From Calpe to Clayton: A Month of Big Efforts and Bigger Gains

March has been all about the C’s—Calpe, Clayton Classic, Coffee and a whole lot of commitment. It’s been a fantastic month packed with incredible experiences, solid training, and the kind of racing that makes all the winter graft worthwhile.

Calpe: Sunshine, Strong Legs, and Serious Training

The month kicked off with a training camp in Calpe, and what an opportunity it was. I was lucky enough to stay and ride with some seriously strong and experienced guys—an environment that pushed me to new levels. The roads were incredible, and the weather? A far cry from what I’m used to in the UK! Two weeks of focused training with a well-structured plan from my coach, Alex, meant we could really unlock all the hard work from this winter. By the time I left Spain, I could feel the form coming on strong, just in time for the early season races.

Back to the UK and Straight into Race Mode

No time to ease back in—within 48 hours of landing, I had to prep for the Clayton Classic. That included another trip to the Manchester Visa Center, which wasn’t exactly ideal race prep. (I’ll be doing a separate blog post on the whole visa process soon to help anyone navigating the same nightmare.) Despite the chaos, by race morning, I was fired up and ready to go.

The Clayton Classic:

With a stacked field and my legs still somewhere in Spain, I knew I had to race smart, and I pulled it off. Being that guy who just sits on surfing the wheels all day with 1.5 km to go, I made my move—jumping from the main bunch in an attempt to bridge across to the leader and two chasers. I almost made it but just ran out of road before the finish. No podium this time, but for the first race of the season, I was really happy with the result. It’s a solid starting point, and hopefully, I can carry this momentum into the races ahead.

Next Stop: Melrand Classic

Next up is the Melrand Classic in Brittany—a proper grippy circuit and my local race from last season. It’ll be great to be back on familiar roads, testing the legs against the French fields. If the season keeps building like this, it’s going to be a hell of a year!