Steve Cummings Heads for Het Volk

 

22nd of February, 2006; Larry Hickmott reports

 

After his recent result in the Italian classic, Trofeo Laigueglia, Steve Cummings is getting ready to tackle for the second time the Belgium classic Het Volk. Having had such a great result in the Italian race, 2nd, many are expecting more great things from the World Team Pursuit champion but after having fallen ill after the Italian race, Steve and his coach are not making any great predictions for the Belgium race, taking a wait and see approach.

This week, Steve was back at home as he often is between races, something he finds suits him better rather than being in a hotel in Europe. Once home, he can enjoy the type of lifestyle that helps him recover. One where he can eat the best food, go to bed early in a good bed and have all the other things that a rider needs. It's the little things like that he says that make a big difference and the reason he chooses to return home."

Home in the Wirral is also not that far from the base of the Great Britain Cycling Team which Steve paid a visit to yesterday. Seeing Steve in reception at the Manchester Velodrome, I asked if he had a few minutes and as ever, one of the countries top road and track riders agreed and a little litter later, with plenty of coffee on tap, we sat down to look ahead to the coming weekend and the season goals. I also had a chance to talk to his coach Simon Jones (Great Britain Cycling Team's head coach) and a few things he was saying stuck in the memory.

The first, was that one of the upsides of Steve having reverted to the track squad after winning the British Junior Road Race championship means that he now finds the effort required when working in a break quite easy, just one example of how having been part of the Team Pursuit squad has helped him on the road. The other little fact was the power out that Steve is now able to generate, with Simon quite impressed that for 22 minutes Steve was able to output 6.1 watts per kilo after four hours of racing. Adding in jest, "he'll have to do three lap turns in the Team Pursuit now?"

Steve meanwhile, explained "things have gone bad" when I asked how he's been since the Trofeo Laigueglia. "I got ill and was sick so I wasn't able to keep anything down which meant I was running on empty. I wasn't able to get on the bike on the Friday after the race and had a decision to make, go home or stay and race. I stayed and tried to race. With hindsight it was perhaps the wrong decision but I had to know I couldn't race otherwise I'd have been stressed over what might have been with such good form."

"As it happened, I felt good for an hour and after that I just had no power, I was empty. I didn't bother to start the next race (Classic Haribo) on Sunday but I got me sweets (Haribo is sweets manufacturer)!"

"I was pleased I didn't start because it was chucking it down, there were cross winds - it was horrible. It all left me headshot in the end and nervous because I had good form and was ill. I'm a bit more relaxed now as I know I have done it before and can do it again. I just have to be patient and wait to get the opportunity."

Heading back to Belgium

Steve's time off the bike and illness is sure to have had an impact on his form but he also realises having ridden them before, that Het Volk and Kuurne-Brussells-Kuurne are very different races to the Italian one which had long climbs to break the field up.

"The terrain is not going to be as selective as Trofeo Laigueglia. It's going to be 70 guys as opposed to 30 guys after the big sections of the race so it may well be more of a lottery but I am obviously going to try and get another result even though I realise it will be more difficult."

Steve's second place in Trofeo Laigueglia certainly pleased his team which is looking for a start in the Tour of Italy Grand Tour which begins in Belgium this May. But Het Volk and the Spring Classics are really huge for the team as I saw first hand when I was with them a few years ago when Gordon McCauley rode for them.

Talking further on his chances this weekend, he adds "I know I have the legs but its about being in the right place at the right time. It might split in the cross winds and I might be in the back for example. I am going to stay in the front as long as I can but if I have to spend a lot of energy to do that, then that might affect my chances later on."

"In Trofeo Laigueglia there were three key sections where I said to myself this is where I need to be at the front and the rest of the time it wasn't as important. But Het Volk you need to be at the front all the time because you never know when it's going to split so for me that makes it more difficult."

He then recalled the year before when he rode it and in his words 'got belted'. "I had the legs to be in the front but I was just in the wrong place due to being a bit naive and lacked experience of pro racing. Now I can sense when something is coming in the peloton because it gets 'nervous'. When everyone starts pushing and shoving it's the time to be at the front."

Once the early season Belgium classics are out of the way, Steve will be off to Australia where he'll meet up with some of the team in Sydney. His goals will then be three races at the Commonwealth Games but I put it to him, there must be mixed feelings at having to leave Europe at this point of the season. One can only imagine what Steve must feel having done so well already in a sport that is so popular in Europe and carries with it so many accolades for the successful athletes.

 

Above: A rainbow jersey for Steve (2nd from left) and the Team Pursuit lads last year in Los Angeles. L-R: Rob Hayles, Steve, Ed Clancy, Chris Newton and Paul Manning (Steve's teammate this year at   Landbouwkredit-Colnago).

"It was a difficult decision but I made it a long time ago and nothing has changed. I want to win a Team Pursuit Gold. I think also, if I can deliver the power I have in the correct way in the time trial, I have a good chance in that as well. And I have a good chance in the road race, so I am well motivated to go there and do the Commonwealth Games, and yet I am a little disappointed to be missing the races in Europe."

"I am aware that March and April is when every rider, especially in Belgium, wants to be good because of all the classics so it is a bit frustrating but I can also see the positives in that it will give me a little break and a chance to get out of the pro system where I can retrain and perhaps have a bit more later on in the season. March and April are such heavy months! I'll miss the bad weather too so happy days!""

Steve's goal this year is to try and get in a Pro Tour team to make the move up in his chosen sport. Such a move may also get him a ride in the Tour de France next year when it comes to London, which would be a big bonus.

"If the team can get in the Giro, I would love to ride it but it's a big if. Results like we got in Trofeo Laigueglia are going to help but there are so many small Italian teams the same as us. The Giro starts in Belgium and we have an Italian sponsor (Colnago) so that will work in our favour. As for other targets, it's difficult to know. As far as the Pro Tour events go, we're not sure what races we'll get in. We have a rough idea but perhaps Giro del Trentino (April) and possibly races in June and now that I know more about the type of terrain I can go well on, I can pick a few races. Races with climbs that go up to 700 metres, maybe a bit more (about 8k depending the steepness)".

"I haven't raced over really big climbs yet this year although in one, Giro del Trentino (last year), I think they were 1200 metres but I wasn't fit then. I was coming off the track and still managed to make the second group despite being 10 kilos over weight. So at the Commonwealth Games, its important to keep my weight down"

"Another race might be the Tour of Luxembourg which is a difficult race and then looking further ahead, the Road Worlds possibly which is on a difficult course."

Looking back at Steve's progression over some difficult years on the track, he is firmly now one of the teams strongest riders with age well and truly on his side. And although many see him as a World Track champion and a Silver medallist from the Olympics on the track, Steve is happy to admit he's loving the racing on the road in Europe. "I do love what I do even though there are bad times like last week after Trofeo Laigueglia I was stuck in a hotel room being sick and not being able to ride. Times like that are part of life".

Indeed they are but Steve is also experiencing some major highlights and we certainly hope there are plenty more of those to come this season and the seasons that follow. We wish Steve and his team all the best in Belgium this weekend and will catch up with him in Australia in a few weeks.

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