July 2025 🇪🇸 & 🇧🇪

First race for July was Vuelta a Madrid (U23), a 5 day stage race, which included 4 road races and a time trial to finish.  For this event I was guesting with the Irish team Velo Performance.

It was a great event and really well organised. The stages were all very different. None of us on our team had raced the event before so we didn’t really know what to expect.

I went into the race very aggressively, being in many breakaways across the first two stages, unfortunately all brought back, but still really enjoyed them despite not getting a result I wanted. The 3rd stage was my favourite, which included some good gravel sections which seemed to really suit me. I’ve not raced on gravel like this before before so really had no expectation, had I known the 3rd stage would suit me more before starting the event I probably would have saved energy from the first two stages for this one. The 4th stage was were it really went wrong, loosing a bottle and missing a bottle was not a great start in the heat, plus the fact the stage had a lot more climbing in than I’ve ever done in a single stage before = cracking half way and riding in the 3rd group on the road. Still I finished within plenty of time to the time cut, a hard day out and there was only more one stage to go. 

The last stage was the time trial, one I looked forward too but also nervous for after how the stage the day before had gone, I was feeling pretty empty & a bit dehydrated. I gave it all I had left and finished 10th on stage, I was pleased with the ride considering, I couldn’t have done anymore on the day, just which I had a bit more to start with. 

Overall a good week and learnt lots  for next time !

Home for about 5 days and then off to Belgium, this time guesting another team. A team I’ve previously guested for this year, Hubo Scott Cycling Team 

DE MOEREN CLASSIC was the first race scheduled for the trip. 140km, 3 large loops  including some cobble sections followed by 6 local laps. The course was quite exposed and the cross winds split the race to pieces, less than a third of the field finished.  2 riders away and I was in the first small chasing group. Finished 6th.

next up was DENTERGEM U23,149.6 km

This didn’t go so well, we literally only raced a couple KM before a crash in front of me, I had no where to go, over the handlebars I went and into a deep ditch. Shoulder dislocated and a trip to hospital.

Thankfully I’m recovering well, some light rehab to do for the shoulder whilst training hard for my next trip back to Belgium. I’ll be back in Belgium in a couple weeks for a 5 day stage race. 

Thanks to everyone that supports me to make these racing trips possible.