Preparing For the Big One!

GB Juniors' Fort William Pre-Worlds Training Camp

August 2007
Joolze Dymond Reports

I was fortunate enough to be invited along to the pre-Worlds training camp for the GB Team's Junior and Under 23 squads, at Fort William: this was to be an up close and personal couple of days, watching, photographing and talking to each rider as they prepared for the biggest event in British mountain biking history. Each day was filled with tough training which, naturally, each rider took in their stride.

With just 3 weeks to go before the big race, the selected few were up there, getting to know the course intimately as well as keeping their training on track to peak at the crucial point. Under the expert guidance of coach Phil Dixon and Olympic Development Programme (ODP) manager Helen Mortimer, plus support staff, these boys and girls have come a long way since the inception of the GB Team's ODP (Juniors) and Academy(under-23's) programmes for Cross-Country mountain bikers, just over a year ago.

Present on the camp were juniors, Hamish Creber, Alex Paton, Dave Fletcher, Shaun Hurrell, along with Annabel Simpson. Annabel's team-mates Annie Last and Amy Thompson were having to sit out the camp due to injury. Whilst the under 23's were represented by Ian Bibby, Ian Field, Ross Creber and Amy Hunt. This would be their third visit to the area, since May, and when we arrived the timetable for the week was looking pretty full on, with no let ups for anything the weather might throw at them.

Day 1: Thursday
The team travelled up to Fort William, a fair old trek, with most spending 6 hours happily chatting and generally having a laugh. Upon arrival it was straight into action as coach Phil Dixon, soon had the riders kitted up. Their instructions were to go out as a group for a steady 2-hour road ride to loosen their legs after such a long journey. Oh and of course this being Scotland it was raining.

Two hours later and the team were back and ready to eat. Now here comes the bit I certainly didn't realise would be on the agenda. All ODP riders and Academy riders are taught from the outset to fend for themselves, this includes, cleaning and prepping bikes after every ride, plus kit has to be washed and then someone has to make tea? Coach Dixon divided the group into threes with each group asked to perform some sort of culinary preparation for not only themselves but also the whole team, plus the staff. That's 14 mouths to feed, oh and just to be awkward yours truely just happened to be vegetarian.

Phil Dixon spells out the plans for the rest of the day

An hour later and I was impressed as the first group produced enough pasta to keep them going for a day or two: and they were going to need it with the training that was in store. After dinner it was a quick brief from coach, giving each rider a run down on the next day's activities and plans. Then it was off to bed ready for the next day.

Day 2: Friday
Friday turned out to be a fantastic day, blue skies, warm temperatures, millions of midges! Well if Scotland was too perfect everyone would be here! The first activity of the day was a warm up ride??well not so much ride as a session to get the body moving along with the mind, as the team were instructed to ride in a small square on loose ground, avoiding contact with another rider, it was interesting to watch as the riders twisted and turned and expertly controlled their bikes in such a confined space, Any rider putting their foot down was sent to the edge to watch, until one rider was left, then it was all in again in an even smaller space! Even at this fun stage the rivalry between the riders was plain to see.

Fun and games before the real work begins

Next it was trying out a new section of the course, a short sharp rocky incline, leading out of the start arena onto the boardwalk section. Again riders were encouraged to ride it many times to find a good line, keeping up their speed in order to become confident tackling of this section.

Then it was off on a group ride with coach Phil Dixon, to check out the course and look at any new parts that had been added. Then it was out again as a group, before heading back to the camp ready for some lunch and a bit of down-time, where the riders were encouraged to grab some sleep ready for the next session.

Whilst the team are resting the staff were in hyper-drive mode, organising vans and shopping, sorting out bikes, fixing mechanicals. Then it was back to the venue, where the afternoon's schedule was to try and nail the course's technical descent. The plan was 6 individual runs, each timed and videoed.

Then in the evening after another hearty meal, again created by the riders, it was debrief time, where the day's video was played back and each rider's run was shown to the group. There was much playing back and discussion of what went right and what went wrong.

Day 3. Saturday
Another early start! Who thinks riding a bike is easy? Well, they're never gonna be champions if they do. The whole week was based on foundation stones building up to the big event, including preparation, organisation. Each camp instills in the rider a sense of professionalism.

Helen Mortimer, left, a former downhiller who brings a lot of experience to her role

ODP Manager Helen Mortimer explained that a lot of emphasis is put on 'ticking boxes' in the riders' heads. This enables them to overcome nerves and be as confident as they can be come race day. She told me that "if a rider is very nervous in the lead up to a race, they could end up making unnecessary mistakes, which could in turn affect their performance. By doing these camps we are enabling the riders to be confident in their ability, but also we encourage them to go through a series of checks in their heads to overcome any build up nervousness."

"First they have to figure out why they are nervous? Is it because they aren't fit enough? No, they've done as much training as they can and are in the best form they could be in. Is it because they are afraid they might have a rubbish race? No, they've trained correctly, they're as fit as they can be and they know the course intimately. This mental process helps prepare them for any nerves they may get, plus we try and instil in them a sense of professionalism. For example, they must be on time, whether it's for a raining session or a race: each event is treated the same".

Classy looking rockery - but all man made

It was clear this hard line would be followed: a tight schedule meant riders were warned that if they were not at the van ready to go, they'd be left behind. It's harsh but fair and all part of the professionalism that the staff try and drill into the riders during their time on the ODP.

The course features some innovative sections

The schedule for the day was a timed lap for each rider. This was the first time the whole course, as it will be for the World Champs, had been available to ride.

First up were the junior boys and as a pre-run to the actual event, each rider had to complete a 20 min warm up schedule on the turbo, before lining up to do their lap. Added complications included the return of the rain - and return it did with a vengeance, tipping wet rain, the type that flooded Gloucestershire the other week, but which the Scots and mountain bikers take in their stride.

Technical seminar out in the woods

Once the laps were over it was a ride back to base, lunch and rest before getting back out to the venue again. This time, the target was the new section of course as it climbs out of the arena: a tricky little rocky climb flicking the riders onto the boardwalk, a quick blast round up to the first tunnel, before descending through the "Berminator" section to start the circuit once more Then it was a quick drive back, showers and a visit to the launderette to clean the kit ready for the next couple of days. With Paton, Hamish Creber and Annabel Simpson in charge of cooking, it was a culinary, comedy triple act!!! After tea (eventually) the riders gathered for more feedback on the day's riding before turning in ready for another big day on the course

Day 4: Sunday
There was no letting up with the busy schedule for the riders, with another early start, ready for another hard day of training. The goal of day was mastering the top section of the course: descending and riding fast lines out of the berms, using them to retain speed throughout. All this was drilled into the riders as the rode one circuit hard followed by one circuit easy, as they practised each section.

Then it was time to walk certain tricky section, including a nasty, rocky berm. Using her excellent downhill skills, Helen pointed out the best line and then the riders practised until they felt comfortable with it. Concluding the morning session, a couple of quick circuits were ridden taking in the climb from the second tunnel up to the top of the circuit, then back down and round again. Then it was time to for lunch and back to the accommodation for food and an hour's nap.

Helen Mortimer, left, helps plan lines on a tricky downhill section

As Shaun Hurrell explained: "When you practice a course it's completely different to racing it, so today we first walked the course to find good lines. Then we rode it - one lap effort, one lap easy - it gives you a better idea if the lines really work or nor. Plus we were able to practice the final descent, which was fun"

As a reward for all their hard work, the riders were then treated to 'playtime': a chance to visit another trail centre just up the road where they could forget learning lines and riding berms and just let loose. The trail centre chosen was Laggan, billed as one of the toughest trails in the country. Despite advice by coach Phil, not to cane it, it was soon clear these youngsters love riding and resembled eager puppies as they bounced and yapped their way out of the centre, romping up the hills and flying off the jumps.

Preparing food, all part of the job for a young GB rider

Two hours later they returned, big grins all over their faces, next it was all in the cafèônd refuelling was order of the day, before heading back to camp, for more food and a workshop about preparation for a big event, run by Gemma from the support staff. Gemma explained to me a bit more about her role and her view of how the riders are all adjusting to this way of life:
"I've worked on the ODP MTB for about 6 months, my role is to come up with motivational talks, to help the younger riders take responsibility for their general life and trying to get that extra couple of percent out of them when they're off the bike as well as on the bike. This includes mental preparation, organisation, and communication. I've been brought along this week to have a bit of a chat with the riders about their mental preparations for the Worlds. It's a really important part of the race just as much as the physical side."

"These riders are really responsible, I've worked across the disciplines in the ODP and it's amazing at such a young age all of them, across the board, can cope with exams, home life and on top of that be world class bike riders as well. Take Shaun for example, he's just got 4 A grade 'A' levels and has come straight after finding out his results to practise for the Worlds."

"The riders are all quite amazing and unique, but every now and then they need a little bit of help in their development and I think any help they can get they gladly take and hopefully it will help them progress in the future. I'm also quite happy to act as a sounding board for the riders; I think it helps having a neutral person to talk to outside of the family group and coaching system, just someone you can steam off at. It's helpful sometimes to have a good old rant, but then I'll sit down with the rider and get them to come up with answers to their problems and help them work it out for themselves."

Day 5: Monday
Despite four tough days, enthusiasm was still not flagging: the boys and girls were keen and eager to try their hardest and get the most out of each session. The section in focus for this day was the 'natural' trail, a section of muddy lines through a copse of mossy green trees, a complete contrast to the hardpack used elsewhere on the course. A couple of hours later and this section too was 'ticked' off and once more it was back to refuel and rest before one final session.

Ian Bibby at speed in the woods

The final session of the camp entailed a timed run, from the top of the course down to the drop-off, featuring 2- 3 riders at a time. This would give them an idea of race conditions, sharing the trail with other riders. Three runs later and it was all over. The next session these guys and girls will have together will be on World Champs week itself, but after the intense few days of this camp, coupled with two previous camps at the venue, hopefully the riders will have a distinct advantage over their rivals.

If recent results in the Swiss Cup are anything to go by, with all the junior men featuring in the top 15 (Fletcher picking up a solid 4th) and Annabel Simpson picking up a cracking 10th, we could see some blinding rides.

Riding for GB - the ultimate aim for all our riders!

It's hard to portray in words and pictures the amount of intense work undertaken by each of the riders to reach this stage. They are now at a level which they may not have reached without the excellent support by coach Phil Dixon, and the ODP in general. They now have the potential to produce the ride of their lives. They are certainly hungry for results and delighted to have been chosen for the first intake for the ODP, which after the week I spent with them I have decided, doesn't just stand for the 'Olympic Development Plan', but also for ' Organisation, Discipline, Preparation'. These three great qualities have been instilled in the riders to enable them to focus wholly on their goal: medals! Whether it's at the World Champs or the 2012 Olympics, I'm sure we'll see the results.

I caught up with riders on the last day and asked them how they felt the camp had gone for them:

Dave Fletcher
"Yeah the camps been good, getting all the last minute preparations done before the Worlds, run through all the stuff you have to do as well as familiarise yourself with the course and then bringing it all together ready for the Champs. Last year we only had a few days on the course, and you couldn't really suss all the lines out in just a few hours, but this year we've had loads of time up here to get to know the course really well and that should help. I know every climb, every line, every rock now, you could say I'm starting to get fed up with riding it!"

Shaun Hurrell
"Time on the course is invaluable. I missed the last camp because I had an exam, so everyone else has had more time on it than me, but I know it all in my head now. That makes such a difference, it gives you much more confidence, but it's not just about knowing the lines it helps you determine when to push it, when to recover, when to drink and eat and stuff like that."

Alex Paton
"It's been fun. The riding's been going well, the circuits we've been doing have been good, really hard efforts and the timings all been good too. The best part for me has been the main descent, going over that has been gone well for me. Also we did a circuit incorporating the climb that ramps up in stages and that went well for me, so my confidence is feeling pretty good. It's good that we know the course so well; it's just a case of fine tweaking it and stringing it all together on the day."

Hamish Creber
"The main thing has been learning the course, which has been the biggest advantage and it's been really good to properly nail the descent, as it's quite twisty. This camp will definitely give us a big edge over all the other nations who won't know the course as well. It's so good to get really familiar with the course, you know each section so well, you know exactly when to put in the effort and when to recover. It's a fun course, it's technical and difficult in different ways to other courses, it's quite smooth. I love riding it you learn something new every time you ride it."

Annabel Simpson
"Yeah it has. It's been really hard with me being the only junior girl, I've had to keep up with Amy Hunt and all the junior boys and under 23 guys, but it's been good though. I really feel like I've definitely improved. Usually there are two more junior girls on the ODP but they're unable to come on this camp due to injury, so I have to put up with the boys on my own, They're funny though. It's been a pretty tough week, double sessions everyday, I've never done a training camp like that before."

Annabel Simpson with Amy Hunt (nearest the camera)

"We usually do efforts but not two sets a day. Riding up here so many times has definitely helped with my confidence, I'm really looking forward to the Worlds now, I just want it done. I just want to do it now, I just know it so well and I'm so looking forward to racing it now. This camp has really helped me with my descending, it's not my strong point but having ridden here so much, I just know it now and am happy with it. The descent here is also the most fun part of the course and now I'm happy with my descending I just love riding it all the berms and stuff is great. Having Helen there pointing out lines has been excellent too, she's so good in explaining things where as the boys just jump in and it can faze you a bit, but Helen, helps a lot, especially with all her downhill experience."