24HR National TT
Discussion
So fresh from cycling around the world, finishing 3 weeks ago Jon was up for the 24hr TT event this weekend...i'll let him explain.
Some details;
Some details;
jon said:
What an amazing end to an incredible year. In truth, the national 24 hour was perhaps not won on a time trial bike in the picturesque setting of East Sussex, but many months ago as I crossed vast deserts, struggled through a bitter winter, sand storms, experienced weeks without talking to people, all of which not only shaped my body but also my mind.
The race itself was a close fought thing and a two way dual right to the very end. The only time I saw Ultan Coyle, the former champion, who had started 11 minutes after me, was within the first 10 miles when I noticed he was already two minutes ahead. From this point on, I started to push the pace, passing through the first 100 miles in 4:12 and maintaining the effort towards my first of two scheduled stops at the eight hour mark, by which point I had pulled almost 10 minutes clear of Ultan. With lights fitted, a faster rear wheel after an earlier puncture and some solid food inside me, I felt refreshed and ready to take the battle into the night. A 24 mile night circuit with brutal climbs, little or no lighting and a terrible road surface kept me alert. I kept pushing hard and still felt very strong right up until 14 hours, all the time wondering if the lights I could see behind me were riders I had overtaken, or Ultan Coyle catching me. By the time my second and final scheduled stop arrived, there was no way to hide from my body clock, my speech was sluggish as I tried to eat some warm food and then get back on with the job in hand. At this point the time gap between Ultan and myself was apparently less than 15 minutes. This felt as though it was going to be a battle to the bitter end. With four hours remaining I hit the relatively flat finishing circuit and we were on my territory now. I always finish fast and my stockier build could take advantage of the lack of hills. As the day progressed, I began to feel more and more awake, my legs not feeling tired, I was hammering away like it was a 50 mile time trial getting time checks every 45 minutes until within the last 15 minutes of my ride I knew I was safe and I had taken the win. We later discovered that I had in fact made a substantial amount of ground up on Ultan during the night and there were eventually 11 miles between us by end, when I finished with 517 miles and the forth furthest ride of all time.
For the entirety of the race I was in utter awe of the job that my world class team of helpers were doing, never leaving me on my own for more than half an hour, always encouraging, how they could do a hundred things for me in our five minute formula one style pit stops, using immense initiative to find solutions to every problem and ultimately allowing me to achieve what I have dreamt of since I was a young boy
517 miles. 2014 National TT Champion. The race itself was a close fought thing and a two way dual right to the very end. The only time I saw Ultan Coyle, the former champion, who had started 11 minutes after me, was within the first 10 miles when I noticed he was already two minutes ahead. From this point on, I started to push the pace, passing through the first 100 miles in 4:12 and maintaining the effort towards my first of two scheduled stops at the eight hour mark, by which point I had pulled almost 10 minutes clear of Ultan. With lights fitted, a faster rear wheel after an earlier puncture and some solid food inside me, I felt refreshed and ready to take the battle into the night. A 24 mile night circuit with brutal climbs, little or no lighting and a terrible road surface kept me alert. I kept pushing hard and still felt very strong right up until 14 hours, all the time wondering if the lights I could see behind me were riders I had overtaken, or Ultan Coyle catching me. By the time my second and final scheduled stop arrived, there was no way to hide from my body clock, my speech was sluggish as I tried to eat some warm food and then get back on with the job in hand. At this point the time gap between Ultan and myself was apparently less than 15 minutes. This felt as though it was going to be a battle to the bitter end. With four hours remaining I hit the relatively flat finishing circuit and we were on my territory now. I always finish fast and my stockier build could take advantage of the lack of hills. As the day progressed, I began to feel more and more awake, my legs not feeling tired, I was hammering away like it was a 50 mile time trial getting time checks every 45 minutes until within the last 15 minutes of my ride I knew I was safe and I had taken the win. We later discovered that I had in fact made a substantial amount of ground up on Ultan during the night and there were eventually 11 miles between us by end, when I finished with 517 miles and the forth furthest ride of all time.
For the entirety of the race I was in utter awe of the job that my world class team of helpers were doing, never leaving me on my own for more than half an hour, always encouraging, how they could do a hundred things for me in our five minute formula one style pit stops, using immense initiative to find solutions to every problem and ultimately allowing me to achieve what I have dreamt of since I was a young boy
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