tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-189823272012-01-30T02:34:56.541+11:00BORING STORIES ABOUT ME AND MY CYCLING TEAM ....(mainly for my Mum & Dad)!Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.comBlogger801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-49394195803005472482008-05-14T02:26:00.002+10:002008-05-14T02:49:09.136+10:00

Another year...another Joe Martin in the books...but this year, different to before a stage win to gloat about...best part is, its not self gloating but instead talking about Teddy finally cracking a big one. But not just any big one...the same stage that he has come so close to winning the past 2 years. He timed his move perfectly this year and it helped him move into 5th on GC for the tour

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com68tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-16281680500069818502008-05-07T05:10:00.002+10:002008-05-07T05:24:47.832+10:00

So after a slightly disappointing finish to Georgia...my 12th place in the last stage....no thanks to 2 flats in the last 25km which wasted a lot of the team on getting me back and saw me hit a big wall with 100m to go, when i could have been a legitimate shot for 3rd on the stage....it is time to get back to reality...and that means regular races.So we had a couple of crits this weekend which

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-55598450432273255122008-04-27T11:15:00.004+10:002008-04-27T11:40:25.075+10:00

Stage 6 is over and done with....and the fears of time cuts and impending death on the famous Brasstown Mtn have long subsided. The team made it through the stage unscathed and we have a full roster of 8 to ride into the finish tomorrow. This stage last year were were down 2 men and that had implications for our sprint power in the following 2 flat stages. Today went well for us and we hit the

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-77142632341676200732008-04-26T11:11:00.003+10:002008-04-26T11:54:36.402+10:00

For those who do not know....today was a great day for the Bissell cycling teamI won the stage and Teddy took control of the King Of the Mountains jersey after a stella break away that lasted for nearly 150km. At one point it looked like we wouldnt catch the break and Teddy was going to have the chance to contest the stage finish....but the final kms were tough and it all came back together and

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1314526842336454142008-04-25T11:22:00.002+10:002008-04-25T11:29:27.767+10:00

Not what we had hoped for....That sums up our final result in the team time trial. Al was well and we were on our way to a competitive result when Zirbel suffered a mechanical problem on the hill the third lap and then we had a period were the wheels fell off. We did come back with a solid final lap but the damage had already been done.But i think that when you look at the team finishing without

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-68689712554593021242008-04-24T07:49:00.003+10:002008-04-24T08:15:05.587+10:00

Holy crap.....first 50km took us 1hr and 4mins....i dont care who you are, that is fast and hard.Finally, after a 70+km/h crash that took out a few people...Ouch...the break got away and there was a lull in the field and time for a toilet stop. Team Bissell was represented by Scotty Z...but he tells me that the break was largely under the control of the Team Type 1 rider who slowly started to

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-69756623924430818312008-04-23T07:08:00.002+10:002008-04-23T07:21:09.471+10:00

Flat and fast again...that was how stage 2 worked itself out.The first 60km was on like never before as the field tried to establish a break away group that they were satisfied with. There were a few times that it looked like it was going to work out, but many over ambitious and unsatisfied domestic teams kept forcing the issue and making sure they were represented. It was an weird finish to the

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-82721271892690123402008-04-22T04:14:00.003+10:002008-04-22T10:28:57.238+10:00

Let me start this entry by eating my words a little....while i spoke with complete facts in last weeks post and this is in no way an apology, i am one to give credit were credit is due....Jelly Belly made up for a more than lack luster Redlands by riding a strong race today and delivering their man (Nick Sanderson) to the line for a podium position....So congrats to them for proving me wrong....

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-6735373005903518032008-04-17T05:40:00.005+10:002008-04-17T07:41:29.970+10:00

Its been a while......but i am back in the US and have just, today, finished my build up to Georgia. It included Redlands in Cali...starting 2 days after i got back on US shores....needless to say it took me a few days to get back into the swing of things and although the results didnt look great on paper, Sundays race may well have been one of my best rides ever. Vennell and i spent all day off

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-32827061925918728562008-03-20T21:17:00.005+11:002008-03-20T21:30:55.771+11:00

My first few days in the UK have been a busy time catching up with all the people i can possibly sqeeze in. It has been 16 years since i was last here and as such a long time and a lot of growing up has been done since i last saw many of my family and friends here. So far the trip has been a success, apart from numerous times of being lost while driving around and braving the freezing temps while

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-50019497921850117152008-03-18T03:11:00.005+11:002008-03-18T03:30:49.520+11:00

So tell me this....how can Vaughters leave me out of Slipstream next year....look how filthy my moustache is!!!! People will be happy to know that it only remained for the duration of this photo...because im no Zabriskie.CHECK OUT MY HOUSE...Part 3. Wanna know what i did on the weekend....well listen to it and that way you dont have to read about it.... Ill catch up with you guys when i

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-11993049338795011682008-03-15T00:50:00.001+11:002008-03-15T01:15:35.428+11:00

CHECK OUT MY HOUSE.....Part 2.This is an introduction to a big secret.....dont want to give away too much....watch the clip. And now for my first official video blog....let me know if you prefer it to reading some of the garbage i write....its much easier for me and i figured i could do some race video blogging during tours and races that would make it easier than trying to explain it all in

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-33049082085065882512008-03-11T06:15:00.001+11:002008-03-11T06:59:17.692+11:00

For the 4th year in a row i have survived the worst day of the year, without having been able to enjoy the best day of the year for nearly 5 years. Im talking, of course, about day light savings kicking in and the clocks jumping forward an hour. It has been so many years since the last time i went to sleep knowing that i could sleep for 10hrs, but only have it count for 9.....its such a beautiful

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-43437528834138772912008-03-05T04:49:00.004+11:002008-03-05T14:48:02.881+11:00

Tour of California.....well what can i say....it was a great mix of fantastic racing coupled with some of the most painful days of my life. I woke up sick on the day of stage 4....looking at the profile of the day i was initially happy that it didnt look like an overly difficult day. Little did i know that i would turn out to be the worst day of my life. After nearly 8hrs of bone numbing riding i

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-65616991911496438992008-02-13T09:16:00.000+11:002008-02-13T09:56:18.873+11:00

SANTA ROSA, CA When i first arrived Jan 30, I was greated by 3 days of consitant rain coupled with 4 degree temperatures. It was definately a shock to the system. But as is usually the case, the pre season excitement often overcomes most of these issues and you find yourself able to front up and ride in conditions you otherwise wouldnt dare. We braved the driving rain and low temps for our team

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-7197146714742641672008-01-28T13:31:00.000+11:002008-02-03T13:18:22.592+11:00

GOODBYE HOMEMy time at home has come and is about to be gone. It has been such a short visit home compared to my usual experience, where i would be still at home racing on the track for another month or so. It funny how one descision can effect so many aspects of your life...not that i am complaining....i am very much looking forward to the season ahead of me. So how do you say goodbye to

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-76981723521496336182008-01-14T09:24:00.000+11:002008-01-14T09:48:08.772+11:00

So it would seem, that like most of my team mates, blogging has not been high on our list of priorities. So forgive me father, for i have sinned, it has been...like 6 weeks since i last published what i have been doing in this repetitive life of mine.Let me start my first blog of 2008 by saying Merry Christmas and welcome to 2008 for everyone. I hope that we all had a great little holiday and

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-76901140696381962082007-12-05T18:39:00.000+11:002007-12-07T17:08:36.952+11:00

The last 2 weeks, although they have seen me in Sydney to watch a world cup and beginning my training again for a new season, have not had a lot of interesting stories arise that are worthy of blog reports....instead i have been putting in some solid and solo km's to build the base that will hopefully carry me through the remainder of my season in good form. So far so good. My legs are still

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-83906277289608576622007-11-17T12:02:00.000+11:002007-11-18T15:52:14.093+11:00

WORKING MY RECOVERY DAYS AWAY....I did my first bit of real work in years this week.....funny thing was, it was for Kate's old man. The pressure was on...If i screwed it up, who knows what the consequences could have been. Needless to say i pushed myself to accomplish the task in the minimal possible time and i think i exceeded expectation. It was actually a bit of fun, just kicking it in the

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-5724589867740981732007-11-06T11:57:00.000+11:002007-11-06T12:37:27.635+11:00

BECAUSE NO RIDING, DOESN'T MEAN NO TRAININGI am being reasonably lazy, but not all together lazy. Training has started again. I am off the bike for another 2 weeks, but this doesn't mean that i all together go to sleep. I have to keep my body working, have to try and improve some of my weaknesses and this is the start of that push and that desire. It will start easy, but the intensity and volume

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-39425516314531217672007-11-01T11:40:00.000+11:002007-11-01T12:17:56.554+11:00

SEASON OVER.......The Melbourne to Warrnambool, last Sat, saw the end of my season finish on a slightly frustrating note. As most cycling fans will know, after 7hrs and 15mins i came in 4th of a group of 9 after misjudging the finish. Nothing can express the disappointment of riding for that long and screwing up the final 200m. After seeing many of my feared competitors fall away during the day i

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-21639074039562709132007-10-09T17:37:00.000+10:002007-10-09T18:14:15.124+10:00

THE LEIGH HOWARD AND CAM MEYER SHOW...The tour of Tassie was arguably one of the harder races i have done for the entire season. 11 stages shared over 6 days and while they were only short, the intensity and competition meant that everyone counted....and the legs felt every km.....What it did provide was an insight into the future of Australian cycling....the 2 Meyer boys and Leigh Howard were

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-89191669637039773412007-10-01T17:54:00.000+10:002007-10-01T18:26:11.228+10:00

OVER PROTECTIVE MOTHERS.....Magpies. The forgotten problem about returning home during spring. There is nothing more annoying than riding along, minding your own business, and all of a sudden being struck by something in the head. There is always that 2 seconds that it takes you to realise what the hell is going on.....have i just been hit by a car??? What the f*#$ was that????This isnt me. But

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-51352433371486234692007-09-25T18:59:00.000+10:002007-09-28T08:38:16.227+10:00

BEFORE HOME, CAME VEGAS..... Vegas was a hoot. Only 4 days there, but in that time Kate and I were able to see a show, blow some money, ride horses through and around Red Canyon and spend hours by the pool and in bed ;).They always say that photos tell 1000 words, so i will let some of the good ones i took do the talking....Isn't she the cutest?Until she lost all of my money!But i forgave her....

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-9380965873820444702007-09-20T06:47:00.000+10:002007-09-20T07:29:12.226+10:00

US SEASON FINISHES WITH BROKEN BONES.....BUT IT STILL FINISHES1 month of preparation for my last race....180km of northern Michigan....3km in there was a small crash, 3 went down, suddenly it turned into a massive crash as a bunch of morons decided to run straight into the back of it. The fall out was Scotty (in his 9th crash of the season) with some broken ribs, Teddy came down, and i face

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-3587207569965108872007-09-11T03:41:00.000+10:002007-09-12T06:12:41.207+10:00

THE SEASON IS WINDING DOWN IN THE US....Proof of this was the free spirited party that took place after our local Grand Rapids criterium. It was an opportunity for many of the guys to let down their hair and enjoy themselves for a night. For those who are interested, Menzies won the race, so it wasn't a local victory but I managed to bring home 3rd in what was a great first year event. Here are

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-77834138041218424842007-09-05T11:16:00.000+10:002007-09-05T12:16:35.684+10:00

ENGLAND DIRECTS PRIORITY TO 9 OUT OF 10 DNF'S....So i finally got to take the reigns as director of the Priority Health Cycling Team. I love being a bike rider, but i also think that one day i would love to do this as a profession. Despite the fact we only had 1 finisher (BJM in 15th), the overall consensus was that people were happy with my job. I did a reasonable job of predicting how the race

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-81892767701910001542007-08-30T12:27:00.001+10:002007-08-31T07:17:35.744+10:00

So....after much thought i have decided that doing this blog and reading it is boring as sh!t. So in an attempt to improve my motivation for doing the blog and hopefully people's enthusiasm for reading it, im going to make some drastic changes. It will now be a public display of the things i think but rarely put down on paper. Hopefully it will be entertaining. Im sure it will get me in trouble

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-51175269350262353102007-08-21T12:27:00.000+10:002007-08-21T13:03:09.768+10:00

My apologies for the recent lack of blog entries. Unfortunately one of my great friends lost his father some 2 weeks ago and for some reason cycling didn't seem significant. It has been a hard time for him and his family and i want to express my sympathy to them all. The world is a colder place with his passing and may he rest in peace.It is an unfortunate fact, but life does go on for the rest

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-34413139774728013862007-08-01T05:10:00.000+10:002007-08-02T04:36:32.409+10:00

So i finally had my first crash for my US based road season. The worst thing about going a long time between crashes, is that you forget how much it hurts and how inconvenient it is. It was one of those silly crashes, no serious damage, but a large portion of skin from my left leg and butt cheek. I was actually talking into my radio when it happened....the bunch slowed down all of a sudden....but

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-49057573376333289322007-07-22T08:03:00.000+10:002007-07-22T09:51:39.372+10:00

I am back at Superweek for the 4th consecutive year and who should join me here but my faithful sidekick, Karl Menzies. Karl and i have been coming here and racing since our first outing in 2004 with MG and after going 1,2 on GC in 2005, it is a place that we always like to revisit for the memories and for the traditions.Some of the traditions that im talking about are:The late nights: Each night

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-29646723772455166082007-06-30T01:25:00.000+10:002007-07-01T02:03:08.757+10:00

So for those of you, who sit at home and read this on your big computer screens and still think "wow, what an awesome life these guys get to live", picture me now, in a beautiful Italian cafe, sitting here with wireless internet and enjoying a latte with my beautiful girlfriend.....is that rubbing it in enough????Kate and Alex's sweet Italian pad. Her bedroom is bigger than my parents!!!My

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-89896495681965969722007-06-16T00:19:00.001+10:002007-06-16T00:33:23.465+10:00

Somehow my life always seems to bring me back to the humble abode of the Hughes house. Its hot out here and Omer and i have been enjoying some easier days on the bike, getting ready for an all out assault on Nature Valley. Last time i was out there i won a stage and this year i am going with equally as high if not greater expectations.So i guess some of you will be wondering what has happened to

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-12824327151648200212007-05-31T11:29:00.000+10:002007-05-31T11:36:01.554+10:00

Back to the sad and terrible realisation of what this life brings me....loneliness. Kate left today and after 6 weeks of being sewn together at the hip we are again apart. Just me and my little black sheep, Palmy, to keep me company. Its sad how little there is to m life when 1 thing is subtracted.But chin up.....keep on riding.....been doing lead out duties the past week and enjoying some more

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-13334657594094999182007-05-25T07:42:00.000+10:002007-05-25T08:14:58.475+10:00

I finally made it. 4 years spent in the USA and i finally made it to New York City. I couldn't let the fact that i am staying within a couple of hours and have some, well needed and earned, rest from racing slip through my fingers....So Kate and i got up at the crack of dawn on Wednesday and we made the 1.15hr drive to Trenton, then the 1hr train ride to NEW YORK CITY......yay!!! And instead of

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-76883721536929769142007-05-17T01:36:00.001+10:002007-05-17T02:09:53.571+10:00

The last couple weeks have seen some good racing and my legs have been coming better and better. I survived at altitude and managed to score myself some reasonable results scoring a 5th and a 2nd. Both races, had i had a little luck i could have won....this is where the disappointment lays. Turning the tops 5's into wins is what will tell people i have arrived. Getting a top 5 result is hard,

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-69204488609427468292007-05-01T04:23:00.000+10:002007-05-01T05:26:16.412+10:00

All the team in the calm before the storm of the first stage....Tour De Georgia So Georgia is over and for those cycling enthusiasts who read this, you will know how my team faired during the race. We held the mountain jersey for a day, made a couple of the big breaks and i finished off with a couple of good stages, 11th and 6th. The tour was pretty good personally, i started slow, but as i

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-16998390244304225742007-04-10T10:07:00.000+10:002007-04-11T00:48:21.564+10:00

So....it was quite a welcome that i received to my first race in the US season. After a 6 hour drive from Banner Elk to Richmond Virginia, we woke up on Sat morning to a fairly heavy snow storm, sub 0 degree temperatures and no promise of any improvement throughout the day.After a 90 min delay to the start, waiting for the NBC helicopter, we finally got going.....i have to say that even when we

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-2249221746910654812007-04-03T21:01:00.000+10:002007-04-05T21:33:06.048+10:00

Can you believe that this girl is a world champion????Well its true!If my maths is correct, there are only 17 people who can say that they are the partner of a current world track champion and i am one of them. Kate is a world champion and as such has also taken the top step as my hero. Although she has trained harder than ever in the lead up, than to any other worlds, she has also overcome

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-35092232219075539082007-03-13T16:23:00.000+11:002007-03-18T17:19:19.181+11:00

So after the 3 solid weeks that i have behind me on the road, it was again time to jump on the track bike and get around fast in the Bendigo Madison. Always one of the great carnivals for the year, Bendigo didnt disappoint, with a stella crowd packing into the stadium on the Sunday night to celebrate all that is good about Australian endurance racing.....one hard arse madison.80km in all and this

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-32777570509974690562007-02-22T20:00:00.000+11:002007-03-03T20:51:34.584+11:00

After some post nationals wind down i have now put together some solid days on the road, in an attempt to rediscover what it is to be a road rider. Over the last week i have had 4 days of 5hrs or more and and finally starting to see the end of the problems that have plagued during the past 4 months and all but destroyed my chances for Track Worlds. While i still have some events remaining on the

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-38426741591165246842007-02-15T11:13:00.000+11:002007-02-15T12:00:10.342+11:00

It has been some time since my last update. Although i have been a busy boy, it was more by design than an attempt at being lazy. I wanted everyone who visited my site to see the post related to Scott. I dont want this to be an issue that fades into the back ground and then is forgotten about. I want to try, in some small way, to make a difference. Alas....my efforts have not worked so far, with

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1167096903604529242006-12-26T11:53:00.000+11:002006-12-27T13:50:52.290+11:00

SCOTT DAVID PEOPLES1986 - 2006NEVER FORGOTTEN2 days before Christmas i had to say goodbye to a close friend of mine. A cyclist with whom i have shared a coach and many a good day with over the 4 or so years that i have known him. He was killed, in a senseless accident, while out training on Friday December 15. He was a brilliant kid and will be sorely missed. Testament to his and his families

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1166404519733558622006-12-18T11:51:00.000+11:002006-12-23T18:34:36.743+11:00

After being drilled over the weekend by some old friends at a Christmas party, it seems there is a certain demand that i return to the blog and start telling people what it is i am doing and how my time in Australia has been. There are no excuses, i have been lazy.....i havn't even checked the site until today.....i guess that is poor form.So im trianing again now and looking forward to a busy

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1160325804399152722006-10-09T02:37:00.000+10:002006-10-09T02:43:24.416+10:00

Hey all,i guess that some people are pissed that there have been no updates of late....well get stuffed....im on holiday, not just from cycling but from everything.....nah, really the only problem is that Europe is not as wireless friendly as the USA. I have had barely any access to the internet and when i have i have been paying tooth and nail for it, so the blog doesnt receive the attention

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1155838921316307862006-08-18T03:49:00.000+10:002006-08-18T04:22:01.376+10:00

So after a couple of weeks and no blog updates, i have started to cop some flack, particularly from Jude about my lack of enthusiasm for my blogging. Not only that but i have started to realise that some of my readers think i am borderline sucidal after my recent form problems. Well i have two pieces of good news for everyone....1, i am not sucidal and 2, over the past 2 weeks i have finally

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1154437701982482162006-08-01T22:36:00.000+10:002006-08-01T23:08:22.060+10:00

So during my last post my mum started to sense that i was starting to get depressed about my form and was not overly confident about performing well and..........i was right......i didnt perform like i know i can. Im still having issues with my legs that i just cant quite get a hold of......to explain it to my readers, my quads just dont seem to be processing lactic acid at the moment. It is very

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1153704128268943862006-07-24T11:02:00.000+10:002006-07-24T11:22:08.283+10:00

Just a quick update tonight...im about to head to be for an early evening and hopefully a long sleep before the Tour de Toona starts tomorrow.So superweek was an absolute joke for me....last post i was keen to notch up a win but it became very obvious, very quickly that it was NOT going to be the case. I felt terrible in nearly all the races i started. My back problem began to flair again and i

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1152329505577047182006-07-08T13:04:00.000+10:002006-07-08T13:31:45.630+10:00

So im back in MI now and still trying to get well and rebuild my bodies iron stores and get myself back to full health before Tour de Toona on July 24. It is a slow process, but one i feel i am starting to overcome having finally strung 3 days together and not feeling totally stuffed. Its a good feeling.So from my last post we were about to start the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic....how did it go?

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1151528618819568632006-06-29T07:02:00.000+10:002006-06-29T07:20:53.750+10:00

So its been a long time since i last updated my blog and there are a few reasons for that.....i have had very limitted internet access over the past few weeks......i have been racing like a dog and not really wanting to tell people about it......my computer has a virus and i cant put any photo's on and all the functions take an age to work....but now im back and im going to very quickly summarise

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1148858055137006652006-05-29T09:06:00.000+10:002006-05-29T11:17:26.873+10:00

The perfect weeknd get away. I am up at Bob Hughes' beach house in Northern Michigan....we visited last year and its not quite as warm now as it was then, but it is the perfect environment to take a load off, fine tune my preparations for the upcoming races and just, generally.....relax.The beach house is in a town called Leeland and backs onto the beach.....Bob has like 50m of private beach on

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1148582024765383822006-05-26T03:54:00.001+10:002006-05-26T04:33:44.823+10:00

So after my first successful tour result in....like.....forever, I wasn't ready to rest on what form I thought I had. It had been my plan for the year to use this week and the upcoming Tri-peaks tour as training and good preparation for the biggest and most important races which are coming up over the next few weeks. So on Tuesday I headed out with the plan of a 4hr ride with Kate and a further

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1147719064105260092006-05-16T04:07:00.000+10:002006-05-16T04:52:05.646+10:00

So I have just completed, arguably, my most successful ever tour. I finished 5th on GC behind some pretty handy bike riders in Gord Fraser, Scott Moninger, Ivan Stevic and Nathan O'Neill. It was for me a coming of age in tour riding, where I was able, for the first time in my career, ride a decent uphill time trial to remain in GC contention. Unfortunately my plan for cracking a top 3 in the GC

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1147193904729216812006-05-10T02:23:00.000+10:002006-05-10T10:29:18.586+10:00

Just finished our 11 hour drive from Alabama to Arkansas following the conclusion of the USA Criterium Series. The series was reasonably successful for me and the team, without being fantastic. I finished in 10th overall and had 4 top 10 results from the 6 races. My finish was impressive at times, but i continually found myself caught out of position coming into the last lap. Each and every race

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1146534409975904912006-05-02T11:05:00.000+10:002006-05-02T23:48:15.840+10:00

Finally i have some racing to report on. After nearly 5 weeks of little to do but bash my head against the wall (i.e. train), i have finally been able to strap on the helmet, shave the legs and get pumped up. The question was, would i come out firing or would i suck after such a long break? The answer....Well i didnt suck, but i also havnt put the races together quite the way i wanted to. So far

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1146095230598234382006-04-27T09:37:00.000+10:002006-04-27T10:17:05.586+10:00

We are finally into the last couple of days training before we embark on a hard month of racing. We have had to keep our legs pumping around and heads on straight after nearly an entire month with no racing. There are no garentees as to how Tommy and I will race when we hit the road at the Athens Twilight Criterium this Saturday, but if hunger is any measure then we should be fine.Since arriving

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1145923745781799542006-04-25T10:08:00.000+10:002006-04-25T10:35:58.260+10:00

Introducing the latest and greatest bike to come from the Ridley factory, the Australian Criterium Championship bike. With all the bells and whistles you would expect from these sweet looking machines. The complete bike with its custom paint job is sure to turn some heads.The Priority Health Cycling Team choose to ride full carbon Record from Campag. It is a sweet groupie and the carbon cranks

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1145500276354960202006-04-20T11:43:00.000+10:002006-04-20T12:31:16.416+10:00

So I have just returned from my whirl wind trip across the world to France where i was able to catch 3 days of the Track World Championships. The primary reason for the trip was to support Kate in her quest for a world title but it was also an opportunity for me to learn a little about a country and continent i know nothing about.The city for the worlds was Bordeaux. A beautiful town south west

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1144433701867213202006-04-08T03:31:00.000+10:002006-04-08T04:15:01.960+10:00

It is no secret to most of those close to me that i have been depressed since i have been here in the US this year. After a rushed departure from home, I feel like i missed out on some of the time i needed to recover from the intensity of my summer. Without getting time to come down from the disapointment of missing out on worlds selection, i was whipped off to the USA, where i have had to try

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1144120339912423392006-04-04T12:24:00.000+10:002006-04-04T13:12:19.966+10:00

Today it snowed. That's right....snowed.....how am i supposed to deal with that. Tommy and I didn't spend any longer than 30 seconds outside all day. That 30 seconds was spent getting to and from the car in the car park of the local mall (normally i wouldn't call it a mall, but that is what they say here so im trying to embrace the culture). Today we went on our first shopping trip of the season,

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1143657226562788582006-03-30T04:35:00.000+11:002006-03-30T13:10:54.893+11:00

The team got hooked up with our new kits on Thursday before Redlands....and like Brent says....we look good. We now look like a real pro team and can now be confident in how we look when we hit the road. Sad thing...i cant find a picture of them, that will have to wait till next time.So although i havnt felt bad the past few weeks on the bike, i have really had no results to hang my hat on and to

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1143076614186694772006-03-23T12:02:00.000+11:002006-03-25T11:50:09.596+11:00

As promised, i have some of the photos of the amazing place that we are staying in Redlands, California. It is an awesome house, with some great hosts. You got to check out the views from the front and back decking area.....This is a picture of the mountain range we look at from the front porch. Its snow covered at the moment.....Hotham would be happy with the levels of snow.The awesome

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1142911823928674992006-03-21T13:43:00.000+11:002006-03-21T17:06:33.580+11:00

So im happy to report that in the week that has just passed my girl and my madison partner got up for gold medals on the same night. Never have i been more proud than to say i was able to receive a 3am wakeup call from Kate to tell me that she had triumphed in the women's points race. From what i have read and been told it was a pretty dominant performance where she was able to secure the gold

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1142371250689254952006-03-15T07:29:00.000+11:002006-03-15T08:20:50.740+11:00

After my first weekend of racing the road for the year all i can say is, "man this place is cold". I am staying in a small town called Merced and we raced near by in Fresno this week just passed. We have already seen rain and snow and sleet and hail and sun and wind......not sure that leaves much to come......more sun i hope though.The racing itsself was more of a warm up for me. I have not done

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1141849172309199852006-03-09T07:01:00.000+11:002006-03-09T07:19:32.326+11:00

So, today i received the news that, yet again, i have not been selected for the Australian team for the World Championships. Despite my form at the National Titles and completing the qualification process last week in Adeliade, i have been pipped at the post yet again.For now, i am down but have just arrived in the US to begin my road season and have some points to prove, not only to my US

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1140509344146914692006-02-21T18:41:00.000+11:002006-02-21T19:09:04.206+11:00

Slinging in Sean on our way to a hard fought silver medalMe sprinting against Grant Irwin (National Scratch Race Champion) for every point i could grasp.....he beat me by less than a tire : (Myself (right) and Sean Finning on the podium after one of closest Australian Madison Championships on record. (notice the hole in my left hip)For those of you who dont know, the Australian Madison Title was

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1139726456678515922006-02-12T16:59:00.000+11:002006-02-12T17:40:56.733+11:00

It has been a week of extreme highs for me in Adelaide at the 2006 Australian National Track Championships. I have come away from my most sucessful ever meet with 4 medals from 5 events and some performances that i can honestly say, even defied my expectations.It all started for me on Tuesday when i lined up in the individual pursuit. I was racing in the 2nd last heat, after winning the bronze

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1138917395802144082006-02-03T08:44:00.000+11:002006-02-03T08:56:35.866+11:00

I would have thought that as an Australian, that seeing places such as the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House were really not that big a deal....after all they are pretty much in my back yard.....i see them on TV every other day and know about all there is to know....but nothing could be further from the truth. I found myself getting a little bit excited as we drove past the monuments and over

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1138089562425037122006-01-24T18:23:00.000+11:002006-01-24T18:59:22.480+11:00

Well, its obviously a pretty sad week when the most exciting thing that happened was the fact my sister gave me a hair cut....but in my world its the little things that count and i have to say, for someone with no training she has done a damn fine job.It has been an interesting week to say the least. My first week without Amy for a long time and im not scared to say i was a bit lonely. Its hard

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1137378422061353332006-01-16T13:04:00.000+11:002006-01-16T13:27:02.250+11:00

So i went over to Adelaide with very little expectations for the National Road Race Championship......and it was just as well, otherwise I would be devastated as to how it panned out.The day before our race began, I was happy to watch my good friend Kate (Katherine) Bates take out the women's race. I was wrapped for her and she was stoked to be able to take the jersey and wear it year round for

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1136880563799488792006-01-10T18:37:00.000+11:002006-01-10T19:09:23.850+11:00

So, going into this years Jayco Bay Crtierium Series i had little expectation and little pressure coming from the coaches to perform. It was intended as 5 days where i could ride myself back into form and bring my km's up leading into my training period for the National Track Titles in Feb. Little did I know that i would walk away with the biggest win of my career.On Friday, I rolled out of the

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1136100586131699032006-01-01T18:13:00.000+11:002006-01-01T18:29:46.146+11:00

So Ive had an awesome little Christmas break. Got to spend some quality time with the family and also with Amy. I had a total of 9 days off the bike all together and although i have started training/racing again i am still taking it easy just for the first week, so I feel refreshed and ready to go for the busy month i have coming up, leading into the Nationals.I spent most of my week off at the

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1135137422433939622005-12-21T14:16:00.000+11:002005-12-21T14:57:02.483+11:00

So, after such a long season, nearly 20 months since my last planned break, I am ready to take some time off the saddle, time for reflection, relaxation and to get rid of that frikin' saddle sore still left from the suntour. But first ill update you on how the Victorian State titles panned out.Friday 16th: ScratchSo i arrived on Friday night, in an attempt to win the scratch, but more or less

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1134595376303029862005-12-15T07:48:00.000+11:002005-12-15T08:32:10.770+11:00

This is a picture of me on my way to a 4:34.2 and 8th place in the Individual Pursuit at the Manchester World Cup. For the record the race was won in 4:28 (irronically the time I'm aiming to ride this season).This is a picture of me and Sean 'shrek' Finning during the madison event. Nothing nicer to me than a BT with the Mavic 5 spoke and disc wheels.So, I was back in the country where my life

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1133348489655986802005-11-30T21:10:00.000+11:002005-11-30T22:01:29.813+11:00

Well, its been nearly a week since my last update and I am here to update everyone on what happened in my first pursuit of the year......but firstOn Saturday night Amy and I had a cocktail party to attend, to celebrate the 21st birthday of one of her friends, Maggie. I wasn't really in the know about how dressed up you are supposed to get for these occasions, but Amy and I spent a good 3 hrs on

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1132803701500648042005-11-24T14:21:00.000+11:002005-11-24T14:41:41.506+11:00

This is a picture of me riding my bike, incase anyone is interested. This is in full flight at the 2005 National Champs on my way to a bronze medal in the individual pursuit.Anyway....i ended up in 3rd place on Tuesday night. Not too bad, should have won it though. Despite a hard morning and slightly tired legs, i felt good and it was an easy race. Just got boxed a little in the sprint, another

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1132636041907943362005-11-22T15:42:00.000+11:002005-11-22T16:11:11.430+11:00

After a very lazy week, since returning from New Zealand, I am back in the swing of things and have thrown down 3 days of hard training in a row. Last week I only rocked out on Wednesday for a track session, after a funeral ceremony for an old high school teacher of mine.....very sad, but a moving ceremony. I didn't last long on the track, some 3 hours of warm weather and no water, in a new black

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1132361234981053092005-11-19T11:38:00.000+11:002005-11-19T11:52:04.396+11:00

Yesterday was suppose to be nice and sunny, my one day off the bike. I woke up and found that instead of being sunny, it was overcast and not such a nice day. I had planned to take Amy to the beach, spending a day down on the coast, at Sorrento, having fun in the sun. I wanted to swim and run and throw a Frisbee but the weather just wasn't right for it. We decided to go and play mini golf

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1132198192459730792005-11-17T14:06:00.000+11:002005-11-17T15:05:17.050+11:00

So as a professional cyclist, when I turn up to a hard (UCI sanctioned) race, that I have extended my season for I expect a certain level of professionalism from the organisers and commisaires. This didn't happen at the recent Tour of Southland.On stage 4, Karl Menzies was in the yellow jersey and broke a chain 5km into the stage. The field eventually sat up and waited for him, but despite the

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18982327.post-1132038412675751392005-11-15T18:03:00.000+11:002005-11-15T18:06:52.686+11:00

Hey,dont recon anyone will read this, but it is just a test to see what this thing is all about. I still am working out how to use it, i figure it will be helpful for people to keep up with what im doing while over seas and finially i can publish an explination of races i do and what i think about them and the way they go.Ill get something decent written about my latest race, Tour of Southland in

Richard 'Dick London' Englandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230505672290727593noreply@blogger.com7