Climbing high

I felt reasonably confident before the Tour de Yorkshire, as my training had been going quite well. Still after looking at the route profile, I was a little apprehensive about the hills, even if, perversely, I love climbing.

I really enjoyed challenging myself on the steeper sections and it was good to ride climbs I’ve seen on the TV in the past. I rode with Laura as she had only completed one sportive before this, and I wanted to be there to help if needed and reassure her, which is what happened after we came across the rider who’d crashed.

The people of Yorkshire were brilliant, really encouraging and friendly, even calling out first names to encourage us up the hills. It was a fantastic experience riding into Leeds city centre with the crowd at the finish.

I really enjoyed the ride, the weather was great, but I wouldn’t want to do that course in the wind and rain! Like most rides, now I know how the course pans out, on the right day, I’m sure I’d ride it quicker.

Following the Tour de Yorkshire, I’m confident about the Étape. I need to keep training hard, build some more mileage and my riding has definitely improved under our coach Florian’s training plan - although the interval sessions have been tough at times and it’s sometimes hard to find the hours to fit around work, family and other commitments.