Dan Lloyd to Front Global Cycling Network!

Daniel Lloyd is set to be the face of a new cycling Youtube channel, launched on January 1st 2013. The Global Cycling Network will go live on New Year’s Day and former professional, Lloyd, along with his co-presenters are very excited about the new venture. Backed by internet giants, Google &Youtube, the Global Cycling Network will cover all aspects of cycling. “From mending punctures & basic maintenance tips to turbo training ideas; from the spring classics to the grand tours and the Tour of Britain, we will be there” Lloyd told “Local Riders”. The revolutionary channel promises to change the world of cycling and the way fans access and watch the sport. Subscription to GCN will be free and further presenters will be announced before the official launch. (Link on top Right)

Lars Bak Wins Stage 12, Giro d' Italia! Dan LLoyd gets the Money Shot

Well, maybe not!

Local Riders,Local Races

Darren Kenny OBE, retained his 1 KM time trial title on day 3 at the world championships in Los Angeles. Verwood- based Kenny clocked 1:12.496 in his four lap effort, more than a second faster than David Nicholas (Australia). Great Britain team mate Shaun McKeown also made the podium, picking up the bronze medal. Kenny had bounced back well after the disappointment of losing his 3km pursuit title to Nicholas on day 2. The multiple world & Paralympic champion had been caught by the Australian in the final ride and had to settle for silver. Another Silver followed in the team sprint final as Kenny, along with Sarah Storey and Jody Cundy lost out to the Chinese trio. Meanwhile Barney Storey had to settle for silver for the second consecutive year in the tandem kilo. Storey and visually impaired stoker Neil Fachie came agonisingly close to gold, finishing just 0.0099 seconds behind teammates Anthony Kappes & Craig MacLean. Storey and Fachie were on course for a final showdown with their GB rivals after beating Canada in the quarter finals. However the Corfe Mullen rider was taken ill and had to withdraw from the semi-final with the Netherlands. Kappes & Maclean went on to win the title comfortably beating the Dutch pairing 2-0.Once again GB topped the medal table but it had been a challenging week for the whole squad. The jet lag from the long flight hung around longer than expected. Shaun McKeown spent most of one night in the hospital after suffering an allergic reaction to something he ate.

Rising star, Mark Colbournes father had passed away on the opening day of the championships. His gold medal winning ride in the C1 pursuit was fuelled by emotion. Barney Storeys illness and subsequent withdrawal from the tandem sprint undoubtedly cost him & Neil Fachie a medal. Instead of riding against the Netherlands in the semi-final, Storey was forced to return to the team hotel. “That’s bike racing” was his disappointed response. Perhaps this had been on Sarah Storeys mind as the sprint team surrendered their world title to the Chinese.

Photo,Kelkel
Lead Coach Chris Furber offered no excuses however and remains positive, Furber told “E D” “I’m satisfied with the performance at the Worlds, to be in gold or silver medal position in 14 events puts us in a great place for the games. The next month is about reviewing performance and formulating detailed plans for the run-in to London." After a few days rest for the squad thoughts will turn to the road. An endurance camp in Majorca in March will be followed by world cup events in Italy and Spain. The track events at the Paralympic games will be held in the Velodrome at the Olympic park, while the road events will take place at Brands Hatch.

Perfs Pedal Race

Chris Opie (Team UK Youth) won the season opening, Perfs Pedal race on Portsdown Hill. The race went ahead, although reduced from 5 laps to four, after the VC ST Raphael organising team had worked hard to clear ice from the course.

Team UK Youth had controlled the race from the start, strength in numbers and a race plan ensured no one was allowed to escape the bunch.Doug Dewey(Terra Footwear-Bicycle line)lead a small group clear on the final climb before Opie attacked to take a comfortable win.

Perfs Pedal images courtesy of www.velouk.net
Top Ten
1 Chris OPIE Team UK Youth
2 Marcin BIALOBLOCKI Node4 Giordana
3 Jonathan McEVOY Endura Racing
4 David McGOWAN Team UK Youth
5 Erick ROWSELL Endura Racing
6 Jon DIBBEN Hargroves Cycles-Specialized-Trant-Next-Elliott's
7 Freddy JOHANSSON Team UK Youth
8 Ben SIMMONS Team Wiggle
9 Yanto BARKER Team UK Youth
10 Douglas DEWEY Terra Footwear- Bicycle Line



Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 100 mile Reliability Trial

Bournemouth Jubilee Wheeler, Mike Walsh, organiser of the clubs hugely successful reliability trial series reports on the 100 mile event. The four tourist trials across the winter months have proved very popular.
"54 riders started, 27 on the 100 in 8 and also 27 on the 100 km. 24 finished the 100 in 8 and 26 the 100 km.

A fantastic finish ratio. The fastest group finished in just over 6 hours whereas there was a couple on the 100 km who returned just before 4 p.m. Although a cold start to the day the roads were dry and any water draining from the fields could be identified and thus the ice patches avoided. The weather became less cold through the day and the riders experienced minimal wind. All riders seemed happy upon their return and tucked into the tea and cakes provided under the guidance of Aimée Barber. (Other helpers were Dave Langley, Mike and Jo Gordon, Reg Haskins, Aimée, Matt, Sue [Barber family], Jacky and Clive). I had a large glass of wine in the evening."

Racing Club Omega has a packed calendar of circuit & track events in the south in 2012. Next Sunday (19th) is the start of the Mountbatten Circuits at the Mountbatten Centre at North End in Portsmouth.
Starting at 10am, there are races for Category 4/Women/category 3 and finally a race for Elite 1/2 category riders.
The 4th category race is on for 10am followed by the women’s race and category 3 event at 11.30. The E/1/2 race is at 1pm.
DIRECTIONS:
Follow M275 direction Continental Ferry Port. Take slip direction North End, at RAB take first slip up Twyford Avenue to mini RAB, Follow route,’Out of City’ up Northern Parade, where left at signpost Cannons Sports Club / Alexandra Bowls. Follow road down to back of the Mountbatten Centre. Cycle Track is out the back. PLEASE NOTE THE SPEED RESTRICTIONS ON THE M275
OTHER EVENTS 2012
Sunday 11th March 2012
OMEGA PORTSMOUTH CIRCUITS CD: 14/03/11 Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth
YOUTH U16/U14/U12/U10/U8 3.00 5.00 Var 0945
REGIONAL C+ 4 / J4 8.00 10.00 40 km 1030
REGIONAL A WOMEN 8.00 10.00 40 km 1030
REGIONAL B 3 / J3 8.00 10.00 56 km 1130
NATIONAL B E / 1 / 2 8.00 10.00 56 km 1300

Sunday 18th March 2012
OMEGA THRUXTON CIRCUITS CD: 05/03/11 Thruxton Motor Circuit, Andover
YOUTH U16/U14/U12/U10/U8 3.00 5.00 Var 0930

REGIONAL C+ 4 / J4 10.00 15.00 40 km 1015
REGIONAL A WOMEN 10.00 15.00 40 km 1015
REGIONAL B 3 / J3 10.00 15.00 56 km 1130
NATIONAL B E / 1 / 2 10.00 15.00 56 km 1300
Sunday 25th March 2012
OMEGA THRUXTON CIRCUITS CD: 12/03/11 Thruxton Motor Circuit, Andover
YOUTH U16/U14/U12/U10/U8 3.00 5.00 Var 0930
REGIONAL C+ 4 / J4 10.00 15.00 40 km 1015
REGIONAL A WOMEN 10.00 15.00 40 km 1015
REGIONAL B 3 / J3 10.00 15.00 56 km 1130
NATIONAL B E / 1 / 2 10.00 15.00 56 km 1300
Wednesdays 4th 11th 18th 25th April 2nd MAY 2012

RAY MARTIN MEMORIAL 150 DISTANCE LEAGUE Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth
CD: 23/03/11 for the series price of YOUTH 15.00 SENIORS E/1/2/3/4/W/J 32.00

Per meeting

YOUTH U16/U14/U12/U10/U8 4.00 4.00 Var 1815

REGIONAL B 3/4/J/W 8.00 10.00 40 mins+ 1845

NATIONAL B E/1/2/3 8.00 10.00 50 mins+ 1945
Saturday 7th April 2012

PORTSMOUTH EASTER CIRCUITS Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth
REGIONAL C+ 4 / J4 £8.00 (£10.00) 40 mins 0900
REGIONAL A WOMEN £8.00 (£10.00) 50 mins 1000
REGIONAL B 3 / J3 £8.00 (£10.00) 50 mins 1000
NATIONAL B E / 1 / 2 / J1 / J2 £8.00 (£10.00) 1 hour 1100
PORTSMOUTH EASTER OPEN MEET inc THE NEW KINGSBURY CUP & A ROUND OF THE BC HARD TRACK ENDURANCE LEAGUE

Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth
TRACK SM / W / J 10.00 15.00 1300

TRACK U16 / U14 /U12 Fixed 5.00 8.00

U12/U10/U8 Free wheel 5.00 8.00
Wednesday 16th May – 19th September 2012

PORTSMOUTH CIRCUITS Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth

YOUTH U16/U14/U12/U10/U8 4.00 4.00 Var 1815

REGIONAL B 3/4/J/W 10.00 10.00 52 km 1845

NATIONAL B E/1/2/3 10.00 10.00 52 km 1930
Sunday 20th May 2012
SOUTH REGION BC ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS Upavon
OPEN TO SOUTH REGION RIDERS ONLY
NATIONAL B E/1/2/3 130 km+ £15.00 (£20.00 ) 1030
REGIONAL A JUNIORS ONLY 80 km+ £15.00 (£20.00 ) 1040
REGIONAL A WOMEN ONLY 80 km+ £15.00 (£20.00 ) 1040
REGIONAL B 4/ over 40 3rd cats 80 km+ £15.00 (£20.00 ) 1040
Saturday 23rd JUNE 2012

BRITISH SCHOOLS CYCLING ASSOCIATION

NATIONAL HILL CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIPS Inc Southern Regional Championships CD: 09/04/12 Ditcham Park School, Petersfield
U8 / U10 / U12 / U14 / U16 / O16 NATIONAL 6.00 tbc

No entry on the day NATIONAL & REGIONAL 8.00

Sunday 24th JUNE 2012

BRITISH SCHOOLS CYCLING ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL HARD TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS Inc Southern Regional Championships CD: 09/04/12 Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth
U8 / U10 / U12 / U14 / U16 / O16 NATIONAL 6.00 1100

No entry on the day NATIONAL & REGIONAL 8.00

U8 / U10 / U12 use a free wheel machine U14 / U16 / O16 used a fixed wheel machine
Sunday 10th June 2012

SUSIES YOUTH TRACK MEETING inc Youth Omniums ~ Southern Area Heat CD: 05/04/10 Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth
TRACK U16 / U14 / U12 8.00 10.00 1000

YOUTH U10 / U8 5.00 8.00

Saturday 18th June 2011
OMEGA STAGE RACE: (TT & CIRCUITS) Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth REGIONAL C+ 4 / J4 £10.00 (£15.00) 0900

REGIONAL A WOMEN £10.00 (£15.00) 0945
REGIONAL B 3 / J3 £10.00 (£15.00) 1030
NATIONAL B E / 1 / 2 / J1 / J2 £10.00 (£15.00) 1100
YOUTH CIRCUITS Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth

YOUTH U16/U14/U12/U10/U8 £3.00 (£5.00) Var 1200
Sunday 15th JULY 2012
SOUTH OPEN CIRCUITS- open to non south region riders only Thruxton
REGIONAL B 3/4/J/W 40 mins+ 3 laps £10.00 (£15.00) 0900
REGIONAL A E/1/2 50 mins+ 3 laps £10.00 (£15.00) 1040
YOUTH U10 / U8 Var £3.00 (£5.00) 1115
YOUTH U16 / U14 / U12 Var £3.00 (£5.00) 1130

SOUTH REGION BC ROAD CIRCUIT CHAMPIONSHIPS Thruxton
OPEN TO SOUTH REGION RIDERS ONLY
YOUTH U10 / U8 Var £3.00 (£5.00) 1115
YOUTH U16 / U14 / U12 Var £3.00 (£5.00) 1130

REGIONAL A JUNIORS ONLY 40 mins+ 3 laps £10.00 (£15.00) 1200
REGIONAL A WOMEN ONLY 40 mins+ 3 laps £10.00 (£15.00) 1200

REGIONAL B 4/ over 40 3rd cats 40 mins+ 3 laps £10.00 (£15.00) 1200

NATIONAL B E/1/2/3 80 mins+ 3 laps £10.00 (£15.00) 1300

ALL ENTRIES TO: Mrs Susan KNIGHT 21 Bedhampton Road North End PORTSMOUTH
PO2 7JX 023 9264 2226
Thruxton’s/Open Track/ Sat Portsmouth’s Cheques to: Racing Club Omega

Wednesdays nights at Portsmouth Track Cheques to: Portsmouth Cycle Track League

Daniel Lloyd (Team I G Markets-Sigma Sport) is currently commentating on the Tour of the Algarve for Eurosport. The I G Markets-Sigma team will be officially launched in London today before heading out to Tuscany for some warm weather training. As well as racing, Lloyd revealed on Eurosport that he will be working at the Giro d'Italia in a commentary role for the channel.

Local Riders, Local Races

Photo,David Wade
Jordan Wade (Poole Wheelers) had to settle for second place in round 3 of the Ludgershall winter road race series. Wade lost out by a tyre’s width after leading the sprint out at the Wiltshire venue and comes after his 4th place the previous week. The seventeen year old has bounced back after a difficult start to the year. Racing on the purpose built circuit at Hillingdon in West London, Wade crashed in his first two outings of the season. His confidence was dented but he has stuck at it and the results are starting to come. Wareham-based Wade is a bit of an all-rounder, riding Cyclo-cross, mountain biking and time trials.

He started road racing as a first year junior last season (2011) and quickly got his third category licence. A regular at the Moreton series, Wade is quickly gaining experience and with that experience will come confidence. The legs are strong, just ask team mate Gary Dighton. The former Olympian trains with Jordan: " If Jordan is on your wheel, you just can't get rid of him". Every Tuesday morning Wade is up at 5am, 35 miles on the mountain bike in Wareham forest, you start to get an idea where the strenght comes from. It was so cold this week the water in his bidon froze! "Now thats keen bordering on madness" says Jordans father Dave. Dad goes on to say "He certainly has some talent there, it's just extracting it and like all lads his age, he takes no notice of his dad!!" Jordan Wade will enjoy this season on the bike. Along with Ludgershall,Thruxton and the Mountbatten circuit races he will ride the Junior tour of Bristol in April as well as the Etape du Tour. He may be distracted a little by maths, physics and geography A-Levels, a place at university to study engineering is the goal. After those two crashes it would have been easy for Wade to pack it in. He did'nt, he got back on his bike and got on with it, that resilience and determination is just as important as talent!

The Great Britain team was struck by illness at the World Cyclo-Cross Championships in Belgium last weekend. Luke Gray escaped the sickness bug but had enough problems, Rob Gray kept a diary:

Day 1 Wednesday 25th - Luke meets the GB Team in the evening at the Hotel in De Panne.

Day 2 Thursday 26th - First practise day. Luke, riding on file tread tyres slides out on some mud on a corner into the course barriers and injured the top of his leg. Later lots of ice helps to bring the swelling down.

Day 3 Friday 27th- Last practise day. two of the Juniors fall ill then more start to follow. Junior Hugo Robinson is moved into Luke's room.
My wife Jeanne, Luke's girl friend Lisa, and myself arrived on the supporters coach and stay in a hotel only 100 yards from the GB Team Hotel. We met up with the limping Luke that night.
Later that night Luke's woken to find, Hugo's fallen ill. Luke said poor Hugo woke him up 10 times in the night to be sick.
Day 4 Saturday 28th- First race day of the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships at Koksijde in on the Belgium coast, half hour's drive from Dunkirk. Only 1 Junior Joe Moses makes the race, the other two were ill with what they think was food poisoning.
At 3pm the under 23 race starts without the sick Steve James. Luke struggles in the energy sapping deep sandy sections from the start in what is a power course not suited to him. We saw the pain on his face as he struggled with his leg in the many running sections.
GB U23 rider Kenta Gallagher finishes in 30th, he fell ill later that night. Jack Clarkson was pulled at 1 lap to go and finished in 40th and as far as we no remained well. Luke came in at 52nd and was pulled with 3 laps to go. Understandably wasn't pleased, but I did remind him that after all that 52nd in the UCI World Championship race doesn't sound too bad. He also said that the huge cheering crowds were quite deafening in places but was glad of all the many Brits that had made the trip to support him and the rest of the GB squad.

By now several of the GB Team Staff, coaches and mechanics had fallen ill.

Day 5 Sunday 29th- Race day two. The crowds swell to an amazing 62,000 today. GB's Gabby Day didn't start. Luke said she left the house for home, were Luke and she stays in the week with a bad chest infection. Also Annie Last was a non starter she two was out due to the sickness.
National Women's Champ Helen Wyman leads from the start but fades, but Brit Nicky Harris is the star of the GB Team who finishes a fantastic 6th.
Lunch time was spent in the huge aircraft hanger (read beer tent) for much needed beer, frites and waffles. This was packed with about 2000 fans with much flag waving, outrageous fancy dress, drunkenness, and singing along to loud music. The atmosphere was fantastic.

Race-2, the Elite race started at 3pm, without GB's Jody Crawforth who failed to make the trip due to an illness. Then after 2 laps GB's Paul Oldham pulls out of the race. Not sure why but he was really struggling. Ian Field the new National Champion was off the pace and finished in 36th place.

Day 6 Monday 30th- Luke drove back to Oudenaarde, he has a couple more weeks of racing to finish the season with a GVA race and a Superprestige race before he returns home on the 12th Feb.
We returned to GB via a shopping spree for some Belgium beer.
Robert.

Daniel Lloyd will be riding for British Team, I G–Sigma Sports this season. Lloyd has spent 8 years as a professional rider but was facing retirement after failing to secure a contract for 2012. The former Tour de France rider will be racing in the UK and on the continent. The Sigma team have also signed up for the Tour of the Battenkill, the toughest one day race in the USA.The race website www.tourofthebattenkill.com has this to say:
America's largest one-day Pro/Am cycling race. Racers compete over 64 miles of rolling terrain on both dirt and paved roads as they travel through the world famous Battenkill Valley. Set in early spring, the race starts and finishes in the scenic village of Cambridge, New York and courses through covered bridges, family farms, and rural villages along the many challenging backcountry roads that traverse Southern Washington County, New York.

photo,www.tourofthebattenkill.com

Monday night road race coaching session with Chester Hill. The road season is just around the corner so why not sharpen up your road craft!!
At the Mountbatten Leisure centre (track).
19:45 for 20:00 start, finish at 21:00
The sessions will role on probably unitl the start of the athletics season
For Senior and Junior riders.
£5 a rider

The sessions will have a technical & tactical flavour, and include coaching a range of the below examples

Technical examples
Bunch etiquette
Sprint lead outs
Maintaining a position near the front of a group
Taking laps out for technical problem
Putting on and taking off a gillet / cape
Feeding at speed
Lunging the bike at the finish line
Taking a bottle / musette from a helper
distributing items between teammates
Sitting on/in
Clipping in at the start of a race
Group riding - Thru and off

Tactical related to:
Initiating attacks
Responding to attacks
Sprinting
Breakaway riding
Bunch riding
Blocking
Team strategies
The tactical elements will be delivered using a coaching technique called coach led racing, which is akin to exploratory learning for bike racers.
Mountbatten Leisure Centre
Portsmouth, United Kingdom

At 100 miles, the Wiggle Jurassic Classic Epic gives riders the chance to experience a challenging route cycling along the stunning Jurassic Coast World Heritage coastline from Exmouth.
This circular route will take you along the coast, through Budleigh Salterton, Otterton, Beer, Seaton and Lyme Regis before heading inland at Charmouth.
Here you ride through stunning countryside via Axminster, Honiton and Woodbury Common before descending back into Exmouth for the finish.
There are some challenging climbs to test you along the way; Salcombe Hill is one to watch out for!

www.prostate-cancer.org.uk

"Local Riders,Local Races" is just about the only place still offering 20% at Primera Sports. Treat yourself ahead of the race season! You may not have the legs but you can always have the kit!!

Local Riders,Local Races

Dan Lewis (RAF) won the final round of the Wessex league Cyclo-Cross series at the Thruxton Motor racing circuit.Lewis ended his season strongly, having won the Gloucester City Cross event the week before. New Forest –based Mike Cotty (Wheelbase/Cannondale) has already wrapped up the overall title and opted not to race the last event.

Luke Gray will be riding for Great Britain at this weekends World Cyclo-Cross Championships. Gray, from Broadstone has been selected for the under 23 team along with Kenta Gallagher,Jack Clarkson,& new national U23 champion, Steve James (Hargroves Cycles). Koksidje in Belgium is the venue for this years championships and the deep sand on the circuit will ensure the strongest triumph!

Daniel Lloyd will be back racing in the UK this season after signing a deal with Team I G-Sigma Sport. " I know most of the team, they are all good guys and a bunch of great sponsors to work with too, IG-Sigma will be a great fit for me" tweeted Lloyd. After Garmin-Cervelo decided not to renew Lloyd's contract, the 3 time Grand Tour finisher was facing early retirement.

Former Garmin-Cervelo teammate Roger Hammond is also out of contract and faces an uncertain future.Hammond specialised in Cyclo-Cross, winning the World Junior Title in 1992. After turning professional in 2000 with Collstrop he has enjoyed a successful road career. Twice a British road race champion, two stage wins in the tour of Britain and 2nd at Gent-Wevelgem, Hammond hit the headlines in 2004, finishing 3rd at Paris-Roubaix.




Exert from the first, Friends of Bournemouth Cycling Centre(BCC) Meeting

....."A weekly Track League to be run each Tuesday evening commencing 17th April to end of August and A Saturday kid’s club start date and details to be advised.In addition BCC also plan to extend use of the site to include Cyclocross events which would certainly maximise use during winter months. BCC were keen to advise that no development is possible without volunteers being willing to offer their time and expertise, essential to ensure the day to day operation of the facility. This includes those who can support the administration and control of regular events. Of course nothing at all is possible without promoters, organisations and clubs booking sessions so BCC can get riders on the track and make use of their fantastic facility.
The Centre is one of the few facilities dedicated to cycling in the country and organised by cyclists for cyclists. It is BCCs aim to retain that position. Should you be able to assist please contact info@bournemouth.cc......."

CTT Handbook 2012 is now on sale! Available from CTT HQ. (link at top of page)

Closed Road Sportif on the Isle of Wight!! Is this the future of road racing in the south?

Several riders have had their Boxing Day 10 entries returned in the post marked “Not Known at this Address” It seems, perhaps the postman delivered them to the wrong address. There may well have been more entries gone astray. Only 13 entries had been received by the closing date and the New Forest CC took the decision to cancel this long running festive event! The 2012 Boxing Day event is listed in this years CTT Handbook.

Daniel Lloyd signs for Team I G -Sigma Sport

Daniel Lloyd will be racing for Team IG- Sigma Sport this year. After 8 years in the profesional peloton Lloyd was staring at retirement after Garmin-Cervelo decided not to renew his contract. The team's race programme has yet to be finalised but expect a mix of big domestic races and some Continental racing. He took some time off the bike while considering his options but is now back training hard and loking forward to the coming season. Hugely experienced, Lloyd has raced in Asia, North America and of course Europe. Twice a finisher in the Giro de Italia,the former mountain biker also finished the 2010 Tour De France. A big fan of the "Cobbled Classics, he has ridden the Tour of Flanders, Gent- Wevelgem and the Amstel Gold Race. Speaking on Twitter he said, "I had a lot of ex-pro's encouraging me not to stop. Lots of hard work ahead now" Formerly Sigma Sport-Specialized, the team will continue to use Specialized frames with Campagnolo components.

Team IG Markets – Sigma Sport (UCI Continental)

Wouter Sybrandy
Tom Murray
Simon Richardson
Tom Last
Steve Lampier

Dan Craven
Daniel Lloyd
Simon Gaywood
Jake Hayles
Andrew Griffiths
Pete Hawkins
Steven Burke

Daniel Lloyd

Daniel Lloyd: An Interview

This time last year he was knocking out 2 hours of tempo while I grimly held on to his back wheel. The option to come through was there but I was unable to take it. Even on the south coast the weather was bad, it was either freezing cold or pouring with rain but mostly it was both. Dan Lloyd would not waver; he was motivated at the thought of riding with his new team, Garmin-Cervelo and riding for World Champion Thor Hushovd.

Fast- forward six months to the Criterium Du Dauphine, for two days Daniel Lloyd and his Garmin-Cervelo team drove the bunch along. Watching on Euro-sport the commercial breaks came and went and still the poker faced Lloyd sat on the front. But each day as the finale loomed and Garmin-Cervelo faded, the man for whom all the work was being done, Tyler Farrar, was nowhere to be seen. Not his fault perhaps? After all, other teams had their tactics, cycling is not so predictable. Had Farrar taken a win, perhaps Lloyd’s stock would be higher? It’s the nature of team sport, good individual performances get lost in defeat, just as poor performances can be hidden in victory.

Jump forward another 5 months, it’s the first frost of a very mild autumn on the south coast and I am out on the bike with Lloyd again. There is no tempo this time, it’s just a ride and a chat and with no contract for next season Lloyd is contemplating retirement. The door remains slightly ajar with one last opportunity, When will he hear?

“I don’t really know it’s the final chance really, at least with a top level team” Is he fed up? “I have got past the point of being pissed off that I cannot carry on; though I think next year when the racing starts it will hit me. I am pissed off that I have not got a final yes or no; it kind of stops you from continuing on. I like riding the bike but if anything the last couple of weeks has taught me I like riding it to get as fit as I can, I don’t just like riding, I have had plenty of opportunities to go out but I cannot be bothered to go out. For me the whole thing of riding is having that plan for the next 4 to 8 weeks to stick to and trying to get better. It’s hard to stick to an 8 week plan, I don’t even know if I will be racing!
What about racing at a lower level?
“Not straight away, no I will leave it 2 or 3 years, so I don’t have the same expectation and other people don’t have the same expectations”
In light of recent comments from Hushovd, I ask him about the Garmin team, what it was like?
“I enjoyed it the whole way through; I got on well with the staff, directors and riders. I think, you know, our group as a whole, Cervelo did not seem to fit in with the management, as there is only one who has been re-signed. (Andreas Klier) None of us really know, the 5 of us that came from Cervelo that have not signed for next year, what the problem was. Back in April, May we were asking about next year and the feedback was all very positive we don’t know what changed between then and the end of the season. In May I was a bit worried about my race programme, I hardly had any days of racing in June, July & August. I wrote to the Director, I don’t complain too much but only had 12 days of racing in 3 months; I could have done with some more racing. The team were aware of Lloyds concerns “If you are worried about next year, you don’t need to be” he was told “When you have just had a kid it’s something you want to hear” (Daniels son Jude was born in April) “If you hear something like that and you are happy with the team you are with it stops you looking round for another place”
In hindsight was it the wrong thing to hear?
“Yeah, I mean it did not change my work ethic or attitude on the bike in training or racing or wanting to do my best. But it changed me in respect of responsibilities with a house and family and keeping a job, you start putting feelers out early, before we found out that Leopard Trek were merging with RadioShack and before HTC were definitely going. By the time I started to get the drift that actually there might not be a place for me, that had all happened and there were loads of riders on the market. Managers were waiting to see which riders they could take from those teams. I am certainly not bitter and not blaming anyone, I realise there are loads and loads of riders at my level, I have no right to stay here, if you are Wiggins or Cavendish you have a right to stay in cycling but at my level there are a lot of other people who have the same power, maybe not the same knowledge & experience but they can gain that and they are cheaper when they are younger”
Uncomfortably honest as always but it will be a shame if that experience is lost to the sport.
“I was still learning as well, you do see a lot of young riders coming through who have all the power in the world; I wish I had that talent. In terms of helping a leader though, timing is as important as anything in terms of being there at the right time, if you are not there at that moment all that power cannot help”

By now we had stopped for Coffee in the Hampshire town of Ringwood. It was market day and we looked slightly out of place in our cycling kit in the busy coffee house. We manage to find a table on which we both put our smart phones, mine to record the conversation, Dan’s, in the hope that it would ring, I notice that the screen on his phone is all smashed up? “I don’t know whether it was because I was stressed out at the end of the year but I came off in training and broke my phone. It was stupid; I was constantly looking at my phone in training. I kept thinking the next email was going to be the one with more positive news, a gust of wind caught my front wheel and I just ended up on the floor and smashed my phone, I was so pissed off” he says ruefully. “When you are a pro you don’t really mind crashing, yes it hurts but as long as it’s not your fault you accept it. When you crash in training and it’s completely your own fault, it’s so annoying”
I take him back to when Cervelo was absorbed by Garmin, was he relieved to be taken on when other riders were not?
“I actually had another couple of options, I could have gone to other teams last year, and there were two fairly solid offers on the table. That’s the thing you know, if you are in a successful team like Cervelo was or HTC when it folds all the other teams come in like vultures and see who they can get. It’s almost better to be in those teams, I don’t think out of those two teams anyone has been out of a job for the last two years. When you are in a team that doesn’t fold there is no way for other teams to know you are available. There is not really a transfer system. They assume you are under contract, by the time they realise you are out of contract they have filled their rosters!
Daniel Lloyd is a hugely likeable guy, after more than 8 years as a full time rider I cannot imagine he has made one enemy in the pro peloton. Why does he think he has no contract next year?
He starts to talk about less places being available but he tails off “…I’m not really sure, it’s another surprising thing from within the Garmin team, I had the support of a lot of the riders, big riders in the team respected what I did as a team member and gave me support towards the management, you start to think you must have done something seriously wrong if they’re not going to take me when I have this much backing, I don’t know, you can speculate all day.”
I take him back further, to when he first went abroad to France to race in 2002, was he nervous?
“I was, I had done half a year with Russell Downing out there and got a bit of a hammering really, even though I had had a good first part of the season back here, I had won a few races”
And if he does retire what are the highlights?
Tour De France obviously, it’s not everyone who gets to race and finish it. The Tour of Flanders, that’s the one I really always look forward to” Lloyd has been on the scene a long time, I suggest that a lot of that time he has gone unnoticed, does he feel ignored in the press “I’m not really bothered about it you know, I never did cycling for the money or to get into the press. I wanted to do the big races and get better every year and achieve personal goals that I had within the sport and one of them was not to get as much press as I could. It’s just not me, I not happy with self-promotion, perhaps in hindsight it would be better, and my name might be in managers heads a bit more. When I first joined Cervelo, I did well and there was a lot of respect for the work that I did. They rewarded it with a two year contract. I really got into the role of helping others and was hoping that would continue for quite a few years. It’s a bit like living your dreams through your son or daughter in some ways. I got to the point where I knew I could not win a mountain stage in the Giro and I can’t win the Tour of Flanders but I have teammates who are well capable of doing it so I can be part of it. How fantastic it must be to be part of the world championship squad, everyone talks about how much of a team performance that was, they can all look back at it and be part of the team that won the worlds for Great Britain in 2011! The pleasure that Wiggins and Millar and all the others got that day is what I get.”
Does he want to stay in cycling?
“I really want to stay in the racing side of the sport, I don’t want to stop racing but I may not have any choice. I love racing at a high level and when I get home and there is a race on tele, I will watch that as well” There are a few different directions to go, it’s just choosing the right one”
It’s easy for me to urge him to carry on, to continue to chase the dream, but Lloyd knows that at the end of every month the rent has to be paid. Two years with a smaller team may put him two years behind in another career “It’s difficult” he says
No doubt other doors will open for Dan, he has ideas and there are opportunities out there.
“Because I had not planned on finishing right now, I have not got a definitive plan of what I want to do afterwards
It might be boring but what am I going to do next that’s not boring in comparison?”
When we leave the café, the early chill is gone, it’s a familiar route home but there is no urgency. We even go off-road, a short cut across the meadows, some “rough stuff”, just for a laugh.

A day later Dan sent me a text:The door that was ajar had closed!

Dan Lloyd & the BJW 50 mile reliability Trial

Just three weeks after breaking his collar bone Daniel Lloyd is back in the saddle but the future is not so secure. Lloyd’s contract with Team Garmin-Cervelo has not been renewed and there are no offers on the table. While he has not given up hope of something turning up, he is certainly considering his options. A full time professional for 8 years he has raced all over the world and has a wealth of experience. Tour De France, Giro D’ Italia, the cobbled classics, Lloyd has ridden them all and always in the service of others. At just 31 he still has a lot to offer the sport and has never been stronger. He cut his teeth as an 18 year old, riding with the local “Wannabees” on the Bear Cross Sunday group down in Bournemouth. Always destined for greater things, he has kept his feet firmly on the ground. Despite his immediate employment concerns, Lloyd was out on the bike this week with his old mates, riding the Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 50 mile Reliability Trial and admitted to feeling “Surprisingly good even after having a full English every day for a fortnight” As his injuries heal, Daniel will gradually increase the mileage, never a fan of the turbo he is out in all weathers. His commitment is beyond question and he is hoping the phone will ring a few times as the winter draws on.

Local Cycling News

Poole wheelers brought the local time trial season to a close with the final round of the National Circuit Series. The competition has been run since 1995 in pretty much the same format and was seen as an antidote to dual-carriageway courses. Rudy Project have sponsored the series since 1999, the vets competition was changed to include "target time", an extra round was added in the early noughties making 8 and regional rounds came and went. Over this time entries have remained fairly stable but never spectacular, with riders scoring points in their "best 5 from 8 rides" the final round has often been a dead rubber. This year's overall winer, Matt Bottrill (I-ride.co.uk) had wrapped up the title with two rounds remaining. The same also for Michelle King (Team Jewson MI Racing) in the women's competition.

None of this however is any fault of the Poole Wheelers, who put on an excellent event, with warm autumn sunshine making it an enjoyable afternoonn's sport!In addition, £115 was raised for the Rob Jefferies velo youth fund. Fresh from riding the Tour of Britain, Dutchman Wouter Sybrandy (Sigma Sport-Specialzed) stormed to an emphatic win, clocking 1:05:46. Poole-Based Adam Topham (High Wycombe) was a distant second, 2:21 down. Topham was eligible for the 1 lap veteran race, which he would have won but opted to ride the 2 lap senior event. Veteran Terry Icke and Junior's Harrison Fielding & Ryan Weston won the team prize for the Poole Wheelers.

Talk at the HQ was of British Cycling license points being on offer to increase entries. That remains to be seen but next season's series kicks off in the East Midlands on March 25th.

The Inter-Club hill climb competition reaches its conclusion on Whiteways Hill this Sunday, with CC Weymouth favourites to win the Team Title.

Having won the trophy for the first time last year, the Weymouth club was not going to let it go without a fight. From the very first round at Portland they have been out in force, a tactic that has rewarded them with plenty of points.

Both the Poole Wheelers & the Bournemouth Jubilee have a bigger membership but both have failed to get riders on the start line. Indeed, the Jubilee had more riders watching at last weeks Kingston event than the Poole club had riding! (Myself included), this may well have cost them the title. The individual crown looks destined to go to Simon McLaughlin (BJW), who won the latest round on Kingston Hill.

It’s hard to see anyone beating McLaughlin; he is climbing well and won on Whiteways last year. The daunting Whiteways ascent starts off fairly flat, almost benign but two thirds of the way up, the hill bears its teeth as it dog-legs right toward the coast. The slope ramps up again to the left and with the chequered board in sight riders can see the end of their season. The finish line however, never seems to come and valuable time can be lost on the run-in. High above the lost village of Tyneham in the army ranges, the 2011 title will be decided!

Daniel Lloyd (Garmin-Cervelo) had a disappointing end to his season, breaking his collar bone in a crash in the Tour of Lombardy in Italy.

“We hit this fairly slow corner,I hit a hole in the road both my arms slipped off the bars and that was it” said the Queens Park based professional. Lloyd still does not have a contract for 2012, there is still a chance he may stay with Garmin-Cervelo but with the season over Lloyd is considering his options.

Team UK Youth replica kit available
We have some 2011 Team UK Youth cycling kit left before the new design comes in next season - see www.teamukyouth.co.uk
Limited amount so first come first served. They are at around cost price, payment can be done by cash on collection or via paypal to louis@ukyouth.org A couple of quid extra if posting needed.
Please help spread the word and forward this on to anyone you think might be interested if you can. Sample pics attached of what it looks like. Great quality Italian made kit.
Contact Louis Bonney, louis@ukyouth.org
The Charity, UK YOUTH has a base at the Avon Tyrrell Activity Centre,near Bransgore in the New Forest.
Short sleeve jersey - sell at £30.00 each S x 2
Long sleeve thermopile jersey - sell at £45.00 each XL x 3 L x 1 M x 2 S x 3
Bib shorts - sell at £40.00 each XL x 1 L x 3 S x 4