Why cycling?

I love being outdoors, and cycling is a sport where you can snack throughout training, which is an added bonus! Road racing is super exciting, and I get to travel to lots of different countries which is always an incredible experience. Although it seems like cycling is mostly about physical strength, there is a great deal of tactics that come into road racing which makes every race interesting – you’re constantly making quick decisions on the go. Physicality is still a big part of it, and there seems to be something enjoyable about completely emptying the tank during a race!

What has been your best moment with the Cambridge University Cycling Club (CUCC)?

The 2023 Hill Climb season! In BUCS Hill Climb, we took first place in the Women’s team event and third in the Men’s and then won the Oxford–Cambridge Hill Climb. Both days were really fun, and we came back very successful.

What does being Women’s Race Captain involve?

I’m mostly in charge of BUCS and Varsity races – selecting teams, organising travel and logistics, as well as convincing people to sign up for hill climbs in the cold and rain! I love being at competitions with CUCC as everyone keeps morale super high, and we get to celebrate each other’s successes.

How did last term go for the club, and yourself as an individual?

We had a successful Michaelmas with podium finishes in both Varsity and BUCS Hill Climbs. It was nice to take such a big CUCC team to both events, and everyone performed really well, despite the rain and cold! I was happy with my second place at BUCS Hill Climb but definitely a little bittersweet being just 0.5 seconds behind the winner.

Do you have any pre-race superstitions?

I always add a big spoonful of Nutella into my oats, and consume a lot of jelly babies, before a competition. It’s definitely not the healthiest but I like to believe it makes me go faster! Also, the aero socks go on hours before the race so that I’m in the racing mindset.

“I always add a big spoonful of Nutella into my oats, as well as consuming a lot of jelly babies, before a competition”

Where do you tend to cycle when you are away from Cambridge?

Kent! The best place to train, though I might be biased. There are plenty of climbs, and it’s very scenic.

Do you watch much cycling?

I started watching a lot more this year on both the women’s and men’s sides. I think there’s a lot to learn from how the pros race, as we can implement their strategies in our races. Both Olympic road races this year were really good and had very deserving winners. Remco Evenepoel attacking from so far out was definitely a highlight; having the confidence for something like that against the best in the world was pretty inspiring!

How do you manage to balance your elite sports performance with a Cambridge workload?

I keep training volume very low during term to avoid getting burnt out. Less is more! I find I don’t have time to recover if I try to increase the hours while I have a big workload. At university, I mostly stick to short interval sessions and the gym, and then I make use of our long holidays to get endurance hours in.

Where is the coolest place you’ve cycled?

One would be Poland where I did an international stage race with my external team; it was really beautiful and the stages were point-to-point, so we got to see a lot of the Polish countryside. The world tour race I did last year in the west of France was also very memorable. The atmosphere was insane, and the crowds were huge!

What are your predictions for the rest of the season?

Hopefully, we will have some more CUCC wins and podiums! We have a lot of strong time trialists so I believe we can get some good results at these events.

How can those interested in doing more cycling at Cambridge get involved with the club?

Join our club rides on the weekend! There are rides for a range of speeds and distances, so there is something for all abilities. There are also women-only rides run weekly by our lovely Women’s Officer. The committee are all super friendly, so you can email or message us anytime to ask questions. Also, coming along to the club socials is a really good way of meeting CUCC members and is always really fun.