Peter Hawkins grabbed some great results last year in Ireland & the UK; he’s hoping to repeat that in 2013 and to also be competitive on the Continent.
Having moved from his long-time base in Belgium just over a year ago to take up a place on the UK-based Continental team IG Sigma Sport, Peter Hawkins has gone from strength to strength. The Belfast man won a series of races on home soil last year and put in some great rides in the UK including in Premier Calendar events and the Tour of Britain. In this dispatch from his training camp in Spain, he says he’s in great physical shape and is ready to go for the new season.
February is always a busy month for me and this year is no exception. I’m writing this from Palmanova, Majorca, a week into the team’s pre-season training camp; my second trip away this winter after spending a week in Gran Canaria with a few other team members in January.
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Both trips have been a good opportunity to do some quality training in decent weather on tough terrain and to get to know team mates, many of whom I’ve just met. The timing has also worked well as on both occasions we’ve left behind snow and ice at home. I don’t mind training through the winter at home but trips like this break things up and allow you to do a little more than you could at home and then recover in between.
One big change this year is that I’ve relocated to London. It may seem an odd move for a pro cyclist but it came about for a few reasons. Firstly, my girlfriend Rebecca finished her studies over the summer and started a job with a recruitment company in October. My team is based in London and with most of my races now either being in the UK or involving a flight from London I decided to make the move.
We settled on Surbiton in south west London, just off the Olympics Road Race and TT route. Central London is accessible in 25 minutes by train but I can quickly get out of town and out into the Surrey Hills. The riding is actually great, with lots of quiet roads once you’re into the countryside and plenty of tough climbs for me to get stuck into. The team base is just a few miles away which makes getting around a lot easier and also means I can continue to be a rubbish mechanic.
Last year was a big step up for me, adding my name to a few trophies in Ireland, being competitive in the Premier Calendar and getting some good placings at the Tour of Britain. It was also a huge confidence boost. I couldn’t have hoped for a better start with Team IG - Sigma Sport but looking forward to 2013 I’m confident that there is plenty more to come.
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The early signs are good.
I was second in the IG London Bikeshow Crit in January despite an early fall, I’m getting some good feedback from my power meter and my weight has also dropped, all of which is good news.
My approach to training hasn’t changed significantly but I am just more serious about it than I ever have been. There is a point at which it becomes a job but luckily it’s a job that I enjoy doing.
Pushing myself every day, giving myself the best rest and nutrition I can and analysing what I’ve done on the bike is really what it’s all about. Work hard, eat well, rest well; watch yourself get better. I tend to bore anyone around me with stats, training methods and approaches to diet but I think it’s the reason why at this stage in my career I’m still making improvements.
Looking ahead to the new season, I’ll be focussing on early season races in the UK like the Tour of the Reservoir and the Lincoln GP and plan to carry that form into the Rás. From there we head into the Halfords Tour Series which is very important and where I hope to be competitive.
Other targets are some UCI stage races on the Continent over the summer where I will be trying to take any opportunity to prove that I can be competitive at that level. And of course the Tour of Britain in September will always be a massive target.
There’s been a lot of change in the team over the last few months. Of twelve riders, eight are new plus we have a new team directeur and coach. It’s felt almost like a new team but one that seems to be gelling very well.
We have some young talent who could spring a few surprises, among them my new Irish team mate Ryan Mullen who seems to be in great shape. And with experienced riders like Pete Williams and Matt Cronshaw in the team I think we can be dangerous in any race we enter. All of this is easy to say in February and harder to put into practice in the season, but I’m very confident about what 2013 will bring for me and the guys around me. Watch this space.
Pete
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