Tour of Qinghai lake kicked of today in the highland city of xining. As expected the race finished in a bunch sprint giving the peleton a good little, not hard, not to easy day, ahead of 2 weeks racing. We went into the stage with the objective of giving our sprinter aaron kemps the best shot at victory and in the end he was 6th across the line. Prior to expected sprint finish there was the usual barrage of attacks which ultimately saw around 8 riders break clear including or local hero Liu biao. Having him up the Rd meant we could all take it easy in the bunch and wait for the finish so was great to have him up there.
Being at 2400m elevation the lungs don't function as well as they do at sea level so the opportunity to spend as little energy as possible when possible will be a crucial ingredient in achieving success over such a long race. Heading into the final 5km we all moved to the front to help keep Aaron is as good a position as possible which is a great sign for the race ahead as we seemed to be working really well as a group.
So a good first day with the local cycling super star of xining lui biao up in the breakaway and getting plenty of attention and Aaron showing that he will be one of the faster men in the sprint finishes as the race progresses so plenty of optimism for the 12 days of racing ahead for team champion system.
Power meter data
Distance 96km
Race time 2hrs 4min
Av speed 47kmph
Average heart rate 134
Max heart rate 186 (felt like 286!!!)
Average power 225 watts
Max power 932 watts
Calories burnt 945
Friday, June 29, 2012
New horizons
In 2012 I am a member of the Champion System Pro Cycling Team, registered in Hong Kong and the 1st professional continental registered team from Asia. The UCI has a clear goal of globalizing the sport and with that the team is new frontier in this evolution of cycling and when the opportunity came up to be apart of it I jumped straight into it. Through the vision of Luis Shih, champion system owner and massive supporter of cycling throughout the world, and the guidance of the vastly experienced Ed Beamon, the team was launched in January and began it's journey into the world of professional cycling.
The identity of the team is most definitely international. We have a very significant Asian influence in terms of riders, staff and sponsors. A very anglo Americans/Aussie theme stemming from the management, riders and sponsors from the region and of course strong European ties with riders and our central service course in Belgium which is the infrastructure hub of the team to deploy us all over the world. Nationalities that make up the team include, Chinese, Malaysian, hong kong, estonian, german, Swiss, new Zealand, Spain, Belgium, american, and Australian. This mix of personalities and structure of our race program where we have strong representation in professional races in Asia, Europe, and America all season long demonstrates our very international culture.
A program of this scale has certainly been done to some level in the past however perhaps not to the extent which Champion System will embark on in 2012. The logistical issues faced by management headed by Ed Beamon are certainly never ending and a very demanding part of keeping the program running. Similarly the riders on the team are faced with new challenges of trying to maintain competitiveness across all continents with the added stain of travel. Fortunately we are a very international team with most of the riders used to traveling long distances to ply there trade so we have some experience to deal with the continent hopping. With the major races now on around the globe you need to very quickly find ways to manage the travel to the best of your ability as there are no head starts or time bonus's given to you for spending more time than your competitors traveling around the globe. I have found that the mental approach to the travel is very important when spending time so much time on plane's, and going through time zone changes. Personally I often look forward to boarding the plane so I can catch up on the latest movies, a good book, and most importantly some forced rest which professional cyclists often find difficult to do when the bike is readily available! Not much training can be done from 30000 feet so may as well make the most of the down time.
Team Champion System's commitment to the emergence of Asian cycling is very significant. Until now Asian riders have been faced with so many barriers to entering the world of professional cycling outside of Asia. Participation of the sport in the region is immense and vast, however travel restrictions have meant that often the athletes from the region cannot travel to freely compete wherever they choose around the world like us anglo's and Europeans are able to do. That's where team champion system is a unique opportunity for riders from the Asian region that are fortunate to be apart of the 1st professional team to compete from the region. With the team they are able to race all over the world and gain the experience much more easily than they have been able to in the past. Ed and his management team take the responsibility to ensure all the correct visa and travel permits are in place so these athletes can focus solely on there preparation and racing across the globe.
With the uci spreading it's wings all over the world but predominately in china, it appears that emergence of team champion system has come at a crucial time for the Asian riders to make themselves more prominent in the international peleton. Having so many high level races also in there own region means they can now compete in the comfort of there home environment against some of the best riders in the world and then in turn take this experience with them all over the globe and improve there skills and competitiveness even more. Not only is the globalizing of the sport great for the athletes with which home countries the events are staged, it also open the eyes of the world to the beautiful sport of road cycling which popularity seems to be spreading like a plaige. Like running, almost everybody can ride a bike and as such the sport offers a unique feature in that those watching can appreciate just how incredibly gifted, and to many of the observers how super human the top athletes within the sport truly are.
Of course the world economy has to have an effect on the development of professional sport as it is the commodity that keeps it all moving forward. In light of this it is also no surprise that the uci are reaching further afield to region's previously only touched on by road cycling. On the flip side, the sport has to provide a product that is entertaining and marketable and good for the image for those investing in it. I feel that due to the incredible growth of the sport particularly over the last few years the collective personal involved from sponsors, host cities, riders, staff and admin are doing a great job in providing a show at all corners of the globe. For me it is an amazing and exciting opportunity to apart of the road show as it roles on.
This week with the start of the Tour of Qinghai lake marks the first of a string of important races in china which team champion system will compete over the coming months. What an amazing event, 14 days, all stages held between 1500-3800m in altitude, and all on the fringe of the Tibetan plateau. I am just wondering how long it will be before the organizers have a summit finish on base camp at everist!! That would be something. So for the team it is a great opportunity for the Chinese riders to compete in front of there home crowd and give our Chinese sponsors the opportunity first hand to see what there generous investment has helped develop. The riders and staff are all very excited about the 2 weeks ahead.
The season is certainly a great journey into the unknown however upon reflection so is the evolution of professional cycling. Sure Le tour de France will always be the mecha of the sport that captivates the world and I continue to strive to one day be apart of it. However the globalization of the sport through the vision of the uci and the development of teams to give riders in these regions thanks to the investment of the likes of Luis shih is a exciting space to watch also. In reality it's all just the beginning of a very exciting future for all involved in the evolution of our wonderful sport.
Cue
The identity of the team is most definitely international. We have a very significant Asian influence in terms of riders, staff and sponsors. A very anglo Americans/Aussie theme stemming from the management, riders and sponsors from the region and of course strong European ties with riders and our central service course in Belgium which is the infrastructure hub of the team to deploy us all over the world. Nationalities that make up the team include, Chinese, Malaysian, hong kong, estonian, german, Swiss, new Zealand, Spain, Belgium, american, and Australian. This mix of personalities and structure of our race program where we have strong representation in professional races in Asia, Europe, and America all season long demonstrates our very international culture.
A program of this scale has certainly been done to some level in the past however perhaps not to the extent which Champion System will embark on in 2012. The logistical issues faced by management headed by Ed Beamon are certainly never ending and a very demanding part of keeping the program running. Similarly the riders on the team are faced with new challenges of trying to maintain competitiveness across all continents with the added stain of travel. Fortunately we are a very international team with most of the riders used to traveling long distances to ply there trade so we have some experience to deal with the continent hopping. With the major races now on around the globe you need to very quickly find ways to manage the travel to the best of your ability as there are no head starts or time bonus's given to you for spending more time than your competitors traveling around the globe. I have found that the mental approach to the travel is very important when spending time so much time on plane's, and going through time zone changes. Personally I often look forward to boarding the plane so I can catch up on the latest movies, a good book, and most importantly some forced rest which professional cyclists often find difficult to do when the bike is readily available! Not much training can be done from 30000 feet so may as well make the most of the down time.
Team Champion System's commitment to the emergence of Asian cycling is very significant. Until now Asian riders have been faced with so many barriers to entering the world of professional cycling outside of Asia. Participation of the sport in the region is immense and vast, however travel restrictions have meant that often the athletes from the region cannot travel to freely compete wherever they choose around the world like us anglo's and Europeans are able to do. That's where team champion system is a unique opportunity for riders from the Asian region that are fortunate to be apart of the 1st professional team to compete from the region. With the team they are able to race all over the world and gain the experience much more easily than they have been able to in the past. Ed and his management team take the responsibility to ensure all the correct visa and travel permits are in place so these athletes can focus solely on there preparation and racing across the globe.
With the uci spreading it's wings all over the world but predominately in china, it appears that emergence of team champion system has come at a crucial time for the Asian riders to make themselves more prominent in the international peleton. Having so many high level races also in there own region means they can now compete in the comfort of there home environment against some of the best riders in the world and then in turn take this experience with them all over the globe and improve there skills and competitiveness even more. Not only is the globalizing of the sport great for the athletes with which home countries the events are staged, it also open the eyes of the world to the beautiful sport of road cycling which popularity seems to be spreading like a plaige. Like running, almost everybody can ride a bike and as such the sport offers a unique feature in that those watching can appreciate just how incredibly gifted, and to many of the observers how super human the top athletes within the sport truly are.
Of course the world economy has to have an effect on the development of professional sport as it is the commodity that keeps it all moving forward. In light of this it is also no surprise that the uci are reaching further afield to region's previously only touched on by road cycling. On the flip side, the sport has to provide a product that is entertaining and marketable and good for the image for those investing in it. I feel that due to the incredible growth of the sport particularly over the last few years the collective personal involved from sponsors, host cities, riders, staff and admin are doing a great job in providing a show at all corners of the globe. For me it is an amazing and exciting opportunity to apart of the road show as it roles on.
This week with the start of the Tour of Qinghai lake marks the first of a string of important races in china which team champion system will compete over the coming months. What an amazing event, 14 days, all stages held between 1500-3800m in altitude, and all on the fringe of the Tibetan plateau. I am just wondering how long it will be before the organizers have a summit finish on base camp at everist!! That would be something. So for the team it is a great opportunity for the Chinese riders to compete in front of there home crowd and give our Chinese sponsors the opportunity first hand to see what there generous investment has helped develop. The riders and staff are all very excited about the 2 weeks ahead.
The season is certainly a great journey into the unknown however upon reflection so is the evolution of professional cycling. Sure Le tour de France will always be the mecha of the sport that captivates the world and I continue to strive to one day be apart of it. However the globalization of the sport through the vision of the uci and the development of teams to give riders in these regions thanks to the investment of the likes of Luis shih is a exciting space to watch also. In reality it's all just the beginning of a very exciting future for all involved in the evolution of our wonderful sport.
Cue
Monday, June 25, 2012
IMG00555-20120625-1618.jpg
It started out when I was pumping up my tyres and I managed to break the valve! Flat number one and delay to begining training as I headed out on the rd.
On the road and feeling really good, excited about my trip to qinghai lake 100km away when down when the same tyre about 45' into the ride. Another change and underway, still feeling great and assuming bad luck done with.
Next was a careless error when doing a u turn after taking a wrong turn, front wheel hit a small divide on the rd and I hit the deck!! No damage just pride. By this stage I could only laugh at what had transpired in the initial 1hr 45min of my ride, anyway I soldiered on. All went smoothly as I climbed up toward the lake and did a little interval around 3000m high to see how the lungs would react, certainly found out racing up there will be somthing I have never experienced before but that excites me. So just as I finish my interval it starts raining and gets a little cold so I do the sensible thing and turn around, I am now at 3200m altitude, an elevation I have not ridden a bike at before and figure I have shocked my system enough and being 80km from home and in foreign country turning around seems logical.
As I trundle back toward civilisation down goes flat number 3, I can't believe my luck and thanks my lucky stars that at least the rain has stopped. Quick change as I am getting pretty good at them now and 60km to get home, I am now out of spares so really preying I get most of the way home before testing the quality of my training rims!!
Just as I feel I have dodged the bullet and 15km from the closest bike shop down goes the rear wheel for flat number 4, I am relieved its the rear as at least I still have the front to ensure I can steer properly which is kind of paramount when dodging the chinese traffic!!
Clunk clunk clunk I go along the city streets with all the locals staring now more intensely than usual, not only is it strange to see a white man riding a bike but to be doing it on a flat tyre is even odder for them to witness. To make things even more amusing for them only 7km from the shop down goes the front to make it flat tyre number 5 and the epic day of misfortune is complete.
I limp into the bike shop after 5hrs on the rd and fortunately due to the state of my bike no need for any explanation, 2 flat tyres, one tyre destroyed and no more spares there was no need to try and exlain what I was there for. The local mechanics quickly rush to my aid like a ferrari formula 1 team as the photos shows and I am back on the rd in no time for the final 1hr of my adventure which quite incredibly heralded no more flat tyres or incidence.
After the ride I was a little tired after enduring a 6hr ride which took almost 8 so I went of to the blind massage joint that our team translator had told me about and I had visited the day before. The guys there are completely blind but give the most incredible massage to get me feeling like new again, infact the massage was so good my legs had completely forgotten the days ordeal, the only lasting memory will be the skill fullness with which I can now change a tyre on my bicycle!!
Still 17 more days in the region including the big race so and certain the unexpected adventure will continue!!
Cjw
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
Monday, May 28, 2012
Tour of japan wrap up
Down town tokyo was the scene for the final instalment of the tour of japan for 2012. A nice flat circuit race of 112km with plenty of big corners made for the ideal way to wrap up a seriously hard week of racing. The big bunch gallop is always a favourite for the crowds and the teams containing the sprinters certainly ensured that this was how the days winner would be decided. Our team was keen for a sprint as our malaysian missile adiq ottman was keen to bang handle bars with the fast men but we knew his best chance would be if we could somehow get some fatigue into the sprinters pins before the final dash for the line. Like every other day our plan was simple, be aggressive and look for any opportunity to break the race up. This was difficult with no breakaway attempt getting more than 6 seconds ahead of the charging peleton but we still launched of the front at any opportunity as we had done all week. Should no breaks survive and the bunch be gruppo compacto then our big strong man will clarke was to put in a bid for glory in the final 5km. My role was to have him up the front and adiq behind will so I could protect him from the wind to maximise his attack and adiq could be behind to ensure nobody could follow his wheel easily. We don't really need to worry to much about this as will clarke is one of the most explosive guys in the peleton and you basically need a nitro booster to attempt to follow but none the less better to make sure he gets away. So to the front I took them as the pace built for the final 5km and out of the corner of my eye all I saw was a flash!! He attacked so hard I had no idea what team outfit he was wearing and he instantly had a good gap. Unfortunately for wilba, larry lactic acid set in once he was with 2km from the line and he was caught. With this happening, myself along with adiq now on my wheel moved our way to front and adiq chose a wheel he wanted to follow. He picked the right one as the wheel he chose ended up winning. Once he was dropped of I went full gas to the front of the bunch to keep the pace as high as possible for the final km and keep at bay any will clarke style attacks from the opposition and wait and see where the malaysian missile would end up. With 500m to go I got swamped by the sprinter and there leadouts and in a tight very scrappy sprint adiq ended up with a great 4th place which is a excellent result considering he is not a pure sprinter so all good all round.
As always with these flat chaotic circuits I am always happy to finish with all my skin still intact and results wise finished 7th on GC, bit of a nothing result really however following my allergy attack on mt fuji it certainly could have been a lot worse and it is always nicer to be more toward the front than back. Our climber chris butler wound up 5th on GC after his sterling ride up mt fuji and the result I am most happy about is the fact that we finished 2nd on team GC, by far the best performance this year as a collective group. Nice we finally have some momentum and now important to keep the ball rolling. So with the race all done and dusted and bikes packed up we headed out for a meal with our major sponsor champion system in down town tokyo. It was about a japanesey as you could get as we gouged ourselves with sushi, pork, fish, and steak and of course a few or there great beers.
A great way to wrap up a great week doing a great race with a great bunch of blokes.
Time to head home to tassie and do some serious training!! Super duper motivated!!
Cjw
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Tour of japan stage 4
Today was an absolute dusy!! Not only did our 2 kings of chinese cycling, pengda and xu gang finish 2nd and 3rd respectively they achieved it on what can only be described as the most incredible racing circuit created for a bike race. Measuring 12km in length and climbing 400m in altitude each lap, it is not only never , and I repeat never flat but also you are never not turning a corner!! As nasty as it sounds it is a purpose built circuit for rd cycling apart of the japanese cycling school which also is the base of there world famous keiren school. This is basically where riders are like jockeys who race a series of races where they ride the same bike and wheels and even dress like a jockey. The big draw card of the sport is the millions of dollars which are gambled on the race annually. Amazingly all the corners were incredibly safe and the course flowed remarkably well. So not only did you have to deal with the fatigue but also fight dizziness and motion sickness as even after completing the course 12 times I still had no idea where I was going. Quite an incredible day of racing.
It unfolded nicely how we had planned, a break away went clear early with our powerhouse will clarke inside it providing a great chance for the stage win. The nippo team of the leader were forced to work to keep the time gap to break undercontrol and this gave the 5 of us the luxury of sitting in the bunch and saving our legs in the event will and his breakaway were caught. It was the slowest race I have ever done and in the end the average speed was only 31kmph, also we had climbed 4500m in 140km so it was obviously not the easiest day on the bike despite the slow speed. Non the less it felt easy for us as we could hide in the bunch and eat and drink as the calories were definitely going to be called upon in the final laps should the race light up. And this is what happened, with 3 laps or around 40km to travel the pace ramed up and the group got small but we were all still there. At this point I took the decision to work for adiq for the small bunch sprint should will be caught as he had the best chance of winning. With 15km to race will was caught and I immediately took up the pace making to deter anyone from trying to attack as per our plan. With about 10km to race will felt the pace was a little to solid and adiq was suffering a bit so I stopped riding and as I swung off my ever alert chinese team mate pengda had not heard will and assume I was finished and shot out of the bunch that quick that I could not even tell if it was one of our riders or not!! I had not seen him all day and after just 20km he had been dropped but being the incredible fighter he is he hung tuff and was now leading the race with 8km to travel. He was soon joined by a few more including our other chinese rider at the race xu gang and fivesome formed the group that would ultimately contest for the stage victory. Back in the bunch us five now played policemen and bullied anyone who attempted to ride across to ensure our men had there chance for glory. In the end they were outclassed by the most successfull and experience professional from the asia region, kam po wong, however mopping up 2nd and 3rd was still a great days work for the champion system team. Meanwhile in the bunch I again took to the front with 1km to go to lead out adiq as had been planned for the win however this time for 6th place which he easily took and with all 6 of our riders ultimately finishing in the top 20 it was a great days racing for our you team. Certainly the best team performance to date so great to see our constant improvement.
One more stage to go tomorrow on the streets of down town tokyo which will be awersome so we will be looking to set up our malaysian missile for the sprint which we are confident he can suck all there helmets of in!!
From tokyo
Cjw
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
Friday, May 25, 2012
IMG00532-20120525-2119.jpg
I was really excited about todays stage, I had gently ridden up it yesterday and was optimistic that I could do a good job today. My lungs on the other hand had a different idea and as light rain started to fall I suffered an allergy attack and had the pleasure of hyper ventilating my way up the final 5km of the mountain. So a disaster day for me and frustrating due to these attacks being out of my control and always seeming to come when I am in a great position, anyways will get it sorted with all the required tests when back in aus next week.
At the start of the day we had very distinctive objective objectives, to get me on the podium and go for the win with chris and myself. The plan was simple, follow a solid tempo to the steepest section which began at 5km to go where at which point chris would attack and go for the stage win, hopfully put all the others in the red zone, and I could lock into my tt mode and grind up the hill and gradually ride away aswell. Chris did a great job doing his part and initially it looked to work perfectly and he put the 3rd and 4th placed riders in difficulty but unfortunately as I began my quest to overhaul them my lungs started using a mind of there own and it was all over. Chris was marked by the same 2 nippo team riders that had demolished me the day before and went onto finish a very brave 3rd and achieved a great result on the queens stage of the race.
Now its lights out time in a hotel with a difference. We are in a traditional style hotel so no shoes and we are sleeping on the floor so yet another cultural adventure for a day in which we climbed the countries famous landmark. Nothing like team bonding when all six of us are stacked into a room with merely enough room to role out our footons let alone swing a cat!!
All in all its been a great experience in japan and a look at tomorrows race map would indicate that another day of excruciating carnage is on the menu!!
As always, looking forward to it
Cjw
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tour of japan stage 3
For the first time in the tour of japan we strung together 2 days of racing with stage 3 taking place on a 12km circuit which we completed 12 times. It included a 2km climb and was never flat so provided a great opportunity for the race to blow appart. Our plan was simple, make it as hard as we could and bank on our boys from champion system coming to the for in the closing laps of the race. Hard we made it, from lap 1 infact as the peleton immediately started to decimate. After just 3 laps there were only 40 riders left and after 5 laps only 30 riders. With 7 laps to go I decided that was still to many and attacked and soon the race was down to 13. With 2 laps to go the nippo team with 2 strong climbers forced the pace on the climb and blew that group appart, while initally I was able to follow I would lose contact and 4 were left in front with myself and another rider dangling behind at 30seconds. It stayed this way for the next lap and on the climb I was able to close a little but once the 4 hit the top for the final climb the 2 team mates took off again and put another 30seconds into us leaving me 1min behind and 2 other riders in the middle at 30seconds. The nippo team certainly have made a strong statement that they are here to dominate and in the past 2 days they have certainly put us all to the sword. After us it was a minute or so back to our breakaway companions and the damage continued further down with small groups all coming accross the line. On paper it looked like the 3rd hardest stage of the race so I am pretty fearfull of what the 2 hardest stages look like that we will tackle after another rest day tomorrow.
So was a day that we had a plan and stuck to it and in the end I did not quite have the endurance and explosive climbing power I expected. The next stage heads up mt fuji so I will be counting on my diesel style engine to help me out there. Certainly a backward step today but with so much hard km to come will keep forcing and fighting until we get to the finish in tokyo.
Will need a bucket of rice to refuel and a good long massage. After that I amy even have a japanese spa to get the muscles ready for the run to the finish!!
Cjw
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)