Adam Wild [GS Metro] has been a regular on the Scottish time trial scene for a year two; we’ve watched him get that bit faster each year – and now he’s confirmed he’s one of the fastest around with a win in the CTT National 100 Mile Time Trial Championship on a course around the Wiltshire-Gloucestershire border.
Wild was second in the event last year but made no mistake this time, recording 3:28:50 to second placed Jason Bouttell [Team Vision Racing] 3:31:26 and third placed, former 100 mile record holder, Adam Duggleby [Almerico Vive le Velo] 3:31:58.
VeloVeritas caught up with the new champion a day or two after his ride.
Congratulations Adam, job done.
“Thank you, yes, it was my main goal for the season so I’m pleased to have achieved it.”
The basics please, where from, how old and what’s your occupation?
“I’m from Morpeth, 23 years-old and in my sixth and final year of a degree in medicine at Edinburgh University.”
How did you get into the sport?
“It was through the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, I had to do something like 500 miles on the bike in six months; I got the bug from there and joined a local club, the Tyneside Vagabonds.
“I did the usual stuff, local time trials, chaingang rides then joined the GS Metro in 2018 but have good memories of my time with the ‘Vags’ and owe them a lot.”
That was a personal best to win the ‘100’ championship I believe?
“Yes, my previous best was a 3:34, I got stuck on that time, I did three 3:34 rides in a row!”
What about Marcin Bialoblocki’s 3:13:37 competition record, is it achievable?
“That’s an interesting question.
“I’ve entered the BDCA ‘100’ which is on a fast dual carriageway course in Derbyshire and whilst I don’t think I can break the record, if I get the best possible conditions then …”
What was the championship course like?
“It was around Swindon; I’m used to riding Scottish and North East events so I didn’t think it was too bad, the surface was good, it was mostly single carriageway, which is fine by me, I’m not really a dual carriageway merchant.”
How did you judge your pace?
“I knew roughly the power number I could sustain and I’m generally quite good at judging my pace and I don’t fade in the last quarter as many riders do.
“I’ve ridden a fair few ‘hundreds’ now so I know what to expect.”
Are we allowed to ask your average power for the championship ride?
“I know, some guys are secretive about that but my average was 321 watts.”
What about nutrition?
“I kept it simple, a gel every half hour, caffeine ones towards the end.
“These days you’re on the bike much less time than you used to be in a ‘100’ so nutrition isn’t so much of an issue.
“Hydration-wise, I had a ‘Camelbak’ on with 1.5 litres of isotonic in it.”
Gearing?
“I had a 58 single ring on with an 11-28 cassette and used every sprocket during the ride.”
Tell us about your recent Northumberland National Park circuit record.
“A year or two ago the Road Records Association introduced circuit records around National Parks.
“The route starts near the Tyne then goes up into the Scottish Borders, roads I know so well – I did the 170 miles in 6 hours 54 minutes, the previous record was 8 hours 19 minutes.”
Do you have a coach, what’s the ethos?
“Yes, Conrad Moss of Velopower Performance Coaching; it’s mostly power based with a lot of volume, there’s the odd Turbo session but a lot of four and five hour runs.”
You’ve been based in Scotland for a while, do you qualify to ride Scottish Championships now?
“I don’t know about that but have lived north of the border since 2015; I have a flat with two other guys in Edinburgh.
“It’s a great place for training with such diverse terrain all within reach.
[Answers on a post card re. Adam’s eligibility to VeloVeritas, please, ed.]
“I haven’t raced in Scotland this year due to the strict lock down conditions but hopefully will get some events in before the end of the year?”
We checked out your other personal bests: 18:46 for a ’10’ – 46:47 for a ‘25’ and 1:34:28 for a ‘50’ which is your favourite distance?
“Those times are correct, yes – I enjoy the longer distances; when you finish a ’10’ or a ’25’ you don’t feel like you’ve had a proper work out and could ride it again.”
Is a 12 hour on the agenda?
“Yes, it’s the National ‘12’ at Wrexham this coming weekend and five us from the GS Metro are going down – we’re actually having a planning meet on Skype, this evening.
“I don’t know what sort of distance is achievable on the Wrexham course – the Breckland course where Joe Skipper broke the record recently with 325 miles is the one for big distances.”
What’s the situation with the CTT National Championships and are you riding them?
“I shan’t be riding the ‘10’ champs; it’s two weekends after the ’12’ on 6th September in South Wales.
“I hope to ride the ’25 and ’50’ though, they’re on 27th September in Central and 4th October in the North East respectively.
“But I’ll have to see if I can arrange time off or shift exchanges; the stage I’m at with my studies now means that I’m on placement, working night shifts in emergency medicine.”
When Adam mentioned his like of longer distances we were reminded of the words of the late Archie Speed who rode as many 100 mile and 12 hour time trials as the handbook would allow, as they ‘represented better value for your entry fee.’
We wish Adam well in his 12 Hour debut.
* * *
And talking of said 12 Hour debut, the man went out and won the thing with a provisional 294.9 miles on what wasn’t the best of days, we gave him Monday off and spoke to him on the Tuesday after his terrific ‘double.’
Congratulations Adam, we heard it wasn’t the nicest of days for a 12 Hour debut?
“Thank you, no, there was a lot of heavy rain during the middle four hours of the event, bug puddles on the road and 10 minute spells of torrential rain.
“The circuit was partly on ‘A’ and partly on ‘B’ class roads, on the ‘B’ class section I was getting held up by cars who were hanging back from overtaking riders I was catching.”
I believe you ‘came late’ to win?
“Yes, I had a reasonable idea of how things were standing thanks to regular time checks from my dad.
“Brian Fogarty (Fogarty’s Insurance Tri Team) was a name I’m not familiar with but he started very fast and had four minutes on me after the first 100 miles.
“Then I lost 12 or 13 minutes with a puncture at around six hours in – I spent the rest of the race clawing it back and only went into the lead in the closing stages.”
Why so much time lost with the deflation?
“It was a 12 mile circuit and I was about as far away as you could be from my helper, Ben Lane who was driving my support van.
“I had a little mobile phone with me and called him but by the time he I called, he got to me and changed the wheel we reckon 12/13 minutes had been lost.”
Tell us about your nutrition.
“It was totally different from the ‘100,’ I planned it pretty thoroughly with two stops to take provisions on board, at four hours and then eight hours.
“I ate every 30 minutes – sandwiches, rice cake and then later SiS gels and energy bars.
“I made sure I had a good mix of sweet and savoury food.”
How did you feel on Monday?
“Pretty shocking – but I expected to be worse I was tired and sore all over rather than just in the legs.”
Were you in the same position as when you short distance test?
“The same as in a 10 mile TT, I was on the tri-bars most of the time but there were a few little drags on the circuit and I used them as an opportunity to come off the elbow rests and stretch – at slower speeds the aero aspect isn’t as important.”
The BBAR must beckon now with a fast ’50,’ good ‘100’ and now a good 12 hour?
“The BBAR wasn’t my main goal – that was to get round a ‘12’ and win a medal.
“But when I checked the CTT website I’m leading on two distance times of 1:34:28 and 3:28:50 but the ‘12’ result is still provisional and hasn’t been posted yet; so now, yes, the BBAR is a goal for me.”
The ‘big mileage’ CC Breckland 12 hour course next year?
“I’m not thinking about my next ‘12’ yet!
“It was surreal, so much physical and mental stress.”
Advice for 12 hour debutants?
“Don’t go off too fast; plan your food carefully with a decent range, sweet and savoury – and assemble a good team to support you, my team saved me with Ben’s quick response to my puncture and my dad’s calm, clear time checks.”
Next up?
“A weekend off then the BDCA ‘100’ in Derbyshire, it’s a fast one with a lot of dual carriageway, so we’ll see how that goes…”
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