Nationals 2017

Something caught my eye last night over Facebook, I like to have a little scroll before I go to bed to see if there is anything new etc. last night I saw the head line of (as if British Cycling doesn’t have enough problems, riders revolt over 2017 National championships being hosted on Isle of Man)

Revolting I don’t know about, a little complaining maybe, but heres not my complaint about the matter, heres my view.

After reading through this first I would like to push the point I am 21 years old, and I am talking from my very individual perspective. So why even bother to write? its a rest day, I’m not doing much, theres so many one sided views on this subject, and I need to practice my english.

Let me confirm first of all that I am not a writer, and I am not wishing to step on anyones toes here, from my point of view I want to cover this subject on all angles, WHY? Because this is something that can possibly effect me directly, that Nationals is something that is always a target on my Calendar, to possibly have the chance of winning a white jersey in my last year U23 is something that would be very special.

Lets start with the Isle of Man its self, an amazing, beautiful and scenic place, simple as that, its close to the scenery of Yorkshire, but nothing comes close to that, of course I am a fan of my home county and that might be very one sided. I myself have visited the Island on possibly more than 6 occasions, I lost count to be honest, I’ve won 2 races at National level on Ramsey Promenade, I’ve trained there over the winter with friends when its being freezing cold, wet, windy, and its still a lovely place with a great cycling community at these times.

I’ll get to my point very quickly so I can talk around it later. The nationals in 2017 might already be crossed off the calendar for me, for one my Team of AnPost Chain Reaction has a very good Calendar in which I can race against selected World Tour teams almost every race, secondly, I am 21 years old, I decided 2/3 years ago now with the very helpful support of The Dave Rayner Fund and Pedal Potential that I could take the financial stress off my parents, after all I’d quite like them to have a nice retirement at some point, this is not against the people who support me or my team, but to take the money out of my account to pay for the Nationals myself, the money that I receive for racing and housing in Belgium does not make financial sense to me, I am grateful for every penny or pound I receive and do not demand or ask that people pay me more, for my year in Belgium, I do not have to ask for anymore.

A quick break down looking at the prices today (4/02/2017) . 21st - 25th June, British Championships.

. Ferry/car - 232.00 pounds / Hotel - 200 euros / food - 100-150 pounds total: 500 pounds give or take

. Flying is no option with 3 bikes, 3 bikes is obviously my option, but to compete that is the least I need, mechanicals etc - TT bike. Turbo trainer is also hard to fly with.

21st-26th

. Foot passenger - 74 pounds for 2 people, that way I could take all bikes needed, if it was ok to put 3 bikes somewhere on the ferry, I’ve done it with 1 before? Hotel - 300-500 euros. Food - 100-200 pounds for 2 people Total: 550 + pounds. Not including how to get around when there.

so to conclude the car would be the best and cheapest option for me at 500 pounds, not the 1000 pounds that has been hinted at, although I could be wrong.

For comparison its costs me over 600 euros + for standard living in Belgium a month. Sometimes a lot more with medical bills etc. 

Let me explain my recent nationals since turning u23

• Abergavenny: Bad TT, a small cold in between and a good road race, was awarded a DNF after being pulled out while still racing for 30th/40th position.
• Lincoln: Bad TT, was on top form a few days before where I was 4th in a Belgium National cup race, came in fatigued and followed the TT up with a bad road race, was pulled out with 50 other guys. On returning to Belgium I had 2-3 weeks off the bike after burning myself out.
• Stockton: entered both races and never made it to Britain after illness struck 1 week before the event.

My point? its a lot of money to spend not including the race entry to possibly DNF while still fighting for a position, to be sick before, to have a mechanical say on the last lap or in the beginning of the race without having a designated team car, some would say thats a gamble.

Also I’m not that daft I’d like to think, I understand that for one is bike racing, so they say “shit can happen” but for me I can live and spend a better month in Belgium or even Girona for that cost and Focus on something else. Those who are reading this thinking, well maybe he doesn’t care about Nationals then, or the Jersey doesn’t mean that much too him. The truth of the matter is I could talk you through every National championship I have competed at since I started bike racing, thats how much a stripy jersey means to me.

Its been very one sided so far on my side. So to the Island now and the cyclists who live there, I am certainly not one of Envy towards them, and to there parents etc that have paid to get them to National races since I don’t know what age, I can imagine the money they have paid, hotels, boats, fuel, food etc have cost them more than they are willing to add up, or could have paid for several holidays not to the main land of Britain.

So is it deserved that the Island gets a Nationals etc, I would swing towards yes, would it make more sense that they had a longer stage race for bigger riders/teams, I also think so, they already have the Isle of Man cycle fest (one day race), they have the junior and youth Tour, they used to have the International cycling week I believe, and through the years I have never heard a bad thing said about one of the races, they are races that bring people back, ones that people remember.

The difference? You are racing every day for these other races on the Island, for 5 - 6 days at the National championships you race twice, for me I could race lets say 236km in total those days, at the price I worked out that would work the best for me with out entry fees included would add up to 2 pounds 11 pence of the British realm a km, I wish I had travel expenses that paid like that, of course without sounding like a moaning young man, first of all I am from Yorkshire, and I am trying to make this as light hearted as possible. In Belgium, I am based here, I can enter a 180 km pro kermis for 10 euros, the entry fee of one race in Britain can be upwards of 25 pounds. 

I know a lot of Manx people, I know the struggle to get off and back on to the Island to race, or even train in my case, I know also the late nights and the early mornings, I also believe to know however that there are certain benefits from the ferry company to help young riders travel to the main land, however I could be wrong on that point, that is something I overheard once, there are also designated trips where you can form a group and it is cheaper to get off the Island more for the youth and Junior riders. That’s just not going to happen for nationals unless your on a British domestic team, and I imagine that some team mangers as mentioned by others might not be sending there full squad there, which would be disappointing really. its expensive, most things in cycling are. For those who I know on the Island I also know that riders park there cars in Liverpool etc in order to knock the cost of travel down, like I said, I’m not envious of that. There’s also the case of thinking here that us people from the mainland are being hard done by here, thats also not true, switch it around and try doing those trips from the Rock most weekends.

When I think of the Nationals for the moment I am trying to work out the best way to try and be there, I don’t think its necessarily over for me as of yet, I don’t believe in just saying ok its over, but I also think in the summer months to even start from Belgium to get to the Isle of man, it will cost me upwards of 100 pounds to even get to Britain, however I choose to to be here so that is my issue, I don’t like to talk about money, but to explain my position I’ve had to, and I understand that if the parents of such Manx cyclists were to add up the costs of there trips to Britain I would be most likely shot down in Flames, so for those reading from the Isle of Man I really hope I have not said anything untoward.

the smart thing here might be also to miss the TT, to cut my days down and just focus on the road race. Like I said, its just not over.