With the dust well and truly settled on the racing season, Primera/specialized captain, on & off the road, Jason Eastwood looks back on the team’s first year and ahead to the second!
The season began in March this year when Primera-Specialized pinned numbers on for the first time and headed out onto the Mountbatten circuit in Portsmouth. Our race plan, well, still awaiting the arrival of the first Venge Experts into the UK we decided that we’d simply expose our legs to the intensity of racing, unfold the lungs after weeks of winter miles and enjoy the day. So when Toby Neave slipped off the front in the closing 5 laps and claimed the win I don’t know who was more surprised, us, Toby or the aging alloy tubes of his decaying Colnago. Toby went on to claim 2 further wins and finished 4th overall in the Portsmouth Mountabatten Series.
A great start which was soon to get better. Will Stephenson previously of Bournemouth Arrow had shown huge potential but had never worked as part of a team. Early races found him in the wheels almost struggling (or so it seemed) with the pace at times. Just before the start of another Mountbatten a couple of weeks after Toby’s opening victory, I recall having a quiet word with Will which went something like “just stay in the front 5 wheels, be as aggressive as you can and follow every attack you can. “ If you only last half the race, then that’s ok”. I’m not sure if Will took that on board literally or I had just really pissed him off as from the start of that race he went from local Club Junior to Pro Tour Potential. Will won the race, his first E/1/2 victory and soon established himself as a marked rider amongst the local peloton. Will’s performances in the UK, Belgium and latterly the Junior Tour of Wales led to a place on the junior team representing Great Britain at the world championships in Valkenburg, Holland. A strong performance only to be halted by the wheels of others in a crash 5k before the chequered flag. However as most now know his performance was followed by interest from a number of larger teams one of them being Rapha Condor Sharp who Will will be joining in the New Year. As sorry as we are to see him leaving the team it was obvious to us that his rise through the ranks was inevitable and I’m sure I speak for Primera and the team as we wish him all the best for 2013 and beyond.
Ian Legg started his season slowly unable to find form. After a trip to the dentist he found that unbeknown to him he had a tooth infection which was affecting his whole body (apparently Cavendish had something similar so it’s a cool excuse to use). Once treated things started to pick up but what was obvious to the team in these first races was Ian’s frustration but thankfully he continued to race, burying himself for each of us when needed until he could give no more. We are not professional cyclists, work and domestic duties have to fit in somewhere and for Ian and Fiancée Amy the birth of their first child would no doubt take its toll on training/racing. Or so you might think.., a week later Ian was winning at Moreton and followed that up with a string of top 3’s at Portsmouth and Ludgershall. Ian ended his road season strongly with a 3rd overall in the Mountbatten Series and now the once Junior National Mountain Bike Champion is back in the mud racing the Cyclocross season where he is currently holding a podium spot in the Wessex League Senior Category.
As for myself, 2012 has been a great season with the challenge of establishing the team and its results in races, however, there was the opportunity to clock up a few results including the Moreton TLI series for the third successive year, 2nd overall in the Mountbatten E/1/2 Series and a string of top 3’s which led to an Elite BC licence for the first time.
Racing changes a little when you are responsible for not only your own results but that of the Team. A new avenue for Primera, they have never before supported a team of riders competing sometimes up to 5 times per week (nearly always in the rain or so it seemed this year) requiring frequent bike servicing and kit replacement, demands that any sponsor of a cycle team will be more than aware of. So, special thanks goes to Bill, Alex, Lewis and the team in the Bournemouth shop who have provided us with first class unlimited support, Specialized for the bikes and Manbi for their support with our Salice Glasses.
As for 2013: Will is off to the Pink and Black side and Toby has decided to spread his arm warmers and move on. This has given us the opportunity to recruit two new riders, Mitch Webber, will be joining us from Andover Wheelers and Jason Duckworth from VC St Raphael.
Mitch is a 1st year junior and has already shown huge potential finishing 2nd behind Will at this year’s Regional Road Race Championships and as well has some high placing in senior E/1/2 events. Jason is a senior rider who brings with him a wealth of experience. As a Junior Jason mixed it up with the likes of the Dowling brothers and Jeremy Hunt before racing fulltime in France. Pausing to concentrate on his career Jason spent a few years off of the bike but is now back with a vengeance and since applying for his 4th cat licence has quickly progress back up the points with 4 wins this year.
Mitch Webber & Will Stephenson
For a small team we have achieved a huge amount in our first year, currently ranked 25th in the BC National Rankings with at least 100% less riders than every team above and below us.
Results include:
Team wins: 21 (including Bmth Track League)
Team top 3’s: 67, 21 wins, 26 2nds and 20 3rds
Crashes during races: 3 (all Will and none his fault)
Baby’s: 1 (all Ian Legg’s Fault)
Weddings: 1 (thank you Laura)
Photo finishes: 3 all between myself and that damn Justin Hoy (Felt Colbourns)
Finally, in September I travelled to Plouren on the west coast of France where I was competing for the GB National Police team in the Emergency Services European Cycling Championships. On a pre-race ride on my borrowed TT bike I was joined by the Belgium team who in much better English than my Flemish shouted “hello Primera, how are you?” Yes I was wearing my Primera team kit but it turns out that one of the riders recognised the logo from reading “Local Riders,Local Races”
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