2014 is coming to an end, and with me officially finding a team for the coming season in 2015 its fair to say, im pretty stoked!
Next years racing calendar is looking amazing and jam packed, but also challenging. there will be some races exceeding 140km in length which is a massive jump from the junior ranks, junior races tended to be between 80km and 100km so that extra 40km will definitely be a push but with a solid winters training at home (UK) and a good three weeks in California (In December) I'm sure ill be ready to tackle the 2015 season and push for some decent results.
A little info about my 2015 team: Rokform U23 racing Team, the under 23 team will be a new addition to the already successful junior team, with numerous awards and results, the junior team has built up quite a name for itself in Orange County, with over 400 active members its one of the biggest clubs in South California. The newly formed team will be run by Michael Shein. his idea was simple yet effective, to continue the support of the existing junior members of the team and cater for their needs when they move into the under 23 ranks. I will be based in San Clemente for the whole season and will attend famous races such as the 'Sea Otter' and the 'Valley Of The Sun stage race' as well as some amazing criterium racing all around the southern California region. i have around 50 races that I will be attending with Rokform and will be looking to get a couple of good results, these results will really help me in my quest for a professional contract in the states. Jeff Shein, the Junior coordinator, has really given me a warm welcome over the last few weeks, I cant thank him enough for this opportunity and support and I'm really looking forward to meeting him and all the other fantastic staff and riders involved with this amazing team/club.
Here is the kit for the 2015 season.
This year has had its ups and downs, winning races to breaking bones are usual traits in the life of a cyclist, but its how we react in these situations that gets us places. In January I was offered a place on the Olympic Development Programme as an endurance rider on the velodrome and on the road. i'd already been part of this programme in the 2012/2013 season as a track sprinter, so to change from such different disciplines was extremely tough. I got to work with the usual base miles around my local area, up to 3 hour rides about 3 times a week to start, i began to get fit quite quickly which where good signs, but expected as this sort of training wasnt new to me, id been this type of rider from the age of 13 up until 2012. after a couple of months of base miles I was given my upright track bike and got to work at the velodrome as the weather started to deteriorate. I was instructed to attend a public derny session which involves up to 10 riders behind a motorcycle at high speeds, great speed and endurance training! as I was coming into the last few laps of my high speed training a rider in front of me decided to flick up and down uncontrollably and bring me and another rider in front off of our bikes, i broke my wrist clean in half. This was a nightmare, especially as i was becoming quite fit. 6 weeks, 6 weeks of static training indoors. this pretty much ruined my chances of selection for the big track events coming up.
After just about surviving the most boring and painful 6 weeks of my life i got back into training again and I was loving it. I decided to take myself off to Holland to stay at a friends house. I had 4 races planned in the two weeks i was there for, It was brilliant and i got of to a cracking start. i was in multiple breaks during every race and one worked, I couldn't quite believe it. As me and 4 other riders approached the finish line with one lap to go I was determined to get myself the win, we played cat and mouse for about 3/4 of the last lap, i even pretended to be absolutely spent, it worked, as we entered the last bend i was at the rear of the group, i waited, and waited, then pounced, it was very close, i gave one last peddle stroke and lunged with my eyes closed, I'd done it. Chapeau.
Be sure to follow my twitter account for regular updates: @Leon_Gledhill
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| BergCriterium Wolder (1st Place) So that's about it until I reach California on the 10th of December. Stay tuned. |
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