For the last week we have been training in Spain, above Malaga at a small mountain hotel near Periana. This was to be a mountain bike training camp in preparation for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games and European championships. The CG riders, U23s & juniors were all here to train in the warm weather. This would be the first time that most of the juniors had been in a training camp environment - some took to it better than others!  It always seems "glamorous" travelling to nice places and riding your bike (from the outside).  The reality is hard training, resting and being bored!

At the weekend we had a handicapped race, everyone was set off in small groups to race around a two lap circuit. The winner was expected to take about one hour. Oli Beckingsale, Liam Killeen and I were off last, one minute behind the fast starting U23s and six and a half minutes behind the first off.  We raced up a draggy fire-road before descending a rocky track. Tim Morley was stopped fixing a puncture as we came charging down the track. Oli set a fast pace on the climb and opened a gap over Liam & I. The route traversed the side of the hill before climbing for almost eight minutes. Just as we started the second climb, Oli was stopped with a puncture. He had a long walk up to the finish as his gas bomb did not work. Liam romped up the climb faster than me. By the top I had caught all the U23s and juniors except Steven Clarke, who we caught after the decent. Phil Dixon, Jody Crawforth and I stayed together over the top and down the rocky track for the second time. On the climb I escaped and came home second to Liam. Phil came in third. The surprise was Steven Clarke who beat Jody for fourth. It was easier to make a race effort in a race situation - I think we all kind of enjoyed it too.

During the week we have all completed a timed hill climb up a steep zig-zag hill. We were being told of some tri-athletes who had set an incredible record of 28 minutes. Oli and I were first to race up it the evening after the mtb race, I went two minutes in front of Oli. Every kilometre was marked down on the road, counting down from nine. The middle section had some steep corners before the last 3kms were of a slightly easier gradient - but not easy! I croseed the line in 23:40. Oli came in with 23:06. Did the tri-athletes run up?

At the end of the week we are all looking forward for the next few weeks - Nationals, Commonwealth Games and European Championships - after some good training in the sun.

(When I have downloaded my pictures for the week I don't seem to have many cycling ones!)