Vietnam Daily News

Year to remember

Written by Dailynews.vn Thursday, 22 December 2011 08:16

I was a swimmer and runner before I started cycling. One day the British Cycling Talent Team came to my school and I think I was in a maths lesson at the time. They said 'do you want to go and try out' and me and my friend just thought 'yeah why not?'

I gave it a go and ended up beating all the boys and then getting through three stages and made it onto the Talent Team. I was swimming, running and cycling for a while but then decided to give them up to give cycling a good go and I just progressed from there really.

The first track I ever rode was Calshot, so I raced on there a bit and also at Portsmouth track with i-team. That was my first cycling team with Guy Watson and Rob Hayles' dad and they've helped me a lot. I did local races, Castle Combe and things like that and then the track nationals were my first big event. I won a couple of medals and it's gone from there really.

2011 has been an unbelievable year. This time last year I was going up to Manchester on a weekly basis just giving team pursuit a go after Paul Manning contacted me after the track nationals. Then it's just been completely crazy since then, winning the World Championships in March obviously and then also the under-23 Europeans and Europeans. I just hope it continues now it's been great!

The Worlds in Apeldoorn was the proudest moment of my career. It was just unreal I can barely describe it. After we'd crossed the line and I saw that we'd won, I think the pictures in the press and the interviews afterwards just showed how ecstatic I was. I just couldn't stop smiling for ages after.

Pride

Wearing the rainbow jersey this year has been really good. I got to wear them at the under-23 Europeans and then at the senior Europeans. When I think about putting that skinsuit on it gives me goosebumps and I just want to get up there and race.

We've had a really strong group of girls in the team pursuit all the way through and now obviously there's four left. They could put any of us anywhere really which is what makes us such a strong team. I think we all just need to keep working really hard as a four and as a unit and I think hopefully come the Games we'll be on top form and can deliver the best performance we can.

It has been really hard competing with my team-mates but I try to focus on what I can control. I don't really get stressed about selection and things because I think it just takes care of itself. I just try and train as hard as I can and I think it should all work itself out.

It first dawned on me that I could be competing at the Olympics when I'd got onto the Academy before the World Championships. Since I've been at school it's always been my dream to be a part of the Olympics. I've always said, if people asked me 'what do you want to do when you grow up' or 'what do you want to be' I've always just said: 'I want to get to the Olympics'. That was before I started cycling and it could have been any sport, but now it's actually quite realistic. It's unreal and I just want it so badly.

Omnium success

In November I took a silver medal in the omnium at the Track World Cup in Kazakhstan and I was really really happy with that. I didn't know what to expect to be honest because I'd only ridden one omnium before and that was at the under-23 Europeans where I also got a silver. So I just went into it with an open mind just wanting to take every event as it comes, give my best performance in every race and hopefully get a good result out of that which I did. So I really enjoyed it and it was a great experience.

I think it's all about being consistent. You have to have your head switched on in every event so if you have a bad elimination or a bad scratch race you can lose. Coming from a sprint background I think I'll always be up there in the flying lap and the 500m TT. I think I've proved that I can do a good individual pursuit now, as well as getting a bronze medal in the scratch race at the Worlds. So I think the omnium is just really suited to me as a bike rider. I guess my weakest event would be the points race or the elimination race but I think I'm getting there with them. I'm always getting stronger and tactically I'm learning so I think I can only get better.

I've just completed a block of winter training in Mallorca which has been amazing. It's unbelievable how much the weather can change in a two-hour flight! You can be training and find you're too hot in knee warmers which is crazy in December. I'm loving it - it's gorgeous! Before I came to Mallorca we had a five-week strength and power block after Kazakhstan. I'd gone and had a couple of days at home and then went back up to Manchester and we've been on the track, in the gym and in the lab so it's been very full-on! I'm looking forward to a bit steadier Christmas.

Source: www1.skysports.com/news/12040/7390677/