British MTB Championships

Last weekend was a busy one with a couple of races on and it started on Friday night when I headed to a round of the national circuit series in Beverly, Yorkshire. I had raced a couple of rounds of the series so I knew that it would be a hard race and that it would be flat out from the start so I got a good warm up and did some laps of the course which was in the town centre with some cobbles and wet corners. I lined up as near to the front as possible to get the best start which would make it easier earlier in the race and it started well keeping myself towards the front for the first three laps. Then on one of the wet right hander’s I slid out and subsequently rolled around on the floor which wasn’t great but I got up and decided to take a lap out before getting back in the race and getting involved before I put my chain into my spokes as I had bent my rear mech in the crash, so I fixed that and got going again when I decided to swap bikes and as I stopped I was told I couldn’t have more than one lap out which I should have known but since I’ve never had a lap out before in my life I wasn’t quite on it with the rules and found myself out of the race. Lesson learned, end of my night. Then the next day, Saturday morning I headed to British Mountain bike Championships down near London at Wasing Park. They have held a national series race here before so I knew before that the course was flat and most likely fast and that exactly how it was after I did three practice laps on Saturday afternoon. This was the first time I had been on my MTB for the past couple of months as I have been racing a block of road racing and it was great fun good to be blasting through the trails again.  After this I headed back to the hotel got some food then some sleep before race day on Sunday. I got a good warm up in on what turned out to be a hot day which was a nice surprise considering the amount of rain that has been around recently, after the warm up I got to the start and was gridded fifth so I chose the right hand side of the start. The start was flat out and I settled in second wheel for the first part before taking over the front for half a lap where I managed to open up a gap on everyone but team mate Kenta and he then took on the front and I hung on until the end of the first lap before he started to open up a gap on me. I chased for most of the second lap but paid the price for a fast first lap and got caught by second place and then was soon after caught by third place and found myself back down in fourth place. I then spent the next couple of laps in fourth place not riding well at all and seemingly hitting all the roots and holes I could find on the course. Going into the last lap I was still in fourth place but I was on the wheel of third place and I waited till a small climb in the course before putting in an attack to get away which worked and I found myself feeling better than I had earlier in the race so I continued to press on the pedals and began to bring back second place. By about half way through the last lap I had caught second place and it now looked like it was going to be a sprint for second, I knew I couldn’t let it come to a sprint as my sprint isn’t a strong point so I put the power down with about two km to go and opened up a 2/3 second gap which I held all the way to the line to finish in second place 45 seconds behind a fast Kenta Gee and making it a 1-2 for Boardman Team, a good day out.
Cheers for reading.Grant

British Road Race Championships

Last weekend saw the national road race championships taking place in north Yorkshire at Ampleforth. This was my first senior National Championships and I knew it would be a hard race with all the top domestic teams racing as well as Team Sky. The course was hard with three laps of a 20mile loop followed by six laps of a 10mile circuit to total 115 miles of rolling roads and challenging climbs. I lined up for the start with fellow Academy cyclists ready for a long day on the bike. The pace was hard straight away with people attacking everywhere to try and get in the early break, I tried to keep myself near the front out of trouble as the roads were narrow and rough which would make it easy for the race to split to pieces. Then after a couple of laps of the big circuit Endura Racing got on the front and the pace went up greatly as they began to bring back the break so I kept good position to avoid splits on the climbs and the damage behind. Then as we came into the smaller circuits for six laps there was a main climb which was causing a lot of damage and the group gradually got smaller. There was still a break of three away with over 5min including two Sky riders so our group was turning into a race for the under 23 race which was still available. I kept myself involved all the way until the second last time up this climb where the group was about 25 and it split into three group as the attacks started coming thick and fast, I found myself on the back foot here and was unable to follow and get involved so ended up in the third group of 5 until I got to 10miles to go and I had nothing left so it was a lonely ride to the finish for me but happy to have made it crossing the line in 31^st place after a long hard 5hour race. More races coming up over the next couple of weeks will try keep you posted.

Cheers for reading. Grant

 

Nove Mesto/La Bresse World Cups.

It has been a busy couple of weeks with plenty of different races going on. First of I had the third round of the World Cup series in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. It was a good course with lots of short hard climbs and rooty technical sections. The race here did not go well for me, I had a good start and came round the start loop in the top 10 but then unfortunatly went backwards through the race, I couldn't really explain what was up with my performance because I went into the race fit and healthy but I just couldnt respond during the race when people came past me and ended up finishing well down in 65th.

A week later I headed to La Bresse in France for the forth round of the World Cup series. The course here was a different ball game with one major climb to the top of a hill followed by a fast old school decent back to the bottem. I started a bit slower this time and came through safely after the start loop in 28th then tried to work my way through the field, by the 4th lap I had got to 18th but then drifted back in the last lap and finished in 25th which I was quite pleased with after the previous result the week before.

photo thanks to Rockyroads.net

Thanks Grant

UCI World Cup round 2 Houffalize, Belgium

My latest race was last weekend for Round 2 of the UCI World Cup in Houffalize, Belgium. We headed out there early and got some course practice in, the course was new compared to recent years and it had lots of new technical features which livened it up, as well as that there was the usual short hard climbs and false flats . Due to my bad luck at the first round in South Africa I had no UCI points and therefore got a gridding of 96th which meant that I would be on the 12th row at the start so I was expecting some first lap carnage. I warmed up for the race then went to the pens before lining up for the race. The race started well and went straight into a long steep climb which quickly bottlenecked and I spent my time running and trying to overtake, I moved up not to bad and after the start loop I had got to about 50th.  Once I settled down in the race I started to move up well which was easier early on in the race because there was big groups of people but got harder as the race split up. I felt quite good thoughout and found myself in top 30 at about half way through the race, then I kept pressing on to move up on the last two laps and eventually crossed the line in 20th place after 5 laps of the course. I was pleased with this result as my main aim was to try and finish in the top 25 which gives you UCI points so that at the next round I would have a better gridding which will be very helpful. :)

Alfons Benz

So it was a good world cup for me and now my next race is round two of the national series this weekend at Dalby forest.
Thanks for Reading
Grant

UCI World Cup round 1 Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Well the first races of the year finally arrived and we were heading off to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa for the first round of the MTB World Cup. It was an exciting time as I have never been to Africa before and we headed out there on the Wednesday 10days before the World Cup, it was a long couple of days of travel with three flights but we got there midday on Thursday. Once we arrived we had an easy spin before getting on the course Friday. We had a race on Saturday which was part of the Momentum Health Series a South African National round and it was on the same course as the World Cup would be in a week so there were about 80 top elites racing, It was a hard race and I eventually crossed the line in 37^th after 2 hours of racing but it was good preparation for the World Cup in a week’s time. The course was quality with lots of technical features, dusty trails and a fair bit of climbing.

The next week was spent doing some easier rides and plenty of course practice so we were ready for the race on Saturday morning. I lined up for the World Cup on the Saturday with the second last gridding because I had no UCI points so it was going to be a hard race from the back. It was a hot day about 30 degrees and we had 5 laps of the course. I was a bit nervous before the start because it was my first Under 23 World cup after moving up from juniors last year but also fairly excited to get racing after lots of training in the winter. We soon started and the first half lap was a big fight for me  to get past people and try and move up the race with a lot of running and some sly overtaking manoeuvres, but I soon settled down and started getting past people and found myself in the top 10 after lap 1. I then got into a bit of a rhythm and was feeling rather good on my bike and stayed inside the top 10 for the next for next couple of laps with the leading group not too far ahead. Going into the final lap I was in 9^th place in a race with a Belgium for 8^th place, I was feeling good and it was going to be a close finish with us still together with less than half a lap to go. Then some bad news, my race turned for the worst with a puncture that I somehow got on the final climb. I first thought that it could be okay as there was a good gap of about a minute to the next person behind me but it was all downhill to the finish and people soon started to go catch and go past. I started to run with my main aim to try and get some UCI points which you get if you finish inside the top 25 but I eventually crossed the line in 27^th. So it turned into a bad day on the bike even if my legs felt good. Unfortunately looks like I am going to be starting on the back of the grid for a bit longer until I manage to get myself some points.

My Next race is the first round of the national series this weekend at Sherwood Pines.

Thanks for reading

Grant

Support

Very happy that I am continuing to get supported by Boardman Bikes this year and looking forward to a great year on there bikes. http://www.boardmanbikes.com/boardman/boardman_sponsorship_mtb.html

2012 Boardman EM 1.7 Elite Race Bike

Happy to say that I have got support from Mavic this year and that they have provided me with Shoes which will be a great help this year and it is much appreciated.

New Mavic Shoes for 2012 (photo thanks to my sister)

Also thanks to everybody else for there continued support this year, much appreciated!

Training Camps

Hello,
It is a busy time just now, I am currently on a training camp in Majorca where we are doing a lot of training on the road. It has consisted of many hours on the bike but today we got an easier day so here is a photo from the cafe we stopped at. The sun is out! :)

Cheers

Grant

Cyclo-Cross Season 2011/2012

Hello, it has been a while since my last post and I have been busy. Since then I started to race some Cyclo-cross with the first race I headed to being the national trophy series round at Southampton back in November, I was unsure of my form going into the race as I had not done any racing for a couple of months. The race didn’t go the best as I had a crash first lap and as soon as I was off the pace I was chasing to try and get involved in the race but didn’t quite have the legs and finished 33^rd, I then went on to race the next national trophy round at Derby hoping to improve but I finished in 33^rd again and then the next race after that was the Bradford round where I finished in 27^th. So it wasn’t the best of cross seasons up until then for me which could have been down to many things. On the plus side training during that time went well and I spent a lot of time getting stronger ready for the 2012 season and adjusting to my recent move to Manchester which was a change to my lifestyle but has been going well. Any way after that I travelled home for Christmas which allowed me to get some rest from training and do some more race efforts to get ready for the national cross champs which were the first week in January. I did the Christmas cross race at Calendar which went really well; it was a good course and top notch event so thanks to the organisers. So with some other turbo sessions I started to find some form on the cross bike.

Next up was the national cross champs on the 8^th of January which I was looking forward to, we travelled to the race on the Saturday before and got some course practice in before heading to bed early for the race the next day. I warmed up well in the morning and lined up second row at the start ready to go. I had an okay start and was about 6^th wheel but then unfortuantly lost some places due to crash in front of me so I settled down after that and started to chase back the front group. I made it across to the front group of 5 by the end of the first lap so I was in the right place and stayed there for a couple of laps. This group soon slimed down into three of us and it was an okay pace but I lost contact with the front two riders when the attacks started to come. The race was still very close with the two people just 10 seconds ahead of me and another boy that had joined me. It was now getting onto the last lap and I was in the race for bronze medal with the defending champ which turned into a very close sprint which I managed to get so was very pleased with a bronze at under 23 nationals and only 17 seconds down on the winner. J So after that race I then headed to the final national trophy round at Shrewsbury a week later which went well, Because I had got some points at nationals I found myself front row and this meant I could get a much better start and was involved in the race from the gun, I finished the race in 6^th place senior, 1^st Under 23. So that is a quick write up of my full cross season this year unfortunately due to my early season results I wasn’t really able for selection for Cyclo-cross worlds but hopefully one day I will get to do that race.

Since then I have put the cross bike away and have mainly been clocking up miles on the road bike and continued to spend time in the gym. Recently I headed out to Majorca for a weeks training camp with the road academy lads which went well and consisted of lots of hours on the bike. Next up I have a couple more training camps before starting my race season.

Cheers for reading will keep you posted.

Grant.

Academy Selection + Training

Hi All,

It has been a while since my last post but I haven’t been too busy on the racing side of life but I did get some great news after my successful year of racing, I got selected to join British Cycling’s Academy Programme for mountain bike which is full time, living in Manchester. I moved down here almost a month ago and have settled in well, the programme provides regular support and coaching from the British Cycling staff down here which is great for my progression on the bike.

After my long season I had a month of the bike completely to get some rest and chill out before I started some easy training rides and moved down here to Manchester where my training amount has gone up a lot. Training is varied just now with some gym work, road rides, MTB rides and now starting to mix some Cyclo-cross races in there. It is great being able to train with the other athletes on the programmes and it is allowing me to learn different things and try and pick up some helpful advice about living and training every day. It is a bit different to living at home as I need to adapt to looking after myself and all manage all the other things such as cooking, cleaning, shopping and other general things but I am starting to get there now which is good.

You can keep up to date with daily life down here on my twitter @grantferguson1

Cheers Grant

Plymouth NPS

My latest race was the final National Mountain Bike round at the weekend which was being held way down south in Plymouth. It would usually be a long drive but luckily enough this time we had sorted it so that I was able to fly down which was rather good news. So we flew down early on Friday morning and arrived there about mid day so that we could do a couple of laps of the course, the course was new with lots of natural sections and quite hilly. Then on Saturday morning I got up early as the fellow people I was staying with were racing early in the morning and I travelled with them to the course and chilled out for a couple of hours watching them race before I got ready for my race. My race was 4 laps round the course which was now rather technical as it had rained and people had been round before my race so had turned slippy. Any way we lined up ready to race and waited for them to blow the whistle. Then off we went and I started quite hard and got to the front to avoid any trouble in the first section of single-track and after the first lap I found myself with a nice lead so from there on in I went at my own pace and built up a good lead and finished the race in first. It was an extra good weekend as I had won the race and the overall series winning four out of the four rounds so a very nice way to end my season.

It has been a very good year for me and I have learnt a lot, now it’s time chill out and have some time off before dabbling in some cross towards the end of the year. I would like to give a huge thank you to everyone that has helped me out and supported me this year especially my Family, Coach Phil Dixon, Friends, Boardman Bikes, Mount Zoom Products, Braveheart cycling fund, Bank of Scotland Local Heroes, Squirt Lube and everybody that has cheered me on and given me support throughout the year.
Cheers
Grant

Youth Commonwealth Games

Well my latest trip away racing was to Isle Of Man for the Youth Commonwealth games with team Scotland. It was the first time I have been to an international games event which so I was looking forward to it, that fact it was a games meant there was a big team of 50 different athletes going from Scotland and competing in 7 different sports. The cycling team consisted of Me, Stu, Taylor and Jack and we would be competing in three different events, a time-trial, Road race and a criterium. So the trip started when we left from Scotland in nice new kit on Tuesday 6^th in two coaches heading for Heysham where we were getting the boat. We arrived there in plenty of time and boarded the boat for a four hour journey to Isle of Man on a windy day which meant it was really rough! We eventually arrived though in time to get some munch and get into our accommodation which was a rather nice hotel. We then had a couple of days to have a look at the different courses before the cycling competitions started on Friday night. Firstly on the Thursday we had the Opening Ceremony of the games which consisted of all the nations going through a ceremony in the main stadium then sitting down to listen to some speeches followed by a dance show from Isle of man dance clubs which was something new and that I really enjoyed! J Then the next day competition started and the first event was a 7km time-trial along the promenade in the main town of Douglas on the island; it was a flat course with one hair pin in it and rather windy. I set out relatively hard but kept a bit back for the head wind on the way back and then just got stuck in, ended up crossing the line and went into third but dropped back and finished in 11^th place in a time of 9.51. 

The next day was the Road Race which was on a 7.5km loop that we did 13 times, it was a flattish loop but very windy and the start finish was the grandstand for the famous TT on the island. So we got there about mid day to start early in the afternoon had a bit of a spin and I was ready to go. We lined up in nations order and then we started. There was a lot of attacking first lap by different nations and a couple of crashes on the wet road but I stayed towards the front to avoid any trouble. Then after about a lap and a half a couple of the favourites attacked and I could see that it was a strong move so I got across to it and found myself in a 4 man break. We worked together and caught a boy that was up the road to create a group of 5 and it was a strong group so I was happy. The group consisted of me, Wales, England, South Africa and Australia and we did a couple of laps hard to get a gap from the bunch with two more Australians riding across to us to make a group 7 then one of them was dropped which took us down to 6 in the break. Then we worked together until the final couple of laps were we had a lead of 4min over the bunch and we started to attack each other but nobody got away and I thought about trying to go as I knew I would struggle to contest a sprint but we had been away all race and my legs were suffering. So as we came down to the final straight it was a big headwind and we s-bended all over the road and finally began to sprint with about 200 metres to go where I tried to sprint but was nowhere near as strong at sprinting as the people I was up against and finished in 6^th place. Although the people to beat me were two Australians that are current World Champions at team pursuit and points on the track and the Welsh and English men are European champions at team pursuit so I was up against it to do well in a sprint. Then the final day of competition started and it was the Criterium in the centre of Douglas. This race was going to be hard as it was an 800metre course, very windy and wet, and some mats covering tram lines to cross. We had a big warm up as we knew it would be flat out from the start as it was a shortish course so we had to be ready to race. As we lined up and they blew the whistle it was flat out and I was on the limit first couple of laps till I got going and put myself in the front group that formed of about 7, there was a fair bit of carnage in the early laps on the corners with plenty of people sliding out. Then as we got settled there was an Australian about 10 seconds up the our group which had me, another two Australians, Englishman, Welshman, South African, Canadian and a boy from isle of man. So our group was 8 and we ended up lapping everybody else so we were the only ones in the race. It was quite a tactical race as the Australians put someone up the road all they had to do was cover the counter moves which they did well and coming into the final few laps the Aussie was still up the road and our group was still 8 people. So on last lap I moved up and put myself towards the front coming out the last bend and sprinted flat out and finished the race in 5^th place which I was pleased with as it was such a crazy race. So that was the racing done and I could then chill out a bit and we went to watch some of the other competitions such as the boxing which was good to cheer on Scotland! Then the next day we had a cultural day and went for a ride in a steam train and a castle which was a good day and got a chance to find out how the other sports got on and we did well winning a lot of medals so was good trip for team Scotland. Then we finished off with the closing ceremony which was a good laugh and finally our journey home the next day which wasn’t as bad as the journey to Isle of Man. So all in all it was a great experience and a good trip and would like to thank all the people that made it happen and Mark MacKay and Graeme Herd for looking after us cyclists and to the rest of team Scotland for looking after everyone and the support. Thanks! J

World XCO Mountain Bike Championships

Hi all,
My most recent race was the World Championships and it was being held in Champery, Switzerland. After competing in the Val Di sole world cup the previous week we had travelled straight to Switzerland and we arrived there 10 days before my competitions. We were staying in a nice hotel a couple of miles from the course and in the middle of the Alps so the views were something else. Once we got there we had a couple of easy days before some 3-4 hour rides and plenty of laps of the course. The course was very good, I knew it before I arrived as I had raced a world cup on it last year and it was very similar, lots of roots quite hilly and for my race it was muddy. I had two races for worlds, the team relay was first on the Wednesday then on the Thursday it was my junior men's race. The team relay was something I hadn’t done before but it consisted of a 4 person team and each person did a lap of the course. Our team consisted of me, Kenta Gee, Tracy Moseley and Liam Killeen. We arrived at the course plenty of time before and got set up; our lead out man was Kenta, with me taking the second leg followed by Tracy then Liam finishing it off. It was exciting getting ready to race and once I finished my warm up I headed over to the start where Kenta tagged me and off I went it was one lap as hard as I could. I managed to reel in people and ended up having a race with two other juniors for my lap and came through in 7th and sent Tracy on her way. It was a very hard race effort but I was pleased with how I went and we ended up finishing in 9th which was great. 

I then headed back to the hotel to get some food and a good night’s sleep before the next day which was my race. My race was in the afternoon so we arrived at the team arena in plenty of time which meant I could sort out bottles and complete my warm up. I headed over to the pens 15minutes before my race start and chilled out waiting to be called to the line. The gridding was based on world rankings and my current world ranking was 9th and with 8 people on a row I would be the first man on the second row. As I headed to the start line I decided in the middle in between the two favourites for the race was my best place to start. My race was 4 laps of the course plus a start loop and the field was just over 100 people.

They counted down through the minutes then with 15 seconds to go I was ready, The start was crazy with people trying to fit through gaps that didn’t exist and taking some crazy lines but I stayed towards the front and out of trouble. The race began to split up the main climb and as we entered the first decent I was third wheel which was perfect. Then as I headed down the decent I came round a corner to find the two boys that were ahead laid on the ground tangled in each other so a quick bunny hop over his bike and I was in the lead! This meant I had a good view of the decent and I was able to build up some time and when I finished the start loop I found myself with a 20second lead, ya beauty! I then wasn’t sure what to do because I knew it was a long race and we were only on lap one so didn’t want to get carried away but at the same time didn’t want to hang about. I eventually got reeled in by the French national champ about half way through the lap and I followed him for the rest of the lap but I couldn’t hold his wheel as he attacked up the main climb. Then at the end of the lap I got caught by another French cyclist and a Costa Rican which was better as I could follow their wheels and I managed to get in a rhythm through all the roots and mud. We stayed together for the rest of that lap but by the end the French boy had punctured and the cost Rican drifted about 15 seconds ahead with the French leader now about 50 seconds up. I kept up my own pace then for half a lap then got joined by a Swiss cyclist and a New Zealand to form a group of three. I was able to settle into this and going into the last lap we were catching the Costa Rican cyclist. As we climbed the final hill The New Zealand boy attacked and I tried to follow which dropped the other Swiss boy and put me in 4th but I couldn’t hold the New Zealand’s wheel and he rode across to the Costa Rican who was still just 10seconds ahead but they began to race for silver and bronze and I dangled further back. I tried to make up time on the final decent so I couple be in with a chance of a medal but I wasn’t able to bring them back but I was still very pleased as I crossed the line to take 4th place at the World Championships. 

Link to report with results and photos, http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/uci-mountain-bike-world-championships-cm-2/junior-men-cross-country/results
I have a couple more races left this season with the Youth commonwealth games coming up this week followed by the final national round.

Thanks for reading, Grant

Val Di Sole World Cup

Since my last report I have had the final world cup round which was being held in Val Di Sole, Italy. I travelled to the race on Wednesday and since my race was on Sunday morning which was a change from usual I had a couple of days on my hands before the race. I spent these days doing a couple of laps of the course so I knew it well and some steady rides on the hilly roads. The course was really hilly and rather technical. It was also covered in a lot of dust which was something I wasn’t quite use to riding in as it made it very slippy and was a bit of a challenge. As I lined up on the start line early on Sunday morning I was front row and looking forward to the race. It started very fast and there was a lot of jostling of position through the start loop but I held a top 3 position for the start loop then when we got on course I broke away into the lead group of 4 of us. The pace was flat out first lap and I lost contact with the front group towards the end of the lap and stayed in 4th for a couple of laps about 20sconds off second place. I then got caught by a Spanish cyclist and I was able to use his wheel and we stayed about 30seconds behind the podium. As we approached the finish he was stronger than me and I couldn’t hold on to him on the final climb and he opened up a 10second lead which put me into 5th which is where I finally finished. It was a hard race on a hard course but I pleased with my result. Next up is the Mountain Bike World Championships in Switzerland.

Thanks for reading,

Grant

Youth Commonwealth Games Selection

I am happy that I have been selected to represent Scotland at the Youth Commonwealth Games which are being held in Isle of Man in September. The event involves 7 different sports and there is a total of 50 different athletes from the 7 sports representing Scotland. In terms of cycling there will be three events, a 15km time-trial, a 60km road race and a Criterium. My fellow team members are Stuart Mccluskey, Jack Barrett and Taylor Johnstone so it should be a very good event! Here is a photo thanks to Rebecca Lees. :)

European Mountain Bike Championships

My latest competition was the European Cross country MTB championships that were being held in Dohnany, Slovakia. We travelled there on Wednesday and then on Thursday we got on the course for a couple of laps pre-ride. The course was good it was hilly but not too technical so it was going to be a fast race, it was also sunny so it was going to be a hot race. I had spent the couple of weeks running into the race doing some good training rides on my MTB and having finished a mid season road block I was confidant but a little unsure of my form as I lined up for the start. As it was European champs all the different nations were in tents next to each other so as i warmed up it was plain to see who the competition was. After my warm up, I then headed over to the boxes where I waited to get gridded. I knew the people to watch having raced the first couple of world cup rounds and my world ranking of 7th meant that I was on the front row which was important for getting a good start.

As I lined up and they counted down the minutes to the start I was getting a bit nervous but soon enough 15seconds to go approached and I was ready, then they blew the whistle I was off. I had a good start and was third wheel after the start loop so I held the wheels through the first twisty section then as we started the first main climb the race began to split and line out with the favourite a Belgium putting in a big effort and a Swiss boy going with him. I was third at this point with a couple of French riders and we set about chasing them back. I stayed in third after two laps about 20seconds behind the Belgium rider with the Swiss rider starting to pay for his early moves, a group of about 5 was 20 seconds further back chasing me. Going into the third lap I had managed to catch the Swiss boy on the climb and put a bit of time into him so the only rider left in front was the Belgium rider at about 20seconds. I was still feeling good when I got to lap four but I wasn’t catching him and he started to drift further away to about 40seconds and I hoped he would start to pay last lap and I would still stand a chance of catching him. As the bell rung going into the final lap I still had some energy left so I kept pressing on the pedals as hard as I could and put in the fastest last lap but I couldn’t bring him back and as I went round the final bend and crossed the line I had finished the European Championships in second place 34 seconds behind the Belgium Cyclist which I was very happy about! It was my first trip to the podium at International level and a silver medal so I am very pleased!!  Next up I have a world cup at Val Di Sole, Italy, followed by World Championships at the end of the month in Switzerland. Thanks for reading Grant.

European Road Race Championships

After my trip to the Basque country I headed to Italy to take part in the European road race championships. We arrived there to 40 degrees which was rather hot and took a bit of adapting but we got there on Tuesday so plenty of time before the race on Saturday. The race consisted of 8 laps round a relatively hilly loop with about 160 starters from 33 different nations. We spent the week running into the race doing some easy rides and a couple of laps of the course so we could get used to it. On race day we didn’t have to get up to early as it was an afternoon race but we spent the morning getting sorted and ready. It was going to be a very hot race about 35 degrees which meant we would have to take on a lot of water to survive the 110km. We headed to the sign on then headed to the start, I ended up arriving there late as I was trying to dodge the sun but luckily enough there was a gridding order in alphabetical order which meant I ended up about third row. The start isn’t usually to important but it started in to a climb and decent so I wanted to avoid any of the carnage that might unfold first couple of laps. So once everyone was lined up off we went and I moved up and kept myself towards the front of the race the first couple of laps with a small break of 5 going up the road. As it was a hot day and the level of the race the tactics for the race were just to watch and wait and that’s what I did, there were no big splits so I just kept myself hidden in the bunch and saved my legs. At about half way in the race I looked back to see that the bunch had shrunk in size due to the course and heat and there was about 60 left and the break had now been reeled back in. So it was still anyone’s game. All the action started to kick off in the final two laps of the circuit. I ended up having a problem at the top of the decent with my chain getting wrapped round the cranks so had to stop and fix that before chasing back on the decent which meant I was off the road a couple of times trying to make the corners as I didn’t plan on getting dropped because of a mechanical, although after about 10min I was back in the race. As we went into the last lap there was a break of five that was just up the road and as we hit the climb it was time to make a move. People were spread out all over the climb but a group of 6 started to get away and I then attacked from the peloton which was getting small by now and managed to move myself into this group, so as we went over the top of the climb there was a group of three leading then another group of three just ahead of our group of about seven then the bunch further behind. Our group wasn’t going to work because people had team mates up the road so there was lots of attacking but I just followed the wheels then the sprint started to begin about 500m to go and with 300 to go I got past two people and crossed the line in 12th place. I was pleased with my result as it was my first championship event on the road and I had been involved in the race, it was a great experience. The downside of me taking part in this race was the fact that I would miss National MTB Championships next day on Sunday in Yorkshire but it wasn’t possible for me to get back and I chose to race the bigger event. Thanks for reading, Grant.

Tour of Biskaia

We had our second stage race in Basque a couple of weeks ago and it was much bigger with 180 starters and much more aggressive similar to Belgium racing. The first stage was a road race with no big climbs and quite rolling. I didn’t start this stage well as my legs were really suffering and I just wasn’t feeling myself, so up until about half way through the stage I was mainly near the back of the peloton, during this time a group of about 20 riders had gone up the road and had about 1.30. I started to get into the race at about half way through and tried to get myself off the front of the peloton, eventually I did with two other boys, and we started a three up time trial with about 4 boys sitting on getting a free ride as they had team mates in the break. It was close in the end as we caught the break in the last 500m of the race which I never realised was the finish and didn’t really get a chance to sprint. The main thing was we finishing the stage on same time and in 16th place.
The next day was a road race but a bit more hilly, after about 5miles I was warned it went into single roads with a lot of hairpins so I kept myself in the top 10 and looked for attacks, no groups formed so I attacked myself and was joined by most of the jerseys and a group formed of about 20 of us again. This group got smaller as we went over some climbs but then three boys attacked from us and got away and then we spent the rest of the day chasing, I suffered from cramp towards the end of the stage and had to hang on to the group to make it back to the finish, ended up in the second group of 6 behind the three leaders. This put me in 10th place overall.
The next day was another road race and it didn’t start so well with one of the team cars crashing on the way to the race and getting oil over the road, this caused it to be neutralised for a hefty amount of time. When we got going though there was a decent second category climb which I was looking forward to, as we began the climb I kept myself towards the front and the group gradually got smaller with about 20 left half way up, this is where I attacked and I got a good gap with only 4 boys eventually bridging the gap to me by the top of the climb. At the top of the climb there was mountain points and I planned to go for them until I got boxed in with one person in front and one at my side putting me in the bushes so I had to go behind them then attack again to lose the sprint for the points and coming over the top in second. It was then a very technical decent and with all the jerseys there, there was a lot of attacking as people tried to get away but to no avail. I then decided I would go on the attack with what I thought was 1km to go  fully committed but soon enough realised it was 5km and got caught at the bottom of another climb which meant I was losing wheels but somehow made it again into the second group with 5 up the road, losing another 30 seconds. That was the second time I had done that and going into the final day I made sure we had driven the final 5km so I knew exactly where the finish was.
 The final day was a split day with a short road race in the morning and a time trial in the afternoon. It was quite a short road race and it had rained which meant some slippy roads and plenty of crashes. I stayed in the bunch this time and it gradually got smaller and with an uphill finish I was able to move up and attack towards the end of the stage finishing in 6th place which moved me up to 7th place overall with one stage left to go. The final stage was a rolling 15km time trial which I was looking forward to as there was a bit of a climb in the middle. So after a good warm up I headed over to the start and off I went, to start off with I thought I had gone too hard to early but It was okay and with team shouting from the following car at the first split I was up by 20sec on the current leader which I was happy about, so I kept ploughing along and went hard as I could up the final climb before descending back into the finishing town. When I crossed the line I was in 2nd place 1second down but with 10 riders still to go I finished the stage in 6th place again which put me in an overall position of 6th. It was a good stage race but took me some time adapting to the Spanish style of racing but overall was rather happy at the end. Thanks for reading Grant.

Tour of Gizpuzkoa

We had the first stage race of our trip to Basque at the weekend, the tour of Gizpuzkoa. It consisted of a prologue and 3 road races with around 130 starters. We arrived at the prologue venue on the Friday night to find a 2km very tricky course, by very tricky I mean speed bumps, cobbles, kerbs and lots of hay bales. It was a lap round the town and had two 15% climbs in it which would make it more of a challenge. We all warmed up and soon off I went to the start and got the bike check done and waited for the off. The race went well for me except dropping my chain on a rough section but luckily got it back on for the final climb to the finish. I ended up finishing the stage in 3rd spot which was a nice surprise as usually prologues and TT’s are not so good for me.
So the next day I was up for it and it was a hilly road race. On the way to the start we drove the final climb which was 3km with the finish at the top, looked good. We sorted our stuff then headed to the sign on as a team before lining up for the start. It was neutralised for the first decent then the race was on, I soon found myself marked by the other teams which was a problem but the first split of the day happened on the decent which was a first for me. It was nuts, seen two crashes and I was off the road twice more just trying to keep up with the front group round the twisty corners. At the bottom we had a 20man group with about 30 seconds but it was short lived and the race soon came back together. The race continued along and as we approached the final climb I had made it into the front group off about 8 people without the yellow jersey and with a couple of solo attacks up the road. The climb wasn’t too steep so I waited for an attack to come and it was from a lad in a pink team, I followed along with the green jersey and off we went. He paced the whole climb but we couldn’t catch one of the boys who were still up the road and he went on to win the stage by 12 seconds and I finished third spot behind him and the green jersey. This kept me in third overall 10 seconds down. We then went back to our accommodation which was with the other teams and right next to the beach and got some munch before the next day.

The third stage was another road race and just as hilly as the day before but there was also the heat which was going to be a big problem, it was 42 degrees the whole stage! It was the hottest I had ever raced in and it felt like I was in a sauna all day! Lucky for me I don’t mind the heat but it meant drinking about two litres every hour. Stu however hated the heat and therefore decided that since he was suffering so bad he would do the trips to the following car to get water which was quality and we were able to chill out in the bunch. There was a plan for the day and that was to make it to the final day without doing much work and then trying to gain at least 10 seconds on the final climb. The race panned out that there was a split on the main decent and me and Taylor got in it after dodging some hefty crashes and a group formed of about 15 going into the last climb. I attacked early in the climb and caused some damage but the yellow jersey was stuck to my wheel. I attacked a couple more times throughout the climb but couldn’t shift him and over the top we created a group of roughly 7 which worked until the finish which was uphill.  I went early in the sprint but got over taken by the yellow jersey in the last 100m and got 2nd place losing a further 2 seconds. So going into the final day I was 2nd in general classification 12 seconds behind.

The final stage was relatively flat start with one main climb 5km from the finish which we drove it on the way to the start, it looked steep and long enough to get some time. It was a good start to the day as I got to wear the green jersey as I was second in the stage points classification to the yellow which was the first time I had worn a jersey in a stage race which I was pleased about, on the downside I got a puncture on the way to the start which meant a wheel change and a bit of rushing about. Soon enough we were at the start with a plan: this consisted of Stu and Jack covering the early moves and Taylor staying with me all day. I just had to watch the yellow jersey and a couple of other numbers to make sure there were no sly moves up the road and keep hidden and save the legs for the final climb and then go flat out and try and get the 12 seconds needed. The plan worked with Stu getting in the early move of the day which took the pressure of us to chase as we had a man up the road but unfortunately it was eventually brought back. Then 3km from the bottom of the final climb we came out to play, I was sitting about 10th wheel in the bunch and I look across the road to see, Alain, Jack and Taylor lining it out, perfect! I slotted in behind Taylor and off we went ripping it along the coast and lining out the whole bunch. Alain then swung off with jack up next putting in a big turn and then finally Taylor doing his turn as we arrived at the bottom of the climb, spot on. I then attacked right from the bottom with the only one person able to follow, the yellow jersey. I ramped up the pace and started to put some attacks in to try and crack him and get a gap but I couldn’t shake him. I kept on the front with the pace as high as I could in the hope he couldn’t hold the wheel but every time I went he seemed to hold on. As I approached the top of the climb I knew it was getting harder to get the 12 seconds I needed but he was very strong and in the end he held me wheel. As we went over the top it was 5km of downhill to the finish and we had pulled out a lead of 40 seconds to 3rd wheel so it was going to be another sprint for the stage win. As we approached the final km we were keeping an eye on each other then with about 400m to go I went flat out in the hope I could go for longer move but he was much stronger and in the last 50m he came over the top of me to take the win in the stage. So at the end of the stage race I finished 2nd in GC, 2nd in stage points and 3rd in the mountains with the team also taking 2nd spot. So in the end it was a very good stage race for me and some top rides by all the lads to help me get there! Cheers for reading, Grant

I arrived in the Basque country and spent the first week doing some training rides and enjoying the weather. This weekend I had my first race in the Basque country; it started with a long lie as we weren’t racing until the afternoon. We arranged to meet in the afternoon at the club house and give our bags to the team before peddling to the start which was about 5 miles away. The route was about 85km so quite short compared to my usual race length and it was flat for the first half with some longish climbs in the second half. We lined up about ten minutes before the start with about 90 other Basque Junior cyclists and just chilled out with fellow team mates Disco Stu and the Baby Face. The race started neutralised out of the town then soon enough we had started, the first 30min was okay with nothing interesting happening except some small attempts at a break. Then after about 10miles I followed a boy attacking and we were joined by Stu and about 5 others which created a group of 8. It was an exciting time as nobody in the bunch was willing to chase so we soon started to create a gap, and it was looking promising! The main man in the break was the Argentina national champ who is over racing in Basque and he is in the strongest team so I was in the right place. The gap continued to grow to a min when we were joined by the team cars and then 1.30 and 2min where it stayed until the long climb. Me and Stu where feeling rather good and had been putting in some decent turns on the front to make sure we kept the gap. We finally arrived at the main climb of the race, which was about 6/7 mile long with a steady gradient. The group was now getting nervous with people wondering who was going to attack. Me and Stu where patient though and eventually the Argentina Champ attacked and I was right on his wheel with one other boy which now created a group of three. It was then a bit of a game with neither of them wanting to work and forcing me to the front which I didn’t like so I decided to put in a small attack which got rid of one of the boys so it was just me and the Argentinean left. I thought this is good and asked if he wanted to work so we could get a good lead but he kept shaking his head and saying that he didn’t work. Well I wasn’t planning on towing him to the finish, so with him sitting on my wheel I put in an attack as hard as I could and I looked back after about a min to see a nice gap. The boss in his team car was going nuts at him to chase but he couldn’t so that was good, although I was fairly worried though as I still had 10miles to the finish on my own and most of it was flat or with small drags. I got on with it and started ripping into it all the way to the finish with the lads in the team car going crazy at me, I thought I was bound to get caught so kept going hard as I could, then on the final climb towards the finish they came up next to me and told me I had 3min, yaa beautyyyyy!  First place can’t complain for my first race here, job done! We also won first team and I also won the mountains competition which I didn’t realise until the end.

Wasing BMBS

I had the third round of the national mtb series at the weekend at Wasing park near London. We travelled down on friday which was a long journey and then stayed nearby so we could have a long lie on the Saturday morning. On the Saturday I pre rode three laps of the course which I had never rode before and it was relativly flat and non technical, I didnt mind this though as it was a change compared to the hilly races. Then after a good nights sleep on saturday we arrived at the race early so that my sister could race in the junior female, she also did very well and finished 1st junior which is awesomee! The course had changed a lot overnight due to heavy rain and it was now very slippy. The race started and was not too fast for the first couple of laps with a group forming of about 4 of us, I crashed first lap due to some silly mistakes in the mud but I caught back up. After three laps I attacked on a slight climb and managed to get a small gap over the rest of the group which eventully split up and I held off to the finish and joined my sister on the top step of the podium. So a very good day for the Ferguson family. I was also recently awarded athlete of the month from the youth commenwealth games which I was very pleased about and I have attached the report on that, aswel as some pics of Wasing. I am now in the basque country for the next month to race some road.

.http://www.cgcs.org.uk/news-and-media/latest-news/2011/youth-games-athlete-of-the-month-ferguson-on-the-road-to-success/