Jameswilliamsoncycling's Blog

Well after a few rather cruisy days rolling along in the bunch on the flat the tour changed gears on stage 5 and got really intense all of a sudden!
In the end it was a pretty disappointing day for me personally but on the whole not a bad day for the team. I finally made the break after over 80km of trying (we did the first 50km in 1hr and it was all uphill) there was four of in the move, two euros and and Aussie. The euros weren’t too keen on riding hard and the bunch didn’t give us much leeway so we never got a massive gap, I had good legs and made the most of it by taking the first cat2 climb, unfortunately the pace was on in the bunch and we got caught just 5 k from the top of the next one, if we had just made the top I would’ve had the kom jersey for the day. It went from bad to worse when I punctured twice in 5k lose the lead group of 40riders just 30k to go. Joe, mike and Roman were riding well still in the front group and Joe managed to finish with the main chase group at the end to move up to 5th on gc. Tomorrow’s day is going to massive but we are still in a good position do do something. We all know that the next stage is the one that will shape the tour, at the moment we are still in a good position to do something!

That was a crazy brutal climb today. There’s not many climbs that you have to ride up at about 10kph for the last 10km. I managed to slip into the break again this morning and won the first kom to add a few more points to my tally, unfortunately there aren’t many climbs left and its pretty much a given that whoever wins up genting wins overall and kom. In the break we managed to hold on off the front untill the real climbing began when we hit the 15% gradients with 15k to go, from then it was just a matter of getting to the finish for me. Unfortunately hints didn’t go quite so well for the boys back in the bunch, while trying to set Joe up for the climb they got caught up in a couple of crashes in the panic. From now we will look to make the most of all opportunities in the next few days, there are still four stages left that suit us so we will look to do something for sure!

           Road to the sky/Genting

Stay tuned for more updates!
Jimmy

Quick update on the racing so far here in langkawi. Most of the time we have just been rolling along in the peloton trying to conserve energy for when it really counts. Due to the flat courses and lack of wind its hard for a break to stay away and also easy for everyone just to cruise along in the bunch which is allgood except for it creates seriously choatic finishes!

I think one of our best achievements so far has been avoiding anything nasty. Roman and I have been trying to wing our way through the sprints but without a committed and experienced leadout team we really need to get to the finish of a much more challenging stage. I have been feeling really good whenever it has been hard so hopefully will get the chance to test my form one day. The genting stage looms above us at the moment. We all know that’s where the race will be one, unfortunately for me its one extreme to the other as the climb is extremely hard and there are plenty of specialists here waiting to take off up there.
Tomorrow is an unknown which looks like it could have some rather decent climbs included in the 190km, anyway it looks like it could mix things up abit so we will be looking to make the most of any opportunities available!
Either way there should be plenty of action to report on in the coming days.
Will keep you posted!
Jimmy

Just a quick update here, having to do this one from my phone as the internet at the race hotel is ridiculously expensive for some reason. Seems strange when you can get it free at the food court on the street! Anyway finally the tour of langkawi is upon us, all the teams have arrived at the official hotel and the car park is jam packed with team cars, vans, bikes and all sorts of offical vehicals. The circus offically began with the team presentations in the middle of Kuala Lumpur this morning. Now we can relax, put the feet up and wait for the racing to roll round. First up a rather unappealing 20km TT on road bikes tomorrow morning. Must admit im looking forward to thay being behind us and getting stuck into the real racing out on the road! The team is all firing after and slightly more acclimatised than when we first got here. Joe Cooper is looking good for a solid performance in the tt so hopefully we have some work to do to help him out later in the week. For me I will be seeking out all opportunities to get some exposure and results in the breaks and sprints but will take each day as it comes. It will most definitely be an exciting week!

Also it is my first race as the NZ National Champion, can’t wait to roll to the start line on Saturday morning with the jersey on along side guys like Vinokourov, Zabriske, Danielson etc. Will be a pretty special feeling.
Will be that extra bit motivating to cross the line first at the finish!

Keep up to date with my Twitter and blogs so you can see how it pans out day to day

Malaysia has many hidden gems that we are slowly discovering. The other days roadside coconut drinks were topped by todays version, ice cold this is quickly becoming my new fav post ride recovery drink, packed with essential electrolytes it goes some way to replacing the litres of fluid sweated out on even the shortest bike rides here! Sure it won’t be long until I discover  another amazing local specialty to share with you!

Asia is always an interesting place to come and visit, you never really know what you are going to. This time however I must say we have hit a pretty sweet spot. Malaysia seems to have the best of both worlds, some Asian chaos with a little bit of western civilisation mixed in. Its been pretty hot but nothing unbearable just humid and on and off sunny. Seems to rain rather a lot though.
We were straight into it in terms of racing though.

Yesterday (our second day in the country) we took on the Sepang international Criterium on the F1 track here in Kuala Lumpur. We really had no idea of what to expect in terms of competition or format and were rather surprised to find out that we had almost 200guys rolling up on the start line.

Pre race setup in the pits!

The course was obviously made for speed and we definitely made the most of that. The 55km race took only 1.15hrs even though there was a decent amount of wind and a few slight hills on the course. With myself, Dan, Shem and Roman being the four riders for the day we made a plan to try and get the most out of the race. It worked out pretty well. The Asian riders have a tendency to go full gas and not hold anything back, then blowing up fantastically. Unfortunately it makes the race extremely unpredictable, basically we just had to go with them and wait for them to wear themselves out. Dan got away in a small break and I made a move to get across but got pulled back, at this point about 3 laps (out of 10) in the race was already shredded, at this point Roman and Shem hit out and just the two of them rode across to the break. I followed shortly after but going solo got stuck in the middle and ended up getting reabsorbed by the bunch. The guys up front worked well and thinned the break out to only 7 guys, with three of them up there it was looking good. I rolled round with the chasers until the second to last lap then hit out again solo just to make sure I still finished in the top 10. Up front the boys executed a plan but unfortunately the two riders from Pro Conti Champ-sys team managed to withstand the heat (37degrees) better and take the sprint, Dan finished a close second. Getting all four of us in the top 10 made a rather successful day out and it was certainly a great opportunity to get the body used to the kind of fast hot conditions we can expect in Langkawi later this week!

Dan on the F1 podium

Outside of the racing/riding we have experienced some great things about Malaysia. It is a country where you can seemingly get almost anything. We have been spoiled for choice in terms of food. From local street stall markets to French cafes to western style supermarkets there is anything and everything. We have braved a couple of local joints and been rewarded with super cheap but extremely flavourful meals. I think today I spent about $5NZ on lunch of chicken noodle soup and fresh berry juice smoothy. Doesn’t get much better than that!

Heaven in a Glass

The locals we have on the ground here helping us are nothing short of awesome, they are super enthusiastic and friendly and have been giving us some local insights. One of the highlights of the trip so far being a coconut drink stop on our ride the other day. Basically you get about 700ml of pure coconut juice and flesh, which is super refreshing and satisfying in the heat.
Today we are up for another decent ride then we are off into town to have a look around the city of Kuala Lumpur, should be a good one and I’m sure there will be some stories to report.
Jimmy

Had a sweet first proper training ride here in and around the hills of Kuala Lumpur. Ended up with about 3.5 hours on the bike over some pretty kool terrain. Rode up into the plantations, even got to see a few monkeys playing around the side of the road. We managed to collect rather a lot of dirt and muck from the wet roads though so a quick bike wash was compulsory at the end of the ride!

Everyones getting into it all good… had some interesting food experiences but luckily no issues yet… touch wood!

Anyway will put together a good write up of yesterdays first hit out race and the general Malaysian experience so stay posted.

Jimmy.

My final few days in New Zealand have been spent in the big hustle bustle of Wellington. Staying down town with my good mate James Canny it is abit different from the quiet streets of Alexandra but a good change and refreshing experience before heading on a big racing adventure to Asia.

View from top of Mt Vic

What awaits us is still relatively unknown, we are to be based in Malaysia for some 3months, travelling to multiple other Asian countries to take part in some rather exotic races.  All I know is that we will be in line for some new and unique experiences, which is always exciting and motivating!

First up we have the Sepang International Criterium on the F1 circuit in Kuala Lumpur. Only one day after we arrive in the country on the 19^th of Feb this is bound to shock our bodies into the swing of things. With some tickets for the upcoming F1 on the line it will no doubt be raced hard! After that we get abit of time to settle in and prepare for the massive event that is the 10 day Tour de Langkawi. For me it is super exciting to be lining up at an event of this magnitude with a very high calibre field as the National champ. Can’t wait to roll up to the start line with the jersey on.

The training and preparation has been going well, a few more motorpacing sessions to get used to riding fast again as well as some rather lung busting intervals have got me in what should be some pretty decent form. However im going to be realistic when it comes to racing up a 30km climb against a 50kg Colombian and previous Giro d’Italia podium placer. But there should be plenty of other opportunities for me. Maybe some breakaway action, maybe some hectic bunch sprint action, will have to see what the race throws at us.

It will be awesome to be back on the road with the PBR boys again, we have all been through some tough times recently but I’m sure the bonds made last year will show through and we will pick up from where we left off last year!

There will plenty for me to report on over the coming weeks and months so make sure to keep on the lookout for updates!

Jimmy

Chilling in Lake Hawea

The past few months have been perhaps the most turbulent, unsettling and intense part of my short career so far, as I have been searching for support, sponsors and a team to help get me through the year. I remain convinced however that it is important to not let the stress of the situation overrule everything. As a cyclist it is essential to be able to get away from the stressful situations in life in order to train, recover and perform at our highest levels. Energy spent on anything stressful outside of training is generally detrimental to ones recovery and future performances.
When you are in a situation of uncertainty it is best to identify what you can do to improve your outlook and leave what is out of your control. I have been trying to practice this recently to ensure that when I do get the opportunity again to prove myself in the competitive arena, that I am as ready as possible. And where is better to do this than in a very sunny Central Otago. This is the quick story of a good day in Hawea…

Wake up to the sun poking through the curtains at about 8am in the morning, a filling breakfast and a strong cup of coffee and im ready to get out amongst it. This morning I leave the batch with the company of local U19 star Tom Vessey and my sister for company. We cruise along to Wanaka and then follow the undulating windy road around the lake past Glendu Bay all the way to the Treble Cone turn off.

riding along to Glendu Bay (with fellow local and national champ Nicky Samuels)

After about 2 and a half hours of riding we are back in Wanaka and soaking up some rays at the coffee shop, fuelling up for the next bit. My mate Scott Rainsford rolls up to join us though this time his lycra is replaced by casuals and his bike has its own engine. Soon we are getting too hot just sitting in the sun so its time to saddle up again. Soph ditches us for a easy ride back to the house, for Tom and I we will spend the next two hours chasing Scotts little motorbike around. Finally we are heading back in the direction of Hawea some 5hrs after we left this morning, behind the motorbike we do one final big effort and then roll the last few ks home. It has been a satisfying day on the bike and we are just getting back as the heat of the day really sets in.
Once back inside its straight to the fridge and a can of coke is the only thing that can give me what im after right now. Next stop, the lake. Back to the house for some lunch, and abit of good old deck time. Some friends roll around and we head back down to the lake for the rest of the afternoon, its too hot to be anywhere but at the water. Things gets abit intense with some swimming and deep diving competitions, I put my poor performance down to too much energy spent riding. A charcoal bbq and a beer or two tops of the evening and before I know it the heat and training has caught up to me and im off to bed… its supposed to be even hotter tomorrow, good thing I have a rest day to make the most of it.
You would have to try pretty hard to get stressed out here.