Back on the road and back to racing

Wow. It's been a long time since I put fingers to keypad and wrote anything meaningful for my blog! Time to change all that.

For the time being I'll pass over the last Track World Championships. It was a disappointing campaign to say the least and it's still hurts t think about it. So I'll focus on something more positive for now!

I've just returned from a couple of weeks in Italy and 2 different Paracycling Cups. Both events were a combined road race and TT overall GC winner-type race. So basically they take your position int he road race and your position in the TT to determine the overall winner.

First up was the Verola Paracycling Cup. These races are both put on by he same organiser in the same area. The host towns are all based near Brescia - which is around 1 hour away from Milan. Paracycling is well supported in Italy, no doubt in small part due to Alex Zanardi who now takes part in many of these events.

So - on to the Verola Cup. First was the road race. It was help on a short town circuit. Lots of technical corners, short hills and interesting road surfaces to negotiate. I didn't realise it at first, but I had actually raced there in 2011. It was a different circuit back then but some of it was the same.

The race itself was good. For the most part it was fairly tame. Until anther rider crashed in front of me! I was held up momentarily and the bunch rode off up the road. I was stuck chasing with a couple of other riders for the next 3 laps or so. It meant I had to expend more energy than I wanted to chase back on. Nevertheless, we eventually got ourselves back in the bunch with a couple of laps still to go.

On the final lap the bunch split again slightly. I was near the back of the main group and as we headed down towards the finish I could see that I was easily going to wrap up 2nd place with only one other rider anywhere near me (up ahead). I was happy with that result so didn't chase after him.

As I rounded the final corner into the home straight, I could see the solitary rider in my category (Simon Price of GB) has slowed to a near stop short of the finish line. H e was furiously tuning the pedals over but the bike was only moving slowly. I wasn't 100% sure what was happening as my race head took over.

I jumped out of the saddle and accelerated towards Simon and the finish. I momentarily considered the option of stopping and helping Simon across the line as there was a part of me that felt he deserved to win. But I had no idea how close the 3rd place rider was behind me and didn't want to risk losing my own position. It was all happening in the blink of an eye also, so I just kept going - crossing the line ahead of Simon and taking the victory. Cheekily I raised my arms in the air as I crossed the line - after all, I don't win many road races!

It turns out Simon had dropped his chain in the final straight so was basically coasting towards the line. I didn't know that I as raced past him. I just saw he had slowed. To be fair, I've had more than my fair share of bad luck in races so it was time I had some good luck. Winning isn't just about being the best - it takes some good luck also.

The following day was the TT. It was on the same course I had raced on in 2011 so was familiar with it. Fairly flat with a couple of uphills drags, some poor road surface and a few corners to negotiate. Nothing too difficult.

I was definitely up for it. In anticipation of the poor road surfaces, I had left my 'best' wheels at home, opting instead for 2 deep section wheels with slower, but more robust tyres. It meant I would ride slower, but chances are I would actually get to the finish.

In the end, it was very tight in the top 3. I managed 2nd place in the TT by just 4 seconds. And that gave me the overall win for the weekend. A great start to my season and also meant I picked up some good Rio 2016 qualification points.

The next few days saw me travel to Milan, give a motivational talk to a small group of people, do a TV interview with Italian Sky, visit the 3T offices, and do a short, but hard ride with the owner of 3T on one of the climbs used in the Tour of Lombardy. All-in-all a good few days.

Then it was back to Brescia for the second Paracycling Cup. Once again, the road race was on a small town circuit, but this time with a stinging climb in the middl of the circuit. We'd have to go over it 10 times as well which was going to hurt.

The race started with a fast pace and it wasn't long before we hit the climb for the first time. And yes, it hurt. But lap after lap I managed to hang in there up the climb. Negotiating all the technical and fast corners with ease as well, I was starting to believe I might finish with the lead group. 

I think it was around the 5th time up the climb that I finally found myself being distanced. I'm just far too heavy to get up these hills as fast as the riders who are 10kg lighter than me! Nevertheless, I kept working and never gave up. Although distanced, I could see another rider in my category up the road ahead of me. I knew catching him would mean getting 3rd place in the race, so I kept working at pegging him back, lap after lap.

Finally, on the last lap I caught him at the top of the last climb. I think he was shocked when he turned to find me on his wheel! As he rode towards the finish, he kept sitting up, trying to get me to come around him but i just sat behind him, trying to conserve my energy.

That was a mistake. As we hit the last few corners, he accelerated out of them ahead of me getting a good gap. In the finish straight I jumped out of the saddle to try and close the gap, but ran out of road. He crossed the line ahead of me taking 3rd place. I was 4th.

2 days later it was the final TT. It was 2 laps of a pan-flat course with a few corners to negotiate, but it is the type of course I normally excel on. I was going in with my eyes on first place.

The day just never went well. I showed up late to the start town, struggled to find parking, struggled to even figure out where the start was! I wasted so much time that I didn't get to warm up properly. I basically ended up getting on my bike and riding to the start. So I was going to have to race 'cold'.

I knew within the first 30 seconds that it wasn't going to go well. My legs were already screaming and I had barely even started. The lack of a warm up was going to cost me. I had to back off to allow them to get moving or I'd never make it to the finish!

To make matters worse, after a few corners I came up on a long line of traffic. I was slowed up as I tried to figure out where to go. I DID have a lead motorcycle but it was still a bit nervy as we weaved down he centre of the road - between the line of cars moving in the same direction and dodging the oncoming cars!

Losing valuable time, matters were made worse as I messed up virtually every corner I had to go around. It wasn't my day. At all. I crossed the finish line in 4th place. A superb ride by Simon Price of GB though beating me handily.

Still - I had secured enough points to finish in 3rd place overall. Another podium finish and and more Rio 2016 points. It's great start to my road campaign and signs of good things to come.

How Sponsorship Works. (And how to make it work for you)

There is no denying that in order to succeed at the top levels of sport, you need to take every advantage you can. And when you have limited resources you need to find ways to fill the gaps between what you have and what you need. This is where sponsorship plays a key role.

Sponsorship is a very tricky situation. It basically boils down to being able to offer a sponsor something of value in return for…. well, something of value. Sponsorship isn’t necessarily all about how good you are though – and you don’t have to be out winning races every weekend to get sponsored. But a combination of good results and some unique selling points can make potential sponsors see you in a different light.

I’m going to try and lay out what I think makes a good approach when it comes to seeking sponsorship. 

Be Organised

There’s no point hating for sponsorship to just fall into your lap. It rarely happens unless you’re a remarkably talented rider. You have to go out there and hunt down what you want – and that means being organised. You should have list of the companies/products you want to work with and then set out to get in touch with them. It won’t be easy as for the most part you will be dealing with Customer Service departments, trying to get your name to the right people. With a bit of extra work, you can find out who those right people are and direct your enquiries to them directly. Just remember: they will likely be dealing with hundreds of other requests so it won’t always be easy to get a reply.

Make point of following up on a request a f ew weeks later if you haven’t heard back. If you still don’t get a reply at that point, chance are, you never will. Another thing I found amazing useful when looking for sponsors: I went to a bike trade show and met the reps from the brands I was interested in. It’s a lot easier to deal with a person when they can see you in person and you’re not just another email in their list.

And a great place to get started is you local bike shop. But make sure you’ve actually bought stuff there and they know who you are before you start asking for discounts and free stuff!

Be Realistic

It’s very simple: be realistic about what you a re asking for. If you’ve never won a race in your life, you’re not going to just get handed a brand new race bike worth £5000. So start small and be realistic. I always ask if a company would consider offering me a discount of their products. In general, they are usually willing to sell you stuff at cost, which can amount to huge savings to you, and doesn’t cost them anything. They may offer to give you stuff for free which is a bonus of course! I work with a lot of companies that will give me a certain amount of product each year and then also give me a healthy discount on items I purchase after that.

Be Good

This one is easy: if you’re a good rider, then your chances of getting any type of sponsorship go up dramatically. So concentrate on your results first and foremost. Companies like winners.

Be Unique

If you can win everything you enter, then all is not lost. If you can offer sponsors something they can’t find elsewhere, your market value will increase. For instance, if you’re an OK rider, but have a great back story, or ride across the country for charity every year, coach underprivileged kids, (or in my case, you’re a Paralympian) – anything about yourself that can help you stand out will be a bonus.

Be a Role Model

Be inspirational. Be a role model to others. Be Different. OK – easier said than done. Once again, I have an advantage here. I suffered hardship and loss of limb before bouncing back and winning World Championship titles. But I have also lost at the highest levels. I managed to pick myself back up and carry on. And am still going. It’s a compelling story. And companies like to be associated with people who can inspire others.

Be Loyal

If you work with a sponsor, don’t then go out and try and get a conflicting sponsor. It’s basic. No conflicts of interest. If you want to part ways with a sponsor so you can work with another (conflicting) one, be upfront and tell them. Thank them and move on. If you stick with them and are loyal, chances are they will stick with you.

Be Honest

If you use a sponsor’s products or services – be honest about them. Both to the sponsor and to the public. Don’t tell the company their product is the best thing you’ve ever used, then turn around and tell the public it’s total crap. If it IS total crap – tell the sponsor FIRST. Give them HONEST feedback. The good and the bad. Many of the companies I work with want honest feedback about their products from the users, especially the ones that can really put it through it’s paces. They want to make their stuff better so if you have criticism, they want to hear it. And they will hold you in higher esteem if you are forthcoming. If a product is so bad you can’t use it, stop using it. it’s not a product you want to put your name to anyway!

Be Grateful

Biggest complaint I hear from sponsors is riders who ask for stuff every year – and then never are heard from again until the next year. It makes them feel used. SO if someone sponsors you, keep in touch. Say thanks on a regular basis. Remember- they are doing YOU a favour. Not the other way around. And if they chose not to renew your sponsorship – say thanks for their support and move on.

Be a Promoter

It’s important that you actively promote the brands and products you use. But be smart about it. If you have a Twitter account – certainly tweet about the stuff you use, but make sure that your entire Twitter account isn’t just tweets promoting the stuff you use. Sometimes just posting a pic of your bike without mentioning the product specifically can do wonders. I get asked all the time about stuff on my bike and am always happy to say a good word about the items that were given to me by sponsors.

Be Yourself

This goes for whether you are looking for sponsors or already have them. Don’t be fake. Don’t misrepresent yourself. Don’t try and be what you think they want you to be - just be yourself. Chances are that real person is far better than any fake persona you might try and pass off!

I have been blessed to work with some really great companies with great vision and who are willing to support a Paralympic rider. I have done what I can to return that good will. Not just through my results, but through my actions. And will continue to do so as long as I can!

So here’s to all the companies in the last year that have done their part to keep me on the road: 3T, ZipVit Sport, Fisher Outdoors (Look/Sram/Zipp/Tacx), Rotor, SRM UK, Bont, 4iii, Cat’s Tongues Towels, Recovery Pump, Pace Rehabilitation, Crispin Orthotics, USE, and Castelli Cafe UK!