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' 'From Newcastle,
but currently residing in Harrogate I'm slowly coming to
terms with the wind and hills. Yorkshire is great cycling country and
has a very healthy social and racing scene. Although I've just started
working in Manchester so will be on the look out for some races and
training runs in the New Year.
After racing as a Junior to quite a good standard I returned to cycling
just over two years ago after a 17 year break. It was a baptism of fire
as I'd agreed to go to the French Alps with a friend of mine who'd being
running marathons and had been back on his bike for a year. I got over
the Telegraph in a near fit of exhaustion and slowly rolled toward the
Galibier. 3 mile from the top I cracked in a big way and spent the next
two days slowly draining phlegm from my chest. Well, not to be defeated
I vowed to keep the cycling going and shed a stone in weight. Two years
later and down to 13 stone (yip 14 stone over the Galibiere on a diet of
fish and chips and the occasional walk to the bakers) saw me don my race
number and take once more to the peleton. Despite struggling in breaks
and on the hills I managed to rack up enough points to get my 3rd CAT
and then gained a number of top 5 places to end the season a dozen
points short of my second - fat boys can still sprint being my motto.
Now that I'm 37 the challenge is to work with John to make every second
count and be able to sit on the front without my legs busting into
flames
If you know of any good midweek races in the Manchester area in the
Summer please give me a shout'
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