Hayley Simmonds admits that she has unfinished business at the HSBC UK | National Road Series, after her elbow injury blighted her campaign last year.
The two-time former national time trial champion suffered a broken elbow during last year’s OVO Energy Women’s Tour, forcing her to miss a number of races.
When she did return, a further crash at the Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix reopened the elbow wound, and meant a further spell off the bike.
She said:
“I’m going to do as many events as I can in the HSBC UK | National Road Series this year, depending on my calendar. I’d really like to do the Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir, which unfortunately I missed last year because of my elbow break.
“I was entered into the race but got injured the week before, so I really want to go back there – it’s a great race and the organiser has done a really good job of making the course interesting for the women’s race.
“I’d also like to go back to Ryedale after crashing out with a lap to go last year and reopening the injury on my elbow!”
Really great course, very grateful to the organiser for putting on a women’s race. Just wish I’d been able to do more of it...rear mech stopped working 40 mins in and the 11 sprocket wasn’t really suitable for those climbs
— Hayley Simmonds (@hayleyrsimmonds) April 14, 2019
Will definitely be back to try again! https://t.co/0nurwTNeGM
Simmonds lined up for BTC City Ljubljana at round 1 of the series – the East Cleveland Klondike – on April 14, although she was unable to finish the race after suffering a mechanical.
As she explained though, she was forced to treat the race as a stepping stone to full fitness after suffering with illness in recent months.
She added:
“My fitness was really, really good in the winter, but then I picked up a cold which I didn’t seem to be able to recover from. I found out after quite a while that I’d had a respiratory infection for about a month, which explained why I wasn’t recovering very well.
“I’m now building back up again; hopefully the fitness is coming back.”
