James Lock - Article from the Guardian

James Lock had a very good start to his professional triathlon career by finishing 7th in the Elite British Grand Prix. The GP consisted of 3 Corus sponsored races in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as 3 Mazda sponsored races including the Royal Windsor, London and Blenheim Triathlons. All of these races have been broadcasted on Channel 4 on Sunday mornings which has really helped the awareness of this rapidly growing sport.

Each athlete taking part in the GP was giving a number of points depending on their finishing positions and James was very happy to finish in the top ten overall.

James started his career as a swimmer with Leatherhead Swimming Club. Following many years of success with the club he left for Loughborough University where he joined the University Triathlon Club and this is when he started taking part in Amateur Aquathlons and Triathlons.

Since October 2007 James has concentrated on a strict training programme to see how much he can achieve in the sport. Through the winter he clocked up approximately 5 hours of swimming, 8 hours of cycling and 4 hours of running each week. However, he understands that this needs to be doubled next season if he is really going to succeed at the top level of the sport.

James has predominately been self-coached this season but will hopefully join together with a group of Triathletes next season to keep the motivation levels up. He has joined in some swim sessions with Ron Philpot at Leatherhead Swimming Club and Richard Stannard at Open Water Swimming in Dachet which have helped his progress. James is also very grateful to FANS which is a Surrey funded organisation which has enabled him to have access to pools, gyms and tracks where he has been able to conduct his training.

Despite only competing in the sprint distance Triathlon before, James has excelled in the Olympic distance which consists of a 1500m open water swim, 40km draft-legal bike and 10km run.

One of James’ most notable results came after back to back weekend races in France which gave him the experience he needed when he was to compete for GBR at the European Cup in Ireland. In Ireland James rose to the occasion with a very strong swim in the River Shannon. Exiting the water in 4th position, James managed to sit in the front pack for the entire 40km cycle. As the pack entered Transition 2, there were around 20 athletes all bustling to get an advantage on the 10km run which was to determine the final positions. Ultimately it was a French 1 and 2 (both who had been World Junior Champions). James crossed the line in 8th position beating athletes with many years more training and experience than him.

James is a member of the Thames Turbo Sigma Sport Triathlon team who have kindly sponsored James with the essential equipment needed to compete at the top level. The Sigma Sports shop in Hampton-wick has organised a Pinarello racing bike and racing uniforms which have been used throughout the season. The team, which has been superbly managed by Roland Rutt, has just been crowned the London League Champions for a second year in a row, which shows the depth of talent within the squad.

He has certainly made an impression within his first season and looks forward to challenging the more experienced athletes in 2009.

When James is not training, he is working with a new Swim Bike Run brand called Zone3 which is to launch in early 2009. Details can be seen at www.RaceZone3.com

Racing as a Pro on the European Circuit

I wouldn’t say I exactly toured the European circuit, but I did do a few race overseas which were full of highs and lows but all in all a great experience. My first was a hard lesson in Crete when I travelled there for a European Cup race in April. After months of preparation, I felt ready to take on some of the best athletes in Europe. It was a horrible journey to the Western side of Crete to a town called Hania. After expensive flights and travelling from one side of the island to the other with my bike, I was eventually in the race hotel. Final preparations were going well, however, the day before the race I came down with a violent stomach bug which left me completely drained and life-less. There was no way I could race and I couldn’t have been more disappointed. I was absolutely gutted, especially because I’d been thinking about the race probably everyday for a month before and then also after making such an effort to get there. I had to try and move on, but this was not a good start to my season!

Thus, my first official race was the Morden 6n6 which was great fun. Its always nice to wear the team colours!

My next International race was when I went to race in France at a venue called St Jean De Monts, just an hour away from Nantes. It was a fantastic race and I would recommend it to anyone! Probably the most enjoyable race of my season. Hundreds of people raced and there was a huge range of standards, from novices to internationals. Everyone started on the beach together in preparation for the 1500m sea swim. I end up exiting the swim around 1.30m up on the rest of the field. This was great exposure for the Zone3 branded wetsuit I have developed. The bike course was draft legal which made it good fun and the run was on a mixture of sand and tarmac which again made it more interesting. There were large crowds and it as great to get 3rd position and therefore get some podium action! Racing Triathlon in France was nothing like in the UK, an amazing experience, which I would recommend to anyone!

Following success in Nantes, my French team then invited me to race in the Beauvais Division One Grand Prix which was the weekend after. So, I left my bike with the team manager and asked him to hang on to it for me until the next weekend. This was a huge step and I would be racing pretty much a full world cup line up over the sprint distance. The athletes included Tim Don, Kris Gemmel, Frederic Belaubre, Will Clarke etc. I would usually say I was one of the strongest swimmers on the start line, but after only two minutes of the race I must have been about 40th, with high-charged athletes all around me – it was crazy! The bike was relentless with really powerful changes of pace, slow – max – slow – max etc. It was also a very tight course and with 30+ in each of the front two packs it made it hard to weave in and out of people to progress any further up the field. I ran reasonably with a low 16min 5km but the top 20 all went under 15.30 which shows the quality of the field. It was a fantastic experience which set me up for the following weekend where I would race for GBR in the European Cup in Athlone, Ireland.

What a start I had on the swim! It was a two lap swim in the River Shannon. The current was strong, so there was plenty of opportunity to draft. After getting a body length or so within the first 400m, I then sat back and let the likes of Richard Stannard, Raphael (World U23 Champion) and Vincent (World Junior Champion) take their turns on the front. At 750m you had to climb back on to the pontoon and dive back in for lap 2 – it was pretty fun! Exiting the swim in 4th position, I then had a reasonable transition and was safely in the front pack by lap 1 out of 8. The group swelled from around 6 athletes up to 20 or so by the time we entered T2. The run was 4 laps through the town with a long, sharp hill on each lap. I end up in 8th position with a 33.42m just 1.30m off the winning time. I was incredibly happy considering the strength and experience of the other athletes. This was still only my 3rd ever Olympic distance Triathlon, so I was very happy.

Reflecting on the season gone, I think I’ve learnt an awful lot and I think the experience is crucial to future success in Triathlon. I’ve learnt how I can improve my training over the winter, get stronger, hopefully less injured and how to peak for the big races. I’ve also got all of the race experience which is especially crucial in ‘rough’ swim conditions and in tight drafting on the bike. I’m currently on the search for a sponsor for next season, so I can really make the most of my training and racing. London 2012 is still a target and I’m looking forward to seeing how I develop in the mean time.

I am very grateful to Thames Turbo and Sigma Sport who have been very kind to help with all of my equipment and maintenance needs.

2010 Club Championship Races

For 2010 we have identified a number of races across the year as Thames Turbo Club Championships. It’s a great opportunity for a big Club turn-out and a chance to beat some close rivals (ask Marcus and Straggler or the Chairman and Brian Hood!). The Championships though are intended to encourage all members at all levels. The more members we field the more enjoyable the racing!

 
Last year we had 86 Turbo’s enter at least one Club Championship Event. Lets see if we can get over 100 this year!
Just enter the races in the normal way and make sure you register as Thames Turbo.

Club championship races for 2010 are: 

Duathlon: Emberton Duathlon (10km/40km/5km), Emberton Country Park, Milton Keynes, Sunday 11th April 2010. http://www.big-cow.com/public/race.aspx?id=955 

Sprints: Eton Half Olympic (750m/20km/5km), Dorney Lake, Sunday 23rd May 2010. http://www.humanrace.co.uk 

 Olympic: Worthing Triathlon Standard Distance (1500m/40km/10km), Sunday 18th July 2010. http://www.rawenergypursuits.co.uk/HTML … athlon.htm

 Half-Ironman: The Vitruvian, Saturday 4th September 2010. http://www.pacesetterevents.com 

Enjoy the racing!

Club Captains for 2010

Congratulations Ryan and Holly Tomlinson who have been re-elected for a second year as the Thames Turbo Club Captains and  James Brown and Nick Clements who will be jointly acting as our Race Team Captains for the 2009/10 season

These roles are demanding  but exciting. They are going to need your full suppport. Holly and Ryan time will be really concentrating on drumming up support for and organising the Club Championship Races, and the National Relays.  James and Nick will be focussing on all things ‘team’ and ensuring  that we retain our London League silverware and much much more!

Here’s to Turbo victory both personal and for the club, at all levels and all distances in the forthcoming year.

Nigel Clemens

Chairman

Club Ride - Do’s and Don’ts

Turbos!

This article was written by Warren and Sarah Anne Evans. It’s a little gem!

Please take time to read it even if you are a regular at the Sunday rides it helps to remind ourselves of how we should cycle as a group and the responsibility to other road users and fellow cyclists.

Club Bike Rides - Do’s & Don’ts

Please take time to read this important post. (A Word document of this post is attached and is available for download).

Sunday bike rides are one of the most popular sessions at the club and the number turning out on even the coldest of days is amazingly high.

But with the larger groups of cyclists comes the high risk of danger, we need to make sure the Turbo club rides are safe, as well as good fun training.
Our club rides are unsupervised and the Club is not responsible for our safety.
As triathletes we compete as individuals but the Sunday bike ride is all about cycling as a pack, working together to get up those hills and staying together for the duration of the ride, no one gets left behind. When cycling with others, we all have a responsibility to look out for others’ safety as well as your own.
Here is a list of essential basic things to remember to keep it safe while cycling on your own and within groups. It is divided into the following sections:

· Do’s
· Don’ts
· Calls
· Hand Signals

Please apply these rules next time you are out. You will be expected to adhere to them, and will be reminded by your fellow cyclists if you don’t.

Do’s

- Follow the Highway Code at all times - it applies to ALL road-users.

- Wear a cycle helmet, you will not be allowed to ride if you do not have one.

- Ensure your bike is road worthy, brakes are fully operational and that your tyres are pumped up to the recommended PSI (as written on the tyre).

- Divide into smaller groups - be prepared to split into groups 10-12 maximum to be safe. Set off in these groups from the pool allowing adequate time between each group so that you don’t bunch up. For example, 08:05 fast group, 08:08 medium group, 08:10 Slow group.

- Cycle a maximum of two abreast in 2 close parallel lines where appropriate, focus on keeping it neat and tidy.

- Ride with 1ft approx. between your front wheel and the back wheel of the rider in front. There should also be 1ft between your shoulders and the rider beside you.

- Be prepared on small or busy roads to ride in single file.

- Riders at the back of the pack to shout “Car back, single file” if there are vehicles behind. Listen and act on their calls, DON’T look back and check for yourself, as you will move off your line and may cause an accident.

- Lead cyclists to navigate and point out hazards in the road by either shouting or using hand signals. Listen to them and act on the calls, and most importantly, repeat them for the cyclist behind you.

- Ride directly behind the wheel of the rider in front. If you cycle in the middle of the two wheels in front of you, you WILL push the cyclist on your outside into the path of passing vehicles.

- Brake as gently and smoothly as you safely can when riding in a pack

- Cover your brakes at all times.

- Talk to each other. Point out either with hand signals or shouts, all potholes, manhole covers and other dangers in the road that could cause punctures or accidents. Follow the hand signals and calls of the riders in front as they will have seen the danger before you and then you can all communicate down the pack.

- If you are the back of the group and either see someone dropping or are being dropped it is your responsibility to call to the cyclists in front that the pace is too high. The pack must communicate this up to the front. The lead cyclists will not be aware if you start to drop. Ask them to slow down, it is your ride too.

- Ride at a steady pace, keeping the pack as a compact unit

- Check over your shoulder for other riders or traffic before moving out to the right

- Slow right down when passing horses, and pass them as wide as it is safe to do so.

- If you are on the front, remember that people are following your calls. If you make a decision to pull out on a roundabout or junction, you need to call “Clear” or “Wait” to warn the pack of hazards.

- If you are feeling tired let people know. Accidents happen when people are tired and lose concentration. Everyone gets tired, let people know so they can slow the pace down and tuck you in the pack to carry you home ;o)

- Cycle with confidence. If you’re nervous you will tense up and then are less likely to be able to respond to things quickly.

- Always cycle in your comfort zone. When the groups are organised take a look at the cyclists in your pack. You might be able to cycle with them for 1 hour at their pace, but can you do 3 hours? Be realistic so that you enjoy the entire ride and don’t end up bonking after 1 hour, then forcing the pack to slow down for you

- When cycling at dusk or night wear appropriate reflective bright clothing and ensure you have working lights on the front and rear of your bike.

- Dress in appropriate clothing for the weather

- Bring everything you might need. Prepare for every eventuality. For example, puncture kit, tyre levers, inner tubes, pump, allen key set, helmet, waterproof jacket, food, water, money, credit card, mobile, contact details in emergency.

- Plan your nutrition according to your ride duration. You will burn on average 500calories per hour when cycling. You should be drinking one 750ml bottle of water every hour. You must have enough food to last the entire ride (riders may not wish to stop, especially if it’s cold or wet). Individual’s energy needs are different, but a guide for a 3 hour ride might be 2 bananas, 1 sports bar, 1 jam sandwich, 1 gel for emergency pick-me-up! Water is required as defined above.

DON’T

- Overlap wheels, or nudge in between the wheels of the riders in front. You will come off if they move off their line

- Ride on tri / aero bars in packs as you will not be able to brake or steer quickly

- Make any sudden movements/changes in direction off your line when in the pack. You are responsible for the cyclist behind you, they are following YOUR wheel they need to trust you.

- Ride off the front. This is a group ride, not a race. If you want to go faster then let the others know what you are going to do and if no one wants to join you then go off and enjoy your ride alone.

- Stop pedaling if you are on the front, even on downhills. The cyclists behind you will read this as you slowing and could be forced to brake and bunch up.

- “Zone out” on the wheel in front. Keep aware of everything that is going on around you, look ahead and that way you can avoid most hazards.

- Whip round the outside of the pack to get to the front unless in an emergency. Shout up the pack any communication. If you do need to get to the front then make sure you check in front and behind for cars, remember three abreast will push you out into on coming traffic.

- Pull out at junctions without looking, having heard the “Clear” call from a fellow cyclist. Check whether there is a vehicle coming yourself.

CALLS

These are some calls you might hear. It is essential that you repeat them down the pack so everyone can hear:

- “Car Up/Front/Back”
Keep tight to the cyclist next to you, and be prepared to cycle in single file

- “Hole”
Upcoming pothole to avoid. This can also be followed by a direction i.e “HOLE LEFT”.

- “Slowing”
Usually accompanied by a hand signal. The cyclist in front needs to slow down for some reason.

- “Stopping”
Brake!

- “Wait”
Usually at junctions to indicate there is a car coming

- “Clear”
To indicate that a junction is traffic free. You must check yourself and not rely on others.

- “Heads Up”
Hazard ahead, pay attention.

- “Single out/ single file”
Get into single file safely and promptly

HAND SIGNALS

These are some hand signals (other than the obvious left and right turns!) It is essential that you repeat them so everyone can see and pass it on:

- Single hand in the air (up or down)
Rider is signaling that he/she needs to stop or slow down. Usually followed by the call ‘Slowing’, ‘Stopping’.

- Pointing down at the road
This is to point out hazards such as pot holes, manhole covers etc. PLEASE copy this signal, it stops accidents and punctures.

- Arm out left or right
Everyone in the pack needs to indicate when turning left or right

- Left arm signaling behind back
Signal the cyclist is about to move out into the road, e.g. to pass a parked car, to go round debris in the road.

All of this will be enforced and reminded to you on our club rides. Please take it on board and keep our cyclists safe.

If you are new to bike riding, check the forum posts for an appropriate group.
Happy and safe riding! See you out there.

*TTTC recommends that anyone who rides on public roads has appropriate Cycle Insurance cover (e.g. as provided by your BTF membership or the BCF/CTC).