A step up the age groups (U23)

First of all please excuse any grammar mistakes, its being a while since I have written a blog, and I may be some what rusty. Secondly I was not privately educated, just publicly, but maybe that atmosphere made me who I am.

So its time to actually write something that is hopefully worth reading.

 t’s important to start by saying that I appreciate the support around me, and maybe that I don’t actually tell those people enough, especially my family.

With some riders from my age group moving on to UCI based teams for the coming 2014 season, and others moving away from home and basing them selves in Europe, I find myself in familiar surroundings, all be it with a new name of Haribo Beacon, a team that for the 2014 season has not opted to take on UCI status in order to focus on developing younger riders, and not to mention moving up to the U23 ranks.

If you were to look at the glass as being half empty, then sure there are possibilities that some aspects of the team could be better, but these are only aspects that could and would be classed as moaning, so instead I look at my glass as being half full, Haribo Beacon, the progression from Sportscover is a team that wants to develop younger riders like myself, which I have already mentioned, and I saw that last year while racing with the team.

At Haribo Beacon I know for a fact that I will be looked after as a 1^st year U23, but I will certainly make sure I don’t have to be watched over like a baby. I am happy in the fact that rather than being pulled around from pillow to post, not knowing what races I will be competing in, and having to hope that my results are strong enough to gain a position in higher rated events, is one of the best situations I could find myself in, but the time will come when I need to fight and battle for these positions, and its something that I have being familiarised with before, and it may come around this year/season. However it’s not just the above to look at, with Haribo Beacon there is some rather exceptional support from some highly rated sponsors, not to mention HMT (Healthcare Management Trust) which we could not function at are best without.

I always said, and have never being afraid to say that a key short term aim of mine was to be in Belgium this coming year, and progress there as an U23, and I certainly still feel strongly that Belgium/Europe is where I can indeed progress my career as a cyclist further, certainly its easy to sit here and write about it, but harder to get out there and make it a reality for the coming years. However I also believe that a season in Britain will open my eyes, and with dedication will make me a stronger rider, and certainly more motivated to progress upwards and onwards.

I hope you find my Blog insightful, and that you haven’t fallen asleep reading it, in which case you won’t have read that last statement.

 

Cheers Jake