An Honest and Open review of my Junior Cycling years.

I thought, as my off season comes to an end and my first pedalstrokes of the 2024 season are upon us I would wrap up my season and put fingers to keyboard to illustrate what I did wrong and what I did right.

When I look back at my years in the junior ranks I chuckle a bit. It's fair to say I did all my learning and cocking up in my first year. Thankfully, Zappi saw past that and gave me the opportunity to have another shot.

Giro di Primavera (UCI 1.1)

My first solid memory of 2022 was at Giro di Primavera. My 2nd ever road race was a UCI 1.1 in Northern Italy. I was riding with AG2R U19 and was keen to impress, but at that point I was out of my depth and when moving up through the bunch into the bottom of the first climb I was pushed into the curb around a roundabout. I'd get back to the second group on the road but with tight 5min cutoffs, it was a DNF on the palmares. Sadly, as I found my feet that year I would come to terms with those 3 letters, being pulled from 4 UCIs after that race. Probably my worst experience that year was at E3 Saxobank Classic where I was came down in 3 crashes. I was solo off the back when with 4k to go the broom wagon came up alongside and despite my initial refusal, pulled me, bloodied, into the van.

24 hours later I was sat in an economics lesson, occasionally peeling my suit off the road rash - it's a weird sport.

What came next however was much worse than I could have imagined, while reckoning Liege Bastogne Liege - a car pulled out on me off the descent of the Cote de Wanne. I went straight into the side door and my next memory is waking up that evening in hospital. Fast forward 14 months and while racing at Aubel-Thimister-Stavelot 2.1, I was racing on this climb once again. It had been a really tough weekend for the team as we lost Matty Cole from the race, a great friend of mine the stage before to a nasty crash. I knew I wanted to get up the road and race confidently in what was a traditionally rainy day in the Ardennes, a mindset I was understandably but certainly lacking in 2022. Just over half way through the race and the break had gone, with 2 Brits initially represented. I knew it was now or never to bridge as the gap was extending to over 40 seconds. I also knew the next climb, was the Cote de Wanne. I sort of instinctively got towards the front on the climb of the Wanne and in tough conditions an opportunity opened up towards the bottom of the descent to get away. I got my gap and made it to the break which went on to survive until about 25km to go. Sadly, the result didn't mean much at the end of the day, but mentally it cemented to me one thing and probably the biggest difference in my performances as a first year versus a second year. I was racing smart, confidently and how I liked - on the front foot.

I'd made it clear at the start of the year with both my coach and team that education was a big priority for me this year and had always planned to peak later in the season, after my A-Levels, when I was in the fortunate position to be able to go all in. Up until Aubel I was having a good season. I had finished every race, consistently in the front and had seen particular success in Spain picking up a win and 3 top 10s. I knew, however, if I wanted to achieve the high ambitions I set myself, I needed more. This was particularly clear at Ronde des Vallees, where I was knocking on the door but yet still lacked that big punch, time was running out.

I had a weekend away with a good friend in between Ronde and Wales and reset a bit mentally. I had been away nearly every day since my final exam and only one day over those 2 months had not involved a bike ride. It has been a real pinch yourself experience at times, travelling, racing, laughing - but nonetheless sometimes mentally - it's good to step back and forget about TrainingPeaks or the calendar for 48 hours. I was back on the structured stuff Monday and then travelled up to Wales Friday morning.

Fast forward 10 days after that and I was busy boarding a flight to Pisa, ready to race my favourite race on the junior calendar - Trofeo Buffoni.

I had properly cocked this up last year (should be a given if you haven't got the gist of my junior career yet), but this time I came in with total confidence in my abilities - the greatest performance enhancing tool available. I sat in the bunch, super calm and saved every watt of energy possible until the hilly circuit. What awaits is 65km of an 11km lap involving a 2.5km climb which hovers around 8%.

I was swinging, over the top of the last ascent, but knew with the tricky, technical downhill on the other side, I had to ride my tempo and pull a pinpoint accurate descent out of the backpocket.

I had probably about 15 seconds to make up on the descent and managed to get back on coming out of the final corner. Thankfully, we are allowed to cross the white lines here ;)

I remember giving myself one final rinse with a now warm bidon of water, gave a big sigh of relief and focused on an opportunity ahead of me. Never before had I had a decent chance of winning a UCI 1.1 and going into the final kilometre I played a cagey game. I knew into wind, uphill it was going to be a long sprint and didn't want to be the first to jump. I knew Mattia [Negrente] had won Giro di Primavera from a similar position earlier in the year and so used his wheel. He kicked and for a moment I thought I could come out of the wheel but with 50m to go I was a beaten man by a bloke stronger on the day no doubt. I basically collapsed over the line and then came to conclude that I was 2nd, on the podium! I hugged my parents who had done their own sprint and then was quickly ushered off for interviews and the presentation. It really was a dream come true and an experience I won't be forgetting. Under the Tuscan sunset, spraying champagne and having a laugh with some mad Italians - a brutal sport, yes, but a beautiful one too sometimes.

Trofeo Buffoni (UCI 1.1) Podium 2023

I have so many special moments and memories with some great people and friends over the last 2 years and 2023 especially. There are truly ace people behind the scenes who I cannot thank enough. Family, Pabs, Craig, Teammates, Pedal Potential and Paul, Patrick, Gabe, Steve and Flavio at Zappi Junior Race Team for their unwavering belief and support. It's more than developing you as a rider for these guys and more for being there to develop us as people. I will be forever grateful for the tips, laughs and support as I move forward in my career on and off the bike.

Ciao for now,

C.