UCI World Junior Road Race Championships

Last week saw my junior career come to an end, as I raced the Junior World Road Race Championships in Florence. I was delighted to be named as a part of the four man GB squad; which also included Tao Geoghegan Hart, Matt Gibson, and James Knox.

The icing on the cake was when I spoke to Stephen from Dolan Bikes on the phone and he mentioned that they'd be sending me a new bike for the Worlds. I couldn't believe it when this beauty arrived..

My Ares SL with Sram Red and Mavic Cosmic Ultimate wheels.

I flew out to Pisa last Tuesday ahead of the race on Saturday. I got my first opportunity to ride the course on Thursday, as the roads were closed in order for riders to recce the circuit.

I had a good idea of what the course profile looked like before heading out to Italy, but it's always difficult to know how it will ride. The circuit was a little tougher than I had expected. Although the roads were great, I thought the course was pretty technical, with some tight bends to negotiate. Two laps of the circuit gave us a pretty good idea of what to expect come race day.

I began to feel a little nervous on Friday evening when we sat down for our pre-race meeting with ODP coach Matt Winston. The plan was that we'd work for Tao as team leader, and commit to positioning him as well as possible on the final lap, especially as we turned onto the Via Salviati for the final time.

We headed to bed pretty early, ahead of the 8:30 start on Saturday. 

Numbers pinned ahead of race day.

Race day had arrived, and 140km lay ahead of us. We headed to the start in Montecatini. It was a novelty heading to the start in the Team Sky campervan. We did the usual team presentation, ahead of the gear-check (my last ever!) and lined up on the start-line. 

The race set off at a quick pace, before settling down when the breakaway eventually formed. It went on to gain 5 minutes by the time we got to the circuit around Florence. With the break still 4 minutes ahead with four laps remaining, James Knox & myself started doing turns on the front in order to keep the break under control. We brought the time gap down 55 seconds in the space of a lap, however it was at this point that Tao had his mechanical.

It was a real shame that Tao's chain broke on one of the ascents of Via Salviati, meaning that he had to run the remainder of the climb and wait for a neutral bike. Unfortunately this was the end of his race. I started to suffer with around 45km to go, having gone fairly deep alongside James on front earlier on in the race. 

I stayed in the wheels and tried to recover as much as I could. It proved quite challenging with the circuit being as lumpy as it was, without any real respite. With two laps to go, the pace picked up as the French set a strong tempo. The front group was no more than 50 riders at this point. I had to dig deep just to stay up there, but went over the finish line in the front group with only 1 lap remaining. 

It was at this point that I started to suffer with cramp. Apart from the Junior Paris-Roubaix which I raced at the start of the season, this was my longest race of the year by quite a bit. I got distanced from the leaders around 750m from the summit of the Fiesole but managed to chase back on on the descent. Unfortunately the same happened on the Via Salviati, as I really started to hurt. 

I chased hard on the descent back into Florence and got across to the front group with 2km to go. By this point, Mathieu Van der Poel (Holland) had already made his winning move, breaking away on the Via Salviati. I sat in the wheels, biding my time ahead of the sprint. The group started to fragment as the pace lifted in an attempt to bring back Van der Poel. I jumped from group to group, finding myself in fifth or sixth position with 300 metres to go. The sprint opened up, and I went on to finish in seventh place. 

Although initially disappointed not to have made the podium, I think I can be fairly happy with the result knowing that I left everything on the road. The race capped off a successful season for myself and a great way end to my junior career. Race result:

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) 3-33-14
2. Mads Pedersen (Denmark) @ 3 secs
3. Iltjan Nika (Albania) "
4. Logan Owen (USA) "
5. Lorenzo Rota (Italy) "
6. Lucas Eriksson (Sweden) "
7. Scott Davies (Great Britain) "
8. Artem Nych (Russia) "
9. Sergey Shemyakin (Kazakhstan) "
10. Benjamin Brkic (Austria) all same time "

Photo with my Uncle Viv post race. 

Not only was it my last race as a junior, but also my last as a member of the Olympic Development Programme.  I've had a great year on the ODP this year, having learnt a lot, and having had some amazing experiences, whilst making so many new friends along the way. I owe a big thank you to Matt Winston for the support & opportunities he's given me this season. Sincere thanks also to Martyn Ashfield (GB Mechanic) & Rachel Murray (GB Soigneur) for all of their help too. I'm going to miss being a part of the ODP next season, however I'm sure as one door closes another will open. 

I'm also very grateful to Welsh Cycling for the support & opportunities they've given me this year. Sadly, my time on the Welsh Junior Programme has also come to an end. I'm especially thankful to Michael Heaven who has coached me for the past 2 years, putting up with so many of my late night texts and emails, ha! I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the training camps & race trips with the Welsh team this year. I'm now looking forward to seeing what next season brings. 

Lastly, I'd like to say a massive thank you to all of my sponsors for supporting me this year. I'm especially grateful to Dolan Bikes for providing me with some great bikes this year. I've really enjoyed riding the Ares SL this season, and would recommend it to anyone. Stephen, Terry and all Dolan staff have been so kind & generous to me this year, and I really appreciate it. I can't thank them enough. 

Thanks for taking the time to read,

Scott. 

Giro Della Lunigiana

Following the Tour of Wales, I travelled to Italy to race Giro Della Lunigiana; a four day stage race based around the Toscanna region of Italy. I was pleased to have been named as a part of the 6 man ODP squad, which included Tao Geoghegan Hart, Germain Burton, Gabz Cullaigh, Matt Gibson & Chris Lawless. The intention was to use the race to prepare for the World Road Race Championships, which will be held in Toscanna at the end of the month. I flew out from Bristol last Wednesday, ready to start racing on Thursday.

The view on a pre-race ride with Germain.

Stage 1 - 05/09/13

Stage 1 was 96km long, with a 4km summit finish. The stage started in a little hilltop town, which we could eventually race back up towards for the finish. We knew beforehand that positioning ourselves towards the front of the bunch as we neared to final climb would be key. 

Final climb, 300 metres to go.

The stage itself was very chaotic, the bunch seemed to be very un-easy, and so there were a few bad crashes. Myself, Matt Gibson & Gabz Cullaigh were all caught up in a pile-up 30km into the stage, luckily I managed to stay upright and get back to the front of the race. Chris Lawless & Matt Gibson did a great job of keeping us topped up with bottles from the team car, as the temperature rose to over thirty degrees.

The break was eventually brought back, and the bunch approached the final climb intact. The race started to split as soon as we hit the climb. Germain Burton and Tao Geoghegan Hart positioned themselves slightly further forward than myself towards the bottom of the climb. They both worked well together to gain a gap, setting Tao up for the stage win, taking the leaders jersey in the process. I climbed at my own pace, gradually closing the gap & finishing 5th on the stage, 7 seconds down.

Stage 2 - 06/09/13

Stage two was considered as the 'sprint stage', 106km with only one significant climb midway through the stage.

The ultimate goal for today's stage was to defend the leaders jersey. The plan was to talk on the road, and possibly set up Germain or Chris for the bunch sprint. Denmark controlled the majority of the stage, as they also had the stage win in mind. It was important that we were aware of any potential attacks on the climb, and that no one that could threaten the GC gained any time. We kept the pace fairly high up the climb, deterring any serious attacks from the rest of the GC contenders.

The decent from the top of the climb was fairly tricky, before we dropped down to complete 4 laps of the finishing circuit. Denmark controlled the tail end of the race pretty well, ensuring the speed was kept high. Unfortunately I punctured with 5km to go. A quick wheel change from Martyn the GB mechanic meant that I got got back in the bunch with just over 3km to go, therefore maintaining 5th on GC.

Unfortunately the sprint didn't workout for Chris & Germain, however we achieved our main goal which was defending Tao's leaders jersey. 

Stage 3 - 07/09/13

The third day was considered as the 'queen stage' of the race, with a summit finish that would decide the GC. 

Again, the main goal for today's stage was to defend the leaders jersey, whilst also maintaining myself and Germain's position on GC. A break formed early on, Matt Gibson & Chris Lawless kept a close eye on it, riding on the front for the majority of the stage. Both put in a solid ride in what was a very tough stage. 

As we neared the final climb, Chris put in a strong turn on the front to position Tao & myself well. I ensured to pace was kept high for the next 4km, in order to deter any attacks. 1km from the summit, Robert Power (Australia) attacked & Tao followed. I went on to finish 4th on the stage, and moved up to second on GC. The good news was that Tao maintained the race lead ahead of the final stage.  

The view from the summit on stage 3.

Stage 4 - 08/09/13

The final stage was 101km long, with a long climb 15km from the finish. I was pretty apprehensive before the start of the stage, having moved up to 2nd overall behind Tao the previous day. The plan for the stage was to keep the break under control, and for me and Tao to position ourselves well on the climb, ensuring that nothing slipped away.

Chris, Matt & Germain all did a great job of keeping the early break under control, meaning that no one was up the road as we approached the climb. As the group was gradually worn down by the climb, myself & Tao ensured that no serious moves got away. I was unfortunate to crash 2km from the summit, but managed to get myself back to the front of the race pretty quickly. 

The final kilometre to the finish was particularly hard, as the gradient increased significantly. Robert Power of Australia committed to a big attack meaning that Tao followed. Feeling a little gassed from my chase back on, I continued at a steadier pace, bridging across the gap on the descent.

The descent to Lazzaro proved to be pretty technical, with narrow roads & plenty of switchbacks. Myself, Tao, Robert Power (Aus), Mads Pedersen (Den), and Ghebremarian of Eritrea led the descent in a move that stayed away to the finish. The pace dropped slightly as we approached the finish, and allowed Pedersen to attack & stay away, taking the stage win in the process. Tao finished second on the stage, myself 5th.

A novelty riding in the leading foreign rider's blue jersey, as Tao led GC.

I was very relieved to have held on to second overall, whilst also defending Tao's leaders jersey. It was a great show of team work, and a testament of how well we've performed as a team this season. 

Upon reflection, I'm very pleased with how Lunigiana went, especially considering that past winners include Vincenzo Nibali, Danilo Di Luca and Damiano Cunego.  I'm also delighted to have been selected to represent GB at the Junior World Road Race Championships at the end of the month, and hopefully I'll be able to build on the success I had in Lunigiana.

Link to the results here.

Sincere thanks to Matt Winston, Rachel Murray & Martyn Ashfield for all their help & for a great trip; and the the whole team for their camaraderie. 

Thanks for reading,

Scott.

Photos: duzimage & www.ciclismoblog.it

Junior Tour of Wales

Last weekend I rode the last round of the British Junior Road Race Series; the Junior Tour of Wales. I was delighted to be entered as a member of the Welsh team. We arrived at Brynmawr on Saturday morning ahead of the first stage, a 7.5km hilly time trial which finished on the top of the Tumble. 

Day 1 - 24/08/13
The course for stage 1 is pretty unusual, with rolling roads and a mountain top finish. After discussing it with Michael Heaven, the Welsh Cycling coach, I decided to ride my TT bike rather than a standard road bike. This proved to be a good decision in the end, as I won the first stage by a narrow 1 second, from Sam Oomen, the Dutch Time Trial Champion. This meant that I was the race leader going into stage two that afternoon & would therefore wear yellow. I also managed to clock the fastest time up the Tumble & therefore lead the King of the Mountains classification. 

My team mate Stevie Williams also did a great ride, finishing 8th in the TT & within 40 seconds of the race lead.

(L-R) Rob Westwood, Joe Wiltshire, Dylan Kerfoot-Robson, Owen James, Stephen Williams, Zach May, Gwyn Lovibond.

Stage 2 was a 72.4km road stage which concluded with a mountain top finish atop of Llangynidr. I've ridden the climb in the past & was mindful that my 1 second lead could be jeopardised if I lost my focus. Fortunately, I had the support of my Welsh Cycling team mates for the entire stage, as they kept things under control.

As anticiapted, other riders were very active early on, ahead of the break forming. Fortunately, Stevie managed to get himself in the break, meaning that the pressure on the team was eased somewhat. Gwyn Lovibond, Dylan Kerfoot-Robson, Joe Wiltshire & Rob Westwood did a great job of keeping the time gap at bay for the mid part of the stage. As we approached Llangynidr mountain, Owen James & Zach May put in strong turns to keep the bunch strung out whilst also bringing the break back within sight. This worked out perfectly as we caught the break on the lower slopes of Llangynidr.

I ensured that the pace was kept fairly high at the bottom on the mountain to deter any attacks early on. This split the bunch, leaving 6 of us at the race lead. 1km from the summit Sam Oomen attacked & gained some ground on myself & James Knox. I lifted the pace gradually, bringing Oomen back towards the flatter section of the climb. James used it as a springboard to attack and took a good stage victory. I placed second, and most importantly held the race lead going into day 2.

Day 2 - 25/08/13
The second day is not considered as a day to gain a lot of time on GC, but more a day where you can loose a lot of time if caught off guard. Sunday was another double day, with a 30km crit around Parc Bryn Bach in the morning, followed by a 72km road stage based around Abergavenny in the afternoon. 

The crit is a challenging circuit, covering 10 laps and a tough climb each time. Fellow ODP team mate Chris Lawless put in  a strong attack during the first lap which set the pace for the remainder of the stage. Welsh team mate Gwyn Lovibond also put in a good attack mid way through and was away solo for a few laps. With 2 laps remaining, Chris attacked, forming the winning move. This was something I was prepared to let go as it didn't jeopardise my race lead. On the last lap, Sam Oomen put in a committed attack up the final climb. I managed to close the gap towards the top of the climb and retained my race lead going into stage four.

I was more concerned about stage four than any other due to the time bonuses available. Six, four & two seconds for both the intermediate sprints, and 12 seconds for the stage win. The team knew that the ideal situation would be for us to allow a breakaway to go up the road and sweep up all of the time bonuses. 

A breakaway of 12 formed, which included 2 of my Welsh team mates; Owen James & Joe Wiltshire. The time gap grew to 1min:50sec before we started to close it down. Zach, Dylan, Stevie & Gwyn gave a strong chase bringing the break within sight with 15km to go. We knew beforehand that the ideal scenario was to allow the break get to the finish just ahead of the bunch, in order to ensure that none of the GC contenders gained the 12 seconds on offer.

The plan was a success, meaning that I held the race lead by 1 second going into the last day. Owen, who was in the break did a great ride, finishing 3rd on the stage & Joe finished 7th. 

Day 3 - 26/08/13
The last stage, finishing up the Tumble climb, is regarded as being the 'Queen stage' of the Junior Tour of Wales. During last year's race, I dropped from 3rd to 5th on GC during this particular stage and was very aware that I could loose the race lead. With bonus seconds available at the intermediate sprint, the team was prepared to leave a break go in order to ensure they weren't won by any of the GC contenders. 

This tactic worked, however Eddie Dunbar who was placed 4th on GC attacked solo from the break, gaining 1min:10sec over the top of Penderyn Moors. All of my Welsh team mates reacted, and brought the break back within 15km. They kept the pace high for the remainder of the race, deterring anyone from trying to attack. Owen James put in a cracking turn as we went through Abergavenny towards the Tumble, stringing the entire bunch out. As intended, the peloton got to the bottom of the Tumble with no riders up the road. 

By this point, the team had done a great job and it was now up to me to finish it off. I kept a close eye on Oomen & Knox as we climbed towards the cattle grid, mid-way up the climb. With 1km to go, it was just the three of us at the front of the race. With 500m to go Knox attacked & I followed, dropping Oomen in the process. James won the stage, one second ahead of myself. I was delighted to have pulled it off, and become the first Welshman to win the Junior Tour of Wales.

I owe a huge thank you to my team mates Zach, Owen, Stevie, Rob, Gwyn, Dylan & Joe for all of their help & selfless riding this weekend. All contributed to a great team victory & I am extremely proud to call them my team mates.

Thanks also to Michael Heaven, Julian Winn, Robert Rowe (Finely Tuned Ride) & all of the staff at Welsh Cycling for their support this weekend & throughout this season. Huge thanks also to Talbot Thrush & the organising team behind the Junior Tour of Wales, it is a great event. 

Finally, massive thanks to all of my sponsors, I really appreciate the support. 

Link to British Cycling report here.

Photos: Guy Swarbrick & Robert Rowe.

Niedersachsen-Rundfahrt & Trofee Van Vlaanderen

Last week I rode the International Niedersachsen-Rundfahrt der Junioren (UCI 2.1) in Germany, as a part of the Welsh Cycling Junior Programme calendar. We travelled to Germany a day before the race got underway, arriving late on Thursday evening. 

Friday morning, we went for the usual pre-race spin around some of the local lanes with our coach, Michael Heaven. The first stage was a short one, only 66km based around Wallenhorst. I was fortunate to do the same race last year, and had a good idea of what to expect. The first stage was short but intense, with narrow lanes stringing the bunch out. Positioning was pretty important in this stage in order to avoid getting caught behind any crashes. Breaks were frequent along with crashes, I was lucky to avoid the crashes and stay upright. Despite getting myself in a few moves and positioning myself well at the front of the bunch. A late break stayed away to the finish, gaining 34 seconds on the bunch. 

Team presentation ahead of stage 1. (L to R) Stephen Williams, Joe Wiltshire, Gwyn Lovibond, Owen James, Zach May, myself.

Stage 2a was a short 9km TT. The course was a fairly flat one, with a tight turn to negotiate. Having lost 34 seconds during the first stage, I knew that I'd need to do a good TT in order to move myself up on GC from 31st. The TT suited me well and I posted 12:31 on the clock, finishing 9th on the stage, 11 seconds down on the stage winner. I was pleased to gain my first top 10 at an International race and also moved up to 14th on GC ahead of the afternoon stage.

Heavy showers before stage 2b meant that the wooded sections of the course would be damp and slippery. Some of the sprint teams were out to keep the race together for the second road stage and ensure a sprint finish. Despite this, a few threatening breakaway were let go. With 25km to go, I found myself in a break of 12 with a 40 second advantage over the bunch. Unfortunately a strong chase from Denmark meant that the break was brought back on the fifth & final lap. The stage finished with a bunch sprint, and I managed to move myself into 13th on GC.

The final stage was 114km, over 3 laps. The final stage was notably hillier than the previous two stages, with two categorised climbs. The stage was fairly straight forward as the Danish team who had the race lead kept a close eye on the breakaways. The stage finished with a bunch sprint again, meaning that GC remained the same, meaning that I finished 13th overall. 

From Germany, I travelled to Belgium to ride the latest round of the Beker Van Belgie (Belgian National Series) with the South East cycling team. I was dropped off at the hostel by the Welsh team on Sunday evening. We had an easy day on Monday, ahead of the race on Tuesday.

On Tuesday morning we drove to Reningelst where the Trofee Van Vlaanderen was based. We'd race the 122km over 12 laps. The race had a strong field, with Avia-Crabbe, Kon Balen, Davo & the Alberto Contador Foundation team lining up. The circuit was fairly technical with narrow lanes, bottlenecks & a decent climb up the finishing straight. The weather worsened as we arrived at the Sports centre, with heavy rain forecast for the race. We signed on and headed the gear check in order to place ourselves as far forward as possible on the starting line. Luckily for us, we started at the very front, meaning the normally chaotic few kilometers would be a little less stressful for us.

Lining up 30 minutes before the start in the pouring rain took its toll on my legs, making the first few kilometres particularly painful.

Myself, Jake Scott & fellow ODP rider Gabriel Cullaigh managed to cover the majority of the early breaks as breakaways started to form. The majority of which were marshalled early on by the Avia-Crabbe team. As the race progressed, the strong crosswind and narrow lanes took its toll splitting the bunch over the course of a lap. The bunch shrunk to around 40 riders at one point, with myself and Gabriel Cullaigh in that group.

We covered the majority of the breaks, bridging across to a few threatening moves. Despite our efforts, the race came back together within the last few kilometres and ultimately came down to a sprint. I placed 21st in the end, with only 77 of the 171 starters finishing. 

I'm pleased with how the last few races have gone and hope to carry on building as I prepare for the final round of the National Junior Series; the Junior Tour of Wales. 

Sincere thanks to Michael Heaven, Karl Nielsen and Robert Rowe for a great trip in Germany, and to John Barclay and Dave of the South East team for the opportunity to race in Belgium.

I'm currently half way through a training camp with the Welsh Junior Programme in Newport; in preparation for track National & the Junior Tour of Wales - thanks for reading. 

Hatherleigh Junior Road Race

Yesterday I raced the latest round of the National Junior Road Race series in Devon. I knew beforehand that warm weather and a very rolling course would make for a tough race. I was also a bit apprehensive as to how I’d feel having finished an 8 day track camp with the Olympic Development Programme (ODP) 2 days beforehand. 

Racing got underway, and attacks soon followed. 10 miles in, myself and 5 fellow ODP riders (Chris Lawless, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Germain Burton, Matt Gibson & Gabriel Cullaigh) managed to breakaway, gaining 45 seconds on the bunch. Unfortunately we were eventually brought back by a strong chase by the bunch.

As we were caught by the bunch, I kept an eye out for the counter attack and managed to get myself in the next break with Jake Kelly, Jake Scott & fellow ODP rider Joe Evans. We worked well together, gaining a lead of 1 minute on the bunch by the halfway point. 

With 40km to go, myself & Joe Evans were the race leaders.

As the course looped round to join the finishing circuit, we were passed by the bunch heading in the opposite direction. The gap didn't seem to be that big, and so I decided to go alone with about 20km to go. I managed to get into a good rhythm for the remaining two and a half laps of the finish circuit, and the gap started to increase.

Despite knowing that the gap had increased, I was still wary that someone could come across at last minute, having been riding on my own for 20km. Fortunately I stayed away & held off the chasing group by just over 2 minutes.

I was very pleased to take the win & build on my 2nd place at the Loughborough Junior RR. My next race will be the Bath Junior RR this Sunday. Huge thanks to my sponsors for their support:

Dolan Bikes - http://dolan-bikes.com/
Mavic - http://www.mavic.com/en
Aminoskin - http://www.aminoskin.com/

Link to the British Cycling report: http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/road/article/roa20130714-road-Road--Davies-wins-Hatherleigh-Road-Race-0
Photos: Guy Swarbrick