There's a 5.45am??!!

Last week saw the arrival (via my club) of my British Cycling Licence.

For those of you unfamiliar with cycle racing, to enter most races, you require a licence which the good folk at British Cycling charge a whopping £30 for. I was, at this price, expecting my gold plated licence to appear with a personal note written by Bradley “The Modfather” Wiggins himself.

How dismayed was I to find that it actually arrived in Blue Peter format (cut here, stick here, laminate this.) After about 30 minutes I had a fantastic model of Tracey Island but there was no way I’d be allowed to sign on at a race meet.
There was a note with my licence though….. from Joyce at the club wishing me the best of luck with the 2010 season. Thanks Joyce, can’t wait to see you beating up Lance on the Col du Tourmalet in July.

This monumental moment in my life bought great excitement at being able to race with the other kids but also great realization, “I AM GOING TO BE RACING THIS YEAR….”

In the words of Spiderman’s uncle, “with great power comes great responsibility.” I think he knew the significance of a category 4 racing licence. We’re not talking about something as minor as passing a driving test and wielding 4 wheeled death machines…. This is cycle racing, on a closed circuit, with other people, on bicycles.

I must admit, it’s tough. Along with the worry of training (I now have to get up at 5.45am to “get the miles in”), I also have to consider the ethics of everything I eat in case WADA knock on my door at 2.00am to wake me up for a random drugs test.

This whole life as a pro rider is starting to get to me already. I hope carrots are on the banned substance list.......