Having raced in his early 20's in Belgium, Ireland's Peter Hawkins is now going into this third year as a member of a Continental-ranked team.
The Belfast man first signed for IG Sigma Sport in 2012 and was one of the most consistent riders on the UK scene, performing very strongly in the Premier Calendar pro series and capping the season with a really strong and aggressive ride in the Tour of Britain.
He went into last year, his second with IG Sigma Sport, apparently in great condition; holding his form back a little in the early season with a view to peaking for his first big goal of the year, May's An Post Rás.
He took the yellow jersey on the second stage, but no sooner had the action started the following day that he crashed and suffered a bad break to his collarbone and was forced out of the race.
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He returned pretty quickly but struggled to regain his form. With IG Sigma Sport having discontinued in the winter, Hawkins has found a place with UK-based Continental team Madison Genesis, with whom he'll be looking to hit the ground running this year.
They've been training in Majorca from where he sends us this dispatch, outlining a day in the life of a rider at this level; from breakfast to bed time.
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A few photos of Belfast's Hawkins in new team kit
Joolze Dymond Photography - www.joolzedymond.com
Hawkins readies himself for a training ride in the Spanish sunshine on a vital week of preparation for the season ahead.
Great shot: The photographer picks out his subject coming up the climb, making him look like a toy figure.
The life of a full time bike rider is a tough one, but one perk is getting away to the sunshine to get the miles in.
The benefit of being with a pro team - aside from being paid to ride your bike - is the support in place; with massage staff on hand for a recovery rub after each ride while in camp, just like racing.
The Madison Genesis kit is pretty classic and distinctive and the man wearing it is capable of doing plenty of damage this year.
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