Check out the report by Michelle on her recent outing in the UCI Classic in Holland. Kerry born Michelle rides for Dutch team Moving Ladies, and has progressed quickly through the ranks in Ireland since she took up bike racing in 2008.

So it’s been a few weeks since my last race. Since the disaster that was Omloop Het Nieuwsblad I’ve been ramping up the training a bit getting in some miles behind the motorbike and doing some club crits to get some speed in the legs and get used to that change of pace that you need to race.

We also had a team training weekend in Valkenburg where we scouted the route for the Parkhotel Rooding Hills Classic in the ‘Dutch Mountains’ which was held this weekend. It was a brilliant weekend and a welcome break from the flatlands of Stolwijk where I’m based.

Great weather and some ‘friendly’ rivalry up and over pretty much every climb made for some great training. I also got back home for a week which was great and got in two races, the St Patrick’s Day race in Dunboyne and the Des Hanlon Memorial in Carlow.

I scored top points in Carlow for the first round of the Trek Classic League but I might have finished further up the A3 field were it not for the fact that my chain ring bolts decided to run away from home without telling me which left me on the small ring all day…

This coupled with the Het Nieuwsblad brake pad debacle has resulted in a series of nightmares where I am thwarted by countless mechanicals – hmmm.

So on to this weekend and the Parkhotel Rooding Hills Classic. I was definitely looking forward to this one. With Moving Ladies our racing programme includes, as you would expect, a lot of the flat windy races that Holland and Belgium are famous for and not a lot of hilly climbing races for the likes of little old me.

So I basically spend most of the season seeking shelter behind the biggest behind I can find in the peleton. These races are great for building on strength and speed but I like hills.

Our DS Chris had arranged for us to stay in Valkenburg the night before the race which was great as the clocks were due to go back and we were going to lose an hour of sleep – horror of horrors! The race start was for 13.00 so we left the hotel at about 12.15 and rolled down to the sign on about five minutes away.

A bit of a pedal and last run to the loo (always a nightmare) and we were lined up at the start line. Marianne Vos was being interviewed about her new world championship title while I was busy worrying about how I was going to get from the very back to the front of this bunch ASAP before that left hander under the very narrow bridge and onto the first little climb of the day. Linda spotted the AA Drink girls lining up on the right at the back and so we scooted over beside them for a free ride to the front.

So it all started off really well. I was keeping myself in the front 10-15. The race was very calm at the start with everybody waiting for the important climbs. The race starts on a loop of about 20km which we do 3 times. It takes in about three good climbs. The most significant of these is probably the Eyserbosweg which starts at about 9% and maxes at 16%. Just before it you come down a very fast descent in a town followed by two sharp right handers which bring you onto the climb.

The first time down the descent there was a lot of late braking. I grabbed my brakes and locked up the back wheel and managed to hit the wing mirror of a car as I tried to stay upright. All of this meant that I was now quite far back hitting the climb and had to really fight my way back to the front.

I was climbing pretty well though so I managed to stay in the front group. Unfortunately my wobble meant that my nerve on the descents deserted me for the rest of the day. I was wasting energy all the time because the course is pretty much down/up all day.

By the third time up the Eyserbosweg there wasn’t much of a bunch to speak of. Vos was off the front with three or four chasing her and then there was a fast depleting bunch behind.

We split again that third time up the Eyserbosweg. I did my usual thing of starting the climb near the back and I killed myself up it. The crowds were brilliant on all the climbs all day. About ten riders got over the climb first including my team mate Linda and then there was me chasing them – so, so close but in the end I died.

We formed another group of about nine or ten behind with myself and team mate Kirsten trying to encourage a chase which didn’t happen. Next up were some recovery kilometers before we hit a climb which roughly translated means the dead man’s climb!

It’s one of those really steep ones that cruelly pretends to be over about half way up! Then we were through the finish for the first time and on to the final loop which would include two times up the Cauberg and two other climbs in the final 20 odd kilometers.

The Cauberg is a funny climb. It’s not very steep or very long but there is something about it that just hurts. At this stage we, as a group, had kind of made our peace, for the time being anyway, with where we were now and opportunities lost and as a result some dropped riders came back to us – hate that!

The last time up the Cauberg meant about five kilometers to the finish so a few of us went hard off the front and split the group again. There was some more attacking coming in the road most notably from Emma Trott who rode with us last year and is now riding for Nederland Bloeit.

I crossed the line 26th. Not bad but a bit disappointed not to have made the group with Linda as I felt I was climbing well. I need to work on my confidence when descending. Next up for Moving Ladies is the Energiewacht Tour 7th-10th of April. Things to look forward to include wind, road furniture and first race with team-mate and newly crowned team pursuit world champion, Laura Trott.

Check out our latest link, to a blog by Jenny Fay, one of Ireland’s top road racers. Fay is now based in Australia, and has switched her focus to off-road which is proving equally successful. The marathon season is just kicking off, and Fay is starting in good form, having just finished with a fine 4th place in the XC in the Australian National Championships, and 2nd in the short course National Championships. HERE

Double Irish National Champion Olivia Dillon is currently on one of America’s top and most exciting professional cycling teams, Peanut Butter & Co. The 2010 Rás na mBan winner has climbed her way up the rankings in cycling and is managed by Olympic Champion Kristen Armstrong. Check out the brilliant video documentary of their team HERE , HERE , HERE and HERE . If you never considered racing… you’ll probably consider it now… looks so exciting!!!

Australian based Shannon McCurley is a member of the Irish Elite Track Team, and represented Ireland in the Track Cycling World Cup in Melbourne.

TRACK CYCLING REPORT #1 – SHANNON McCURLEY IN AUSTRALIA

Let me introduce myself, my name in Shannon McCurley and I have been given the wonderful opportunity at my ripe old age of 18 to represent Ireland.     This is a most exciting time for me and it will prepare me for future major events by giving me the experience of competing on the world stage at such a young age.

I have been asked to give a short report on each of my events in Australia, so here goes:-

World Cup (Hisense Arena Melbourne) – December 2010

Well I didn’t start off with too good a result. I was extremely nervous and over-awed by the whole event.    What a baptism!!   I was in the first heat of 2 heats for qualifying for the Women’s Omnium.    My legs just couldn’t stop shaking and I felt a bit intimidated in such a field of experienced international riders.     Looking back I know that I was very unlucky as I just missed out on points in each sprint, finishing 5th in 4 of the sprints and points were only given to the top 4.

Australian Madison Championships (Melbourne) – December 2010

The following week I competed in the support events at the Australian Madison Championships.    There were a few women riders who remained in Melbourne from the World Cup and also competed in these support events.  Of note were  Marianne Vos and Amy Pieters from the Nederlands.    My results were a lot better here as I brushed off my nerves and gave it all I could.     I ended up with a close 2nd Place in the Elite Women’s Scratch Race the winner Marianne Vos with  Amy Pieters also from the Nederlands 3rd.  Then I got a 3rd Place in the Elite Women’s Kieren,  Winner Kaarle McCullough from Australia who is a current world champion.  There was also a wheelrace that night and I came home with a great 2^nd place with Vos  finishing 3^rd.   For some photos and an interview report go to www.womenscycling.net – Support Events- Australian Madison Championships 2010

Victorian Senior Track Championships (Melbourne)  – December 2010

The Elite Women’s Victorian State Points Race Championships were held as part of this event and I was the winner of that race and took out the State Title.

Christmas Cycling Carnivals (Victoria) – December 2010

Well there is always an abundance of racing here in Victoria over the Christmas period.     We travelled to northern Victoria where its extremely hot  to compete in the Horsham, Bendigo and Shepparton events.   I had a great series and won a lot of races, the highlight for me was winning the main women’s wheelraces at each event.     I was very happy with my performances in the wheelraces as I was off scratch for all 3 and for the Shepparton event, I was the only rider off scratch.  This then lead to me being the overall aggregate elite women’s winner for the whole series.

Victorian State Women’s Omnium (Melbourne) – January 2011

January 16^th saw the staging of the Victorian Women’s Omnium.     This was held at the DISC Velodrome in Melbourne.   The event catered for women riders from JW15 through to Masters.      Each age group had their own races and distances for events.      The Elite Women had 9 entries with one rider from the USA.      First we had a 500m TT (2^nd place – 39.008), then a 200m flying, (Ist place, 12.606), 5k scratch (1^st place), 2k pursuit (2^nd place 2.36.363),  and 40 lap points race (2^nd place).   In my pursuit, rather than work on a time, all I had to do was match race the other rider as she was sitting 2^nd overall, as it turned out, she must have been more of a sprinter as I caught and passed her.     With my overall places, I took out the State Title, again a very happy girl.

Till next time.    Shannon McCurley.

NOTE – NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ON SHANNON – HERE

In the series of questions and answers with our elite riders at the world cup in Cali, read on for Caroline Ryan’s responses!

Q: How did you get into cycling, when?  

A: While rowing Internationally for Ireland, I signed up for the ‘Route 2012 Talent Transfer Programme’ after the Beijing Olympics in 2008 (2 years ago this month). I got selected to go to a track camp in Aigle with the other guys who made the cut and I was hooked! Loved it instantly and was so lucky to be invited back onto the fast track programme. After a few months I was still pining for rowing while I was really enjoying the cycling. My Dad, who was my rowing coach, and I were still focusing on the rowing trials for the coming season and I asked my cycling coach what he thought. He advised me that he thought I could be a great track cyclist, and as I was already at a high level in rowing, he suggested that I commit to cycling for 6 months and give it a real shot and I could go back to rowing if it didn’t work out. We decided to do just that and within a few months I had a medal in a Paracycling World Cup and in the same year I had a World Championship Silver medal with Catherine Walsh in the Individual Pursuit on the Tandem. Then I moved into this team, have been getting stronger ever since and haven’t looked back.

Q: Your discipline is the team pursuit, what is your typical session?

A: When we are away together on Track camp we do a lot of work on longer efforts where we concentrate a lot on our technique. Things like changes, pacing, good lines; then we do the opposite where we do over paced short efforts (1km) to find the cracks in our technique, they are fast and I love them!

Q: You spend a lot of time in Aigle – what is the your typical week?

A: Eat-Sleep-Cycle (x 7)….joking, we get plenty of recovery too but sometimes that’s how it feels. It’s all good though. Coffee or a Chocolat Chaud becomes the highlight of the day!

Q: What’s to love/hate about training camps!!!??

A: Love it when I’m on them/Hate it when they end. 

Q: What’s your favourite training session?

A: Flying 200′s! lol!

Q: What’s your least favourite training session?

A: Sometimes we have a 1 hour light spin on the Road for recovery and I don’t like those too much. Love my rollers for recovery!

Q: You have been constantly improving your times – what is the key?

A: No secrets, consistent HARD work aided by good RECOVERY, which is something athletes can sometimes forget about.

Q: Is there a particular person you room with when away? 

A: We are over in Cali at the moment preparing for the World Cup and the three of us are sharing a small apartment type room. The two guys Martin and Felix are sharing one as well. 

Q: Who is the messiest/tidiest/loudest roommate?

A: Hands up, I’m the neat freak. Ciara is the messiest roommate. I reckon you’re either tidy or messy and there’s not a lot you can do about it! I think I was tidy as a two year old (genetics!) Jen’s our Google expert…or addict maybe?! If there were ‘Google Addiction Clinics’ she could probably do a stint in one! I don’t think she want’s a cure though.

Q: What is your favourite race prep routine?

A: Everybody is different but my favourite way to chill out before racing is reading. In my first race with Catherine Walsh at the Para-cycling World Cup in Manchester I had my copy of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ with me and was happy out. At the Europeans in Poland this November I was caught on Eurosport absorbed in a book before our Team Pursuit race. It got a few laughs.

Q: What is your main goal at the World Cups?

A: We are aiming to be one of the teams on the start line at London in 2012. In order to be there we need to gain a certain amount of points but focusing on points is not what we are here to do. We are going to go out of the blocks in Cali and execute our best performance so far. The points will come if we do that. It’s about improving all the time and so far that’s exactly what we have been doing. 

Q: What are you most excited about/nervous about in Cali? 

A: I’m really looking forward to racing now. Cant wait to hear those beeps!!!

Q
How did you get into cycling, when? 

I used to row and then took up triathlon to escape the stress of rowing! The pain of the run leg of the triathlon lead me to search for something not involving running so I started road racing with a the Women’s Commission run Boot Inn League. Paddy Doran spotted me racing there and encouraged me to take up the track, and I was lucky enough to have him as my coach. From there I joined Ravens and despite Anto Moran’s best effort to get rid of me I’m still there!
 
Q
Your discipline is the team pursuit, what is your typical session?

 We start with a standard warm up from a rolling pace increasing to almost race pace. This is progressive and really warms up the legs. It takes between 15 – 30 mins, depending on the time allowed.

Some days we focus on individual efforts to keep the strength and endurance up, but mostly team efforts are the focus. Usually track time is two or three hours in length, so we factor in plenty of rest inbetween the efforts so that each effort can be delivered at 100% commitment.

 
Q
You spend a lot of time in Aigle – what is the your typical week?
 

Outside from training which fills the 9-6pm slots Aigle does not lend itself to the life of O’Reilly. I’m a city slicker and it’s a small village. My mum always said if I can’t say something nice I shouldn’t say anything at all…Aigle is …

The week usually consists of training, eating and internet…Im Google’s most loyal customer. We don’t generally work on the Mon-Fri routine but the training week typically has one days rest and maybe a couple of afternoon rests thrown in. On a rest day we would go on the rollers once or twice for about 30mins at a time to loosen out the legs.
Q
What’s to love/hate about training camps!!!??

 I love not having the distractions of life get in the way of training but personal admin tends to get a bit behind – I am currently on the run for unpaid parking fines (don’t tell Caroline!).  You also become a bit of a movie buff too. I recommend Despicable Me and Brothers – stay away from Knight and Day and anything Ciara recommends! 
 
Q
What’s your favourite training session?

 At the moment I’m really enjoying the gym sessions with Andy at the helm of the Good Ship Power Plate. We have a nice group of three and get through the hard work having a laugh – mainly at the expense of other training partners. These sessions are usually in the afternoon after a good track session in the morning. Working in a group environment makes the workouts so much more enjoyable. 
 
Q
What’s your least favourite training session?

My least favourite training session is the one I get the most pleasure out of having completed, so I wonder about my mental health! It’s a tough computrainer session with 3 X 20min blocks of grinding out the watts. The last set is always a battle to get done. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being death obviously) it is pretty up there.

 
Q
You have been constantly improving your times – what is the key?
 

Being together as a team and training together has really helped us as a unit.  As regards to how I think cyclists can go fast I used to think that there was something we were missing out on or some magic answer here but having been around successful athletes like Sarah Hammer in the World Cycling Centre I can honestly say the secret formula is hard work. Intelligently applied hard work that is.
Q
Is there a particular person you room with when away?

 Unless illness requires quarantine we shake it up pretty much every new location. Here in Cali we are all in the same room which is nice because everyone really wants to share with me, so at least this way they all get some Jenno time.

Q
Who is the messiest/tidiest/loudest roommate?

Caroline is without a doubt the most organised, not packing 48 hours in advance of a training session would be her ultimate nightmare. The converse is true of me but her bad influence is rubbing off on me, I’m turning into a folder instead of my trusted throw and go method. 

Ciara is the DJ of the group – finger on the pulse of what the cool kids are listening to!

I am terribly perfect in everyway which annoys others.

 
Q
What is your favourite race prep routine?

Its my favourite because it’s the only one! We practice the routine (including toilet breaks!) in training a lot. This really helps on race day because it is nothing new or unfamiliar. The structured warm up helps keep nerves at bay because there is plenty of variation in pace and cadence so it is a job in itself to stay focused on.

 Q
What is your main goal at the World Cups?

Our main goal is to race to our ability. We are a world class team and now is the time to put all the elements together and execute the plan to perfection. 
Q
What are you most excited about/nervous about in Cali?

 I was both nervous and excited about possibly getting kidnapped, I think it would help my celebrity status…Looks like its not going to happen though as the city is perfectly safe and the security around the event is second to none.

Read on for a Q&A with Ciara Horne in advance of the women’s team pursuit at the World Cup in Cali this weekend.

Q
How did you get into cycling, when?

I started cycling in October 2009. I started swimming aged 7, and competed at national level until the age of 16 when I suffered a serious shoulder injury requiring surgery. I realised that despite how much I wanted to achieve international honours in my swimming it wasn’t realistic as I would not have been able to train the necessary amount in the pool because of my shoulder.  It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made moving from swimming to triathlon. I started triathlon because it allowed me to swim. I had a successful triathlon debut getting onto the world class start programme and competing at Salford Junior world cup where I finished 8^th. Despite my early successes, my heart wasn’t in triathlon like it had been in swimming; I suffered injury after injury with the sport and knew it wasn’t for me. I had a 6 month break from sport and decided I wanted to start something new.  My first proper training ride was with Emily Carter, a very close friend of mine (and very good athlete), we cycled 25 miles and couldn’t make it back due to our lack of fitness (as she had been injured also) so we got the train back. This gives you an idea of just how unfit I was back in September 2009! I joined a cycling team in October 2009 and haven’t looked back since.
 
Q
Your discipline is the team pursuit, what is your typical session?

We have various team pursuit sessions. Recently we have practiced 20 lap pieces. So, over distance, under pace, ensuring that our changes and the technique is spot on. We also do race pace efforts whereby it’s under distance, for example, 2km standing start team pursuit efforts. 
Q
You spend a lot of time in Aigle – what is your typical week?

Usually two days hard, one day recovery on the rollers, or sometimes 3 days hard one day easy etc.
Q
What’s your favourite training session?
At home I am coached by Chris Davis who is based at Newport velodrome and a session he gets me to do is 1km at race pace, (a small break), 750m at race pace, (small break) 500m at race pace (small break) and 250m at race pace. If you put everything into each effort you are very tired at the end! When training for the team pursuit with Caroline and Jen I enjoy standing start 2km efforts as a team. 

As well as really enjoying the track, I love time trialling. So give me a gruelling time trial piece to knock out on the turbo or road, and I love the challenge. How much can I push myself?
Q
What’s your least favourite training session?
 1 hour easy on the rollers… It is not the most exciting session to do. But if you have something to focus on, for example your cadence, power output, heart rate, its fine.
Q
You have been constantly improving your times – what is the key?
 We are working on the technical aspects of our team pursuit a lot more and constantly improving our own individual performances which again makes the team stronger.
Q
Is there a particular person you room with when away?
 Mary Costelloe! I’d already consider her one of my closest friends.
Q
Who is the messiest/tidiest roommate?
 Messiest: Caroline Ryan (Haha, okay I’m joking.) Me. Easily me.

Tidiest: Caroline Ryan
Q
What is your main goal at the World Cups?
 To qualify for the London 2012 Olympic games.
Q
What are you most excited about/nervous about in Cali?

I’m very excited about racing in Cali. This will be my first World cup and I really want to see what we can do…  Everyone gets nervous before a race which is perfectly normal as they care so much about their performance. Recognising this rather than worrying about the fact you’re nervous is important.

My parents are extremely hard working and I’ve always believed if you want something badly enough, if you work hard enough, you’ll get there and achieve your dreams.

Rider Profile FIONA SPARGO

If you fancy an easy mountain bike spin suitable for beginners, come along to our easy evening spins where you can ride in a relaxed environment with other like-minded women.

Jenny and Beth will meet every 2nd Monday evening at 7pm for a short spin (about an hour and a half) and welcome along any women who would like to try their hand at mtbing. This is NOT a training session, these spins will be at an easy pace, no-one will be left behind!

If you would like to try mountain biking, or to practise the skills you learned in the training camps earlier in the year, or just hang out and have fun on bikes, we would love to see you!

Spins begin next Monday on the 30th June, and will run every second Monday throughout the summer ‘til the light runs out on us!

Note that these are informal gatherings – riders are not covered by insurance, unless they have a Cycling Ireland Licence.
You need a mountain bike in good working order – make sure it has knobbly tyres on it!!!
Helmets are compulsory.
Bring spare tubes and a pump for a mountain bike.
Make sure you have plenty food and drink.
Some sort of anti-insect spray might be a good idea as there tends to be midges around in the evenings.

First meet will be at Kindlestown woods, 7pm, Monday 30th.

Directions:

Heading south on the N11, take the exit marked ‘Dublin’ and ‘Glenview Hotel’ just after the Shomera showrooms/Garden centre, before you enter Glen of the Downs, and take a right.
Heading north, it is the exit for the Glenview Hotel just after the Glen of the Downs – take the exit, go right and right again over the flyover, and take a left.
This lane passes by Glen of the Downs Golf Club. At the t-junction, go right, and shortly you will see the carpark for Kindlestown woods on the left.

You began cycling in Holland – describe how you first began.. What made you take up cycling, and continue?

. Like everybody else in Holland, I learnt to ride a bike as a 4-year old and this then became my main mode of transport for getting to school and to see friends. So there isn’t such a thing as consciously “taking up” cycling. However, I didn’t ride my first racebike till I was 23 – so I suppose that’s when it became serious. I had finished my studies (English Language and Literature at Leiden University and then a Master’s and Post-Graduate Certificate in Education at Leicester University), had gone back to Holland to take up teaching and found myself pretty unfit – I was picking up every single bug from the students and suffering permanent colds. So I decided drastic action was needed and my then boyfriend (now husband) and I both bought a gleaming racebike to get more fresh air and exercise, and enjoy the countryside in the South of Holland where we were living. It started off as an hour here or there but we soon became fanatical and the weekend trips became longer and longer, and faster and faster. We considered joining a touring club but found that a bit too tame, so we took the plunge and joined a bikeracing club. I got my first racing licence at 25.

Cycling is a very popular sport in Holland – what would a weekly routine have been for you growing up?  

As I always combined cycling with a full-time job in teaching and later in management in education, I had to be clever in making maximum use of my time. At one point I was teaching 4 days at a secondary school 15 km away and 2 or 3 evenings at a night school in The Hague, which was 40 km away. My routine was to cycle to the daytime school, have a shower (a week’s supply of clothes on location organised beforehand), and on the days I had to continue on to The Hague I would cycle the distance plus an extra loop along the Dutch coast if I had time – another shower waiting at that end, and all my course books, notes etc safely tucked away in a locker. Graham (my husband) would pick me up at 11 or so when classes were finished. There was an advantage to students in these arrangements as well: I had to be extremely well organised way ahead of the actual classes.

Your husband is involved in cycling as well – did you meet him through the sport?

Check out our latest rider profile - current National Champion in Mountain Bike – Beth MCluskey. Her profile is under the High Performance section along the right hand side of the website.

We are running a series of profiles on some of our top riders. Check out the first Profile in our rider profile section on the right hand side of the page. Jenny McCauley talks about her experiences so far.