The British Continental
Stories about British bike racing, teams and riders.
The British Continental
National Road Series and CiCLE Classic preview with Sian Botteley, Sarah King and Monica Greenwood
With the 2024 National Road Series just around the corner, The British Continental podcast is back with a preview of the women's National Road Series and the upcoming ANEXO/CAMS CiCLE Classic, one of the most important elite road races on the British calendar.
Host Denny Gray gathers an insightful panel including Sarah King, the inspirational London Academy manager, and DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK rider Sian Botteley - one of the main protagonists of last year's CiCLE Classic - to discuss what to expect from this year women's National Road Series and why it matters.
The trio also look ahead to this Sunday's ANEXO/CAMOS CiCLE Classic (17 March), which has a stellar startlist. The race occupies a distinctive niche in the UK road racing calendar with its challenging off-road sectors. Its recent rescheduling to March has increased its unpredictability and the harshness of racing conditions. Denny, Sarah and Sian discuss the tricky parcours and how to approach it, and pick out riders and teams to watch.
We also hear from Monica Greenwood, the reigning National Road Series champion. Greenwood shares her pivotal 'now or never' decision to embrace full-time racing at the start of 2023, leading to a standout season. She offers an insider's view on clinching the National Road Series title and expresses her eagerness to compete in the Series again this year, despite her progression to Team Coop-Repsol. Having narrowly missed out on the win at last season's CiCLE Classic, Greenwood has unfinished business at this time around.
The British Continental. Proudly presented by Le Col, supported by Pro-Noctis
Welcome to the British Continental podcast, the show shining a light on stories about British bike racing teams and riders at the domestic level. Hello and welcome to the British Continental podcast. I'm Denny Gray and today's episode is slightly different to the norm in that we have two special guests alongside me. Today, virtually at least First up, we've managed to bag one of the most inspiring women in domestic cycling today. That's London Academy team manager, Sarah King. Sarah, how you doing.
Speaker 4:I'm really good. Thank you for having me on this.
Speaker 2:Great Well, thanks for coming, sarah. Absolute pleasure to have you on. I should say we also have Lincoln Shears, finest Sean Botterley, an inspiring woman in her own right, of course, who rides for the newly merged UCI Continental team, das Hutchinson brother, how you doing, sean?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm really good, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me on and how are you feeling after your first race of the season?
Speaker 1:Well, it was certainly a shock to the system. Yeah, first trip to Belgium of the year for GP Ottingen, which was it was 1.1 and it was my first race of that level. Yeah, straight in, straight in with the big teams. There was something like, yeah, eight or 10 World Tour teams and yeah it was. It was really hard and good, good to get going, good to kind of shock the legs back into it, but yeah, it was a. It was a hard race for sure.
Speaker 2:Okay, good, good. Well, in today's episode we're going to be previewing the Women's National Road series, which of course begins with the cycle classic this Sunday, as well as looking forward to the cycle classic itself. And we'll also be hearing from last year's national road series winner, monica Greenwood, who narrowly missed out on the win at the cycle classic last season and is on the start list again this year hoping to set the record straight. So first up, let's concentrate on the national road series. I'm going to start with a little bit of an overview, and then we'll hear from Sarah and Sean about the series. So for those that don't know, of course the national series, national road series is the premier road racing series in the UK for for men and for women. Today we're focusing on the women's series, and I guess the easiest way to think about it is that it's like a domestic version of the UCI Women's World Tour series, in that riders accumulate points in each round of the series and the rider with the most points at any given point in the series gets to don the the national road series jersey. There's also a team competition and an under 23 rider ranking too. It's all organised by British cycling.
Speaker 2:It's probably fair to say that the series has suffered a number of setbacks in the last few years, with the calendar slowly shrinking. But when British cycling announced this year's calendar there seemed to be some hope. There was an expansion in the calendar and this year there are, so far as it stands anyway, six definite rounds of the women's series. We've got the Cycle Classic coming up in March, but we've got the East Cleveland Classic in April, the Rafferlinking Grand Prix in May, lancaster Grand Prix in July, the Rydale Grand Prix in August and the Kaleuk Cup in September. There's also a stage race that's to be confirmed for the end of September, although my understanding is that it won't be a women's race this year. I guess we'll hear more about that in the weeks and days to come. Unfortunately, the Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir was also supposed to happen this year, but that's been postponed until 2025 now. So that's how it's looking.
Speaker 2:Last year Monica Greenwood, as I said, was the, was the winner, beating Robin Clay, who was the best place under 23 rider, and Das Hansling won the team competition. It was a closely run thing, with pro-Noptis Heidi Kielsen, 200 degrees coffee, the team with the longest name in the world, coming second and Shahn's team, hutchinson brother UK, running them close in third. So that's my kind of spiel over the overview. Let's talk about the series First of all. I guess it would be good to know, shahn, how important is the National Road series for a UCI continental team? How do you look at it? Does it matter? Where does it stand in the pecking order of races?
Speaker 1:Personally, I think it matters hugely. I think it plays a really big role in the development of other rider and not only kind of newer riders to the sport like riders on a UCI team. I think it is really important because it's a it's a platform where we can kind of practice team tactics at a level that is very high, because the racing in the UK is hard, it is fast and it's aggressive, but it is a step below, I suppose, some of the races that we'll be doing in Europe throughout the season. So it really allows us to kind of implement team tactics and practice kind of, you know, riding as a team on a level that is a bit more manageable, whereas we go to, yeah, go to races like the one I did last week in Belgium and, quite frankly, we're suffering really, and being able to use those tactics in higher level races is quite a rare thing. So it does kind of allow you to, yeah, it does allow you to learn and practice what hopefully you will at some point be able to use at a higher level. And I also think it's really important for UCI teams to just respect the series and respect the UK racing scene, because I think it would be easy for UCI teams to have.
Speaker 1:The opinion of the UK scene isn't as important because they've got this UCI license and therefore the main focus should be on the UCI racing. But I think if every UCI team were to take that stance, then you potentially see kind of less entrance in the national series, because that potentially takes a good chunk of riders, particularly now that we've got six UCI teams. If all six of those teams were to not really focus on the national series, then the level in that series is going to go down massively and then with, yeah, riders that are kind of coming up, it's then an even bigger jump if they want to take it to the next level. Because, yeah, the national series it is really hard racing, it is aggressive and, yeah, it's a really great platform of racing to learn and develop really.
Speaker 2:And well, talking of riders coming up, sarah, you're obviously in charge I don't know if that's the right term but you're overseeing riders that are kind of slightly further down the development pathway compared to some of the UCI continental riders. How does a team like yours approach the national road series and how do you view it?
Speaker 4:I kind of echo what Shana's just said, but kind of from the other direction. So we use kind of as Shana said, using tactics and understanding how to kind of race the team at a national series level we can't do that at Team Cup so a national B level and then we kind of can use those learnings to then try and develop our riders into riding at the national series. So it's our step up is just the next kind of one down and then hopefully those riders will progress into national A and then become kind of part of a continental team perhaps one day. Yeah, we really use a series of something to aspire to. I only have a handful of riders probably that will race it this year. Maybe four to six will have it each round, which would be great. Maybe we'll get up to eight.
Speaker 4:I've one seems very keen to do Lincoln. So it's very much it's seen as that series where it's showcasing the best of the UK talent and that's what it should be. Just as Shana said, like it's got all those continental teams in it and loads of aspiring teams and elite development teams. It should show off the best of our talent and in the UK. And it is hard, like the racing is aggressive, it's hilly, it's grippy. You feel like you're in a washing machine the first two times you do it, because you don't know when you get near the front and then you suddenly at the back again. It's a total kind of step up as well from a NAPB and a Team Cup. But yeah, as Shana said, it's super important to our scene and I think the racing has changed quite a lot since, kind of I guess me and Shana were doing it 10 or so years ago. There's so many more riders that you've got 140 riders lining up some of these races where it used to be 60 or so. So yeah, it's really developed as a series too.
Speaker 2:Sean, what do we make of the calendar? Obviously it evolves every year and as it stands, we've got six one day races. What do you make of the calendar? Is it kind of where it needs to be at the moment?
Speaker 1:I think it's. Yeah, there's certainly a couple of things missing that have been have been in the series over the last few years. As you said, it does evolve year to year and we are in a better place than we were last year, with Crandite being back on the scene. Personally, I think it's a shame to lose races such as Stockton because, well, personally, I liked Stockton because it was a bit flatter. But yeah, I think a race like that they made it a whole kind of cycling festival and there was sportifs and all sorts going on in the town over the weekend and that, I think, kind of almost opens the yeah, opens the sport to the masses a bit more and it kind of, yeah, the town can kind of get behind it a bit more Because, yeah, there'd be extra people in the area from doing the sport if it potentially stay and stay and watch the race, whereas you look at a race such as Ryder, for example great race but everybody that is spectating that race is either somebody that is riding in the afternoon or in the morning, depending on which yeah, depending on which race and then, yeah, or kind of parents or supporters of people that are already there.
Speaker 1:It's not really a spectator event Obviously you can have like Lincoln, which basically shuts the whole town down and yeah, there's loads of spectators in the atmosphere. It's fantastic. But I think we could do with more races that kind of engage the public a little bit more and kind of make it more of a well known thing. Yeah, I think it is. Hopefully it is on the way up again with obviously it's a shame that Troll the reservoir was on this year and then now it's hopefully going to happen next year. And then, yeah, the stage race that you mentioned earlier. I was hoping it would be the return of the Isle of man and that it would be a stage race for men and women, and obviously it's not really confirmed either way yet. But yeah, I think there are signs that it's on the way back up, but at the moment there is still, yeah, a little bit to be desired, I suppose.
Speaker 2:And, Sarah, from your point of view, does it offer the kind of, I guess, variety of terrains and racing that you'd hope to get? For you know, riders like those on your team who are looking to develop their skills and their race craft.
Speaker 4:I think so. I think it's still quite centered towards it being quite hilly races like, as Sean said, having Stockton. That's not on the calendar anymore, so it is quite a step up. I think the thing that's helping bridge it at the moment is races like the proper northern series. They're helping to bridge that gap a little bit because it gives hilly a grippier racing. Team Cup is usually a bit more rolling, so really if you step from a team Cup although you're going to ride it, it's quite a. There's quite a set change in that. So having the proper northern series sort of bridge that gap a little bit, I think is helping.
Speaker 4:And they also I mean we're down south and like I'm also from Lincolnshire, so the kind of where we have to travel to get to these races a lot of them are at north and it's a full I mean you know it's a full weekend but that four or five hour drive home on a Sunday afternoon when you've got work the next morning is quite tough sometimes. So it's great that we've got sickle classic and Lincoln on the calendar, but it would be great if there was something more south eventually. That would be great to see on the calendar. Yeah, it would be great to have a two-day. I think that helps to bridge then towards riders stepping up above national series level.
Speaker 4:I never did tour the res, but I was heard that it was a pretty tough one to get a second series. Shana's nodding there. I heard, yeah, very much from the riders and I was doing it that it was a tough race but it would be great to have a two-day back. We used to have a two-day as part of the team cup. It's just a different style of racing and shows off other people's talents.
Speaker 2:I guess having a TT or something involved in that let's have a look at some of the stories that we might look forward to following over the coming weeks and months. I'm intrigued because we've gone from a position where last year we had three UCI continental women's teams obviously Life Plus Wahoo who had tended to race primarily on the continent and haven't really done the series. We only really had two teams racing the series last year. We've gone now to a position where we've got six UCI continental teams and Hess who weren't registered with the UK last year but had big ambitions, of course, of riding the Cycle Classic. It would be interesting to see whether they are more regular participants in the series going forward. I'm interested well from both of you really. How do you think that change in team structure and levels will change the racing, if at all.
Speaker 1:Personally, I think a lot of the teams, some of the teams that have stepped up. It's not like they're new teams and they don't necessarily have loads of new riders, but those teams were already at a very high level last year, Anyway. So Take Pro Noctis, for example. They were more than challenging the UCI teams last year. They just didn't have that UCI badge. I think, like you said, the interesting addition will be Hess, because they have a lot of foreign riders that haven't potentially raced in this country before. That will definitely be interesting to see how they get on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think they're kind of the main change, but I think that already last year the level in the UK was very high and the year before it was also very high. But yeah, I think last year it really did take a kind of a big step up. But yeah, I think a lot of the teams, although the UCI yeah, having six UCI teams, I think it appears a very big step up. I don't necessarily think it is as big of a step up as it appears on paper, if that makes sense. Like, for example, my team from last year and Das have merged to form one team. So effectively that is a team less before you even start off.
Speaker 1:Life Plus, for example. They are a continental team, but I think we can all agree that they are a step above the rest of the continental teams, and when the pro continental tier gets introduced into women's racing, which I believe is next year, I would assume that Life Plus will go into that tier, which then would potentially take them out of the national series altogether. Yeah, I think that the level is going to be kind of really high this year and, yeah, I think Hess will definitely add to that greatly.
Speaker 2:Sarah, what's your view?
Speaker 4:Yeah, very similar, and I think that start list for a SQL platform, for example, looks quite intimidating or it can do to a new rider. Had a couple of riders the other day and say, oh my god, look at who's on the start list, and I'm stood there too, which made them really excited. That was cool and saying, like right, I have the opportunity to stand on a start line next to somebody who is in the continental team. But also, like it's what I think has happened the last few years is some of these teams are starting to work together like work as a team, for example. So like how you team pro noctis Hutchinson, for example, in the last few years they've been able to have the numbers up at the front of the race to be able to animate it and do something. That's what's exciting about it and I think that will continue this year.
Speaker 4:So I wouldn't say it will step up. I just think we, the way we do the racing and the way the teams approach the racing, is starting to become more developed, I guess. But then there's also room for like riders who are known to come through. I think there's always that every time you see riders from smaller teams that kind of have that breakthrough year and can play up with with those continental teams at that level. So yeah, I think the racing yeah it doesn't feel like a huge step up, the same as Sean. It's just like we've got the same sort of mix as riders, but I think they will we will start to develop the actual racing we've got at this level and like strengthen that. That bunch as a whole becomes a stronger kind of bunch of riders that then when they learn at that level, moving on to like UCI races that Sean's starting to race in, you become even more prepared for those.
Speaker 2:I'm curious this is and this is a tricky question and maybe impossible to answer, but are there any particular individuals, teams rivalries do you think we should keep an eye on as the series unfolds this year? Sean?
Speaker 1:It's always a hard one.
Speaker 1:I think there'll be plenty of plenty of individual riders to look out for.
Speaker 1:Definitely, I mean, looking at looking at the Cyclic Start List alone, you've got you've got three riders there that are individual riders that have been on the podium in the past Ella McDermott, for example, really aggressive rider and, yeah, kind of used to racing in Belgium and and, yeah, was second in 2021, I think.
Speaker 1:And then you've got, obviously, monica who, yeah, we all know how good Monica is. She's taken that, taken that step up to, yeah, to the, the Coupe team and, yeah, she hopefully will be, will be present at plenty of the rounds and, as you said earlier, she's got unfinished business with the Cyclic, with how and, yeah, with how close she was to to the win last year and, yeah, I'm sure that, as, yeah, he's kind of doing doing a lot of bigger races this year, that, yeah, hopefully, she will come back and do plenty of the, plenty of the National Road Series and because, yeah, it's always, it is always good to have have riders that are on the bigger kind of non UK based teams and because, yeah, it's, I think it shows as well the the quality of the racing in the UK that riders like that are happy to come back and do all the UK races.
Speaker 2:I asked Monica off air, after I interviewed her, whether she'll ride any more National Road Series rounds and she she said it was a possibility. All depends on her calendar. But, as you say, it'll be absolutely fascinating if she does come back, because she could be a contender again, couldn't she? Particularly with the experience she'll have riding in Europe. Sarah, what about you? Are there any things in particular you're looking out for in terms of individuals, rivalries, kind of teams to watch?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think it'll be interesting to see how all the the new kind of newly named continental teams play against each other. I'm quite excited to see the fact that they've all got full teams in, like what we're going to do. And then what are the likes of the elite development team so Loughborough, lightning and Brother UK as well like kind of bringing up? How do those elite development teams start to play in that area as well? And most think having the juniors. We've got loads of juniors and younger ones and they just, I think you come from the youth and junior ranks and you're pretty like bouncy and pretty like ready to have a crack at something and not really that scared, and I love that in a rider. I think you learn a lot of that when you're racing, as it is when you're younger. I think that's probably how me and Sean came, came through it and you kind of just go in there and have a, have a shot, have a crack at it, and it'll be good to see how that should then hope team get on too, because I've got a full, full roster in as well.
Speaker 4:But yeah, it's those individual riders like you should never underestimate, like just being able to. I think you can race really well as an individual in this, in this series as well. I don't think it. You don't have to be in one of those big teams to be able to kind of make your mark in this series. That's. There's still a, there's still a place for that in our national series. It's not like you're always counting on that full team of riders to help you get that win. It's great and it's like a wonderful thing to work with our teammates, but there's still space for riders to sneak through and and take those wins as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is interesting. You mentioned the juniors there, because I think in the past we've seen what national road series has enabled kind of juniors to shine and kind of they get some of their breakthrough rides in the national road series. I remember Zoe back said but obviously it wasn't perhaps a breakthrough through ride for her because she was just breaking through all over the place, but she did an incredible ride in the cycle classic a couple of years ago and of course, shibdon, as you say, I mean they just blew the race away in proper Northern road series last year and the Cape and Ray race where Kat Ferguson won and all a whole team of first year juniors that were kind of giving it, giving it some to the seniors. So that would be interesting to see how they get on. As you say, sean, how how much rivalry is there between the teams? I mean, how how much do teams want to beat the others when it comes to national road series?
Speaker 1:I think there's there's plenty of healthy rivalry, to be honest, and ultimately, we all want to be the best. We all want to, yeah, we all want to win and yeah, I think with. So, last year, for example, um, das and AWOL were the only continental teams kind of racing the national series, and AWOL they rarely fielded a full team, whereas Das were fully committed and they, yeah, they fielded a full, strong team to every race and I think there was kind of the expectation that they therefore would win the team classification and kind of, yeah, do very well at every round individually, which obviously they did. And I think for a lot of the other teams it was, yeah, kind of being able to compete with Dasp was kind of one of the main targets because, yeah, also, they were so strong. Yeah, I think, on paper, now that there are the six UCI teams, there isn't so much of an expectation that there is going to be one team that's so much better than the rest of the teams and it is going to be interesting to see how the rivalries kind of develop. So, alba, for example, one of the new continental teams, they weren't so much of a feature at the top of the series last year. But yeah, they've got some kind of strong new signings. For example, beth Morro and Matthews both came over from Das and, although they both had a bit of a kind of injury hit year last year, yeah, we know kind of what those two riders are capable of and, yeah, it's definitely a strong team and it would be interesting to see how they get on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm constantly saying too much about my own team. I don't want to seem kind of, you know, I don't want to seem like there's too much expectation there, but ultimately, the team that I'm a part of now was two of the strongest teams kind of joining forces. So I'm hoping that we'll be very successful and, yeah, it'll be interesting to see how it gets on. I think it'll be an interesting dynamic, as Sarah said earlier, and the level is kind of growing up and how the races are being ridden and the level of teamwork is increasing all the time. So, yeah, I think it'll be, yeah, it'll be a really interesting year.
Speaker 2:Sarah, what's your view? Do you think it's right that teams should be looking to Das Suchins and brother to kind of take the lead and kind of well, perhaps, be the favourites in national road series?
Speaker 4:Yeah, not to pearl the pressure on Sean, but I reckon so. I mean, if you're going to pass together two of the biggest teams or expertise, we may as well show it off, but that's the thing. I think that's what we want out of the series. We want that and we want that rivalry. Like it makes it exciting that we watch. We watch the pro races and we watch the pro women's races at the moment and there are those rivalries and we talk about it like that and we get excited.
Speaker 4:Like there's no reason why we can't have that sort of excitement on this level as well, because we're really starting to form those sort of things.
Speaker 4:And like pro notches, for example, they are all kind of up there and we're watching them work together as a team and then seeing that versus Das Suchins and not Albert or Jaden or how do they ever? How does everyone react to that? And like I'll have academy riders looking to those teams and I'll be giving examples. So I'll watch how pro notches or Das attack a race and in our debrief or in my pre race briefing I'll talk about maybe something that Sean's team has done or how they've performed it so that we can learn from it. Like my ride is essentially a following wheels in some of those races, and there the Sean's wheel will be one of them maybe. So, yeah, it's like I expect those bigger teams to be putting this stuff together now, because they've put that out there to say they're going to be a UCI continental team. So show us you can be and show us the best of your racing.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Brilliant. I think it's why not. The scene is developing and we should just continue with it and enjoy it where it is at the moment.
Speaker 2:Well, I love your excitement, Sarah and Sean, you're obviously going to have to look out for very sparkly jerseys behind you on Sunday. We've talked about the National Road Series. We're going to talk about the cycle classic in a moment, but first of all let's hear from last year's National Road Series winner, monica Greenwood, and I started off by asking her about her conversion to full time racing kind of late on and why for her it was a now or never pivotal moment.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think when I get the idea or get something in my head, it kind of doesn't go away until I follow it really. So I wanted to race in a kind of more committed fashion for a couple of years really. And the challenge with doing that job and obviously trying to ride alongside is that there's blocks of time where you're away for, say, two weeks and you've got no bike. And I'd run a half marathon, I'd run 10Ks, I'd do bits and bobs, but you just can't train consistently. So there's a limit to what you can do. And so you can race National Series, you can ride round, no problem, but even that you're getting on the turbo at six o'clock in the morning it's really hard work just to maintain a level of fitness and train consistently.
Speaker 3:So yeah, I guess, kind of accidentally and not accidentally, got fitter over a period of a few years and really gradually actually over lots of years, just ridden more and more and more and yeah, just enjoyed it and just really enjoyed sort of being back in the races and having that experience and I just wanted to kind of see what I could do. And yeah, I just felt like there was something more to come from it and something more to experience and I felt like I'd managed to hit the goals that I'd set in coaching earlier than I expected, basically, and I thought, oh, we've maybe got a few years here where we can go back and ride a bike, so why not?
Speaker 2:And of course it ended up being I don't know the breakthrough year is the right term, but it was certainly a successful year. You won the National Road Series, you got some top results in some UCI races in Belgium, kind of in the first half of the year, and you won a round of the National Circuit Series, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. You hit a lot of kind of high marks throughout the year. How did the season match up to your expectations of what you were hoping to achieve?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was a really good, solid season overall. It was definitely I didn't expect to do as well in the UCI races or like Ride London, for example, so that was a surprise to do as well in those races. But then I was probably a little bit disappointed with the National Series to have not won a round, to be honest. But the series was definitely a target and that was something. And it probably changed a little bit how I raced to race more conservatively, less just all for one round, because the way they've changed the point structure means that you really have to be consistent in each race. So I think that probably impacted and that meant that I had more top 10 results. But I probably wasn't prepared to go absolutely all guns blazing and then either win or come 50th.
Speaker 2:Interesting, so is that desire to target the series win that ultimately dictated how you rode, perhaps, the latter races, and did you go into 2023 with the aim of winning the National Race Series, or did it happen more accidentally?
Speaker 3:I'd said the year before to my husband, we had a chat and I said I think I could win the National Series and he said, yeah, I think you probably could, and because I'd missed a few rounds with work the year before. So I've missed through the Commonwealth Games, I've missed Isle of man, which was a really big point score, and I thought you know what I'm not that far off Like considering I've not ridden. Yeah, so it's something that just, I guess just the experience to kind of wear the jersey the previous winners of it have been really strong riders and so the drawback was I got in the jersey, Lincoln, probably too early, you know. To be honest, I enjoyed wearing the jersey, but the drawback is that then you're obviously racing, aware of the fact that you're leading the series a little bit more. So, yeah, like it was, it was definitely a target and it kind of became more of a target through the season. You know, it was something. Initially I thought you know give or take, and then I was like, no, I really want to win this.
Speaker 2:Monica, how, how important do you think the National Road Series is? I mean in terms of rider development and supporting riders to progress? Where do riders and teams see the National Road Series in the packing order of races, do you think?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it's really important and, to be honest, again, I think it's really important. I've almost revitalized my view of that because through my experiences now with racing, the UCI calendar, and then also I coach some young riders who are just, who have just come out of junior and who are moving into that senior space, so riding, I guess, similar team setups to myself, you know, riding in continental teams, riding UCI races, and I think it's really important for those young riders to to be able to have races to come back to a good level but they can be trying to win and I think the yeah certainly like my experience this year with the kind of early season plastics is they are really hard, you know they're really hard. So for those young riders to keep their morale, to keep their belief in themselves, I think to be able to come back home and to race these races is absolutely crucial. You know they are important and it's also a chance for the domestically based riders to. Obviously, you know you get that mix of riders, especially within the women's.
Speaker 3:You know you might have some riders come back from world tour teams or continental teams who have got more, you know, more foreign calendar and they come back in and they race and there's a domestic rider, you get to race against them and I just think they're really good races. You know, to me Lincoln Sickle, you know, yeah, they're just fantastic. You know less so rider, I mean, rider is beautiful in picturesque but it doesn't suit me so much. So I'm probably I'm probably less, yeah, less positive about it, but you know, the rounds are really good, it's really good quality racing and I think it should be something that's at the forefront of you know, british cycling really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you meant obviously you've had a lot, a lot more experience at UCI level this year. I'll ask you about that in a second. But how does the racing at National Road Series level compare to UCI racing, Do you think?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it is different, you know, I think racing nationally I would say that the national series isn't as aggressive, it's not as difficult to position in the bunch. The roads are generally, yeah, it's much more comfortable to position. But I think that depends on your sort of age and stage of development as well. You know, if you're new to it and it's the first race you've ever ridden, actually trying to position for Lincoln is really demanding, you know. So it's all about what your experience is up until that point and I think, yeah, just the numbers that you get in those races there is a demanding on position. That's really good, but the reason is obviously still everyone's crazy in the classic stuff. So the level goes up, for sure, and it gets more difficult. But I think it's definitely a good stepping stone for a rider in their development.
Speaker 2:Yeah, obviously this year has been, I guess, the season of first so far. You've got a new team. You're doing a lot more UCI road racing. How has the adjustment gone for you?
Speaker 3:Yes, it's different. So, in terms of you know, your usual staple early season races are all different. So you know, before I would have started the season maybe with a, you know, an Eddie Sowns, or a Peaks 2 Day or a Pimbo, you know, up here in that B, and that's obviously quite different. Starting the season with, yeah, like straight into a World Tour race, you know it's all pretty much, I think, straight into a World Tour race. So, yeah, it's obviously different and it's hard to see those markers.
Speaker 3:You know you can't compare year on year because the race calendar's changed. So then it's trying to put in some markers that you can see where you're at comparatively, which is actually quite challenging. There's a lot less races, a lot less like normally I'd do early season time trials at this time of year, but there isn't the same kind of time trials around where I live that there would normally would be. So yeah, it is quite a different start but yeah, I'm enjoying it. It's a really different challenge. Obviously I had a taste of it last year, but I'd say that you know, the classics are another level above the UCI races that I did last year.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, talking about classics, you're on the start list for the cycle classic again. Because, yeah, what prompted you to enter?
Speaker 3:I'm really fortunate. I've got quite a nice way that my calendar's blocked. So I had a block that finished with Oating on Tuesday or Wednesday, I can't remember what day of the week it was and then I've got like three weeks back home and then I go back out to Belgium for three weeks. So it's a window. So I guess my approach is quite different.
Speaker 3:I'm in a training block, very much in a training block, this time in Tosipo, whereas last year I looked to reduce volume into it, and so it's just a good opportunity to do a race against. It's a course that you know I was really disappointed last year not to win, not going to lie, I would have backed myself to win that sprint, you know, nine times out of 10 and yeah, I made one mistake and that was the difference. But yeah. So and to be honest, just to do something I've done before you know, in this early season I'm doing so many races that I've never experienced before Just to go back to a race I know will be nice, and also I guess the series isn't a focus, so I can go and I can just roll the dice and ride more freely without having to worry about the overall.
Speaker 2:Yeah, is it a case of unfinished business at all? I mean, I was looking at the back end results in 2021. I think you came 20 seconds 10th in 2022. Obviously the near miss last season. Is it something you'd like to have in your poem, iris?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, and I actually the last. The first two years I rode it I punctured it. No, my wheel fell out at 10 K to go the first year and so I had the bike change and then chase back on. And then the year after I punctured after the last gravel sector so I changed bike and chase back on. That's still got 10th in the spring and I only got back on at 2 K to go, I think, and last year I actually got round on the bike all complete. So you know, there is a bit of a roll of the dice of it. You know, you don't know what the, especially with now it's moved to early season. You know whether you got to look after the bike and try and get that round. So yeah, we'll see, but there's not. I don't think there's a pressure, but yeah, of course, like I'd like to go on with it.
Speaker 2:I mean, how do you, how do you think you'll have to adjust racing given that you won't have any teammates this year? Does that impact on the way you kind of prepare and think about your strategy?
Speaker 3:I think the nature of the course means that the positioning is really important. You know, like last year we had strength in numbers but it didn't actually work out as a benefit, because I think Danny and Emma did make the break but then got dropped from the break, so actually it didn't change anything. It was me against the other teams in there. So I think it's just about being adaptable and sort of the different circumstances. You know we've got an interesting start list. You know, like obviously Hesse are coming with a team and you know with them we've got the British space team. So I'm quite happy to just have a bit of a free role, to be honest, and just, yeah, I guess, watch and see what they do, interested to see how those teams take it on to.
Speaker 2:Great and looking beyond cycle kind of what are your goals this year? What would a successful 2024 look like for you, monica?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm not sure to be honest, just taking opportunities when they come, you know so, in and trying to push the boundaries of what I can do and what I can achieve. I like getting stuck into the World Tour teams and trying to take them on and trying to throw things at them if I can. So, yeah, that's good fun. And then coming back and racing in the UK and, just like I say, enjoying the freedom just to come back and have fun racing in the UK. But definitely, you know, I would like to have podium in a UCI race. You know I got close last year with fourth and fifth, so I'd like to do that. I'd like to win a national series still. So there's still lots, lots to achieve and do.
Speaker 3:But more than anything, you know, I wanted to race this level of bike race when I was a 15 year old kid and I'm really just doing it because that's what I wanted to do and it was something in my lifetime that I wanted to do. So I'm enjoying that experience and I think it's making me a better coach long term in terms of my understanding of the sport, the demands and just to race at the pinnacle. You know something I really enjoyed coaching at the top level. You know that's, and so to then be able to ride at the top level and see up close. You know, from the team car you can't see what's great about some of these riders, but when you're in the bunch with them and you know, and I just for a bit I'll follow someone and just watch what they do, how they move, and you go okay, yeah, they can do something really good and you're just learning all the time from that and I'm learning as a coach as well, as this is a rider really.
Speaker 2:So great to hear from Monica Greenwood there. Obviously she's on the start list for the cycle classic and has unfinished business, as we've already said, and she she's spoken about in the interview. There She'll be, I guess, one of the favorites at the race. But let's have a talk about the race itself, of course, because it's a very unusual parkour. There's no other race like it in the UK. Of course it's famed for its off-road sectors. It's kind of Belgium roadside atmosphere, as it were, and it's I think it's fair to say it's a cherished part of the British road racing scene now.
Speaker 2:But recently the date for this race has moved. It used to be in June, it's now got a new March date. Last year was the end of March and this year it's even earlier, and that, I guess, changes things because first of all, the conditions are different, the weather's different. It could be particularly rainy and muddy, which will make it more challenging, I guess, for you, sean and Sarah, your riders, but also it means, I guess, we don't really know what anyone's form's like. It struck me that actually this is the first national road race for women we've had in the UK this year. There's been no national B road races at all. So riders are really being chucked in at the deep end here, aren't they, sean? What would you make of the change of date, and how does that change things for you and your team?
Speaker 1:Personally, I really like the fact that it's now in March. From a personal perspective, I think it makes it more challenging. Obviously, the conditions are likely to be worse. Yeah, last year was pretty cold and although it didn't actually rain for our race, it rained a lot in the morning so it made it real kind of wet and muddy. Yeah, it did make the conditions really challenging. So in that way I do prefer it.
Speaker 1:I do think it makes it very unpredictable because, yeah, as you said, there's not been any racing yet in the UK. So it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. And I think it will probably start off quite kind of nervous and hectic because everybody yeah, everybody's kind of raring to go and everybody knows that the off road comes pretty quickly and the roads in Rutland are pretty narrow. So, yeah, the pressure will be on to be at the front pretty early. And, yeah, I think with the June date it wasn't necessarily quite as stressful in that regard because, yeah, everybody was a bit more used to racing, Everybody was into the swing of things, Whereas, yeah, for a lot of people it's going to be the first real race of the season.
Speaker 2:I know you've had, I guess, contrasting experiences of racing the race itself in the past. Sarah. You raced it a while back, didn't you? And tell me how did you find it?
Speaker 4:I haven't finished it. I raced it twice. It came onto the calendar kind of as I was stopping, I guess, doing as many national series, so I haven't had that as many shots at it. Yeah, I crashed out the first time. I did it within the first 2K so there was a big old. I don't know if you remember that, sean. The start has changed since then so it's not down that same road, but ending up from a ditch 2K and wasn't my favorite thing to be doing on a Sunday afternoon at my local race. But yeah, I haven't actually finished it before.
Speaker 4:In terms of it being an early date, I think For academy riders and teams on newer teams or teams that are riders that are coming into the series, I think it's a really tricky one for them to enter because they might not. It doesn't really need to be your first national series race. It's quite a tough one to throw yourself into. You sort of need a bit of other racing behind you before you go and enter it. So I think the early date can put off newer riders. But, having said that, we've got 120 people on the start list, so people are still entering, which is great. It is cold, it's hopefully a bit muddy, and that's, I think, what people are excited about.
Speaker 4:I've done it as an academy team. We've got our junior riders and our younger riders because they're so excited about it, or they've done a season across and now they want to go and do a race that kind of ties those two seasons together. It's one of those races that's a bit of a game of luck I think Monica kind of mentioned that as well like getting those punctures and things. You kind of can make it all the way to that last sector, get a puncture and then realise your team car or anything is stuck in another narrow road somewhere and you can't get a wheel and it's race over. So, thank you, you've got to have some good luck on the day, I think too, as well as some good legs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sean, you had a well an excellent ride last year, didn't you? You were in the winning break. You finished fifth in the end. From riding the race over the years, what have you learned about your approach to the race? I mean, maybe you don't want to give away your trade secrets here, but what have you learned about how to approach and tackle the race?
Speaker 1:I think it's a really challenging one because of the parkour. I don't just mean the kind of difficulty of the off-road bits and how narrow it is and stuff. It's like if you look at the map of the race it's carnage, it's everywhere. I'm not going to deny the fact that I think I have a good advantage kind of knowing the roads and kind of being from the area, because I can ride to the course in a little over an hour. I know all those roads like the back of my hand and I know at any point in the race I know what's coming next and there are so many pinch points that, being from four hours away, you wouldn't know about.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I am kind of aware of where I can kind of save energy and which bits of the race are important that aren't just the off-road bits as well. So yeah, I think my approach and what I'll kind of try and help my team to do, I suppose, is just try and know as much of the race as you can, try and kind of study the course as well as you can in preparation for it really, because I think, more than any other race on the series, it's so important to be positioned well at the right time, because if you, yeah, like Sarah said, it is a bit of a game of luck as well, but by preparing properly you can make your own luck to a certain extent. So, yeah, I think that's really important. And going in blind, having not done any like not done a recce of the course the day before or not kind of looked at the off-road sectors or anything, I think you're kind of potentially setting yourself up to have a bit of a hard time really.
Speaker 2:I was struck when talking to Monica about the fact that she said that it didn't necessarily make too much difference for her kind of riding solo as opposed to being on a team this year, because she felt that actually team strategy didn't actually come into it or didn't particularly help her last year. Is that something that of you that you share, Sarah? Do you feel like it's important to have a team approach this race, or can you be successful as a solo rider?
Speaker 4:I think both can work. I think there's merits in both. Completely I think from Monica's point of view, she's a seasoned, experienced racer who is aware of what teams could be doing and also can handle herself in a bike race pretty easily. She knows where she needs to be, she knows what the course is like and she would have done all of that preparation so she can absolutely excel as a solo rider in that. I guess what that falls down is if all these UCI teams come full guns blazing with a bit of a plan and they've got their riders in the right place at the right time, from an academy point of view, I've got four riders in and we won't be, I guess, will we looking after each other. Obviously, if someone needs somehow for a wheel to jump back onto them, they'll do that. From my rider's perspective, it's learning what Sean said.
Speaker 4:I will give a briefing that talks about where to be in those first initial kilometers of the race, how you should be positioned and where your best shot is to get yourself to the point where, when it does start to split up, the pressure comes off a little bit. Once the race starts to split up, it's like that first 40K of us being on it. It's not just riding your bike. You need to be mentally switched on for that first section of the race to establish where you're going to be. Then you can be like oh right, I've made it through that next bit of the race. Where's the next bit of off-road? Then you start to tackle that. I think that's where my riders are coming in at, whereas Sean's perhaps won't even have that next level of appreciation of where's my teammate. What do I need to do next? Is there another plan that I need to execute to help my teammates?
Speaker 2:Yeah, are there particular teams or riders? You're going to have your eye on, sean. I mean, I expect you're going to say you'll just ride it, you'll have your team plan and you'll stick to that. You won't worry about anyone else. But at the back of your mind, looking at the start list, there must be some teams and riders that you think their wheels I need to follow if they make a break. Or these are danger riders.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think we've already discussed a couple of the individual riders to watch, obviously, monica being one of them, and yeah, I reckon, not only from us but from any of the bigger teams, if Monica moves them, we need to be there as well. But, yeah, I think the thing with the breakaway that we had last year was that all of the bigger, more competitive teams were present in that, and I think, whatever situation happens in the race this year, we're going to need to make sure that we cover any dangerous moves and make sure that if anything is going up the road, then we're there, because, yeah, as we've already said, the teams are so strong now that we can't miss a trick really. So, yeah, I think any of those continental teams and some of the smaller teams as well, like Loughborough, will have a very strong team, for example, as well, and I think, because it's so early in the season and such an unknown, I think there's going to be a lot of dangerous people to watch definitely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm intrigued. We mentioned Tess earlier and I'm intrigued by their inclusion because they've got some really strong international riders on that list, including Mio van Kaluwf, who's, of course, a very, very experienced Belgian classics rider, has done well in races like the Samin, so does that add a bit of spice, do you think, sarah, for the race? I mean, how are your riders kind of feeling looking at the start list and seeing kind of riders of that calibre there?
Speaker 4:No, I think, yeah, that does give excitement. I mean, that gives excitement, hopefully, to Sean's team and all teams of that level too. It's just like you see that name, you're like, oh right, what's going to happen here. And I mean I had it.
Speaker 4:I spoke to one of our youngest riders, who's just his first year junior, and I think she opened up the start list last week and had sent it over kind of with no notes and perhaps I should have added a few notes in it when I said it in the group chat. But it was like I think there was a bit of a shock of, oh this is my first step up from a youth rider to a junior rider and look who I'm on the start list with. And I think their initial thought was to go, oh, I can't, I don't know if I can do this. And then we had a chat with some of our older riders and people have done a few seasons and said, no, that should make you really excited because you know the standard of racing is really high and look where you get to mix yourself into. And as a rider in their first year junior, you can look to that rider and say, well, maybe I'm going to be there.
Speaker 4:At one point Perhaps I'm stood on the start line with them, but one day I want to be stood in their shoes on that team doing what they're doing. So I think it gives a. It's super inspirational and kind of something to aim for, and that's what. That's what the series should be like, and that's kind of what's happening now, I guess, in women's cycling as in general, with like having the women's tour now back. It's like that's we've got something to look at. And so that's where I want to go, and we're starting to create that in the UK, which is is great.
Speaker 2:Okay, we're going to have to wrap up soon because I mean, I'm sure we could carry on talking forever, but we, for the sake of the listeners, we should probably look to wrap up. So I'm going to put you on the spot now and ask for your predictions. I did give you about 30 seconds warning or fair, that I was going to ask you this, which is probably very unfair. But, sarah, let's go to you first. What are you? Make a wild prediction? What do you? What do you think is going to happen? Who's going to win?
Speaker 4:Oh, this is putting me on the spot.
Speaker 2:Wish I come to show on fast. Shana, you prepared with an answer.
Speaker 1:I do think that Monica is going to be hard to see past really. And then there's also Jess Vinnie, who won last year and the race I did in Belgium the other day. Jess was really strong and, yeah, she always pulls out a good performance when it matters. So I think, yeah, I can't really pick one, but yeah, I think those two are going to be pretty competitive.
Speaker 2:Great Thanks, Sean. Sarah, how are you getting on with your deliberations?
Speaker 4:I mean I still think we still got juniors to watch. I think we should watch some of these juniors. To be honest, I don't think I could pick one because they're all a bit fresh, but I feel like we should clock for a junior. I think Monica is going to be up and where she needs to be, like you know that maybe some of them from the Hessemen. We need to look out for what Hesse are going to be doing and also, I mean she's on the podcast with me. But I think, sean, I mean it's your local race. It's one of those ones that I think like I mean I have it in the back of my mind, like I've always wanted to win the national series, but it's probably never going to happen, but it always sits in the back of your mind so I can see like Sean's been talking about is her local race and there would be no reason why she wouldn't be getting for it.
Speaker 2:No pressure Sean.
Speaker 1:Well, I definitely am, so thanks.
Speaker 2:I should ask you I will make my prediction in a minute, sean will there be designated team leaders in your team?
Speaker 1:I think we've got a lot of strength and depth in our team really. So I think it really proved last year that, yeah, anything can happen. And yeah, with that breakaway that ended up going away with me and Tommy and I don't think I would ever put myself well previously. Anyway, I don't think I ever would have put myself in in in that position. And yeah, we, yeah, we kind of discussed it as a team after the race and, yeah, me and Tommy definitely didn't ride particularly well in that breakaway Like we did.
Speaker 1:We did far too much of the work and I know there was two of us, but the thing to do probably would have been for Tommy to have done the lion's share of the work for the two of us and I should have sat on the back and not done a tap.
Speaker 1:But ultimately I got quite excited in that situation and, yeah, worked a bit too hard and then, yeah, ultimately I know I've got a very good sprint and at the end of that race I should have been able to put a good sprint in, but I had absolutely nothing left whatsoever.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I have definitely learnt from that, hopefully for this year. But, yeah, I think the yeah, the long and short of it is is, anything can happen and with the unpredictable nature of the race, I think even if we went into it with a solid team plan and a solid team leader and, yeah, it would probably all change on the day anyway. So I imagine, yeah, without giving away too much not that we've particularly discussed it yet, anyway but I think the main plan will just be, yeah, to kind of keep safe, keep, yeah, keep kind of aware in those in those versus UK and kind of let what happens happen, because I think we'll be, yeah, we'll be strong enough with enough options that, yeah, we can kind of almost take the race as it comes and adapt on the road. Really, Brilliant.
Speaker 2:Well, I guess I should say best of luck to both of you, sarah, for your luck, good luck to your riders. I hope they get out of it what they want to get out of it, whether that's just having an amazing experience and learning about racing at that level. And, sean, obviously you've got those hopes of a potential win, whether it's for you or for your teammates. I hope that goes well for you. I said I'd make a prediction, so I better say a name. Obviously, as you said, it's a horribly difficult one to predict, not least because it's an unpredictable race in itself and we don't know really what the form of all the teams and riders are yet.
Speaker 2:But I will go for Maya Van Galoof. As I've mentioned already, she doesn't know the course, I guess, which is going to be a disadvantage for her, but she's so experienced racing these types of races I think she's going to be someone to watch. So we will have to wrap it up there, just to say before we do that, our reporter, joe Hudson, will be at the roadside. So keep an eye on Instagram stories, on our channel, for race updates, and there will be a report on our website, of course, afterwards, but other than that it remains for me to say thank you to Sean. So thank you very much for joining us. Sean, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1:Thank you, it's been a pleasure, and Sarah thank you, thank you.
Speaker 4:Definitely looking forward to getting back in that race Car park of the week and our echinancy and where everyone's at. So yeah, we've done.
