Muur Van Geraardsbergen, Belgium.

Cycling aficionados know the famous cobbled hill climb of the Muur Van Geraardsbergen in Belgium simply as ‘De Muur’ or ‘the wall’. It’s cobbled, steep and marks the final climb in one of the most prestigious pro cycling races in the world- the tour of flanders.   What better place for 6-abreast knockout hill climb? Red Bull arranged a delegation of 4 riders from the UK to take on the best of Belge.  For a time it looked like an upset was on the cards, with 48 riders to qualify for the knockout stages after 2 timed seeding runs, us Brits occupied 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions going into the latter stages, behind Dutch MTB Pro Dennis Ebert.

1/8 finals passed without incident, Lawrence Frost (GBR), Chris Metcalfe (Charge Bikes) and myself proceeding without difficulty. I was riding on my road race bike but used a 25mm rear tubular tyre to soften the rear end over the cobbles and give me some more grip. In the 1/4 finals I rode comfortably through to the semi finals. Chris Metcalfe had a bit of an incident with another rider and narrowly missed out on going through to the semi finals but Lawrence won his heat and also made it through to the semi finals.

In the semi finals I was feeling comfortable that I could make it through in the top 3 to make it through to the finals. I was a bit eager with my start and false started so started to brake going down the start ramp…then 5 riders went flying past me and they didn’t restart the race. I then went from an advantage to a massive disadvantage and battle my way up to forth place with only one more rider to beat but he was switching me across the cobble so I couldn’t overtake. I finished a disappointing 4^th place and missed out on going through to the finals! Looking for a place in the final, Lawrence snapped his chain sprinting over the rough cobbles, ending the British hopes for an upset. Top qualifier Ebert went on to take a deserved win, seen here in the link below hopping the curb and back onto the cobbles for victory.

I really enjoyed the event and the Red Bull team were awesome as usual in supporting us Brits racing. I think this will be another event added to my racing calendar for next year.

Ben

Twitter: @BenSimmons

(Blog adapted from Chris Metcalfe, www.chargebikes.com)

York Hall, Bethnal Green, London.

I had a text from a friend last Tuesday with a link to the Red Bull Mini Drome event saying I need to enter this! I had a quick think and thought… he’s right and got on the case to the Red Bull team to get a last minute entry.Then there was just the problem of selecting a bike and a gear because it was only open to fixed wheel bikes. I decided to opt for my Focus Pista Track bike but knew that a wider bar would be a benefit… I put my flat cross country carbon 3T bars on and wrapped them with some pimp Fizik bar tape. To be fair the bike did look good and got a few looks and comments at the event.

Qualification for the main event was on Saturday afternoon so I decided to leave home early so I had plenty of time to chill out beforehand. It was a good job I did leave with plenty of time because the drive took a lot longer than expected with it being in central London and was also quite stressful. I managed to bag a prime free parking space right outside the door to the event which was a miracle as finding parking after this was a joke.

I signed on and had my first glimpse of the Mini Drome… and man it was MINI… I was expecting a 40 metre track at least but nope 25 metres!!! I have been watching videos on YouTube and it looked a lot longer on there so I quickly got to work changing my gear to the smallest I had… 46 tooth front chain ring and an 18 tooth rear sprocket! I also had some nice fast carbon wheels in my bike but after seeing how many people were crashing I put some sensible spoked aluminium wheels in instead.

Once the bike was sorted the next decision was what to wear… as there was no one in lycra everyone was racing in casual wear. I decided to chuck on my cycling shoes and put a Wiggle jersey on as I didn’t see wearing lycra being an advantage and also wouldn’t protect my skin if I came off. I lined up in the queue ready to take my turn on the Mini Drome… I was quite nervous and worried that this could go badly!

Qualification Video:

I lined up on the track ready for my 6 lap practice… yet that’s it – 6 laps to get used to this unusual track which equated to less than 30 seconds ride time!!! Then it was time to get timed over 10 laps to see if I can qualify in the top 50 so I could compete the following day in the main event. The countdown started and I was off… I was finding it really hard to stay low on the track but just as I started to find my rhythm my 10 laps were up. I didn’t post a bad time and was lying in 11th place when I left but there were still plenty of riders to go. All I could do now was wait for a text or an email confirming I qualified in the top 50 to come back to the finals the following day.

I was lucky enough to receive a text late that night confirming that I qualified in the top and inviting me back to the finals on Sunday afternoon. After a lazy morning I made my way to the venue and settled in to the riders area which was a hive of activity. I qualified 20th out of over 200 riders which I was quite pleased about…this meant I was now the 20th rider off for the second time trial to see if I can qualify in the top 32 riders to go in to the knockout pursuits later on in the evening.

Once again I lined up on the start line but this time I was in full Team Wiggle lycra kit ready for my 6 lap practice and 10 lap timed pursuit. I rode well and felt a bit more comfortable which was also reflected in my improved time from Saturday’s pursuit. I managed to get the 21st fastest time which allowed me to compete in the head to head pursuit knockout rounds.

Second Qualification Video:

I was paired up with a rider who had a very similar time to me so knew it was going to be a close battle beating him. We both lined up on opposite sides of the track and the person with the fastest time or if a rider catches up with the other rider goes through to the next round. It was a close battle and it came down to the last lap where my opponent made a mistake on the last corner leaving me to take the victory and go through to the final 16 riders.

Round 1:

My next race would take me through to the final 8 riders if I could win it… the only problem was I was up against the fastest rider of the night who has already done 3 of these events before. I wasn’t going to let this phase me and had some determination to beat him! I lined up on the start and the countdown started… I was off! I had a brilliant start and put him under pressure but could hear the commentator saying he was closing the gap and we were soon neck and neck. The last couple of laps I was pushing really hard and as I crossed the finish line I had to bunny hop off the track on to the surrounding padding.

Round 2:

Unfortunately I was beaten by 0.3 of a second which meant that was me out of the competition. I was then left pressure-free to enjoy watching the rest of the event with the 500 other spectators! I really enjoyed the event and love the concept…next time I will prepare better for it by using a more suitable bike and experience.

Big thanks to Red Bull team for putting on yet another brilliant event and also the other sponsors such as Charge Bikes for putting up the prizes!

Red Bull Event Report

Red Bull Mini Drome Bikes

Eyesdown Event Video:

EyesdownFilms.tv – Redbull MiniDrome London, 18th March 2012 from Eyesdown Films on Vimeo.

Ben

@BenSimmons

The third and final round of the Springtime Pursuits Handicap Road Race took place on yet another beautiful Saturday afternoon in Devon. This time the race was two laps longer than the previous two weeks but included the same handicapping system with four groups and a 6 minute handicap from the front group to the back group. This made the race a lot more competitive for the scratch group as we had more time to catch the leading groups.

The scratch group was larger than usual with a few of the stronger riders from the first two rounds being moved back in to the faster group. In theory this should have made it easier for us to catch the leading rider having more riders to share the work load. We set of in pursuit of the three groups on the road in front of us quite rapidly and tried start working together in a chaingang to share the work. The only problem was the pace was fast and erratic which did not help the rhythm of the group and put people off from working. There were a lot of riders just sat on the back getting n easy ride.

After a while the pace settled and was a lot smoother so everyone was rolling through and taking their turn. It wasn’t too long until we had the front group in sight and with 4 laps to go (16 miles) we were all together. It was carnage having a group of 80 or so riders of mixed ability racing down narrow lanes and sure enough there was a crash. I stayed at the front of the race making sure I was out of trouble and able to follow any moves that tried to get away. I attacked numerous times to try and get away but was soon chased down by a strung out peloton.

After one of my attacks fellow Welshman Rhys Lloyd (who I travelled down with) got away with another rider and quickly got a gap. By this point everyone was tired from chasing down attacks so soon the pace slowed and the two riders were away. I tried attacking to bridge across but every time I moved there was a line of riders on my wheel. I think the Wiggle kit needs to be more subtle because it was like I had a big flashing light on my helmet making me out!

Just as we approached the finishing straight with one lap to go I attacked again but yet again I was swamped but I could see some riders looking tired so as soon as the pace eased I went again. This time this attack stuck and I was joined by two other riders, one Junior and a Mid Devon CC rider. Myself and the junior rode strong sharing the work whilst the Mid Devon rider wouldn’t do a turn and just sat on.

We were catch the two riders up the road quite quickly but were running out of road as the finish was approaching fast. With 500m to go I let the junior ride away so I could take the Mid Devon Rider out of the back for the sprint. This was risky as I wasn’t sure I was going to catch the Junior before the finish but it paid off. I just managed to beat the junior to the finish line in the head wind sprint to grad third place! Rhys Lloyd managed to ride away from his rider to take the win so not a bad result for the Welsh boys!

Velo UK Event Report

Ben

Twitter: @BenSimmons

The second race of the 3 part race series took place on Saturday and in comparison to last week the weather was a lot more spring like. The sun was shining and the temperature was a mild 10 degrees or so which meant the atmosphere at the event was a lot friendlier.

I arrived with plenty of time so grabbed myself a nice coffee and a snack before signing on which put me in a relaxed mood. Once I had my number pined on and I was all kitted up we had a quick riders briefing before rolling a few miles down to road to the start. The Handicap of this event was a lot more sporting compared to last week with only four groups on the road and 6 minutes to the front group compared to the 7.5 minutes of last week!

As with every handicap road race we started fast…and to be honest it stayed that way for the full distance of the race. The circuit was the same as last weeks, only 4 miles long but rolling and twisty lanes which didn’t give you a lot of space. We were all working well together apart from a few lazy riders sat on the back but after a few words everybody was doing their fair share of the work. Although everyone was working in the group it was far from smooth, there were riders kicking through which left riders suffering in the wind and also some riders were not easing off after their turn to allow the next rider to roll trough which made it even harder for them.

With two laps to go we still hadn’t caught the front group but they were in sight so I was confident we would get them before the finish. It wasn’t until half way around the second lap we caught them and it was quite dangerous with 80 riders all together and everyone wanting to be at the front of the race. I managed to squeeze down the outside of the bunch and get to the front of the fast paced bunch. I decided to attack once at the front for two reasons: one it was safer than being in the bunch and secondly I would have got swamped and lost my position at the front. This attack lined out the bunch and then allowed me to follow wheels at the head of the race.

With 1km the pace slowed slightly and everyone was waiting for a move to go which soon enough it did…I was boxed in on the left hand side of the road. With 500m to go there was car stopped on the right which meant everyone came across to left leaving me trying to stay upright in the gutter! I managed to get out and sprint to the line but with so many riders already clear up the road I rolled in around the top 15 mark.

I was fairly pleased with the way the race went although though I deserved a better finishing position. There is the final race of the series this Saturday so this will be my last chance to get a good placing. Following Saturday’s race is the Severn Bridge Road Race on the Sunday so I have another busy weekend of racing coming up!!!

Ben

Twitter: @BenSimmons

Saturday was a busy day for me with a possible 3 races lined up and a bit of traveling to get to each event. The first event of my day was in Bristol for a qualifying ride for the Red Bull Hill Chasers event where the top 16 fastest riders went through to the finals at 7pm to race against 16 selected pro riders. The qualification event was up Hill Street which runs parallel to Park Street which is where the main event was taking place. I turned up around 9.30am to register, had a quick 10 minute warm up on my rollers and lined up at the start ready to set my time. When I turned up at the start line I couldn’t believe how short the climb was…I selected my start gear and sprinted up the hill…all 10.7 seconds of a sprint.

I didn’t have much time to hang around as I had to head down to Devon for the Springtime Pursuit Handicap Road Race. Whilst on my way there I was delighted to have a text saying I have qualified for the finals of the Red Bull Hill Chasers event and had to be back in Bristol for 6pm. Once at the race HQ the rain was coming down and the weather didn’t look very pleasant. The race was a 36 mile handicap road race split in to 6 groups with me being in the last group 7.5 minutes behind the very front group.

The circuit was 4 miles long with some narrow, rough and muddy lanes due to the weather. Whilst waiting for the front groups to set off I was freezing and couldn’t wait to get going…7.5 minutes later and we were off on a long chase. We were smashing along working well as a group and were soon catching the groups in front. Once we had caught a group we kept going straight through and often leaving riders behind. By the last lap there was a couple of riders still ahead of us and there was no chance of us catching them so I just rolled across the finishing line taking 9^th place surprisingly (I thought there were a few more riders away).

Back at HQ there was no showers or hose pipe so a quick pit stop at a local garage to jet wash my bike (Not reccomoended) so it was back to it’s normal immaculate clean condition. I also managed a quick wet wipe “shower” whilst on route back up the M5 to Bristol. I managed to make it to the riders briefing on time although was in a bit of a mad rush then getting kitted ready for the warm up.

Once I was kitted up I set up my rollers in the riders pit area which was in direct view of Park Street that included a BMX style start gate and two pinch points on the hill to give the BMX/MTB riders a better chance of not getting knocked out. The crowds were huge and my nerves started to kick in a little bit as this is such a unique event that I had no idea how I would get on. We all had one practice go individually using the start gate and sprinting up the hill and it was amazing having the crowd so close to you cheering you on.

The organisers did not hang around and all the riders were soon paired up for their first race of the night. It was a knockout style event so there were no second chances; if you got beat…it was game over! I was paired up with a single speed mountain bike for my first race and he had a quick start but soon found himself spinning out which allowed me to roll past him to the finish line on my big ring.

My tactic for the rest of the rounds were similar…let the rider lead through the two pinch points whilst I was comfortable behind and then jump them immediately after the second pinch point. This worked perfectly for me as I knew I had a good explosive jump at the end. My second to last race was probably the one I did start to worry about as the guy (check the video) tried to take me in to the barriers as I was over taking him. His handle bars were smashing in to my arm so I had a quick word with him and beat him comfortably (with out trying to cheat).

Soon enough I found myself in the finals…guaranteed to win a bike the only difference was…one was Gold and the other was Silver. I was up against John Whittington who I know really well who was also using a road bike. We both lined up in the start gate and we were there for a while as the microphone broke which meant the suspense was building. The crowd were cheering and I could hear people shouting my name with encouragement! I decided I wanted to lead from bottom to top to ensure I was going to come away with the Gold bike.

The start gate dropped and I powered my way in to the lead through the first pinch point and didn’t look back! I comfortably crossed the finish line the winner!

Finals Video:

I absolutely loved the event it had such a good atmosphere and is such a unique event that is spectator friendly and exciting. I would like to that all the spectators for their support, the Red Bull team for being so accommodating and looking after me! I will definitely be putting this event in my racing program next year!

Podium Video:

Event Video:

Red Bull Event Report

Ben

Twitter: @BenSimmons

P.S. Thank you to the parking warden for the parking ticket you left on my car…I’m sure you had nothing better to do on a Saturday night

Elite Wales is proud to announce the first date of the Dragon Ride training weekends 2012! The training weekend will take place on Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th April 2012.

Ever wondered what its like to be treated like one of the worlds top riders? With Elite Wales you can experience just that! We go the extra mile to ensure that you receive the full VIP treatment.

Elite Wales training weekends are aimed at a range of riders from the amateur to the serious racer, whatever your fitness, these weekends will put you through your paces!

The weekends are led by one of the UK’s best cycling coaches who will be on hand to offer any advice needed and offer some tips! You will also be followed by a van and a qualified mechanic, to offer assistance if needed, and carry any equipment etc that you wish to take with you.

The Dragon Ride route starts at Margam Park.  It offers a range of climbs including the Cimla, Rhigos and the Bwlch – These are some of the most challenging hill climbs the UK has to offer! You will cover roughly 80 miles on the Saturday, and 70 on the Sunday.

The price of the weekends include:

• Overnight Accommodation in a top local B&B
• 2 Days of Guided Riding
• A full safety check of your bike by a qualified mechanic, before you start the ride, and mechanical assistance throughout the weekend
• You’re bike will be cleaned on the Saturday evening, while you sit back and relax!
• Secure overnight bicycle storage
• Lunches and Breakfast
• Evening Pub Meal with minibus to and from the pub
• Coffee stops along the way with free energy drinks and snacks to keep you going!
• A photographer for one of the days

Ben Simmons (Team Wiggle) will be your guide. He has set the Fastest Dragon Ride time for the past two years (2010 & 2011) and knows the roads better than anyone. Not only this but he has a wealth of experience in riding these types of events and can offer invaluable information for your benefit.

Throughout the day we will have several stops, where you will have the chance to take on some fluids and energy bars supplied by Elite Wales. You will endure a long day covering part of the dragon route plus a few other routes thrown in to ensure you get the most out of your weekend riding. After the ride we will retire back to the B&B where your bike will be cleaned and checked over once again by our qualified mechanics, while we do this you can have time to relax and recover from the days riding. In the evening a taxi will take us to a local pub where you will be served a good quality three course meal and a few drinks, a chance to get to know us and ask any questions you have. We will then get a taxi back later on in the evening.

The sunday morning will start with a full english breakfast at the B&B, a chance for you to ensure you get the carbs in ready for the second day of riding. We will set off as the previous day, once again a van will be following us on the route with a qualified mechanic. This day will cover a separate part of the dragon route, and a few other routes thrown in the mix, this day will be relatively easier than the previous day. There will also be several stops offering a chance to take on fluids and energy bars, just as the previous day. Once we have completed the route we will finish back at the B&B, where we will have a good cup of coffee and get ready to head home. Packed lunches will be supplied for both the saturday and sunday.

The cost of this weekend is £250 per person. A deposit of £100 is payable in advance, this can be done through our online shop, or by cheque. This deposit is non refundable. Please note prices are based on 2 people sharing, if booking alone please be aware you may have to share a room with someone else.

We can only take a limited number of 10 people per weekend, so book early to avoid disappointment. Any questions or queries please ring Dan on 07808729388 or Ben on 07971838354

To book a place please visit www.elitewales.com and visit our online store!

Any questions or queries please ring Dan on 07808729388 or Ben on 07971838354

15/10/11, 16/10/11 & 23/10/11

Well what a series the Rapha Super Cross Series turned out to be! The atmosphere was incredible and so was the weather which also seemed to play a big part on the amount of spectators. We had a massive support crew which consisted of 5 riders, 4 Mechanics, 2 man Film Crew, 1 photographer and a pile of supporters. Not only did we have all this support for the team but we had the Wiggle Eazy-Up in prime locations for our warm ups and general pit area which attracted some great attention.

The first round of the three round series took place at Lake Windermere near Kendal. I really enjoyed the course due to its technical nature and mix of terrain. The race didn’t go to well for me though…I had a bad start and worked my way up the field nicely only to catch a root and send my flying. I just rode around steady due to my ankle being in some discomfort and also knowing that my position wouldn’t effect the team position. Lee had a fantastic result by winning the round against some really tough competition.

Video: Rapha Super Cross Round 1

The second round was the following day but this time it tool place in Huddersfield at a leisure complex which consisted of a mainly grass course with plenty of steep off camber banks to negotiate. Due to my bad start in the previous day’s race I was determined to make up for it in this round. The race started in to a sharp right hand turn on to the course and I managed to get a flying start and cut across everyone in to the corner putting me in 4^th position for the first lap and with Lee in second place just in front. I soon realised that I couldn’t keep that pace up and drifted back a few places and crossed the line in 18^th position and final counting rider for the Team.

Video: Rapha Super Cross Round 2

The third and final round of the series took place at Alexandra Palace, London which turned out to be one of the biggest cross races to be held in the UK. Team Wiggle came in to this round in joint third position in the series with two other teams so the pressure was on and every point counted. The course was a tough one especially in the heat going up the long grass climb and steps to finish you off before getting some recovery on the twisty descent. The race started fast up this short sharp climb and although I didn’t get the best start by the end of the first lap I was in a comfortable position. As the race progressed I felt quite strong and was having a good battle with two riders but missed out on what could have been the point to get Team Wiggle on the podium on the very last corner. Once again I finished in 18^th position and the final counting rider for the team.

Video: Rapha Super Cross Round 3

After all three rounds Team Wiggle finished in fourth position narrowly missing a podium position by one point. This would have put us in joint third position and would have achieved our goal of a podium position for the series. I think that Team Wiggle performed magnificently from the riders to the mechanics and personally was pleased with our result in such a high class field of riders. I would like to say a massive thank you to Wiggle for supporting us so well and also a huge thank you to the guys from Eyes Down Films for producing these fantastic video blogs for the team!

Ben

If you would like to contact us, please do at any of the following addresses and we will do our very best to get back to as soon as we can:

Ben Simmons – ben@elitewales.com

Daniel James - dan@elitewales.com

General – info@elitewales.com