Richard England

Non Selection Bites…

// September 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

I guess one of the advantages to riding for small teams throughout your career, means that if you have a decent amount of ability you can pick and choose which races you want to do during the year and skip the ones that dont interest you. It was certainly my experience in the US even through until Bissell, when the team added mountains of strength. Ironically the first time i nearly had to deal with missing a team was going to be the 2008 edition of the Tour de Georgia, which turned out to be the best 7 days of racing i could have ever hoped to string together.

So now, despite being sick for the last 4 weeks, it still hurts to watch your team mates disappear to the US for Univest and be sitting in my apartment all alone for 6 days. The sting made all the worse due to the fact that i had to drop them at the airport for their departure, which was a 3am-7am job…grrrr…

I guess, on a very small scale i am getting a taste of what it is to be on a big team. A team that has constant rotation of its roster and consistent battles for positions on teams. Simon Gerrans experienced it this year with the Tour…and im sure that it has happened to everyone at some point in time…but this is my experience with it. Having said that, i dont deserve to be there in our team of 6. This is not a complaint about our selection for teams…just merely a reality of the sport that i have never faced before…

Fortunately i am writing this later than i initially intended and we can see the benefit of racing without me…the boys rocketed in the TTT and won the opening stage, with my roomie and best mate Mamos, now in yellow for the road race. A jersey that i think he will keep today. He is flying and i find it hard to believe that anyone can challenge his overall lead today…my prediction is either him or Starchyk will also take todays road race honours…but whatever happens, im sure that the boys will bring home the yellow jersey.

Mean while, i count down to my finial race for 2009. A 1 day race not far from Lucca and then my flight that leaves for home the very next day. It has been a long and successful first season in Europe. Lots of great learning experiences and lots of great racing to add to my training diary as having experienced. But this year, different to most i will go home and put the bike in the shed earlier than usual. It is my normal schedule to compete all of October in Australia, with Tour of Tasmania, Herald Sun Tour and then Melb-Warrnambool…but this year, as it has been my longest and hardest the bike will get a rest. Instead i will challenge myself with the Melbourne marathon on October 11. From my last race i have 3 weeks to train my body to run and try and achieve my goal of a sub 4hr marathon time. This idea has been in the back of my mind from the beginning of the year…to most it would seem to be my attempt to measure myself against Lance…but it is actually inspired by Judith Arndt. She did a similar thing in 2007 a few weeks after Road Worlds, and now its my time to swap the carbon soles for the rubber and feel the beat of my feet on the pavement…should be interesting…

Back in the game, but…

// August 28th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Back in the game, but not on my game. Thats about the best way to describe my recent attempts in the Italian one day races that go together to making up the Trittico Lombardo. Finally after nearly 6 weeks of nothing but feeling average and looking every bit as average to go along with it, i was able to make the race deciding break of Coppa Bernocchi. The break was a group of 25 or so that formed on the first notable climb of the race, some 60km in. It was formed after 3 smaller groups formed off the front and then came together. I was one of 2 from my team and the break quickly established 3 mins on the chasing peloton and from there it was always going to be decided from this group.

We raced over 5 laps of a circuit before retuning to the start finish some 50km from the top of the last KOM. Unfortunately…when i say i was not on my game, it means that my last ascent up the KOM saw me some 30secs off the back of the group, which was now forced into 3 after some tough pace setting from Aqua & Sapone. After a 20km chase to try and return to the group i finally hit another climb on the way to the finishing circuits and the lights went out…back to the peloton for me…now sitting about 5mins down.

So it was a positive…finally i got to actually be involved in a race again. Feel competitive and not just be some douche who kitted up and happened to be able to find a number and pin it on. But back to reality…not many races left in the season, so time is running out to go out on a high.

This week was full of blood tests and recovery…trying to find a fault with my body so that i have something to blame. Unfortunately…not much to report. Apart from lower than ideal iron levels, everything looks relatively normal. The iron is low for what an athlete would like it to be, but still well within the scope of what is considered normal for the average person…So back to the drawing board. Fortunately i feel that this week i have begun to see some light at the end of the tunnel. The legs are definitely starting to come around. The wrist and the body are still feeling average…but the legs have got a little spark this week that i have not felt for a while. With a little more of the correct training and stretching im hoping that my last 2 races in Italy can be successful ones. Heaven knows the 2 weeks recovery between them all has to mean i will be fresh…

Then its home time. Dates in the midst of being organised. The question is??? When October rolls around, will i be riding the Herald Sun Tour or will i be running the Melbourne marathon. Unfortunately the dates mean that only 1 will be possible…but whichever way i go, i know that i will be buckled and spending some time in bed come the end of October…be it with all kinds of leg complications because of my desire to run a marathon without training for it, or racing a 7 day tour at the end of the longest and hardest season of cycling i have known…the only good thing…it will be time in my own bed. Something that i look forward to like you wouldnt believe.

Just a finishing note…i hope that my boys kick some ass at US Pro this weekend. In particular i want to single out BJM, Zirbel and Zwizanski for the TT on Sat. Zirbel has dominated all year in the TT’s and i really have belief that this could be his year. I have been saying it since he came so close last year…i believe the self belief that it created was the thing that has lit a fire under his ass this year and has developed him into the best rider for the year so far…But good luck to them all…i hope there are no misshaps and its a fair and fast race and the best man wins…

Sleep riding…ever tried it???

// August 10th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Uncategorized

So it would seem that slowly as i edge closer to the conclusion of my season that the wheels are starting to fall off a bit in more ways than 1. It has been a few weeks since my last entry, much fun has been had but i have also noticed a fatigue that has started to creep its way into my body. I have been battling with my laptop, which has decided that it will only allow me 5 or so mins of screen time before going completely blank…although i know its still on…so please excuse any typo’s in this entry, as most of it will be written in complete darkness…

Tour of Alsance was not quite the success i had hoped for. Returning to a French 2.2 i was confident that i could finish off some stages well and would wear the captains hat for the bunch kicks with Yuri away in China…unfortunately the Gods were not smiling upon me and a crash during the tough 2nd stage saw me land on my hand and do significant enough damage that holding the bars the following day was near impossible and saw me pull to the side of the road in the feed zone, some 60km in.

Fortunately the X-rays showed no breaks but the doctor seemed to believe that there may have been a dislocation of 2 of my knuckles…which was the reason for the pain and significant swelling. So it has meant a couple of weeks of discomfort that is still continuing…

I did however recover enough to front up for our Italian 1.1 on Sat. Not that you would have noticed my presence…well maybe if you were concentrating on the back of the bunch…So this leads us to now…this week is going to be consumed with blood tests and seeing what we can blame for the slump i find myself in. I have tried ever so hard to ignore it, but after 3 weeks of needing 10hrs sleep a night and still waking with heavy eyes and no energy, it has finally got the better of me and something needs to be done. I think the final straw came when i caught myself yawning, on more than 1 occasion during the race on Sat…time to get a check up…

The more i analyse things the more i realise how much a massive step this season has been for me in terms of volume. I worked out, that despite being the only rider based in Europe for my team without previous European experience, that i have had more race days than any other rider on our roster this year…my inexperience showed at the beginning of the year, when despite consistent and long races i was still training a full pace in between…and while it didnt cost me early in the season there is no doubt that it has started to creep up on me…but i am confident with a good diagnosis that i can salvage some of the weeks that remain in my European season.

But with all that bad stuff going on with my riding, i still have reason to smile…

1. Im in Italy

2. DeLuca has finally been busted and i dont have to watch him ruin bike races for me anymore

3. Home time is approaching at a rapid rate and a well earned rest, time for future decisions and a new house all await my arrival…not to mention a 10 year school reunion where i get to share 6 years worth of a professional cycling life…a sport that i didnt even compete in when i last saw these people…

So life is good and sure to only get better…but i do have 1 request before the season ends…please just let me finish with some form…just a little…Not DeLuca or O’Bee style form …just Richard style form will suit…

Cheers

Poland…a cracking good time

// July 7th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

So how better to give an example of the difference between racing on the American circuit in comparison to the races i am now doing in Europe, than to contrast the last 2 tours of my season. Both 5 days and both 6 stages…so here goes.

Nature Valley GP vs. Course de Solidarnosc (POL)

Day 1.   Stage 1.     10km TT                         82km RR

               Stage 2.     42km Crit                      123km RR

Day 2.   Stage 3.    106km RR                      224km RR

Day 3.   Stage 4.    54km Crit                       198km RR

Day 4.   Stage 5.    145km RR                       154km RR

Day 5.   Stage 6.    44km Crit                        158km RR

TOTALS:                   401km                               939km

So i only contrast this, not to compare the quality or the difficulty but to show how different the culture of the 2 continents are.  I am a firm believer that a good rider in America can be a good rider in Europe but, as is obvious, it is a different world of racing. No doubt that it is possibly harder to be successful over in Europe. The distance, difficulty and money in the sport over here make it far more  likely that drugs are part of the pro peloton (an unfortunate and sad reflection on the mentality). But…it is possible. Work hard and making the transition can be done. Just look at riders like Henderson, JJ Haedo, Lewis…and now teams like BMC…

So Poland itself…a hard ass race. The temperature was horrible…worse an more oppresive than that i experienced in Philly last year which hovered around 38 (100+) for the majority of the race. An in your face heat that beat the crap out of you mentally, more so than physically. But the thing that i will remeber this tour for was the casualty list.

6 x flat tires

2 x broken back wheels

1 x broken front wheel

1 x cracked handlebars

1 x crash

1 x bike swap

All of this…was only caused by me, much to the frustration of my mechanic. I did however make it through in 1 piece, which included the 1700km drive back to Italy all through the night with just me and my roomie Mamos. A 6.30am arrival time has left us feeling jet lagged even though we are in the same time zone…But life goes on. A 2 week break now until we fire up again. Time to build on the fitness from my 1000km 5 days and then make some statements with my legs the remainder of July and into August.

Soon to follow i may write about my adventures in Rome, where i will be soon taking a small 2 day vacation…but sometime this week look for my Chad Gerlach story… The Chad Gerlach that i know… by popular demand and interest of many people throughout the season, i will document the friendship that i have developed with Chad and how i see his comeback to the sport of cycling…

What’s with all the 2nd chances???

// June 28th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

So i am left to ponder, as i scour through cycling news this week, why cycling continues to try and shoot itsself in the foot and graciously acceptback into its ranks riders and athletes who have gone out of their way to destroy such a great sport. Im talking about the Ricardo Ricco’s and Alexander Vinokourov’s of this word. It seems to me that if sponsors and teams dont make a stand and show a united front that riders like these will not be welcomed back into the sport at a level of any recognition, then we will continue to be our own worst enemy in trying to clean out the sport of what we hate so much about it. If there is a clear and strong message that serious doping, particularly in such arrogant termsas the 2 cases i preciously mentioned, will not be tolerated and that you will not be accepted back into the sport with open arms, as is currently the case, then surely that will be the biggest deterrent we could offer. As things stand currently, and you think that after stealing millions of dollars from the riders who do it clean and honestly you can justify to yourself a pleasant and comfortable 2 year holiday, knowing that upon your return you can walk straight back into a high paying position in a pro tour team again…where is the deterrent??? some people will inevitably avoid detection and will therefor be able to continue a career and continue to steal from those who do it on blood, sweat and tears…but if teams and sponsors would band together and let people know that once you have been convicted of a serious doping offence, there will be no way for you to return back to top level racing, then i believe these riders will start to sweat in their palms a little.

So regardless of the UCI and its rules and regulations…i cant understand why teams allow this practice to continue, when its riders like these that have single handedly seen sponsors and other outlets withdraw their support from the sport. I know its not going to happen…but i sure as hell would like to see it…

The man can draw a crowd…

// June 22nd, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Uncategorized

First a FLASHBACK…to a week ago…Nature Valley GP

It was a fun week for many reasons. New sponsors, lunches and tours of their facilities, fun racing and finally a win. So kudos to my boy Phil Mamos who was able to cap our week off with a nice ride at Stillwater. Something sweet about the fact that one of my best cycling friends and my room mate for the year was able to seal his first victory for the year on the same course that i took my first victory as a “professional” back in 2005. Professional, ha. its still a word that i struggle to attach to myself as a cyclist…i guess technically most people would consider me a professional, but i still consider this whole cycling caper a hobbie that i am fortunate enough to get paid to do…funny…

So thanks very much to Lifetime Fitness for their support of our team and giving us the opportunity to come and race in the US under a new banner. It was a great experience to come back with my new team and see some of the familar faces that i have been competing against for the past 6 years…

JUSTIFY MY THUG…

On the topic of Nature Valley…Hate is a strong word, so im not going to use it here, but let me say i have grown to dislike with a passion the way that both Steve Tilford and Ben Raby have taken to racing their bikes. Now dont get me wrong, i have the utmost respect for the level of fitness that Tilford has managed to maintain into his 70’s (thats how old he is, isnt it?) but there are limits to how many times i want to have my life risked by these 2 guys. Now i have raced a lot of criteriums over the last 6 years and these 2 are riders i have come across on a very consistent basis. I am willing to admit that there comes a time in a criterium where risk and heat are the order of the day, ironically enough, i never really see these 2 when that time comes…its the fact that throughout an entire criterium they race like it is the final lap…diving underneath people in corners, bouncing and bumping their way through the bunch like their lives depended on them maintaining a top 10 spot for the entire race…seriously…

I only mention it cause i was happy to see that Mike Creed and Tim Johnson, 2 seasoned and experienced riders who i have the utmost respect for, also took  exception to the unnecessary risk that these guys put everyone in when they race their bikes. Its just about some respect for your fellow riders and also having realistic expectations on what youre trying to achieve…it is one thing that i definitely dont miss about racing in the US…

Ok, now to the point of this post…Lance…Whatever you think of the man, be it good, bad or indifferent, you have to give him credit where credit is due. The man can draw a crowd. I refer to my visit to watch the Nevada City Classic yesterday. Where a small town and a race, that i am informed has been slowly dying the past few years, was re-injected with an unbelievable amount of passion and excitement. estimates say that nearly 20,000 people lined the short but demanding course to cheer on the riders…but mainly Lance…and to his credit he didnt let them down, taking the solo victory ahead of my ex-teammate Ben Jaques-Maynes…

Now i have never been swept up in the whole hysteria that surrounds him, but there is no denying that his story is an amazing one that has again continued into this year. He has single handedly reignited certain races in the USA this year that would have probably disappeared from the calendar were it not for his participation. There is little doubt that there is a big market and place for cycling in the US and it is impressive to see that Lance has made a concerted effort on behalf of cancer to make sure that the sport continues to build momentum as the world goes through this economic downturn. It is a sport that has created his celebrity and I think we are all fortunate to have him doing his part to pay back the sport with his presence at such events…It was a privilege to watch him race and an experience to see the kind of hysteria that 1 man can create…lets hope that when his light fades, that the US has another to take his place so that this beautiful sport always has a place on this continent…

The other come back king...what a sweet sport this is...

Philly…Not the return i was hoping for

// June 16th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

So after 4 months of a season spent in the hustle and bustle of Europe, I was excited that me and my team were going to get the opportunity to return to America. Being able to visit Philly again and line up for the 5th time in that race, this year, with a legitimate belief that we had the ability to challenge for the win. Yuri, my massive Ukranian sprinter was coming and although we only were representing with a team of 6 i still felt like we had the core group of guys we needed to get the job done for him.

In the lead up to this race i had certainly put a lot of pressure on myself for a standout performance. Not just because i was returning to the place where my career began and racing against people who i knew well, but because i knew this race better than any other on my squad. Because each and every year i have raced it, i have progressed further and further to doing well and now i finally had a guy that i could put on my back wheel, drop off with 200m to go and know that he would get the job done. If i was not there to fulfil the role that i enjoy so much on this team, then the result would definately be a lot harder to achieve…so the stress and anxiety for me was definately at a premium in the lead up to Sundays big race…

It became obvious fairly quickly that if we were going to do well in Philly then we were going to have to overcome some bad luck and work hard for it. By midway through the race we had already had our entire team on the front at one point to bring back a 20man group, Mamos had hit the deck hard and i was about to do the same. On the decent from the wall a KBS rider blew out his front tire right in front of me…i had no option but to head straight for the concrete barrier at the road side and i connected with some speed, hitting my hip and somehow in the process straining my hamstring…After the chase back to the peleton i looked my director in the eye and told him i would give what i could to make the finish…but to be honest, i was not confident…2 laps later a puncture in a particularly fast portion of the race and then a subsequent dropping of my chain on the wall the last time up saw me have 2 more tough chases to make it back to the pack.

After all the frustration, chasing, bad luck and crashes i was back in the pack and riding the final circuits in the main bunch with energy to spare for a lead out. Something that has changed for me this season, different to previous years is that despite the pain and torture of a race, once i am within striking distance of the finish i am capable of blocking out most of the pain and making sure i am there to deliever Yuri. Mamos, myself and Yuri all managed to get together on the final curcuit and were well prepared and well positioned to do what we have done well this year…work off other trains and drop Yuri off with 200m to go on or close to the front…after 259km of bad luck and hard work we were there…then…bang, crash, boom…a crash directly infront of us gave us little choice but to basically stop and the race was over…

A hard luck story maybe…but that is racing and that is why there is always another one the next week…as disappointed as i was that it panned out in this manner…we were there, we raced well and there was nothing more we could have done….

Onto Nature Valley…and lets try our luck there…new sponsors, fancy lunches and 6 stages in 5 days…

My arrival on missingsaddle.com

// June 2nd, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Uncategorized

So after some slow transactions between myself and Curtis, i have finally arrived with my own blog on missingsaddle.com. The purpose of the blog was ultimately to talk of my transition from racing in the US the past 5 years to heading to Europe with Amore & Vita…

As i write this too you now, more than 4 months of the season has passed and i am, ironically, back in the US for a 2 week stint of racing here. There is a great familiarity that i feel when i return here to race, with both people and races…which unfortunately had to begin with the CSC criterium. I have had quite the love, hate relationship with this race the past 4 years. A relationship that has technically seen me never finish the full distance…I was happy enough to cover the full 100km this year for the first time, which i hope is a sign of my improvement from previous seasons. My performance was certainly nothing to write home about, but was certainly a confidence boost, heading into Philadelphia this Sunday. A race that has been on my radar for a number of years, not for a personal victory but to be part of a team with a realistic goal of taking the win and i believe that the combination we have brought this year offers us that opportunity if we can perform at our best…but no use in predicting the future…

So to catch you up on all my first 4 months of experiencing Europe on the road would be long and tedious. Instead i thought i would offer up my season high-light to date and then dedicate this entry to some of my close friends who have achieved some tremendous things in the past 6 months…

My highlight from this year has surely been Yuri’s big win in Coppi e Bartali. It was my 2nd 2.1 tour of the season and to play a big role in the lead out was surely a dream. I took Yuri from 1.2km to go, round some PT teams and their lead out trains and dropped him off with 250m remaining. The feeling…i was ecstatic…I think i possibly take more joy in my team mates success, then i often do in my own, particularly when i have played an important role.

More so than my own achievments and changes, my year has been defined by the success of some of my close friends…i cant cover them all, but i would like to point out some of the greatest…

1. Cam Meyer winning the world points score…Cam has become like a younger brother to me over the past 3 or 4 years that we were both part of the national track program. In his first year on a Pro Tour team, after 2 years and three 4th places and at the tender age of 21, Cam was able to shrug off the pressure of being one of the race favourites and take over the reigns as the best rider in the world…When i heard the news i was riding grupetto on probably the hardest day of my year so far…it was truely the news that i needed to motivate myself through the remainder of the stage…

2. Leigh Howard – World Omnium Champion…Leigh was possibly one of the first people i met and trained with in cycling. We shared a coach in our first years as riders and while he was significantly younger than me, it was obvious that he was always going to be a champion cyclist. This year he was able to prove his diversity, taking the world omnium title, silver in the madison and bronze as part of the teams pursuit…It was an amazing achievement from a person, who despite being 8 years my junior, is someone i look up to and admire…

3. Ted King participating in the the Giro d’Italia…Ted and i were team mates for 3 years. Ted took his amazing results from last year and turned them into a contract with Cervelo Test Team. He was unfortunate enough to suffer a big set back in the Tour of Cali, where he crashed and broke his arm…testiment to his class and ability he returned to Europe and straight into the team for the Ardennes Classics and then onto the Giro roster…an amazing effort for a guy that i used to ride along side of and can proudly call my friend…

The race passed within a km of my apartment in Lucca, so i thought i would make a fuss...

4. Scott Zwizanski winning the Tour of Uruguay…awesome. Scotty dominated the time trial and was helped along the way by his new squad (Kelly Benefits), in taking the overall title. It was the cherry on the cake after that team was able to also take numerous stages…

Kudos to all my boys for their amazing seasons this year…

Outside of these things, this year has held many great things for me personally and professionally…hopefully over the coming months i will be able to slide some extra stories into my blog and explain some of the biggest differences that this year has held for me. Some of the differences and hopefully the creation of some more highlights…hopefully starting with a good story from Philadelphia this Sunday…

Until then…enjoy whatever it is you enjoy…

Steve Larsen

// May 22nd, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

The cycling community in Bend, Oregon, is organizing two bike rides as memorials to multi-sport legend Steve Larsen, who died Tuesday. A memorial service is planned for Saturday at 1 pm in Bend.

The first ride is the regular Saturday morning hammer ride, leaving from Hutch’s East Side bike shop at 820 NE 3rd Street, Bend. A friend said “the ride will hammer as usual. Steve would want it that way.”

The second ride will meet at 12:30 p.m., at the Drake Park Stage. The group will parade from there to the memorial service. All bikes and riders are welcome.

The memorial service is at 1 p.m. at the Les Schwab Amphitheater “White House” in Bend. (Click for directions to the Ampitheater.

There also is a memorial account set up:
Donations may be sent to:
Steve Larsen Memorial Fund
Umpqua Bank
390 SW Century Drive
Suite 100
Bend OR 97702

Hello world!

// March 14th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Uncategorized

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