It has been ages since I last sat down and thought about writing my next blog but as I have lots of new beginnings going on in my life at the moment, I feel now is the right time.
I would like to take a short time to reflect on 2011 before I go on to talk about the exciting year that is going to be in 2012! Last year, I really saw myself grow as a rider and as a person. I achieved things I didn’t think I could achieve; I got a C or more in all my GCSE’s at School leaving me with a wide choice of pathway to my future. In my 6th year cycling I won over 13 races. Finished 3rd in the British Cycling Rankings behind two of the best riders in the country: Chris Lawless and Tao Geoghegan Hart, I won my third Northwest Championship, I represented the North West Region in the Isle of Man Youth Tour, North West Your Tour and the Inter Regional Road Championships, I won the TLI National Junior Circuit Championships, I won 8 men’s races and finished 2nd in the men’s League at Preston Arena and 3rd at the men’s league at Salt Ayre in Lancaster. I also had my first few experiences of racing abroad in both Ireland and Belgium. I was joint first in the Ras Na nog in Ireland and made some great friends! In my first race in Belgium, I finished 8th and won the bunch sprint behind the winning break of 7 riders. It was a fantastic year in 2011!
This picture above is the North West Region at the North West Youth Tour 2011
Moving forward. After leaving Ulverston Victoria High School in September, unlike all of my peers, I didn’t want to stay on in education. I wanted to get out in the big wide world and make my own way and start earning some money! Funnily how I went about this links with cycling, like everything in my world! My Dad and I knew a top timetrailist very well (who had finished 2nd to Mike Hutchinson on several occasions), who is a Plumber, Paul Mahoney. We approached Paul about me possibly becoming his Apprentice and from then on Paul did everything he could to make it happen. Paul is one of the nicest people I have ever met; he is very layed back with everything he does, although when the job needs to be done his moan mood soon comes in to play! In early September I had an Interview at Kendal College for my Apprenticeship, I sailed through it and a few weeks later, started my Level 2 Plumbing Apprenticeship. I have not looked back since, I earn £70 a week but I don’t know it yet! The job is that good and I am learning that much that, I don’t even think about the money! I find this job ideal for me and my lifestyle. It fits in so well with my cycling, so well sometimes it just falls into play! Most of the time I ride to and from work, which is good because we could work anywhere, so I could have a decent long ride sometimes! My Dad is always saying to me as I walk out the door ‘this will get you so fit! I won 3 National Titles from mostly riding to and from work.’ Plumbing is one of the most flexible jobs there is, if we finish early and we have no other jobs to do Paul tells me to go home so if I have my bike with me I do a long loop on the ride home or If I don’t ride home, Paul will drop me off then I will go for a ride. When it is my rest day Paul will pick me up and take me home so it all fits into place nicely around my cycling.
The picture above is me doing my first ever bit on pipe soldering at work.
The last 3 years I have had a fantastic time riding for Wheelbase Cycle Store and Herbalife/Wheelbase. I would like to thank everyone who was involved in the setup for helping me whilst I represented the team. At the end of the season, my Dad and I sat down together and talked about what I was going to do in 2012, as I move up to a Junior. We both decided it would be best for me to be part of a junior team and to ride in a team with people my age. In late November my Dad and I arranged to meet up with Dr Phil Leigh who at the time had just left the job of Performance Director for Irish Cycling. We knew him from when I went over to race in Ireland and also as I have an opportunity to represent Ireland in the future, I will progress more on that later. The ride with Phil went very well, on it, Phil approached my Dad and I and told us that he was setting up a Junior team for 2012 and wanted us to be involved. We loved Phil’s mind set and his drive and we were very keen to get involved with his new project.
The picture above is me representing Herbalife/Wheelbase at Curborough in 2011.
In the 2012 racing season, I am delighted to announce I will be representing the Mountivation Cycling Development Academy. A new team/academy set up by Dr Phil Leigh and Gary Sadler. Phil brings his experience and knowledge as ex-team director of the hugely successful Life Repair and Recycling Teams and up to the end of this year as High Performance Director of Cycling Ireland. Whilst Gary, (my dad) is an ex-Pro and 15 times national track and road champion. Together they are honing their skills and experiences to lead and direct what will be one of the best Junior Teams in the Country. One of Phil and Gary’s main reasons for setting up the Academy was to fill in the gap in British Cycling’s Programme, to pick up the riders who have always been there but haven’t made it on to the Talent Team or the Olympic Development Plan. And take those riders through the Under 23 ranks and eventually up to UCI Pro level.
The pictue above is the very smart Mountivation logo.
The most important thing about the academy is that it is not just a team riding around in bling kit trying to win bike races, the key is in the title, it is an academy! We will be taught everything from cooking for ourselves, race craft, bag packing, training, media skills and many more. We are all close friends and right from the off when we had our first get together on 10th December we showed real signs of a champion team! Not a team of Champions. Throughout the Christmas break and New Year we have had several Academy meetings and rides. We have had a chilled 2-4 hour ride in the Lakes followed by another meeting where we met and were doing quality efforts and race scenarios; I learnt a lot from these weekends and one of my Dads expressions, I have more tools in the box.
This Year, the main races I will be representing the Mountivation Cycling Development Academy in are most the British National Junior Road Race Series, the Junior Tour of Wales, Junior of Ireland, Isle of Man Junior Tour, Irish National Road and Track Championships, Gory 3 Day in Ireland and many more.
A few days ago I received my I Irish Citizenship in the post which means I am now officially an Irish Citizen. I will shortly be sending off for my Irish Passport which then means I will have an Irish racing license.Very soon, the Irish Cycling Federation will be announcing the equivalent of British Cycling’s ODP for juniors. This will be a fantastic opportunity if I get selected for it, as I could be riding some of the biggest races there is for juniors in the world. Including the Junior World Road Race Championships.
The picture above is my Irish Citizenship! Its Official!
All of these new beginnings in my life have given me even more drive and passion than I had before. This winter I have been on a training programme given to me by Dr Phil Leigh, it has been fantastic and the main goal is to work on my weaknesses, I can feel myself progressing already!! There are 6 weeks to the Academy’s first outing at the Clayton Velo Classic. I am really focused and driven for the racing season to start and I can’t wait to get that number on my back. Also I feel as if I have the right team to achieve high goals this season and together win the biggest races in the country. We will ride every race as a unit! All for one, one for all! As we are all very good friends I think every rider will pull themselves inside out for each other and if one person wins, the whole time wins!
Mountivation Cycling Development Academy
Josh Knights
Thomas Armstrong
James King
Matt Flynn
Jack Sadler
Next weekend will be the Mountivation Cycling Development Academy Boot Camp. The Camp will be based around Lancashire, with lots of technical bike aspects involved. Following the full British Cycling Academy routine, we will be cooking, bike cleaning, learning languages, learning about nutrition, learning IT computing skills and tactical race breakdowns. A fantastic weekend to look forward to!
I will be having an easy week training this week leading up to the camp, as I had a tough week this past week.
Thank you for reading this, sorry if it was too long but hope you enjoyed the exciting news! I will be writing my next blog next Sunday night to tell you all about the Camp and how it went!
Follow me on twitter @Jack_Sadler
Thank you,
Jack
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