British Cycling Nationals Season underway in Torquay

March saw me get my commentary of HSBC British Cycling National series events under way with the brilliant new Riviera Classic In Torbay, Devon.

Of course, as always, the photo I've taken above was at a quiet time early on in the day before the crowds (and sun!) really got going but it gives you an idea of the fantastic setting we had on the English Riviera.

Massive congratulations to Mid Devon CC and Mike Gibson for hosting such a great days racing and the club for  also having the forethought to pout on a full day's support races on the Saturday at the excellent Torbay VeloPark. It meant I got in a full 16 hrs commentary to harden my vocal chords for the long season ahead too.

Here are some clips of The finish of the Youth A boys race won by local (to me) lad Oli Stockwell of Welwyn Wheelers

Commentary / Event MC Plans for 2018

Its been an exciting winter talking to race and event organisers and planning the next steps for my commentary career. Here's what 2018 is looking like currently with some very exciting new ventures (which I'm not allowed to talk about ;-) ) yet to be added...

if you're interested in my services, click the commentary tab above and get in touch jez@jezcox.com

Click HERE for my current 2018 plans

My exciting project is now very much a reality.

Oaklands Wolves Cycling Academy is the first and only full time junior racing academy in the UK and I'm massively proud to say I got it started and that it's now ticking away nicely. All this when so many thought it wasn't possible.

We're now taking our second wave of applications to the academy and the trial (And open day) will be in February so get in there.   email jez.cox@oaklands.ac.uk to find out more 

Catching up : Minehead Festival of Wheels brought Summer to a close

It's been a really busy summer of live event commentary and Autumn has been just as busy. Here's a clip of some live commentary from the Minehead Festival of Wheels in early September

Tour Series : Great Times

I'm currently on Tour nationally with Sweetspot, working as live commentator on the Tour Series and having an absolutely brilliant time learning from the great Carl Lawrenson and building both my commentary repertoire and experience of adapting to unforeseen circumstances as they unfold in each of the races.

For more on my fledgling commentary career click the COMMENTARY tab above.

I'll do my best to write a blog report at the end of it all if I can squeeze it in!
Do follow my tweets @jezcox to the right here for all my latest from the #tourseries

Katie Archibald and Eileen Roe give me some words just after the win

Lessons learnt. The first of which is to...... Smile :-)

For a year now I've been working one to one with a particular athlete on their mental approach to racing and training and how these mesh with the rest of their life.

The progress has been remarkable and this weekend marks a serious landmark in this athlete's progression.
If I could pass on what we have both learnt along the journey it is to:

Plan like your life depends on it and spend great time writing everything down and digesting a well drafted journey with way markers along the way. Sit back and dwell on the paper and all the feelings it makes you have as you look at your lofty goals there in front of you. Then snap the pencil, throw away the paper and begin training with such reckless enjoyment that it brings you back to why you started all this in the first place when you first felt the rush. Then sit back and dwell on that.
When you reach race day it's really just the outputting of  the results of all that fun.  Filled with the glow of goals acheievd with minimum pressure the utopian state of flow is reached. The door to the state of flow is opened with one key : The smile.
The persistent smile on race day confuses competitors. Not just because it undermines their own fears and competitive urges but because it steadfastly says " I conceieved  my goal, I believed in my goal and now I will achieve my goal."

Conceive, beleive, acheieve.
But once you've put down your pencil put down with it the sense that you MUST acheieve. Will and MUST are too very different things.  
If the athlete in question is reading this, keep smiling and have a great weekend.