We are now the best part of a month into 2016 and it has already been as eventful as 2015.
In March I will be returning to Belgium to live and race for Royal Antwerp. The team have a good calendar which should allow me to show my strengths in different types of races. I am also planning a stint to France/Italy to race in the mountains at some point.
How is this funded?
I have been fortunate enough to receive the Cycling Time Trials Scholarship again for 2016 and Pedal Potential have also continued their support. I have also had great backing from some extraordinary individuals and my local club. It fills me with great confidence when further support has been offered. Along with my savings, Christmas, Birthday and family gifts this is how I will be funded.
Further support?
I have traded in some more bad luck and managed to stumble across some gold dust. My local bike shop Globalbike.co.uk have managed to sort a Lapierre Aircode – as used by FDJ. The bike looks awesome and will certainly do the job. I would like to encourage the locals in Crewe/Tattenhall to take a look in store. They are more than approachable and have helped me over the past year or so with the odd job without any prompting. For anyone not local they also have a website https://www.globalbike.co.uk/
I am also lucky enough to have had a lot of help from James Williamson of RJcycling camps, again a local to Crewe who has raced on the scene in Europe has always helped myself offering advice and etc. He has just started a Cycling Camp venture in Calpe – please take a look at his website. http://rjcyclingcamps.com/
Ambitions
The real aim for 2016 is to ‘get noticed’ as such.
I would like to be consistently at the sharp end of the field with good placings/wins by the end of the season. I am also looking to do well in the National Road championships and the bigger races for my team in 2016. I would really like to be able to go to a UCI Continental team at the end of the yer so hopefully I do enough to earn a place.
Thank you for reading,
Ben