I was really really looking forward to training with David in Nice. We had been invited to join a pro training camp based at the great Tour De France, Giro D’italia and World Champion, Stephen Roche’s hotel and it meant we were to have some quality, dry hard miles in the mile Alpes Maritimes. Fabulous! Sadly David was still carrying his injury from the crash he sustained in Snowdonia. Luckily enough our team soigneur and remedial masseur, Peta McSharry, had also come out to administer health and well being and ride with is as well. You will, if you have been following this crazy story, know already that David’s Achilles did not magically self fix and after a wee ride out at the start of the camp it had become obvious that the injury was much more serious than we all thought.

The riding therefore has become solo this past week and after the hard rouleuring in Nice which also took us to Monaco, Italy and of course San Remo I have spent five days in the Corbierres. That is the region between Toulouse and the Mediterranean. It has been dry but very windy. I have been tired but sleeping well, being looked after by great hosts, who ate well and enjoyed laughter song and great conversation . They are professional musicians and dancers. Great food, good company and a fantastic time. My digs are in their 16th century gatehouse overlooking the river Orbieu.

I used to live in this region so know the roads well and can pick and choose whether it will be hard, hilly, rolling or whatever our super team coach, Colin Batchelor, has set us. Road surfaces are excellent and traffic very little. Days start cloudy but by afternoon the sun is shining a well warm 14C, so very comfortable indeed. I have been doing 5 plus hours a day- originally it was supposed to be up to 12 but what with David’s injury and the first attempt postponed, Colin has pulled us back on the miles.

Do I head west and the rest of team wiggle tandem head home? I ended in a fabulous part of France, quiet roads, stunning scenery and great food. What more could an cyclist require? It was hard being without an eqippe and I was tired but got out and rode – rode well and successfully. Measuring my wattage output and energy usage. It was good. It was also good seeing my dear French friends – to be able discuss weight/food issues with them. As dancers they share the same passion for weight/food balance so it was no surprise to them that we still had lots in common!

It was nice to be able to be part of a different nature too with kingfishers, early martins arriving, montagues harriers and egrets too.

Soon it was time to get on the train and all too quickly to leave the relative warmth – 14degrees – and head for the snowy hills of Scotland and eventually Islay and home. The Endura boys were heading south to race in Murcia, Spain – the big time for our young Scottish pro team. It’s been a long time for all of us but a worthwhile journey all the same.!

Follow Team Wiggle Tandem on the Wiggle Athlete‟s Diary www.wiggleblog.com

Or at the team‟s website, www.teamwiggletandem.com

Alternatively find the team on Facebook and Twitter

On Islay there was a time when people rode bicycles as a matter of course. I know, I have asked many senior folks and when asked they get the glazed look of reminiscence and talk fondly of bicycle riding all over Islay. So we have history and we have a culture of cycling here on the outer edge of europe. This is continued till this day with VC Ardbeg, Port Mor Wheelers and Islay Wilderness Guide. There are even people talking about cycling as a viable form of very local transport.

Last year after the London to Paris race (that Brian Palmer and I did two years ago and then last year with David Harmon on fixed wheel) it was then suggested that we, David and I, should do it on tandem. It was to raise money for the Geoff Thomas Foundation. This then progressed to an all out tandem record attempt project. Plenty of which has already been written before. That being said, we never thought it would really get this far and now I have agreed to write about this journey, a voyage of fitness, disaster, tears, joy and hopefully, elation when the records, some of which are over fifty years old, start to fall.

The past few days have seen David and I in Snowdonia on a training camp. The purpose of a training camp is to do just that – train – ride and rest, sleep and eat. With new research and and practice the resting part of training is considered as important as the riding aspect. Nutrition has improved too. So we have strict diets, long miles and plenty of zzzzz’s. The diet is key with plenty of carbs for breakfast; porridge or muesli or pasta/rice, oat cakes and honey and fruit, lunch on the road in the form of dried figs, apricots,SIS bars and drinks as well as gels too. In the evening just vegetables (no potatoes or pasta) and protein. We measure everything we eat and everything we put out in the form of calories.

We need to keep on top of the weight to power ratio. And of course drinking plenty and plenty of water. the nice thing about a training camp is that you get looked after and why we have based ourselves in Snowdonia is because David’s mother in law lives here and does just that – superbly! All we have to do is concentrate on getting fitter and thinner! Away from home allows that to be even more pointed and concentrated.

Our day begins with a call at 0730 hours for breakfast, check our fantastic Focus bikes, prepare what we need to take with us, waterproofs and wind jackets, and then head out for between 7 and 10 hours. The riding is hard here, very hard, with long climbs and fast challenging descents. We ride together and often times without the need to talk, just at one with the magnificent scenery, checking our outputs on the Powertap computer (which is attached to the handlebars and reads data from the rear wheel) and pushing ourselves all the time. Our coach sends us a daily plan which, bar injury, we have to to stick too.

Returning as the sun goes down and beyond, sometimes, we clean the bikes, have a shower and then a supper and relax. We have had to nurse a few injuries this week, David crashed, I have a strained knee, so the ice and elevation comes into it’s own till bedtime. Unlike a lot of pro riders we also have our businesses to run so a couple of hours at the laptop finishes the evening till the the comfort of a warm and comfy bed draws us…..

We spend a lot of time of our off bike time discussed strategy, food intake and energy out puts with ourselves and the support team – thank goodness for skype! Without our sponsors, especially Wiggle – more of that later – we could not operate so it is although hard and concentrated, a great privilege. Next week we head for southern France and Stephen Roche’s Hotel to join the training camp where the Scottish pro team Endura will be giving us a hard time!

The official launch party for Team Wiggle Tandem took place on Thursday 21st January 2010. The announcement for their series of World Record attempts was released to numerous sponsors and cycling press during a two hour press release at the Charlotte Street Hotel in London. We have an exclusive video report of the presentation for you to watch.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Follow Team Wiggle Tandem on the Wiggle Athlete‟s Diary www.wiggleblog.com, or at the team‟s website, www.teamwiggletandem.com alternatively find the team on Facebook and Twitter

Life in the Trench

Sunday 21st Nov saw me riding my first cross race in Wiggle colours.

Dundee, famous for it’s cake, cold weather and outside velodrome hosted the event. Over 100 people took place and battle was fierce. The velodrome, being tarmac, took centre stage with both start and finishing straights leading to some epic battles every lap.

It has, you may have noticed, been raining biblically over the past week and the ground was not going to let us forget it – despite a sun kissed departure of the gladiatorial throng. The mud was harrowingly sticky and deep – more suited to marine commando adverts than silth like honed athletes. By lap two all were well spread.

Having got caught out in the ‘Tunnel of Mud’ at the top end – bitten by a submerged root that had me doing the first bog snorkeling of the day – I then spent quite a time chasing the lead group and getting back on.

In fact, by the time I had made contact the field was so spread out that lapping was taking place. Pushing on, pushing- sometimes literally, was the only solution and at times it was a lonely slurp of brown sticky goo that was my only companion sitting between me and the bid for victory.

It was never going to happen. cowbells donged and supporters shouted. The rain held off and the mud got deeper and thicker.

The boys at the front were storming and chasing was the order of the day.It is about training – we have bigger fish to fry – but it was good and it was testing and most of all it was great fun!

Cycling on the outer edge…….

We can tell the way the weather is on Islay by the plane arriving in the morning. This is a small plane serving the island and brings in folks and the post too. It can fly in almost all weathers except when it is too too bad. This could be too windy – you know the type that blows your dog inside out or lets the chickens lay the same egg three time, or when it is too misty/foggy or plain frightful.

The 23rd of October was the first official day of my training as a member of Team Wiggle Tandem. We have both. Rain and wind. The team coach had sent through the week’s programme last night and I duly entered it into my diary. (More of that another time). Today I was to do do four hours at Zone 2 having had a warm up and warm down to finish at Zone 1. (Again I will explain the zones another time – to simplify – ones training regime is split into zones which are a measure of intensity and heart rate too also know as pain and suffering.)

Four hours at zone 2. yes, I looked outside, got into my team kit and donned the 3/4 dhb Merston tights. It was raining a lot and windy even more. I got myself together and marched out to the workshop to get my bike. I was fully teamed up with great kit including overshoes and the brilliant red dhb Wickham eVent waterproof jacket – boy I was going to need that.

The kit and support and my well being have been looked after – all it needed now was to get out and ride. And so I did. It would be churlish to say it was not hard – but then that is what it is all about. Normally I would expect to see plenty of wildlife on my circuit here on the outer edge of Europe but on a wild day everything save Team Wiggle is hiding away! This is the commitment. The commitment that a rider gives when supported in this way. i thought of Tim Krabbe and his book The Rider, when he describes riding in the low countries:

“….indeed packed boundlessly in cold grey rain cloud….my feet squishing in my shoes.”

Training and riding it is then. And up here, when the weather smiles I am accompanied by eagles and geese – I am so lucky. Today though, I get home tired, wet and happy.

Next week David and I will be spending time testing the Team Wiggle tandem – but first I have to get there ……. the journey awaits! (And, by the way if you see Sandy’s missing bike – give him a shout – he needs it for school!)

Jez