eye on the Green Jersey, I needed just 4 points to win the classification. My team mate and King of the mountains leader Ian Bibby got away with a Pinerello rider on the first climb which once again took the pressure off me so we just sat tight and let the other team chase, it all came back together on the second climb of the day, Hadyard hill I had a go on the climb getting away for a short while with a Rapha rider but we were quickly neutralised by the other teams. Over the top I made it into the front split of about 12 riders, we coasted down the decent and once again the lead group swelled. Then the last major climb of the day was pretty much a launch pad for the race winning move, there was a roaring head wind up the climb, it made it hard for any move to stick, over the top of the climb there was a feed zone, with a quick breather and taking a bottle and a gel, we turned back on ourselves slowly dragging upward with a the wind now coming from the right the Rapha team put everyone in the gutter driving hard I was sitting about 12th wheel pretty much on the rivet but glued to the wheel in front until the wheel I was glued to let the gap go. So I was left to try and close the 10 metre gap to the leaders with no shelter hard as I tried the gap steadily grew until I popped like a balloon! I was going backward at an alarming rate of knots! The I composed myself and settled into a rhythm holding the group up ahead of me at abut 20 seconds, I knew the drag couldn't go on for much longer so I just sat on the rivet going as hard as I could slowly inching back the gap until over the top of the drag I really started motoring making contact with the 2nd group on the road in no time. A break of 9 riders had gone up road with two of my team mates in and I was left to ride the coat tails of the race leader at the start of the day's team in to the finish where I got 2nd in the main bunch sprint which I was quietly pleased with but also quite disappointed that I didn't take enough points to take the green jersey so I settled for 2nd. I also finished 2nd in the Under 23 classification, 14th in the overall classification and we won the team prize so all in all it was a very productive weekend.
Then after going over how Girvan went I decided on a few little things I needed to tweak with my fitness over the week just gone, getting a good solid week in which I finished off with a local Elite race with a strong field around Elswick in Lancashire. It was an 80 mile flat race with 8 and a half laps of a 9 mile circuit. I got into the early move which looked good for staying away all day but after two laps the race came back together when a counter of about 12 riders went away. I was still recovering so I took a breather then decided I had to go across the gap so I put my head down bridging the front group in about half a lap, which where now chasing thee riders who had clipped off the front. The gap to the leaders was staying the same for about a lap this was now two laps to go, and my team mate and National Road Race Champion Rob Hayles put in a massive turn, bringing the break to within ten seconds. Quickly I put in an attack tacking one other ride with me, we quickly made the junction, coming through a lap to go the five of us were working well, with about 5 miles to go a few of the lads started jumping about, and so I stuck on in it looked good for a while I was away then one rider bridged and so I decided to commit to the sprint, soon there was four of us at the front and I decided to lead the sprint out, hitting out for the chequered flag at 500 meters to go with everything I had...I won by two bike lengths! Tom Barras took second, Kit Gilham third and then Matt Stephens picked up the 4th place.
That was my first road race win in nearly 2 years so I was quite happy to say the least, and I know I'm going well at the moment and my confidence is growing for this weekends Rutland CicliceClassic, which is the UK's answer to Paris- Roubaix it's a 160km jaunt around the road, fields and dirt roads around Rutland , it's the only UCI ranked one day race in the UK (So its pretty big!!!). So roll on the Rutland!
Until next week take it easy (but not too easy!!!)
2 April 2009
Well we've just touched down in Mallorca for the Cinturon Tour and it looks like we've bought the weather with us, its about 6 degrees and raining, at least I won't get home sick because of the weather!
Just arrived at the hotel it's clean with a comfy bed and good food a cyclists dream! Just off out for a recce of the TT course which is a 7km out and back course along the seafront. Just done a steady hour and a half to spin the legs the TT course looks good it'll be wind though with nowhere to hide!
Day #1 Prologue. Prologue went ok got a bit frustrated before my ride because the turbo trainer I was warming up on decided to spontaneously combust while I was in the middle of my warm up which threw my focus a bit but as I'm not the greatest tester in the world I doubt it took much away from my average performance of 45th 50 seconds back on the leader. Then a nice gentle spin home to loosen the legs up before tomorrows mountainous 170km road stage from Porto Pollenca to Tollos bar!
Day #2. Today's stage was a 170 km loop through the hills around the island with 3 climbs coming in quick succession after about 60km first a 2nd cat then a 3rd cat then another 2nd cat these all went relatively smoothly with the yellow jersey team riding a good tempo on the climbs making them hard but manageable. We knew the race would be decided on the final climb of the day, the Coll de sa Batalla this was a typical European climb about 20km in length it had an average gradient of about 8 percent with the infamous switch back turns.
I started well holding my position toward the front of the peleton giving myself a bit of 'sliding room' then when the attacks started coming my legs faded a bit I lost contact with the front group over the top of the climb but, once over the top we could see the tail end of the leaders so once we hit the decent it was flat out to make the junction, I was with one of my team mates Wilko who's quite a good descender we were going well eating into the deficit of the leaders but it was wet on the decent and I went in too fast into a left hander that tightened on the exit, I lost the front wheel and ended up on the deck, I was up quickly and checked my bike and got rolling again fortunately this was the end of my hopes for today and the rest of the race I came in on the second group on the road a minute down on the front group of about 25-30 riders. I was disappointed but tomorrow is another day and every day's another chance!
30 March 2009
Well it's been a busy month! Non stop racing every weekend settling nicely into the British racing season! This weekend gone I rode the first premiere calendar of the season which is the blue riband national series of events in the UK, The Tour of the Reservoir. This was a 145km jaunt around the rolling lanes of North East England. As you can probably guess from the name the race does laps around a reservoir with the finish on top of the Damn wall. The team rode well today putting 3 men into the final move, Andy Tennant, Rob Partridge and myself. Then in the final laps Andy got away with another lad who punctured leaving Andy out on his own for the last 7km and me and rob left to sit and wait for the sprint finish for 2nd.
I got into a promising looking move with about 5km to go which looked like it could bridge to Andy but it ran out of steam and the reminiscence of the break caught us and the last 4km to the finish was just a lead out for the finish, Andy won on his own by about 15 seconds, then I jumped too early in the finish cramping up badly with about 200m to go and coming in 9th but another good day out for the team with 1st and 3rd with Andy and Rob respectively.
Next weekend we're off to Mallorca for the four day Cintouron Mallorca stage race so roll on sun, sea and bike racing!
04 March 2009
Well its March time and the bike racing season springs into action and for me, the first race was the Clayton Velo Spring Classic, a 54 mile road race with 14 laps of a rolling circuit in the Lancashire lanes, the race is well known for its appalling weather and this year was no exception!
The race is run as a handicap with 4th cats setting off first shortly followed by the 3rd cats then the 2nd cats and then 7 minutes or so later the 1st cats and elite riders, which happened to be the group I was in. I went into the race with no major goal I just wanted a good solid work out really blowing the cobwebs off after a winter of steady miles, and that was exactly what it was. My team mates and I set off wanting to catch the front of the race expecting a little help form the rest of our group which never materialised and so, we just put our heads down and got on with the job in hand and to our delight the group had soon slimmed to me and my 3 team mates (Rob Hayles [reigning national road race champ], Ian Wilkinson and Rob Partridge). The one after the other we slowly reeled in each group until with 6 laps to go we managed to catch and shed the groups that set off minutes before us, apart form one fourth cat who was reluctant to let us go until with about 4 laps to go he hit the wall and the four of us just carried on riding to the finish were Wilko led the sprint out then Rob P kicked and I didn't really have the legs then Rob Hayles came over the top like a steam train taking the win from Rob P, then me and then Wilko. So overall it was a very successful outing for a new team and considering it was the first time we had really rode together I thought we worked quite well!!!
So roll on the first big race of the season, The Eddie Soens memorial, at Aintree race course, this is a 50mile flat race around the motor racing track at Aintree with a very prestigious history in Merseyside. Lets hope next weekend can be as fruitfull as the last!!!!
26 February 2009
Hi and welcome to my blog! My name is Mark McNally and I'm from a little town in Liverpool called Crosby. I'm 19 and I ride for the Halfords BikeHut professional men's team and I'm sponsored by 2XU (THEY MAKE THE BEST CYCLING KIT AND COMPRESSION CLOTHING MONEY CAN BUY!) I compete in mainly road events but have been know to have a dabble on the track!
Now I'll run you through the roller coaster that was the last 12 months. 2008 was a mixed year for me there were a few ups and a few downs but all in all I saw it as a successful year! Last year I was part of British Cycling Academy Programme, meaning that I spent 4 months living in apartment accommodation with my other team mates and taking part in what was known as 'boot camp' - getting up at 6am some mornings to train and what with Italian lessons, track league, nutrition workshops, track session and road races, not getting back to the flats until well after 5pm and sometimes as late as 11pm! After surviving boot camp it was then time for us all to go out to Italy - my home for the next 6 months!
Life out in Italy was really good - the life style out there being so much more relaxed than the hum drum and hectic life back home! And then there was the weather! And the coffee!
Well, back to my racing...I rode UCI ranked international races week in and week out for the best part of 6 months, mostly playing a team role, just being a work horse, collecting bottles chasing breaks, generally just learning to be a good domestique. I had no major results on the road but was part of the winning team in the Tour of Alsace Team Time Trial. However, I was just trying to find my feet in the hard and cut throat style of racing out there, and didn't worry too much just trying to learn as much as possible.
Then in September I was again part of a successful team, lifting the European Team pursuit title on the track.
Following that, I came back to the UK for the national track champs which were moderately successful with a silver medal in the points race then that night I flew out to Italy for my last race of the season which little known to me was also my last race on the Academy. I rode the race didn't do anything then once I had finished I was pulled into the team car for a 'quick chat' and just like that I was told I no longer had a place on the team. As you can imagine this was a crushing disappointment to me, so I spent pretty much the whole of the end of September and all of October soul searching (with a little bit of modelling for 2XU thrown in for good measure!)
Soul searching and modelling over I was left scrambling to find myself a team for 2009 which with a few positive nibbles from a few team in Belgium was pretty unsuccessful due to the fact most team were full by this time of year! But just as I was ready to give up I was approached by Halfords BikeHut, and after having a look at all of my options this seemed the best decision and since then everything's been going quite smoothly! (Touch wood) I just got back from a training camp in Majorca with the other lads which started well with a nice shiny new Boardman bike, with about 5 good days training under my belt, my right knee started playing up, so the rest of the camp was spent doing easy rides and plenty of rest. When I got home I was told my pelvis was out of line and after a bit of treatment from an osteopath I was back and fighting fit!
I'd just like to say a special thanks to Reiko & Mike at Triathlon Consultants for keeping me well insulated with 2XU kit throughout the cold winter months and Terry Dolan, at Italian Solutions for sorting me out with a winter steed to keep me pedalling through the last few months
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