Scottish Cyclists dominate the Sainsbury UK Schools Games

Gold, Silver, Bronze - Three of the 24 medals the Scottish team took home

The Medal Haul

12 Gold Medals, 8 Silver and 4 Bronze and the team trophy for Scotland South and second place for Scotland North. The results are impressive and hint at the dominant force that the two Scottish teams were at the Sainsbury UK Schools Games in September 2011. The full results can be found here.

The riders mean business

As a coach of the Tay Titans Junior CC for 2 years, I was delighted to be selected by Scottish Cycling to be the coach for the North of Scotland team at the UK Schools Games.  I knew the experience was going to be great fun, but I wasn’t prepared for the feeling of pride that I got from working with a fantastic team of riders and staff.  It was inspiring to see young riders taking taking responsibility and acting so professionally. Each rider had a tremendous amount of fun, but when it came to racing they meant business and the results demonstrate how serious they were.

The spirit of Scotland

One of the many highlights for me was watching Stuart, Ben and Cameron take the three podium places for the Dirt Crit on the first day for Scotland North and South. The whole four days were stuffed with memorable moments; medals, inspiration, laughter, friendship, crashes, determination, guts and just downright good fun. But for me the moment I witnessed that summed up the grit and determination of the whole Scottish Team that led to a complete domination of the medals table was the 4th place of Ben Miller on the final day at the XC race. As he came back, his face was distraught. It was more than disappointment that was etched in there. He knew he had enough talent and fitness in there to medal, but circumstance of a crash in front of him that led to a jammed chain led to the loss of vital seconds. The look on his face showed how much racing and winning meant to him and for me it was inspiring to see. Ben encapsulated the entire spirit of the Scottish teams at the 2011 UK Schools Games; we weren’t there just to take part, we were there to win.

Awaiting the opening ceremony

The Games

The UK Schools Games are a multi sport event that are designed to give young athletes the chance to experience what it would be like to take part in events such as the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics. 1600 athletes from 12 disciplines descended upon Sheffield for the 2011 event and we took over the University Campus which was turned into an athletes village. The atmosphere was amazing as we were treated to a stunning opening ceremony in the Motorpoint arena hosted by Jill Douglas. The cycling events took place on the outskirts of Sheffield and consisted of five events raced over three days.  Each morning was an early start at 5.45 with breakfast at 6.15am and then we were transported to the venue at 7am. The day then consisted of heats, minor finals and finals with racing continuing into the early evening. We got back to the athletes village at 8pm each evening and had a great feed in the canteen. We took the opportunity to attend one of the many “Evening with…” workshops on the Friday evening focussing on “Gaining a psychological advantage.

The schedule was full and I felt like I was living in a bubble, with no idea of what was happening in the world. We ate, breathed and slept cycling for four days. Overall the experience was amazing and it was great to be part of such a huge event and it has given me a taste for more.

Rider and team Managers reports

You can link here to the Scottish cycling website to read more reports from each of the riders about their experience at the UK Schools Games

Below are some photos from the event. You can view the full album at Flickr

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This was the second of our single day Etape Caledonia Training Rides for 2011. The route this week followed the Etape Caledonia route, but turned left at Tummel Bridge and missed out the Kinloch Rannoch loop. Instead we rode up the Braes of Foss side of Schiehallion, which is the second hardest of the three routes up.

The group had a fantastic day and although a bit overcast, it was dry and fairly calm. Our guides for today were Aly and Erni who gave the group lots of tips and hints on riding in a group and how to prepare for the Etape Caledonia in May. We stopped at the House of Menzies for lunch and then back to Pitlochry for a sports massage and coffee.

More photos of the day can be found on our Flickr page

Friday 8th to Sunday 10th April saw a group of riders out on the 200 mile Skinny Tyres Highland Perthshire Revolution.

This trip takes in the finest roads in Highland Perthshire and quite possibly the finest roads in the UK. The mercury was touching 21 degrees for the weekend and we set off from Pitlochry straight into the three mile climb of Moulin Brae. There then followed three days of stunning riding on quiet roads through deep forested glens, alongside mirror like lochs and winding up over peaks still with patches of the winter’s snow.

Within the route there are 13 categorised climbs, with over 30 climbs in total. Whether you are just looking for the best cycling holiday available in the UK or want to get some serious training in, then this trip is for you.

The next trip will run from the 15th to 17th July 2011. For more details and booking, click here.

For more photos click here.

Carole Fortune battles back from broken neck to take part in marathon

I wanted to add this post to my website as Carole is a friend and work colleague, who had a torrid time after her accident, but has shown a huge amount of courage and determination to get back out and carry on in sport.

The following is taken form the Daily Record report:

THIS time last year, Carole Fortune couldn’t have imagined taking part in a marathon. The 48-year-old from Edinburgh had been a serious triathlete but was now facing a long period of rehabilitation after being hit by a car during a training session on her bike. The mum-of-two was forced to give up cycling, ending her impressive triathlon record at a stroke. But determined not to let the most serious of injuries beat her, she focused instead on swimming and running as she worked hard to get back in shape. And having just completed the gruelling Loch Ness Marathon, she admits she’s come a long way in the last 12 months, after having to start from scratch despite her previous high fitness levels.

 She said: “I’d only been doing triathlons for three years. I used to run marathons but I was looking to find a way of diversifying from just marathons.

It was around that time that triathlons were beginning to arrive on the scene.

“I tried it, found it was something I was quite good at and every race I took part in I was getting placed in my age group, so I was getting better and better.

 “I did lots of triathlons in Scotland, and last year I also took part in the Holten Triathlon. That’s the biggest one I’ve taken part in and I represented Great Britain in my age group.

 “I also took part in an ironman triathlon, just two weeks before the accident.

“That was a two-and-a-half mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and then a full 26.2-mile marathon at the end of it.

 “I did that in Bolton and I finished second in my age group, so I was competing very seriously, probably too seriously.

 “The amount of training that was involved in doing that meant that I didn’t really have a life last year.”

 But all that came to an end in August when Carole, who works for Capability Scotland, suffered an accident she was lucky to survive. She said: “I was out on my bike doing a training run and I got hit by a car at 50 miles an hour. I smashed the car’s windscreen, got carted down the road a little bit before being thrown off at the side, fracturing my neck.

“That was my most serious injury, and I had to have a metal plate inserted in my neck. Apparently, the two vertebrae that I fractured, C5 and C6, are the ones that supply the nerve endings to your arms and legs, so I’m very lucky I’ve still got feelings in my limbs.

“I do still have a little bit of numbness in my right hand but I was very lucky to survive a collision at that sort of speed.

“I spent two weeks in the Western General, where I underwent surgery on my neck, and then six weeks in Astley Ainslie Hospital because of the brain injuries I suffered as well.

“I spent nine weeks wearing a collar to stop me turning my neck left and right, and needed about six months off my work, by which time I’d had more than enough of staying at home.”

With the support of kids Jade, 14, and six-year-old Ryan, Carole was soon working on trying to regain the fitness she had prided herself on. She said: “After getting out of hospital, I was also determined to start walking as soon as I could, as I didn’t want the injury to stop me, so within a few weeks of the collar coming off I’d be going out for a walk with bursts of jogging. Soon she had set her sights on running the Loch Ness Marathon as her first big event.

“I can’t go back to competing in triathlons as I’ve been advised not to get back on my bike again, so I turned instead to running and swimming.

 “I started swimming lessons with a triathlete coach as I thought it would be good way of improving my fitness while also being able to keep an eye on my neck.

 “Swimming has been the easiest thing to get back into so far, while the running has been more difficult as I’m definitely not the runner I used to be.

 “I don’t yet have the fitness level back, which is difficult to come to terms with, but the Loch Ness Marathon was all about proving I’m still able to do it.

 “At the moment, it’s not so much a case of trying to be competitive as it is just being able to do what I can, then hopefully next year, I’ll be able to do more.”

And while most people wouldn’t blame Carole for putting her feet up and taking it easy after everything she’s been through, she insists that was never an option – although she does concede that there’s no chance of her ever being tempted to try triathlons again.

She said: “The reaction I’ve had from people has been mixed. People who know me quite well know exactly what I’m like and never expected me to do anything different, while other people think that doing this so soon after the accident is absolutely mad.

“But with swimming and running I’m not putting myself in the same sort of danger. My consultant has told me that if I suffer any sort of further head injury then I might never walk again, so there’s definitely no more biking.”

Toby Green

A keen club cyclist for most of his life, Toby has ridden with clubs in London and Scotland and raced across the UK. When he tells you he has not done much training, you know he’s about to rip your legs off. Toby just completed Lands End to John O’Groats in May 2010 and has plans for many other touring expeditions.

1. I own seven bikes
2. Favourite bike – Now that’s a hard one. My Ridley Excalibur? It’s fast, light and responsive. My 1984 Falcon is so smooth it’s like riding a pint of Guinness. My Genesis steel MTB, rocks off road. My touring bike? With Brooks saddle is like riding a thousand miles on an arm chair.
3. Best ever cycling moment – Has to be my first time riding up the Alpe du Huez
4. Worst ever cycling moment – When I’m on my bike i’m happy, so can’t think of one
5. I like cycling in Scotland because – Cycling in Scotland gives mountains, great views, not much traffic and some of the most beautiful and challenging rides in Europe

As I put on layer upon layer of clothing, I started to wonder why I was commiting myself to ride 500km between the 23rd and 30th Dec 2010. I’d also decided to ride the 500 on my fixed wheel. Something I had read way back, mentioned better traction in the snow on a fixed.

It was 7pm, dark, minus 10 and seriously icy.

My ride started gingerly as I wasn’t sure how slippy it was going to be, but as my confidence grew so did the speed. The trick was to stay in the hard packed car tyre tracks, which although slippy with my Skinny Tyres were better than riding on the ice encrusted ruts between the tyre tracks. As I ventured further off of the main roads, the conditions got worse and at points it felt like I was riding on the pave as solid lumps of ice made the road seem like a single track more suited to mountain biking. At one section heading down to Pitcairngreen this caught me out and I was bounced around until the back wheel slipped out and I landed on my hip. I was thankful now for the extra layers of clothing.

As the ride progressed I became more confident of riding over the ruts and staying upright, although my heart was in my mouth a few times. As I headed back up the last mile to the house, the moon was rising high and everything was glowing white. I had only seen about 5 cars on the 27km ride and I was already looing forward to tomorrow’s ride.

With the pounds piling on and every excuse in the book coming out for not riding his bike just now, Scot at Skinny Tyres was in desperate need of something to spur his motivation through the festive period.

That spur came from a Twitter message by @filles_a_velo http://www.filles-a-velo.com/ who mentioned the Rapha Festive 500.

Now not normally one for these sort of things, Scot decided that his expanding waistline needed some attention, so has committed himself to riding the challenge set by Rapha of 500km in the period between Dec 23rd and 30th 2010.

Scot is never one for making things easy on himself and had pointed out that due to family commitments and a Wedding Anniversary to attend to, the actual days available for riding were going to be limited, allowing approximately a four day window to complete the 500km (125km per day). Just to make it even more difficult, Scot has said he is going to try and do this on his winter fixed wheel bike in the snow covered roads and ice of Highland Perthshire.

Check out his progress on this website and via Twitter @SkinnyTyres

The William Hill Sports Book of the year was announced yesterday (30.11.10).

This got us thinking about the cycling books that had won and been nominated.

Only two books about cycling have won:

“It’s not about the bike” by Lance Armstrong in 2000

and

“Rough Ride” by Paul Kimmage in 1990

However, there have been two other cycling books nominated:

“The Death of Marco Pantani” by Matt Rendell, 2006

“Push yourself just a little bit more” by Johnny Green, 2005

These are all good books, but there is a multitude of very fine bike related writing out there. We struggled to choose only ten and many of our favourites were left off of the list, but the list below represents some absolute classics.

So here in no particular order are ten of Skinny Tyres favourite cycling related books.

1. “The Rider” by Tim Krabbe
2. “French Revolutions” – Cycling the Tour de France” by Tim Moore
3. “Cycling is my life” by Tommy Simpson
4. “In search of Robert Millar” by Richard Moore
5. “The Escape Artist” by Matt Seaton
6. “Tomorrow we Ride” by Jean Bobet
7. “One more kilometre and we’re in the showers” by Tim Hilton
8. “Kings of the Mountains” by Matt Rendell
9. “The Hour” by Michael Hutchison
10. “The Flying Scotsman” by Graeme Obree

If you’ve got a favourite cycling related book, let us know by leaving a comment below.

A new film on Swiss champion cyclist and 1950 Giro winner, Hugo Koblet received its world premiere in August 2010. Directed by Daniel von Aarburg, it tells the story of the cyclist, who died only aged 39, after crashing his Alfa Romeo. He became one of the first post war cycling superstars, which brought a lavish lifestyle. However his health suffered through use of drugs and in retirement his business almost brought him to bankruptcy.

Credits