My main goal is to improve my race performance for the cyclocross 2024/25 season. To help keep me focused during the year I will be taking part in some well known events and taking part in some local racing.
Of course I will also be doing plenty of clubs rides, social rides and other local sportives. I also plan to check some local Audax rides.
Events
Kentish Killer
This will be the hilliest sportive that I have ever taken part in. The route is 70 miles with 8 major climbs, 5 of these have double digit gradients. The start and finish is at the famous Brands Hatch racing circuit. This will be a great test of my early season fitness. I’m not planning on setting any records on this ride as I will still be in my base phase of training. I’m hoping to keep everything between the hill at zone 2.
Chase The Sun
This will be my biggest ever cycling challenge. I have never ridden 200 miles in one single ride on one day.
The aim is to Chase The Sun from sunrise in the east to sunset in the west. The ride leaves Minster on Sea around 4:30am and finshes in Weston-Super-Mere at 9:30. My aim is to reach the finish around 7:30pm which will allow for a few stops along the way.
Of course like any good cycling event the biggest climb is saved for the last few miles. Climbing up Cheddar Gorge having already done 170 miles will be a real challenge.
Dunwich Dynamo
This will be my 3rd time riding the Dunwich Dynamo and every time I say never again 😂. It’s not the distance it’s the tiredness of riding through the night that always gets me. This is 4 weeks after Chase The Sun so I thought I might as well make use of all the training I will be doing for that.
Starting from London Fields, Hackney, London around 8pm the ride heads through the Essex and Suffolk countryside. Quicker riders aim to get to Dunwich beach for sunrise while other riders are happy to arrive around 8-9am. This is an unofficial event with no official stops or support. However there are many organisations and individuals who put on stops along the way. It is a great atmosphere and a real experience.
Racing
Travers MTB Racing
To improve my Cyclocross skills I have decided to do some MTB XC racing. I will use these purely to focus on improving my handling skills. Due to other commitments I will not be able to compete in the whole series so I will not be focusing on race results.
There is almost no MTB XC racing in the East of England since the demise of the Mud, Sweat and Gears series. Travers bikes have been running their race series for the last 10 years. It as a race series focussed on grass roots mountain bike racing for every age and ability. For 2024 they are hosting 6 rounds at the venue near Hockey in Essex.
Hare & Hounds Series
To work on my racing fitting through the summer months I will be taking part in some of the Tuesday evening Hare & hound series at Colchester’s Northern Gateway Sports Park. This series is organised by Velo Schils with races suitable for all abilities. A great way to motivate training and learn to race or get some race miles in your legs.
Eastern Cross
My main focus for 2024 is to get stronger on the bike and improve my skills so that I can improve my cyclocross racing. For my second year competing Eastern Cyclocross League I am looking to build on my top 20 finishes in the 2023/24 series. By focussing my training towards cyclocross and improving my skills I am aiming for a top 10 finish in the 2024/25. Yes this is an ambitious target but with real focus I think it is achievable.
The Eastern Cyclocross League runs from September to February, covering the counties Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
www.easterncross.org.uk