Well, well, well, where do I start. Australia is an incredible place that's for sure. Unfortunately I didn't have much time to sight see as I had to stay focused & not treat it as a holiday in a way. I still really enjoyed myself & I'd like to visit again that's for sure. (for a holiday)
To start things off, we had the CWG Opening Ceremony & what a night that was. There was an amazing buzz in Carrara Stadium with everyone giving each commonwealth country a warm welcome which was nice to see. Our flag bearer was the famous Jake Kelly who was trying his hardest not to pop his shoulder out which thankfully didn't happen.
The first few days of training were mainly easy due to getting over the travel & jet lag. After that I could do a few structured rides including some motor pacing. The weather was the main thing myself & the team had to get used to coming from 5 degrees to 28. After a few days I seemed to cope pretty well with the hot conditions.
After a good pep talk from the man himself, Mark Cavendish the whole team were raring to go. The nerves started kicking in when we were on the bus down to Currumbin where the race would start & finish. I don't normally get that nervous before a race but I then realised I was racing against some of the biggest names out there. Once we all got down to the venue, I stuck my headphones on & started listening Bugzy Malone. I was eager to get out there as soon as possible & get stuck in. We had two main leaders for the race which was Jake & Tom, so the remainder of the team were to follow the early moves to take pressure off our protected riders. Personally we did that very well being represented in almost every move that slipped away. It was a wearing down kind of race which suited me well even though I was following early moves. I started to feel cramp 60km in which wasn't ideal but then I started drinking a lot more & eating & seemed to pass for a little while. Each lap the group was whittling down & I was fairly comfortable within the pack. Unfortunately with 2 laps to go the cramp reappeared with it not wanting to disappear either. I managed just to hang on up the steep climb with 2 laps remaining but cramping in all parts of my leg it was going to be tough getting up there last time round where I lost contact with the front group nearly having a Wout Van Aert moment with both legs completely seizing. Once I got over the top I managed to keep the pedals turning, regaining contact with a small group in the last few KM's of the final lap. My finishing position was a respectable 34th place. I can be very satisfied with this result considering the lack of race miles in the legs which probably led to my cramp so early on in the race.
All in all, it was a unforgettable experience which I could go on forever & talk about. I'd just like to thank everyone for the support & to my personal sponsors below...
Thanks for tuning in
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