by Holly Seear | Feb 18, 2016
….Well maybe Queen of Richmond Park!
Today I rode out with the lovely Alicia Bamford, founder of Queen of the Mountains, a new women’s performance cycling brand launching via Kickstarter.
Queen of the Mountains is building a strong community of female cyclists, with regular rides on Tuesdays in Regents Park, Thursdays in Richmond Park and a variety of Sunday rides with brunch!
This morning’s ride was super social, with everyone chatting and enjoying the winter sun. The ethos of the rides is to welcome all women (and men), of all abilities. No one is left behind and the chat continues over coffee post ride.
Information about the rides can be found on the website where you can sign up for the newsletter for regular ride updates. A longer ride is planned for Mothers Day from Giro Cafe in Esher; what a perfect way for mums to get some me time!
Alicia told me they have adventurous plans for future cycling events to inspire women to challenge themselves.
“We want to inspire women to ride and to climb their own mountain, to set their own challenge and feel that sense of achievement on the way up, as well as at the summit. We’re introducing more women to the beauty, freedom and sense of achievement that comes with cycling.”
I got a sneak preview of the Spring/Summer collection, inspired by Mont Ventoux, which is available for pre-order on the Queen of the Mountains Kickstarter page. There is only 7 days left, so act swiftly if you are keen to be one of the first to wear this stunning kit.
The first range includes beautiful, technical jerseys, shorts, gilets, socks and more, all designed for women. Manufactured in Italy, using performance technical wicking fabrics, the kit is cut specifically for the female body shape in the riding position. It has well thought out features such as a waterproof zipped jersey pocket for your smart phone and no scratchy labels!
We are hoping to get some kit to try out on a ride soon so watch this space……
You can also find Queen of the Mountains on Facebook and Twitter
by Anna Magrath | Feb 12, 2016
CyclingShorts.cc has championed women’s cycling at grass roots level and those involved in the sport who offer cyclists the opportunity to race and move to the next level for many years, whether that be gaining the confidence to ride a sportive or race as a professional. This year we are proud to be sponsors and the media partner for Team22 WRT and we continue to sponsor the unique work by the Racing Chance Foundation. Browsing the internet the other night I was pleased to see nominations are now open for the Women’s Sport Trust Awards also known as #BeAGameChanger Awards. The awards have been set up to recognise those individuals and organisations doing the most to progress women’s sport.
The Women’s Sport Trust #BeAGameChanger awards 2016 are supported by Microsoft and they showcase the irresistible nature of women’s sport and inspire others to take action (full details of the awards and categories at the bottom of this article).
With this in mind I’m going to take this opportunity to champion our very own Heather Bamforth who is often overlooked and regularly copied by those with higher profiles in the sport.
Heather reporting from the Cheshire Classic.
Heather has been a longstanding member of the CyclingShorts.cc writing team; covering international races like the Tour de France but also taking the majority of her time to write about and report on grass roots cycling and development – take a look at her extremely popular Women’s Guide to Racing which has been used by many a newcomer to the sport.
For those that don’t know already… since returning to the sport of cycling in 2011, Heather has been working behind the scenes to increase the number of opportunities for women in competitive cycling. In 2013, the inaugural North West Women’s Series was promoted by Heather, which featured groundbreaking road racing for women.
In 2014, along with three others, she established The Racing Chance Foundation, a registered charity which helps to provide women with a pathway in competitive cycling from novice to elite level.
In 2014 & 2015, Racing Chance coached over 200 women, and following Heather’s lead, other women around the country set up similar series to that in the North West. As a result of Heather’s original initiative and the subsequent additional series, British Cycling have seen an increase in female membership with a racing licence increasing from 800 in 2012 to over 1500.
©Daniel Styler 2015
Heather’s vision has enabled the sport of road racing in cycling to become more than just a dream for women. Without her there would be far fewer women racing, especially at the important grass roots level.
So, as many of you already know who have benefitted from Heather’s input/support she is going to cringe at this praise, but I think we all owe it to her to give her the props she’s due. Heather earns nothing from cycling, she has a totally unrelated full on full time career, but I can assure you every spare minute of the day and night she’s thinking of the next thing she can do to raise women’s cycling higher. I can attest to this with the many hours the two of us spend chatting through her plans… and trust me she has big plans in the pipeline!
Ladies, Heather has your back so lets return the favour give her the pat on the back she deserves and get her crowned as an Ambassador of Women’s Sport.
Let’s try and do this!!!
Nominations for the awards are now open across nine categories. Follow this link to nominate the athlete, team, organisation or individual who has made a positive contribution to women’s sport.
The categories are:
Ambassador of Women’s Sport
Journalist of the Year
Media Initiative of the Year
Inspiring Initiative – Local/Grassroots
Inspiring Initiative – National
National Governing Body of the Year
Sponsor Partnership of the Year
Sporting Role Model/s
Imagery of the Year
Closing date 21st February 2016 – so get your skates on!
To nominate someone click here: http://tammyparlour31119268.polldaddy.com/s/beagamechanger-nomination-form-2016?p=1
by Holly Seear | Feb 5, 2016
“Tartiflette!”
This was the response from @Jonhinio when I asked the Twittersphere what was important on a Winter/Spring Cycling Training Camp!
Not surprisingly the other answers revolved around food, sun and scenery with @SJcyclist feeding back “I loved Mallorca, quiet roads, great weather, sympathetic drivers and stunning scenery”
It is often hard to fit winter miles in around life, work and of course the variable UK weather, so a winter or spring training camp allows you clock up some serious mileage before your racing season or sportive season starts and get some much needed vitamin D!
Whatever your cycling goals the extra hours in the saddle early season will certainly help and if you are aiming for a big sportive like the Etape du Tour you will have the chance to ride climbs of similar length, which we just don’t have in the UK.
And yes the food is vitally important! If you have only been riding occasionally over winter then expecting your body to ride 4-6 days in succession is a big ask, and certainly not wise on calorie deficit!
David Butcher, Owner of 7hundred in Windsor and organiser of Training Camps in the Costa Blanca, says
“Motivation is the biggest driver. When it’s dark and miserable in the UK it can be difficult to find the motivation to ride, that can affect endorphin levels creating a negative feedback loop. The allure of different roads and warmer climes, even if only for a short period, can help restore motivation and reinvigorate your training.”
Hundreds of options exist for organised training camps where everything is done for you, the real pro experience! Just book a flight and pack your bike (or even hire one there) and everything else is taken care of.
45 Degrees North in Morzine, in the French Alps offer a luxury chalet with a hot tub, delicious food from a professional chef, a Level 3 Performance Coach, complimentary sports massage, a bike mechanic, homemade energy bars, laundry facility and a full support vehicle to carry extra layers, tools, food and drinks (and riders who fancy starting part way up the climb or a lift home at the end of the day!).
I asked Chris Sellings at 45 Degrees North how a rider should choose a training camp.
“This depends entirely on you, your budget, what you want to get out of your training camp and absolutely the time of year. For example, if you are looking for an early training camp in the mountains, you can rule out the Alps, but could find several in Mallorca, Andalucia or even South East Asia. This depends on your race calendar and targeted events. Generally, athletes will attend a training camp early in the season (February to May for UK) to improve their base fitness before the season really kicks in. Athletes targeting races later in the season (August to September) can absolutely benefit from a training boost mid-season (June to August).Some people go for camps run by big name coaches and for others it’s about taking the opportunity to explore a new location. There are a plethora of training camps out there to meet every budget and time restraint. The key is to think about your race season and whether you want to attend a training camp to lay base fitness or to peak for an important race. This determines the time of year to aim for. Next think about the type of fitness you need for your race. There is little point heading to the mountains if you are targeting flat, fast crit races and vice versa. Then it comes down to your budget. If you can afford to attend a training camp run by a famous coach and staying in luxury accommodation, then get in fast and book. Otherwise seek out a good quality camp that offers great value for money and the more beautiful the rides on offer the better!”
Often riders are concerned about their ability to participate or concerned they might be the slowest and hold the group up. David from 7hundred advises “choose your camp carefully, if in doubt don’t be afraid to ask questions and be honest about your abilities when discussing pace. Why not encourage those you ride with to join you? It’s not a race! It’s also easier to ride in a group you know”.
Chris agrees “We all have to start somewhere and any self-respecting training camp will recognise this and cater for weaker riders. There are a variety of ways to do this. Weaker riders will generally ride together with an experienced guide. For longer more challenging rides such as sportive routes, they may be set off before the faster groups and even from a point further along the route. There will be a no drop policy in place so you don’t need to fear being left behind and becoming lost. Sometimes vehicle support will be offered. This means, if you become too tired you can climb into the vehicle and be driven home. This said, you should have a reasonable level of fitness before attending a training camp and be able to comfortably meet the minimum requirements set by the training camp. If you are not sure, seek guidance either from a club coach or the training camp operator prior to booking.”
Most training camps will offer a variety of riding groups, with the distance and speed of each ride varying accordingly. Helen from Twickenham Cycling Club, who make an annual pilgrimage to Majorca for Legro’s Training Camp, feels “setting expectation of the groups, advising people which group they should be in and having enough group leaders to ride with the slower riders and allowing those who up the pace unnecessarily to go off on their own” is key to a successful week.
At Hotel Dory in Riccione, Italy, the 4 routes for the following day are posted up on the notice board in the bar with the distance, speed, profile and estimated time. Riders sign up for the one they would like to complete the following day and the hotel allocates the appropriate number of ride leaders to each group. The convenience of having the lists in the bar means that should you find yourself still in the bar at midnight with another glass of Italian red then you can quickly cross your name out on the 150km mountainous ride and swap to the 40km flat tourist ride!
Alternatively, how about a DIY training camp with your friends, you can then choose everything yourselves and decide your own schedules and rides, but you may miss out on the support, structure and local knowledge of an organised trip.
There are also plenty of cycling holidays to choose from the difference according to David from 7hundred being “A training camp is more focused, concentrating on building an aerobic base and while a cycling holiday may be guided and cover the same ground, it might not be as beneficial for those looking to improve. Cycling holidays are generally more relaxed and an excellent way to explore new terrain without the pressure to perform. Decide what your goals are for the year, if you intend to race or you’re targeting some big sportives then a training camp will be beneficial. If you’re simply looking for motivation to get back on the bike and rediscover your cycling mojo, or purely for enjoyment of being on the bike, a cycling holiday is the way forward.”
Just booking a training camp can be the incentive to get out and train in the winter, it gives you something to work towards and look forward to when you are slogging it out in the gloomy UK winter. It will reinvigorate your training, boost your fitness and up your motivation levels, what’s not to like!
Holly Seear
Level 3 British Cycling Coach
by Chris Maher | Jan 30, 2016
All images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
Lewis Stewart and Jessica Roberts secure the Hoy Future Star Titles 2016, whilst Team WIGGINS claim the Season Thirteen Elite Championship.
A full house greeted the final session of the Revolution Series, Season Thirteen at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester. Sir Chris Hoy led the Hoy Future Stars around the circuit as the final evening of racing got underway. Sir Chris was there at the end to present all the winners, celebrating their achievements with a huge cloud-burst of glittering foil over the heads of the podium winners.
Jessica Roberts, Team USN led the series from start to finish, going two-up from last years season. Starting the day with a significant lead, Jessica rode a controlled race, her highest place was finishing third in the twenty-lap scratch race.
Sophie Williams, Orica GreenEdge rode herself into second position, winning the twenty-lap Points Race on the way.
Third place went to Scotland’s Rhona Callander with team-mate Jenny Holl close behind.
Anna Docherty, Maloja Pushbikers RT finished off the top five wining the Scratch Race on the night.
A sneaky win for Amber Joseph, Team Pedalsure halfway through the night, saw her finish with-in the top ten.
Scotland’s Lewis Stewart wasn’t going to lose the Hoy Future Star title at the last hurdle, finishing down the bottom in the final race-the Scratch Race, but had done enough by winning the Six Lap Dash earlier on in the night.
Lewis took over the Series lead after a strong top five finish at round one in Manchester. He extended his lead and maintained it through-out the remaining rounds fending off a late challenge from the side-lined Fred Wright, Telegraph Allstars and Jim Brown, ONE Pro Cycling.
Fred Wright set-off strong winning the first race of the evening-the Points Race, whilst Jim Brown won the final race of the evening-the Scratch Race, sealing his third slot in the Championship.
Alistair Fielding, Orica GreedEdge and Hamish Turnbull, Maloja Pushbikers RT finish off the top five in the Championship scoring high in the three final races of the season.
It was Team WIGGINS that stole the show, riding a commanding performance and into the Revolution history books. Owain Doull and Jon Dibben joined forces once more winning the Revolution favourite, the One-Kilometre Madison Time Trial setting blistering time of 00:54.852, just 300ths shy of the record. They went on to win the one-hundred and twenty lap UCI Points Race, lapping the majority of the field three times. Scotland’s Mark Stewart and Team Sky-and current World Time Trial Champion Vasil Kiryienka were the only riders to put up a challenge with a defiant Andy Tennant that crossed the finish line first.
Ex GB Sprint School man Kian Emadi started the day off setting the quickest Championship Flying Lap with a time of 13.097, Dibben came home second. Emadi backed-up his win in the Championship Longest Lap before Dibben sealed the sixty-lap UCI Scratch Race win. The duo went on to win a controversial Team Elimination Race, where Team Pedalsure resigned to a second place finish.
This was enough to win the days highest points tally, and the overall Revolution Series Championship 2015/16.
Returning to the boards for the first time since the Olympics in London, Theo Bos showed his time on the road as a World Class Sprinter had not hampered his desire to return to the track, and possibly Rio later in the Summer.
Bos showed his prowess in the Keirin and the Sprint heats fending of the likes of Robert Fӧrstemann and Lewis Oliva. Oliva set the quickest two-hundred meter qualifying flying lap almost touching the sub ten-second barrier earlier in the day, but lost out to Bos in both heats of the Sprint Finals in the evening session.
Local man Matt Rotherham couldn’t contain his enthusiasm at winning several of his races though-out the night, riding around the boards arms aloft, encouraging the crowd to cheer on rapturously.
There’s no stopping golden girl Laura Trott, Matrix Fitness, or is there? Preparing herself for the upcoming World Track Championships in London, Laura showed her good form continues riding a commanding performance in the eighty-lap UCI Points Race, lapping the field three times no-less.
Newly formed Team Breeze member Emily Nelson managed to gain a lap also, showing her good form on the back of the recent UCI Track World Cup in Hong Kong where she debuted in the Team Pursuit, finishing second in that event. Poland’s Malgorzata Wojtyra finished third and will be facing Laura at the Worlds too.
The answer to the question above is yes. Beating Laura is no mean feat, but Emily put her good condition to the test in the twenty-lap Elimination-Scratch Race setting off with a couple of laps remaining, gaining half a lap, and that was good enough to see Laura’s last minute dash for the glory, dashed.
The queen of the track returned to claim her signature race victory in the Elimination Race. Second went to Nelson once more, and Wojtyra third.
The final race of the Revolution for this season finished with the Women’s UCI Scratch Race. There was no doubt who the dominant force was, Laura set off midway through the race with nine-laps remaining and took a lap with ease, whilst the rest just looked on in amazement.
Ev1 UCI Sprint – Qualification 200m Time Trial Men
1: Lewis Oliva 10.097
2: Matt Rotherham 10.156
3: Theo Bos 10.163
4: Robert Fӧrstemann 10.191
5: Sandor Szalontay 10.260
6: Thomas Scammell 10.268
7: Sebastien Vigier 10.295
8: Ryan Owens 10.323
9: Melvin Landerneau 10.332
10: Thomas Copponi 10.360
11: Jack Carlin 10.502
12: Davide Ceci 10.530
13: Yorick Bos 10.730
14:Alex Joliffe10.913
Ev2 Elite Championship Flying Lap Men
1: Kian Emadi 13.097
2: Jon Dibben 13.454
3: Chris Latham 13.490
4: David Muntaner 13.850
5: Felix English 13.939
6: Anders Oddli 14.003
7: Ethan Hayter 14.019
8: Dan McLay 14.099
9: Mark Stewart 14.100
10: Reece Wood 14.270
11: Melvin Van Zijl 14.860
12: Vasil Kiryienka 14.893
Ev3 UCI Sprint – Quarter Finals Men
Oliva, Rotterham, Bos & Szalontay progress through.
Ev5 UCI Points Race (20km)Women
1: Laura Trott +3
2: Emily Nelson +1
3: Malgorzata Wojtyra
4: Charline Joiner
5: Emily Kay
6: Rebecca Raybould
7: Verena Eberhardt
8: Lydia Gurley
9: Hetty Niblett
10: Amelia Winther-Olsen
11: Megan Barker
12: Ellie Coster
13: Manon Lloyd
14: Annasley Park
15: Neah Evans
16: Monica Dew
17: Ellen McDermott
18: Abbie Dentus
19: Nikki Kovacs
20: Sophie Black
21: Laura Basso
22: Henrietta Colborne
Ev7 Elite Championship – Points Race (30km) Men
1: Jon Dibben
2: Mark Stewart
3: Vasil Kiryienka
4: Chris Latham
5: Owain Doull
6: David Muntaner
7: Andy Tennant
8: Ethan Hayter
9: Marc Hester
10: Christian Grassmann
11: Felix English
12: Melvin Van Zijl
13: Reece Wood
14: Evan Oliphant
15: Dan McLay
16: Anders Oddli
17: Fredrik Steen
18: Germain Burton
19: Alistair Rutherford
Ev9 Scratch / Elimination Women
1: Emily Nelson
2: Laura Trott
3: Manon Lloyd
4: Ellie Coster
5: Emily Kay
6: Laura Basso
7: Abbie Dentus
8: Lydia Gurley
9: Annasley Park
10: Amelia Winther-Olsen
Ev12 Revolution Longest Lap Sprinters
Ryan Owens, Matt Rotherham, Lewis Oliva, Thomis Copponi
Ev13 UCI Sprint – Minor Finals Men
Robert Fӧrstemann won the Sprint Minor Final
Ev14 HOY Future Stars Points Race (5km)Boys
1: Fred Wright
2: Matthew Shaw
3: Rhys Britton
4: Chris Heaton
5: Lewis Stewart
6: Jim Brown
7: Charles Page
8: Alistair Fielding
9: Theo Hartley
10: Hamish Turnbull
Ev15 UCI Sprint – Finals Match A Men
Theo Bos beat Lewis Oliva in the finals
Matthew Rotterham beat Sandor Szalontay for third place.
Ev17 Revolution Longest Lap Men
Kian Emadi, Reece Wood, Marc Hester, Mark Stewart
Ev19 HOY Future Stars Points Race (5km)Girls
1: Sophie Williams
2: Emily Tillett
3: Jenny Holl
4: Amber Joseph
5: Jessica Roberts
6: Rhona Callender
7: Ellie Russell
8: Elizabeth Bennett
9: Rachel Jary
10: Samantha Verrill
Ev21 Elite Championship – Scratch Race (15km) Men
1: Jon Dibben
2: Chris Latham
3: Mark Stewart
4: Dvid Muntaner
5: Felix English
6: Alistair Rutherford
7: Reece Wood
8: Anders Oddli
9: Ethan Hayter
10: Vasil Kiryienka
Ev23 Elimination Race Women
1: Laura Trott
2: Emily Nelson
3: Malgorzata Wojtyra
4: Annasley Park
5: Abbie Dentus
6: Neah Evans
7: Lydia Gurley
8: Manon Lloyd
9: Charline Joiner
10: Laura Basso
Ev24 HOY Future Stars 6 Lap Dash (1.5km) Boys
1: Lewis Stewart
2: Hamish Turnbull
3: Rhys Britton
4: Fred Wright
5: Alistair Fielding
6: Anthony Anderson
7: Joe Nally
8: Chris Heaton
9: Jake Stewart
10: Matthew Burke
Ev25/27 Elite Championship 1Km Madison Time Trial – Men
1: Team Wiggins 00.54:852
2: Team Pedalsure 00.55.252
3: ONE Pro Cycling 00.56.565
4: Maloja Pushbikers RT
5: Telegraph Allstars
6: Team USN
7: The Nab Racing
8: Scotland Burness Paull
9: Orica GreenEdge
10: VCUK-Champion Systems
11: JLT Condor p/b Mavic
Ev28 HOY Future Stars 6 Lap Dash Girls
1: Amber Joseph
2: Ellie Russell
3: Anna Docherty
4: Elizabeth Bennett
5: Rhona Callender
6: Georgia Ashworth
7: Samantha Verrill
8: Jenny Holl
9: Sophie Williams
10: Georgia Hilliard
Ev29 Elite Championship – Team Elimination Men
1: Team Wiggins
2: Team Pedalsure
3: ONE Pro Cycling
4: Maloja Pushbikers RT
5: Telegraph Allstars
6: Team USN
7: The Nab Racing
8: Scotland Burness Paull
9: Orica GreenEdge
10: VCUK-Champion Systems
11: JLT Condor p/b Mavic
Ev30 UCI Keirin Final Men
Theo Bos, Thomas Coppini, Matt Rotherham, Lewis OLiva
Ev31 Presentation – Elite Championship
Winning Team on Night & Winning Team Overall
2015/16 Champions are Team WIGGINS
Ev32 HOY Future Stars Scratch Race (5km)Boys
1: Jim Brown
2: Fred Wright
3: Alistair Fielding
4: Hamish Turnbull
5: Joe Nally
6: Jamie Ridehalgh
7: Rhys Britton
8: Anthony Anderson
9: Jake Stewart
10: Jacob Vaughan
Ev33 HOY Future Stars Scratch Race (5km)Girls
1: Anna Docherty
2: Sophie Williams
3: Jessica Roberts
4: Jenny Holl
5: Samantha Verrill
6: Jayati Hine
7: Lauren Bate-Lowe
8: Amber Joseph
9: Rachel Jary
10: Elizabeth Bennett
Ev34 UCI Scratch Race (10km)Women
1: Laura Trott +1
2: Rebecca Raybould
3: Emily Nelson
4: Megan Barker
5: Laura Basso
6: Malgorzata Wojtyra
7: Ellie Coster
8: Charline Joiner
9: Verena Eberhardt
10: Neah Evans
Revolution 57
Elite Championship Table after round six
HOY Future Star Boys Table after round five
HOY Future Star Girls Table after round five
That concludes our Revolution Series for this season, but we’ll be back for the next Revolution at a track near you. In the mean time, we have the Worlds, then Rio to look forward to, then back for the Nats before we resume once more. Good luck to all our cycling athletes, both track and road, whoever gets selected.
Special Thanks to www.facepartnership.com
Official Website www.cyclingrevolution.com
For more of Chris’s images visit:
Flickr Photo Gallery Updated Regularly throughout the Winter Season at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23913935@N07/sets/72157623276235092/
Facebook Photo Set (Look)
www.chrismaher.co.uk/revolution
The sleeves, although slightly long on little me, feature elasticated Jacquard bands as does the waist. These were great at reducing movement and keeping the cool air where it belongs; although I personally could do with losing my winter weight for this to fit perfectly, as noted that the kit does come up small, so consider one size up for a comfy fit if you’re looking to buy.
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