More from Jens

Not sure if i've posted this before but check it out... video of Jens Voight (LEGEND!) in hospital not long after he face planted the asphelt on stage 16 of the Tour de France this year. One of the most horrific crashes i've ever seen but nothing can stop this guy!

http://www.saxobanktakingthelead.com/?p=1217

Have a look.

My posts are like buses....

... nothing comes for ages then more than one come at once!

A little training update. Last sunday i headed up to crawley for a ride with the Onelife Development Squad http://www.onelifedevelopmentsquad.com/. Was good to catch up with good mates on the ride but any fun turned pretty quickly to uncomfort, coldness, pain... anything describing the unhappy state i was in on my bike! The weather had turned from strong-ish winds with light rain to full blown gales and horizontal Hail smashing into our faces within about 10seconds! The delights of english weather! This lasted pretty much for the last hour of the 3hr+ ride... by the end we were racing to get back to the showers first!

Since then it hasn't really changed much, the wind has been nearly gale force since i can remember now and it has rained everyday! This has sparked my need to get out of this country... the solution... LANZAROTE!

Flights are booked, i'm getting out of here on the 13th december for 9days of riding in the sun with Matt Green. I'm flying out early in the morning to Arrecife then head down to the appartment we're renting in a small town called Guime, dont know much about Lanzarote apart from going there once when i was young but apparently the riding is pretty good out there, with club la santa a bit further north on the island where loads of training camps head out to avoid the crappy english weather. I'll have 9days of riding out there in the sun (it will b sunny no doubt about it!!) and as we are 10mins walk from the beach, maybe i'll have to top up the tan while im there!

Just to rub it in to anyone reading, i've just checked the weather forecast out there for this week... Today to friday SUN 23/24degrees; SATURDAY 26DEGREES SUN 9mph wind!

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

ill take lots of photos to rub it in a little bit more! Just need to get through 2 weeks more shite weather over here first though!

alrite, a bientot,

Tom

Mudbath

I cant get to grips with the mental weather we are having at the moment. The rain is only temporary but when it rains... u dont wanna b caught outside! With a MTB nite ride planned for wednesday evening after work with Kris from work a had a constant eye on the weather, and come the day things weren't looking great! Rain storms all day and pretty much gale-force winds were leaving doubts in our minds (Kris already tried to chicken out by not bringing his kit to work... pansy) but we decided it was time to man up and get out there!

Come 6.30 we were heading up over the downs at the start of the southdowns way with an aim to head over to Friston Forest taking in some good singletrack and without going mad... not being much of a mountain biker, the idea of riding with only a light on the handlebars to help you see where you're going was slightly daunting however once out there fully equipped with my "Exposure Toro Headlight" http://www.exposurelights.com/newsite/product/000016/toro/

coming in at a fairly hefty £275 (thanks to http://www.thetristore.com/ for letting me take it out for a test ride instead of emptying my wallet!) i was ready for anything.

We had a breif downpour and hail storm to clean the first caking of mud off head to toe, but after that we had a clear run all the way.

A puncture in the middle of the deep dark forest left us surrounded by silence in the darkness apart from a spooky owl somewhere nearby, a bit surreal but cool!

Once back going it wasnt long before kris started to hit the wall and since neither off us thought of bringing food or water ! he was soon crawling along. I had to feel sorry for him as he blew at the bottom of the longest hill on the ride but managed to get over it and roll back down towards town and Home! Me i turned off and carried on a bit over the hills and watched an awesome lightening storrm just out at sea... but i wasnt hanging around as the thunder seemed to be getting closer!

I can see myself as a bit of a mountain biker now! Check out the state of the bike after the ride.

Cant wait to get back out there! Bring on the MUD.

Thank you Ibbo Fund.

Last night i was up in Epsom at an awesome restaurant called "Jimmy Spices", basically an all you can eat buffet with a choice of indian, chinese, american, or stir fry food which is cooked fresh in front of you after you've chosen what you want to put in it. Needless to say i walked out about 10kilos heavier than i was when i walked in!
More to the point, the reason i was having dinner was with everybody from the John Ibbotson fund to round up the year and to say a big thanks for all the help over the last 2 years in which they have supported me not only financially but also by providing a friendly voice at the end of the line if i ever had any problems out in France, the nation of cheating handballing twats... needed to get that one off my chest!

So yes, a BIG thanks to everyone there for their support and i wish them all the best for next year with the new "fund-ees"!

Check out the funds website at www.johnibbotsonfund.com

Training is really going again now with good road rides at the weekends and lots off cross training during the week... i feel like a bit of a triathlete with the swimming and running ... and the fact that im working in a Tri shop too! not good, next thing ill be clipping on some tri-bars and start riding round in a wetsuit ;) No offence to any triathletes reading obviously. especially you simon (simontunderwood.blogspot.com) if you read this!

ok, i gotta ride home now before it gets dark... bit late i think!

will do a good update soon,

a la prochaine

Its been a while.

So... avid readers, if there are any left by now after having nothing to read about for a few weeks too long... an update on recent happenings in is order.

Since coming home at the end of october i have been back into the swing of life in the winter at home. I've been back training for a few weeks now which is mainly comprised of cross training with road rides happening at the weekends. The cross training includes running, Gym work, swimming and Mountain biking. I've been really enjoying mixing up training like this (under the guise of my new coach in france- the new DS of Bic2000) and it certainly gets you eager to get on the Road bike come the weekend whatever the weather!

I've also been working pretty hard since back, with 4days a week at the local bike shop www.thetristore.com , ok local triathlon shop but i dont know much about shoes to be honest!
This is mixed in with odd bar work shifts and training to complete my busy life.

Also, since about 10days ago, i've had Laurent LeGac staying, just as a mate but also so he can improve his english.

Oh yeah, last thursday evening while down the gym for a few hours in the evening i had my MTB nicked which really pissed me off! Mainly as i hadn't taken off my new ultegra pedals... even afta taking out the seat-post / saddle while in the gym... so if anyone sees somebody riding round on a black/red Specialized Hardrock with nice shiny silver shimano pedals but with no seat-post, rolling round eastbourne, feel free to swiftly take them out with your car and bring me my bike back!! Twat!

Right, rant over, time for bed. A good 45minute run followed by short turbo spin has got me good and tired. Gym session tomorrow, just wont be going by bike thats all.

bonne nuit!