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Winter race schools - the next generation?


martin
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Excuse the dad bit, but #1 son has just been accepted for the winter race school at Manc velodrome. Thought others might be interested in seeing what is expected of the 13, 14 and 15 year old racers going to these sessions - serious stuff.

 

Lucky for him none of the dates clash with the Ghent 6 day!

 

 

'mon the Jets!

 

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I’m pleased to tell you that you and the other riders named here have been selected to attend the 4 pre-Xmas track RSR’s at Manchester velodrome on the following dates (please arrive in good time).

 

The RSR DATES:

 

Sunday October 30th           Sign on at 7.30am & Finish approx 2pm (Keirin & 200’s)

Workshop = bike position and aero-bar set-up (please borrow some if you don’t own any) which will be used in the next RSR (Nov 12) on Team Pursuit racing.

 

Saturday November 12th    Sign on at 10am & Finish approx 5.30pm (Team Pursuit)

Workshop = Team Pursuit theories/technique

 

Saturday December 3rd       Sign on at 10am & Finish approx 5.30pm (Points & Devil)

Workshop = diet & nutrition ideas used by GB Performance riders

 

Saturday December 17th    Sign on at 10am & Finish approx 5.30pm (*previous email incorrectly stated as Dec 20th) – (Sprint racing)

Workshop = track mechanics basics

 

*Please let me know as soon as you can if unable to attend on any date as reserves can then take up the (valuable) training slots.

 

The RSR ETHOS...

 

1.     There will be up to 36 youth riders in attendance at each of these RSRs from Scotland, North West England and the West Midlands and each rider will have been nominated to attend either through being a competent track racer with ambitions to race at a high national level during 2012 or by being a current member of the GB Talent Team. In other words, YOU are one of a select number of top bike racers at these schools who shows commitment, passion, solid technical ability and a good measure of talent at bike racing!

 

2.     As an RSR rider, you will be expected to be independent and self-sufficient when attending. You will be expected to carry your own tools to enable your bike to be made and kept race worthy at the session. You will need to be able to tighten your own wheels correctly, to tension your own chain correctly, to have the correct amount of air pressure in your own tyres, to carry spare tubes and tools in case of puncture and to be able to fix as necessary, to be able to fit and remove aero bars (please arrive with aero bars NOT fitted to any sessions) and perhaps adjust handlebar height accordingly. YOU might want to perfect all of this at home before the first RSR???

 

3.     Please use the gear correct to your racing category for 2012. Please use basic training/racing wheels and NOT fancy deep sections or discs!

 

4.     You will be expected to arrive to the session in good time, to listen attentively to the coaches words, to have a neat and tidy kit area when seated, to be up and ready to ride with your correct group at the right time and to leave the track as a group when requested by the coaches. Your self-sufficiency and good organisational and time keeping skills are as much a part of these sessions as the training itself!

 

5.     You will be expected to eat and drink sufficiently at regular intervals throughout the long day just as an elite athlete would. You will therefore need to bring enough food (eg a cold pasta mix, sandwiches, fruit, museli bars etc) and drink (eg water, juice, electrolyte powder to mix) and recovery preparation for the end of the day (eg protein/milk shake).

 

6.     You will be expected to bring enough clothing for the session to include CLUB KIT ONLY, ARM AND LEG WARMERS, TRACK MITTS and a spare under vest to change as necessary during a long day. You should arrive in comfortable leisure-wear (eg tracksuit and trainers) rather than fashion wear! Please also bring a towel and wash kit for showering at the velodrome.

 

7.     You will also be expected to bring a pen and paper to make notes on learning points at each school – please go prepared to take coaching points away for developing and re-inforcing at home as you will only become a better racer if you put in the work at home too!

 

**Friday Night Track League

 

The Manchester Regional Track League Division 1 is on Friday nights (NOT the weekend of the final December RSR) if you can make it down in time for the 7pm start (warm-up) should you wish to combine with the Saturday RSR sessions? This is the appropriate league for youth riders aged 14 and over but you must register with the league and then enter each night in advance. Please refer to the leagues website for details...

 

http://www.mrtl.co.uk/

 

**Revolution Racing is also on the night before  the first RSR in October...!

 

I hope that this is enough info for you to make the most of and have an enjoyable winter of track schools at Manchester. Please get back to me if any further questions? I hope to be down at some of the schools (just to make sure you’re behaving yourselves)...

 

Best regards

 

Mark

 

 

Mark McKay

British Cycling Talent Team Coach

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Nice one Martin. Good to get them on the ladder early. If he makes a success of it, and I bet he will, you can look forward to many trips to Manchester and Wales while investing all of your time and what can seem like your life savings on carbon frames, bars, seatposts, Wafer thin tubs and all manner of other UCI compliant 'trackie bling'. So, don't worry about the 'dad thing' because you are definately going to earn it! Hello, beer !!

 

Roll on Glasgow!

 

Cheers

Jim

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