Putting an end to season 2011

With the promise of so many fun races to do in the month of December (Tour of Poyang Lake, Tour of Lombok, 80km road race in JB and Penang race), i ended up doing none. Like always, I will start to look forward to the new and exciting season 2012 that awaits, of course, with my new team... DB2-Bikelabz!

2011 has been another year without any breakthrough. I tried hard, but never really made any impression, and maybe I was never really good enough. Compared to 2010, 2011 was much better in a way i felt stronger and more confident of getting some decent results going into a race. I also had a good team around me and felt that the team was much more organised after the inclusion of Robert Meek, who managed to bring in with us his experience from the past. But maybe the other teams were just much bigger and stronger than ours. So let's just give it to them! They were probably under more pressure than us to perform anyway...

Sepand F1 Circuit Race

Tanglin Halt Criterium

Again, I did not manage to clock in a lot of race mileage this year, only 8 races the whole year round. The first race of the year was at Sepang F1 circuit. It was a really hard race with Terenganu Pro Asia team taking control and eventually winning the race. I finished with the pack at 38th place. It was a good race leading up to OCBC Cycle Singapore 60km Super Challenge. I was feeling really strong for the race but only came in at a lowly 24th. There were some tactical errors made in that race and also the technical course and uncertain route leading the the finish made it hard. After the OCBC race, I kind of toned down my training a little with the National Championship during June in mind. So the Tanglin Halt criterium wasn't so much a priority. I was not in my best shape for that race and also it was quite a tough one. Came in 32th at the tail end of the peloton. Then was time to focus on my main goal of the year after my semester exams. I went for a week break early May in HK with my bike just to get in some miles. When i came back, it was 1.5months of full focus leading up to the National Championship. I was able to get some quality training as well as rest. As a result, I felt really great. My fitness and form were there. Everything i did to peak for this race was more or less right. I must say i was disappointed with my ITT results coming in 14th (9th Singaporean). But then again I was never really a good time trialist and everyone who placed in front of me was on a TT bike, except for the winner Lee Rodgers who is a TT monster. As for road race, I got exactly the same results as my ITT the previous day, 14th (9th Singaporean)! Cycling is a funny sport where sometimes your performance during the race does not quite match your results on paper. I was congratulated by some after the race and that gave me encouragement and assurance. Though I did not get the results I was hoping for, I managed to achieve what i set out to do, by getting into the break in the final few laps.

National Time Trial Championships

National Road Championships

National Road Championships

In the break with Junaidi (OCBC) in the final 5 laps

I managed to carry my form from National Champs into the second half of the year, where we only did 3 races. In the Changi mass start, I came in 12th. I feel top 5 was achievable in this race. The team did very well to close any breaks, credits to Francis Robert and Amos. But I felt i needed someone to get me into a good position in the final lap. I was spending way too much energy moving to the front and fighting for position that I didn't have much left in the final sprint. Next race was the Cameron KOM. Prior to that i did lots of hill intervals and was also feeling good for the race. Last year I got dropped on the first steep climb and I was determined not to get dropped again this year. And I didn't! I started the climb around 40-50th position (very bad positioning!), and had to slowly crawl my way up to the first group. Im very happy that I managed to stay with the first pack after the steep climb, but I had spent too much energy in trying to do so. And after another 5km of climbing, I got dropped from the pack and was reduced to riding alone till the next big group came by. I finished 22th. Not too bad i guess considering I don't train in the mountains! I believe I have the potential to climb very well if I have the chance to ride more in the mountains. The last race of 2011 was also a big one, Tour de Bintan. I was hoping to get some decent results with many international teams taking part. However, It turned out to be a disastrous race (read my previous race reports). I was burnt out towards the end of the year with my heavy workload and found it hard to sustain my fitness since National Champs. Sad that I had to end my 2011 racing season like that.

Changi Mass Start

Changi sprint finsh

Cameron KOM

Tour de Bintan Stage 1 sprint finish

Stage 2

Without much improvement with the team this year, I have decided to leave. I know next year there might be a high chance racing in UCI races with the disband of Fuji-Cyclingtime.com and the help of Tjarco Cuppens for race invitations. It is funny how I've been so patient and fought so hard for a spot the past 3 years, just to let it go now that the chance has presented itself. And it seems that the new riders joining the team is going to benefit from our hardwork. But it is okay with me, since I have made up my mind I shall not look back. I'll have no regrets whatever happens from now on. I believe I have made a right choice by choosing DB2-Bikelabz. They have been around for a while now and always looks threatening during races and rides. And so far, I am very happy with the team. Everyone is very motivated and committed. They are very serious about training and development. And I think this is the kind of environment that will produce great athletes. I really believe with Bikelabz, I will reach my next level of riding. It is only been a week and i can feel the spirit in the team, and i believe we will work well together as a team next year! I am very excited to race with Bikelabz in 2012!

Training Tips #6: When enough is enough!

Often you go out for a training ride planning to do intervals. But how do you know how many sets of intervals you should be doing? How many sets should you be pushing yourself to gain the most benefits? Or when is it enough to call it a day when another set of intervals won't give you anymore gain?

Below is a rough guideline that will help you decide when enough is enough:

Intervals                      Average Drop in Power
20 mins                       3 - 5%
10 mins                       4 - 6%
5 mins                         5 - 7%
3 mins                         8 - 9%
2 mins                         10 - 12%
1 min                           10 - 12%
30 secs                        12 - 15%
15 secs                        Peak power drops by 15 -20%

Taking note that the percentage drop in average watts is based on the number of watts achieved in the third set of intervals. Since we are assumed to be fresher when we begin doing our intervals, we throw out the first 2 sets of readings and take the third set as the reference instead.

The reason we should stop our interval workout when we hit the average drop in power shown in the guidelines is because we are no longer training intensely enough to elicit enough stress to cause a training improvement or adaptation. Therefore, it is advisable to stop your workout and try again another day as any amount of intervals you do thereafter will not be beneficial in any way.

Likewise, after doing what you set out to do but realised that your average power did not drop above what is stated in the guidelines, that means you could have done more intervals to gain even more training adaptation! Therefore, with the use of a power meter, you are able to figure out the optimal number of training intervals for each workout.


"Train just enough for success" - Joe Friel


Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan (2010). Training and Racing With A Power Meter. Colorado: VeloPress.

Training Tips #5: Finding Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Power Profile

In cycling, there are different specializations such all rounders, sprinters, climbers or time trialists. It is important to know what kind of rider you are and what kind of races you will most probably excel in, i.e your strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes, what kind of rider you think you are and what kind of rider you really are in reality can be totally different. You'll be surprised! Therefore, with the help of power meter, power profile chart and some testing, you will be able to create a "power profile" of your strengths and weaknesses.

Top half of the chart

The picture above shows only the top half of the chart. These are the typical power profile range for the pro-cyclists. The chart is expressed in terms of power to weight ratio (taking your average power (watts) in the duration over your weight (kg)). If your power profile lies within the range shown in the picture, you are probably capable, or on your way, to signing a pro contract with one of the pro teams!

An all rounder will have a power profile that is generally horizontal across all plots. A sprinter will typically have a distinctly downward sloping plot. A time trialist/climber/steady-state rider will have a distinctly upward sloping plot. And a pursuiter will have a sharply inverted V pattern (an all rounder who hasn't focused on raising his LT may exhibit the same pattern).


Fatigue Profile

Knowing your power profile, unfortunately, does not tell you the whole picture. It only tells you that you are a sprinter. But what kind of sprinter are you? A sprinter that has a snap that no one can beat you in the final 100m dash to the line? Or a sprinter that goes from 350m out and goes so fast that no one could catch you?

To do that, we will expand the range of each physiological training area. For example, at level 7 (Neuromuscular Power), instead of just the best 5 secs, we also find out the best for 10 secs and 20 secs as well. Same goes for the other levels. They can be summarised below:

• Neuromuscular Power (5secs, 10secs, 20secs)
• Anaerobic Capacity (30secs, 1min, 2min)
• VO2 Max (3mins, 5mins, 8mins)
• Lactate Threshold (20mins, 60mins, 90mins)

You will be able to determine your fatigue resistance for each level by comparing against the "Fatigue Profile Guidelines".

By discovering whether you have a well-below-average, below-average, average, above-average or well-above-average fatigue resistance, not only can you determine which races might be suited for you and where you might need to focus on improving, it is also crucial when it comes to strategizing your race plan.

Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan (2010). Training and Racing With A Power Meter. Colorado: VeloPress.

Training Tips #4: Getting started with Power Training

Once you have gotten your power meter up and running, the most important thing you need to establish first is your Functional Threshold Power, or FTP in short. But before rushing into that, it is good to ride with your power meter first to get a feel of what, say 300 watts, means in relation to your heart rate, cadence, speed etc. Get use to reading the data after your rides and familiarise yourself with the numbers.

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the highest power that a rider can maintain in a quasi-steady state for approximately one hour without fatiguing. When power exceeds FTP, fatigue will occur much sooner, whereas power just below FTP can be maintained considerably longer. By determining your FTP, you will be able to set your training levels.

1. Active Recovery                           <55% (FTP)
2. Endurance                                        56 - 75%
3. Tempo                                                76 - 90%
4. Lactate Threshold                         91 - 105%
5. VO2 Max                                           106 - 120%
6. Anaerobic Capacity                      121 - 150%
7. Neuromuscular Power                  Maximal

There are a few ways to determine your FTP:

• Power Frequency Distribution Charts
• Routine Steady Power
• Normalized Power
• One-Hour Time Trial
• Critical Power

Another way to test your FTP is as follows:

Warm up for 20 mins at endurance pace. Do a 3 x 1 min fast pedaling (100 rpm), recovering at 1 min between each set. Then 5 mins of easy riding. Next, do a 5 mins all-out effort followed by another 10 mins of easy riding. This is to "open" up the legs for rest of the effort. Once done, do a 20 mins "Time Trial" effort. Then cool down for 10-15 mins.

Download the data and find out the average power for the entire 20 mins effort. Subtract by 5% (FTP is defined for power you can maintain at 60 mins). The result will be your Functional Threshold Power (FTP).

The goal of any training program is to increase FTP. As you get fitter, your FTP increases. Therefore, it is recommended that you conduct the test 4 to 6 times a year (or whenever you feel you have gained fitness) so that your power-based training levels can be adjusted for you to be able to train more efficiently.

Good luck!


Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan (2010). Training and Racing With A Power Meter. Colorado: VeloPress.

Training Tips #3: Why should you train with a power meter?

Below are 13 reasons why you should be training with a power meter if you are a serious athlete:

Record your effort
Power meter record massive amounts of data that you can download after your ride. By reviewing your data, you will know with certainty whether you have completed your training goals or need to revise your training methods.

Add meaning to heart rate monitoring
Heart rate only tells you how fast your heart is pumping and it alone does not tell you how much you are improving. Your heart rate is also affected by factors such as your level of hydration, air temperature, how well you sleep the night before, etc. By comparing heart rate with power, you may find, for example, there are days your heart rate is telling you to slow down, but your power meter is telling you to speed up because you are not making those muscles work hard enough to really create a training stimulus.

Track fitness changes
With power meter, you will be able to track changes in your performance over time based on the power you are producing.

Analyse your race
You will be able to review your power data after your race to gain an objective view of your race performance. Sometimes the most interesting data you can gather come from a race in which you got dropped!

Example of training/race data

Pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses
You will be able to carry out some simple testing protocols to get a clearer picture of your specific strengths and weaknesses. You will know which aspect of training you will need to be working on more, if that is limiting you from progressing.

Improve interaction with your coach
The information from the power meter is clear and concise. Your coach will be able to track your training and riding abilities that he/she would not have been able to figure out even by racing with you. It also increases your accountability. You will know that your coach is going to see that you did only 5 out of the 10 prescribed efforts!

Improve interaction with teammates
Many times in teams, it is not always clear who should be the leader. But with the use of power meter, it's not hard to know exactly who is riding the best.

Gain motivation to work harder
If you are doing a 5 mins effort, and you see your average watts drop near the end of the effort, you'll pick it up just another notch in order to achieve your 5 mins wattage goal.

Improve your position and aerodynamics
You will be able to figure out how your current position on the bike is impacting your overall speed and exactly how to change it in order to produce the most watts and the least amount of drag.

Tony Martin in his aero TT position

Pace your efforts
Whether you are out training or racing, using a power meter as a pacing tool can help you to conserve energy when necessary by sticking to the specific zone.

Create a mobile testing lab
Power meter allows you to test your fitness on a monthly basis and eliminate some of the costly testing that formerly was possible only at a lab.

Enhance indoor training
You will be able to use your indoor trainer to the fullest extent. Data from indoor training sessions are also "cleaner" than on the roads as factors such as terrain and wind are eliminated.

Quantify your sports nutrition
Your production of watts will be drastically reduced if your energy stores are depleted. By knowing your energy expenditure on the bike, you can more accurately plan your nutrition during and after your ride.


With so many benefits that a power meter can offer, there is no reason why you should not be able to reach your fitness goals and achieve your peak performance. However, before your cycling can improve, you must be willing to change your thinking about training first. Just training with a power meter is not going to bring you success. You must know that it's not the power meter that does the work. Instead, you must do the work! Otherwise, power outputs will just be numbers to you and power meter will just be another fancy gadget on your bike. If you are going to spend so much money getting one, why not make it a tool for your cycling success?

Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan (2010). Training and Racing With A Power Meter. Colorado: VeloPress.

Holiday thus far

It's been a week into my December holiday and so far, it's been good...

Managed to put in a good ride everyday besides Wednesday (woke up with a swollen right eye) and today (too tired slept in till 11plus). Also managed to catch up with my old time training buddy whom we always seem to lose touch when my school term starts. Got to try out the bike which i built up last year but has been rotting in my house ever since. The screws are starting to rust! Geometry is slightly bigger but i think it suits me better than my current Fuji SST1.0. I felt the longer reach forces me to straighten my lower back which would be better for me in the long run. The bike generally feels more comfortable over bumps and also during off-saddles. This bike should be good for long climbs (the frame is very light too!) but in terms of fast sprinting, I think my SST1.0 does a better job. The Sram Force shifting on my bike didn't let me down for the entire 3hrs ride, and it felt very smooth! Glad with my choice of groupset. Nice bike overall, I've decided to keep it. :)

Kerry Bike!

Tried applying for job in both Starbucks and Coffee Bean but did not get any respond from either of them. Guess I'll give working in a cafe this holiday a miss. In the meantime, I am fine tuning my barista skills at home with my own espresso machine everyday and I think the coffee I make is getting better. Still needs improvement in frothing of the milk but I think it is partly due to the quality of the coffee machine too.

I am into chapter 8 of "Training and Racing with a Power Meter". It is a very good book that covers almost everything you need to know about power training. I have decided to share some of the useful information I come across in my blogs for the benefit of those who does not have access to this book or are simply too lazy to read them! (Also helps to keep me refresh of what i have read earlier). So stay tuned... For now, I can't wait to get started on my training with the powermeter i bought 3 weeks ago. Apparently 3 of the 5 strain gauges are faulty and I have sent it back to US for a check! How unlucky! I'll just have to wait a little longer i guess...

My Quarq SL-K powermeter!

So far I've also managed to enjoy some really good food and spend quality time with my family. I haven been able to do so during school term as I stay in Hostel and only get to see them during the weekends. But of all the time Im home during the weekends, half the time I'll be out training and the other half I'll be back sleeping as Im too tired! So holidays are the best time to do so, too bad my sister went back to her Fantasy Land in Hong Kong. We explored some places of Singapore which we have not explored for a long time or are new. Places like Marina Barrage, Changi City Point, Punggol Beach...

Pig's Organ Soup

Steam Fish Soup

Ba Kut Teh

Yami Yogurt at Changi City Point

My favourite Sliced Beef Soup

Titanic!

Marina Barrage

Hai Sang Uncle and Jean

Model at Punggol Beach

Turns out to be nothing much really..

Small pond where some kids were fishing

Finally!

Yes! Finally Im done with this semester! It has been a crazy past 3 months with 3 projects besides the heavy engine syllabus, on top of having to train and travel for races. As a result, I could feel the effects towards the end of the semester. I was so burnt out, having no mood for both studies and cycling. But with lower lows you get higher highs! Now Im feeling very good and motivated for the month ahead!

Moved out of my hall immediately after my paper yesterday and came home to unpack them. Was deciding whether to go for a ride in the afternoon, but decided to take one more day rest (there's a long month and possibly a long 2012 to go, I don't want to burn out too quickly again). So i laid on my bed to relax and soon it became a 3hrs nap. For the first time in 3 months i slept with a peace of mind, without having to worry about waking up for studies, training, exams, etc. It certainly felt great! When i woke up it was already dark. Did nothing much the rest of night, dinner, watching tv with parents, surf some net and then back to sleep again...

Intended to do a little ride this morning and also to test out my new Quarq powermeter (i fixed up just before i took the short break so haven tried it yet). But to my pleasure/disappointment, it was raining when i woke up! :-) Very nice and cool morning to just tug in bed for another hour (especially after exams) so Im not complaining! Haha.. Maybe in the afternoon I'll go if the weather is fine. Otherwise, it can wait till tomorrow...

So as i mentioned in the previous post, some things i want to do this holiday:
- Just to relax and enjoy, really
- Ride my heart out
- Read "Training and Racing with a power meter" 2nd Edition
- Read "Racing through the dark" by David Millar
- Plan my race priorities and training program for 2012
- Arrange my cupboard files
- Organise files in my laptop
- Learn and improve my Spanish
- Plan a short biking trip overseas (maybe)
- Genting Trip with family (3 - 5 Jan)
- Work as a Barista in a cafe (maybe)
- Work and improve on my blog
- Reflections on 2011 (things i did right/wrong, mistakes learned)
- Decide whether to stay with the team and future for 2012

That is all for now. I will be updating the list if anything comes along the way. With so many things to do, I had better get started now...... :-)

Training Tips #2

High intensity training such as competitive group rides and races bring rapid physiological improvement but also an early plateau. Many riders start out doing mainly higher intensity training, make great gains, and then burn out well below their potential. To reach your potential you have to eventually do some training that mostly challenges your aerobic endurance. That is, zone 2 or base training. One proven approach is to do a rest period after the end of one racing season, and then only base until two months before the next racing season.

In the final two months, a high volume of base training is maintained, while two days per week base training is replaced by intervals or other harder work. The first month of transition to racing, the harder work is sub-LT and done in extended chunks, such as three intervals of 15 minutes on/ 5 minutes off at 92-96% of LT heart rate or power. In the final month before the start of racing, the harder work can be shorter intervals right around LT, such as six intervals of 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off at LT minus 3 beats to LT plus three beats, or staying as close as you can to FTP power.

Above is the general plan, but if the time during which you can do unusually large volumes of training happens to fall within the period when it is appropriate to do sub-LT or LT intervals, you should consider how much training volume you have gotten in to that point. When you increase volume by more than a couple of hours per week, you should decrease intensity. So if your inter-term volume will be a lot higher than your previous experience, take a few weeks of base-only riding to adjust to that before starting, or re-starting intervals.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/cyclingnews-fitness-q-and-a-november-30-2011#Section1

Stop making excuses!

Came across a nice article today and decided to share it on my blog and also as a reminder for myself. There are some comments on Singapore athletes by Wilson Kipketer, a Kenyan born athlete, in this article "Champions don't make excuses" which are quite interesting:

"I don't see why they cannot have good results if they can have good results in school. Why not out of school?"

"You talk about the hot weather, that's an excuse, that's not the reason. You live in this country, so you cannot complain about the weather, you have to get used to it. You want to sit and make excuses, or you want to do something?"

 "People say it's about military (national service), but military is not going to stop you … I don't see a university where they say there is only studies, no running, because nobody is going to stop you in what you want to achieve. "It's something you have to do for yourself, so it's nothing to do with the system, nothing to do with schooling or military, it's something to do with you."

http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC111130-0000081/Champions-dont-make-excuses

Nice Giro d'Italia 2012 promo video

Rest for the journey ahead...

With the Tour de Poyang Lake uncertain now, I've decided to bring forward my off season in conjunction with my last week of exams. Whether the race happens or not, Im no longer keen anymore. I've been struggling a little for the past weeks and it doesn't seem to get any better whatever i do on the bike. In fact, Im rather glad to hear that the race has been postponed. I definitely do not want to go for another UCI race just to perform poorly.

I think i needed that break badly. Though off season, it'll just be a short 4-5days off the bike (so much for an off season) before exams end on Thursday. Just a short while to refresh my mind before i get going again. After all, Im not a pro who races all year round. I do not need a break of 2-3 weeks. Which brings me back to the point and problem i face for the past 2 years, am i on the right track? I will leave this to the later part of the year and give it a real thought.

For now, i just can't wait to get over my last paper! There are a few things i want to do this holiday which I'll list them down later. Guess that is all for now. I think i will hit the sack early tonight and wake up for a run tomorrow morning! It's been awhile.. :)

Tour de Bintan: Stage 3

Stage 3 (38km)

In between stage 2 and 3 there was a good 2hrs break, so after stage 2 we headed straight back to our room to get a bath, some food and rest. During the break, my dad came to visit our team with his friend and family. Before we know it, we were in our (still) wet jerseys and off to the start line for the 3rd and final stage of Tour de Bintan.

Dad's friend and family

Stage 3 was short and we believe it was going to be fast and full of attacks as it's the last chance for those who wants to have a crack. True enough, Nick Swallow (Cycleworx) and 2 others went out straight from the get go. Bikelabz took control of things as the have the KOM jersey worn by Zamri and new Yellow jersey leader worn by Saiful after a well deserved stage 2 win. The wind was very strong so the pace wasn't very high and sitting in the pack was easy. That would mean a very hard and fast finish as everyone would be fresh. Francis tried for the intermediate Ace sprint but it was never easy against Zamri, who is an excellent sprinter, and having to go from the back of the pack to the front took out quite a bit of energy from him. But it was still a try worth going for.

In the end, stage 3 ended up in a bunch sprint and our team finished safely once again. I think our team did well given depth and strength we had compared to other big teams. It was also the first stage race we are doing together. Francis, though dropped out of top 10, still finished 14th overall which was a very good result for the team and for himself! And Robert was amazing throughout the 3 stages! Always very active at the front, pulling, going in the breaks, water duties, KOM, Ace sprints, final sprints, this man does it all! And Amos, being Amos, was always unlucky with flats and cramps, lost time from the main pack EVERY stage, but did well to finish the race! ;)

All in all, it was a good short weekend race, very well organised, water support was brilliant this time, made lots of new friends, but just a bit expensive. I hope it'll be a good preparation for Tour de Poyang Lake in 3 weeks time. Now i need to get a good rest and prepare for my final exams! Also, to find my legs back...

New Spanish friends from CCCamp

Stage 3 data

Tour de Bintan: Stage 2

Stage 2 (73km)

Our main objective now is to keep Francis safe and hold on to his 10th spot in the GC. He will try to conserve and maybe go for a placing in the final sprint. But of course if a chance presents itself, he will go in the break. I will try to go on the offensive and maybe get some points in the KOM. I didn't come to this race just to follow. I wanted to do something, and staying 20-30th in GC same time as main bunch is not what i wanted. I'd rather try but get dropped than to follow and finish. I've gotten over the first stage fresher than most people and stages 2 & 3 are shorter, which means even if i got dropped i should be able to ride till the end.

Knowing the first KOM is in the first 8km, i stayed right at the front from the start. There were a break of 3 riders but they were in sight. Entering the climb up to the first KOM, the pace slowed somewhat and i thought this might be a good chance to go. Stupidly enough, i went... And after 20secs, my legs reminded me of how powerless i felt. My max heart rate of 166bpm showed that i was obviously not pushing as hard as i should have been, but my legs just simply couldn't turn the pedals round. I sat up and as i looked around, Samuel Yang and Zamri Salleh (Pico-Bikelabz) shot passed me followed by the string of peloton which looked to be snapping under the ferocious pace. Everyone was going full gas up and over the KOM point. Soon i was at the tail of the pack but i simply could not latch on. After the race i heard from Francis they were going hard down after the climb at 70km/h. There was no way i could hang on when im already at my limit. The pack took just half a minute and they were out of my sight. My race in stage 2 was over in just 8km of racing.

Zamri Salleh (Pico-Bikelabz) in KOM jersey

 I sat up and waited for Cat 2, which started 15mins after us, so i could tag along to conserve some energy for stage 3. Soon i was joined by a spanish rider Josep from CCCamp who got dropped even earlier than me. We took turns to do "pussy" pulls of 30km/h until Cat 2 came along.

In the end, i finished 16mins behind the winner. A break won again and there were few adjustments in the overall GC. Francis had dropped out of top 10, likewise for some others. He had gone with the winning break but dropped out due to the high pace. If he had hung on till the end he would certainly moved up to top 5 or even podium maybe. It was a waste! Robert finished safely in the bunch again and Amos 15mins behind due to another flat. Stage 2 didn't end up the best for the team but everyone finished safe in one piece and we could fight again in stage 3!

Stage 2 data

Tour de Bintan: Stage 1

Finally I've gotten over this Tour de Bintan in my head. Took me a day, like a hangover. Now it's Tuesday and it's back to reality, back to studies! First exam the day after tomorrow.............................

Just had my morning coffee and feeling tired but relaxed, so i thought it would be a good time to think back about this race.

Team Fuji Singapore riders: Robert, Amos, Francis, Kerry (From left to right)

Stage 1 (150km)


I was rather disappointed to hear that some quality riders had pulled out of this race earlier. But to be honest, it doesn't make any difference to my chances. I was feeling terrible entering this race, no matter how much i tried to rest and take it easy days before coming, it only made me felt worse. As you can see from the race data, my max heart rates for each stage were not very high, but my legs were just powerless. So i thought about it and decided to stay conservative for the first stage, because i know i wouldn't be able to hang on in the break even if i went. It would be worse if i got dropped and couldn't even hang on with the main bunch. That would be disastrous as i would lose too much time since it was a long stage and it would be miserable to ride alone.

Stage 1 data

Our team decided to ride to the start as a warm up, 15km rolling which included a KOM for 2nd stage. It was drizzling as the race started and that made it dangerous for the bunch as the roads were bumpy, muddy and twisty. Our team decided that the first few breaks wouldn't last and to conserve as much energy as possible until the last 50km. So we took a gamble. Unfortunately, the first break happened to be the winning one, with Robert Hensby (Cannasia-Cannondale) and Vincent Ang (Cycleworx) in it, both very strong riders based in Singapore. Vincent Ang would eventually go on to win the stage but to be disqualified for racing under a different name. This guy is a complete nut!

Robert Hensby and Vincent Ang

As the break was getting further and no one team wanted to work and take control of the bunch, riders were wary that the break might succeed and started to attack. Robert Meek also had a shot along the Trikora Coast but was unfortunate to be caught back. There were a few crashes throughout the race. Tim Wilkins (Cannasia-Cannondale) got tangled up with an ANZA guy, but his team did well to get him back. Another Cannasia rider was forced to the side and head planted into the ditch after (yet another) ANZA guy hit a stone and flatted on the rear wheel. I got to know later that he was alright but his Cannondale had became a foldable roadbike...

In the last 50km, Francis tried his luck with a few riders and managed to form a chasing group. They held on till the end 26secs ahead of the main bunch. He came in 10th and is in contention for top 10 overall GC. Robert and i came in with the bunch safely. Amos had a cramp earlier and had to ease up but finished the stage to stay in the race.

Colin Robertson with his countless attacks

I think if there was any Combative award it had to go to Colin Robertson of SIR's A, who breached from the peloton pass the chasing group to the winning break, and tried countless attacks to get away for a solo win, but only to be brought back..

It's a worrying sign...

Well.. This is no good! My body is starting shut down on me. I did 170km last Saturday but honestly i wasn't feeling great. And since then i haven been. I've not been able to turn my pedals well so far this week and it's really a worrying sign as Tour de Bintan is just 3 days away! I really hope to do something there! But with this condition now, I should start thinking about surviving there first. Sigh...

Remaining races for 2011

So it's confirmed! My remaining races for the year will be Tour de Bintan (11-13Nov) and Tour de Poyang Lake (8-12Dec). It's going to be a very busy month ahead with a project report, 2 project presentations and a test all happening next week just before i leave for Bintan on Friday, then exams starting the week after it, and then Poyang Lake race starts a week after my exams.. After that i should be able to take a week off to relax and reflect on my season this year. Then, it's back to business training and preparing for 2012!

Racing in Tour de Poyang Lake for Team Fuji Europe will be my second UCI race. The first one was Perlis Open 2009 in Malaysia where i DNFed. Back then I wasn't experienced and ready enough. I should be now. So im looking forward to this race in China against some of the best in teams in Asia. The scenery should be nice though the weather might not suit me (very cold!). Hopefully with good performances in the upcoming two races, i could have more UCI races next year, and also a chance in the national selection for ACC! I got to believe i can do it...

Allez Kerry.. Full gas!

Quote of the day!

"You can’t win a raffle if you don’t buy a ticket."

Meaning?? Just go for it!! :)

Tech Review: Rotor Q-Rings

So... finally i got my Rotor Q rings fixed up by Emi today! Received it 2 weeks back but haven got a chance to get it on my bike. I was very excited to test it out and waiting till tomorrow's long ride is a little too much for my patience to handle. So i took it out for a short 1.5hr spin. Here are my thoughts...

The Q-Rings i am using is a 53/40 set. On the first few pedals, I felt the difference immediately. I have seen pros and friends using it, read reviews of it, but never had a chance to test it out myself. I was amazed by how it made me feel. Honestly, I never thought much about it initially and felt it was another high tech scam to cheat pro athlete-wannabes and rich weekend warrior's money. But I'll have to take back my words now!

The Rotor Q-Rings made pedaling so much more efficient. There are 5 positions to set your chainrings on your crank (1,2,3,4 & 5). I chose position 3 for a start, and after using it, I think I'll stick to it for awhile. My advice is, unless you have really weird pedaling styles, try not to go to the extremes (1 & 5). If you are going to fix it on your TT bike or if you are more TT focused, go one up to position 4. For me, I am an all-round road racer and position 3 suits me just fine. Soon, i hit Coastal Road, a long flat 7-10km stretch, and i was cruising at 36-38km/h without much effort. My cadence was very constant and smooth. With every new toy, I got to test it out on the climbs of course! And Selarang hills were up next! I thought i was going to try out the small ring as soon as i hit the climb, but to my surprise i went over the top without any gear change at all! I just focused on my pedaling and used the momentum before the climb to carry me through, without much drop in speed.

A few side notes, my chain dropped out on one occasion when i changed from small ring to the big one. I started to get worried as i wouldn't want anything like this to happen during a race. Not sure if it's due to the elliptical chainrings or my front dee. If it's due to the rings it might be a big problem. But after checking with some of my friends who use the Q-Rings too, they said they have no problems with that. So i guess it's my worn out Shimano 105 front dee. Something else i noticed about the Q-Rings, the big and small ring gave me slightly different feelings. The smaller ring felt slightly jerky. Im not sure if they are in the correct position set up. Got to check it again. But otherwise, this set of Q-Rings is flawless!

Aesthetic wise, the black rings probably look better than the silver ones i got. And fitting these on an Ultegra crank doesn't make it look any nicer (worse in fact!). But when you're on your bike, you can't really see whats on your bike other than the handlebars. What you want is something that can make you go faster! And I think these Rotor Q-Rings does this job perfectly. :)