Season completed ✅

This year has definitely been the hardest one yet with set back after set back I felt like I was never getting started.  Every time I was starting to feel stronger something would happen and set me back.

Since having covid I’ve managed 7 weeks of consistent training and racing with no set backs and got some really good results 

Well I did dislocate my arm 😂 but thankfully it didn’t cause any problems after 😅

CTT Junior National 10, the course was fairly local to me but it was a new course for a 10 mile TT so not one I’d done before. I did pre ride the course and quite liked it despite it being uphill for the first few miles !
I felt good on the day and was really pleased with my effort

Winning the time CTT Junior National 10 was a good boost for my confidence before going over to Belgium

UCI 2.Keizer der Juniores 

The first stage was a Time Trial and I was really confident I could do well, the course suited me.

And thankfully it went really well 

My first UCI stage win and into the leaders Jersey

Also it was a 1 2 for the Cannibal Team so a great start for the team 🙌

Stage 2, was 9 laps around Koksijde quite fast and quite technical, there was attacks throughout but most were caught quite quickly.
5 riders got away towards the end though and stayed away.

We tried chasing but there was not enough riders who wanted to work to chase them. Frank took the bunch sprint and I finished in bunch and although I lost the blue jersey I was still leading the Youth (2004) young riders jersey, so into White for stage 3 

Stage 3 

I found this stage hard, the cobbled climbs were only short but really steep.  Something I’ll be working on for next year.  The riders were so spread out on each climb and kept finding my self towards the back and then having to make a massive effort on the downhill.

Then the race split up even more 

I was in a group of riders but not the front group and at this point we couldn’t see them

Back to the team car to refuel (Mars Bar and a chat) and I was ready to go again and feeling determined to give it a go to get back to that front group 

I think there was only about 8km left when I caught back on. And then my team mate reminded me I said I’d give him a lead out 😅

Barely got my breath and straight to the front of the race.

It would have worked well too but his chain dropped on the final turn

Safely finished in the front group and won the White Jersey overall and finished 5th overall on GC.

1 2 to Cannibal Team in the White Jersey ranking 

I was due to race the Junior Paris Roubaix a couple weeks after but decided against it and decided to end the season there and have a couple weeks off before winter training.
I didn’t have the funds for another trip, plus I could do with some more training on the cobbles first. Hopefully travel will return to normal next year, I hope to be able to train and race a lot more with the team next year.

Looking at the forecast for Paris Roubaix I think I made a good call. I raced the Mini Paris Roubaix in 2018 and it was hot and dusty and that was hard.

Wet and windy will be brutal!  Good luck to those racing 

Thank You to everyone that’s supported me this year with bikes, equipment, funds, lifts, maintenance, nutrition and support.  
Thanks to everyone that made it possible 🙌

 I’m really motivated to get the winter training in and get back to it as a second year Junior in 2022