FBUK-Schwinn team rider, Emma Silversides, tells us what it's like to move to Belgium to follow a dream of racing Pro…
How long have you been riding road bikes and when did you start
racing?
I bought my first bike (Specialized Allez!) as a fresher at University. I didn't actually ride it for 3 months! I then trained and competed as a triathlete for 3 years before turning to cycling in 2002.
What made you start racing and did you always have the ambition
of being a pro rider and racing abroad etc?
I was always very sporty from a young age- firstly a swimmer, then a triathlete. I guess being a pro wasn't something I had in mind initially but as my passion for the sport has developed I've become more and more dedicated and driven. Racing abroad has always been an aim for me.
How has your racing career progressed so far? Has joining FBUK
been what you expected.
I found racing in England frustrating at times. It tends to be quite negative. I improved gradually over the first two years then during my third year I had quite a bad accident and was convinced that I'd never race again. However, following a tough winter of teaching my leg to turn a pedal again I came back to produce some of my best results ever. This was helped by changes in courses of the National Series Races; they were more testing courses.
What do you get from the team and has this made a difference to
you compared to riding as an individual previously?
Up until this season I was very much an individual. I rode for Leisure Lakes prior to joining FBUK; I was the only female rider who did! This isn't easy; training on your own a lot, traveling to races, warming up and racing on your own can be lonely. Also funding yourself completely; I had a bike from Leisure Lakes and sponsorship from PowerBar. But now it's a whole different experience as a team. The generosity of sponsors has been great; they have provided us with some outstanding kit (Lake Shoes, Tifosi Glasses, Vanguard undergear) and PowerBar have continued to support me. Everything is done as a team; we travel to and from races together, train together and rest together! All the girls are fantastic and the whole experience is so much more enjoyable in a team. We are all developing a great understanding of each other and a genuine desire to ride for one another.
How is life in Belgium?
The team is based in a village called Tielt Winge about a 30 minute drive away from Leuven. It's owned by Tim Harris (former cyclist) and his wife Joss; they have a furniture making business out there. There is a great atmosphere in the house and it's is really noticeable if one member of the household goes away for a few days. There is a South African team (Konica Minolta) based in the house next to us, their only female rider, Yolandi Du Toit, is a member of our team. Life is ideal there; there's always someone to train with (at least three other team members if not more), there are group rides (75+ riders) three times a weeks and miles of open (flat and windy!) roads on which to train. The drivers out there are unbelievably considerate and ALWAYS give way to cyclists! The time of the years tends to dictate how many hours you spend on the bike, and of course your body!
Does riding in a big team suit you? How do the dynamics work?
I've adjusted quite quickly to riding in a team. Riding as an individual does make you very independent and self reliant but it has its disadvantages as well. At races now the only thing I need to worry about is myself and my team mates; I'm driven there, my bike is sorted for me and after the race the number one concern is again yourself. It's great not to have to worry about putting the bike away and navigating yourself back home again when you're feeling knackered! I've played various roles with in the team and I've quickly learnt that a bad final result for myself can generally mean a fantastic team result; I may have made a crucial attack or towed someone back onto the bunch and blown my lights out in the process but saved a team mates legs at the same time! I'm really looking forward to playing lots of different working roles this season; it's all a learning curve and the steeper the better!
What have you learnt about the sport this year?
I've learnt loads about riding in a team, team tactics and working for particular people in certain races. You also soon start learning who to watch in a race and which teams are likely to use certain tactics. Helen is an experienced rider and we all have a lot to learn from her, though the other girls also have a lot of experience from racing in other countries. The management team are fantastic as well; it's nice to know that all I have to do in a race is what I'm told! This might be to sit in or work on the front, attack or neutralize the race, when I raced as an individual I had to make these decisions myself but having them made for you means that all you have to focus on is riding your bike and riding it well!
How does racing in Belgium etc differ from UK racing scene?
The racing in Belgium is a lot faster and a lot more aggressive. It literally goes from the gun and this is taking a bit of getting used to, my legs tend to take an hour or so to warm up! I know that the more I race the more I'll become accustomed to this though. The bunches are also much bigger, with fields of 180-200 riders in some of the bigger races you literally have to fight for your position. One of our riders was unfortunate enough to be push into a field in the Ronde van Gelderland just simply because someone wanted the space that she was riding in! A lot of the Belgium girls are pretty big, they're great for drafting off but you really have to be aware of what's going on around you because losing a wheel for a split second out there it is fatal in the strong cross winds.
When you're not racing/training what do you do with your time?
Up until December I was teaching a 75% timetable in a private school. This was tough since it involved evenings and weekends which made it difficult to fit in training, racing and more importantly recovery. However, I left this job to set up my own business in January 2006. The business is focused on small scale prints and commissions as well as large scale murals for businesses and homes. I am currently working on a number of cycling images which I hope to market in Belgium since there is so much more interest in the sport out there than here in England. The first few months were really tough, knowing that there is no money being paid into your bank account but that rent and bills will keep going out. I certainly chose to start the business at the hardest possible time of the year- no one wants to spend money after Christmas! However, I have a lot of support and encouragement from family and friends and in particular a friend who has been running his own business for sometime; I really respect and appreciate his advice and support in all the decisions that I make along the way. Drawing and painting is an ideal thing to fit in on recovery days and I firmly believe that in a year or so when the stress of getting the business off the ground has disappeared I can make cycling and the business work alongside each other. I hope to move out to Belgium this year and operate the business from there.
What is your goal for cycling and how do you plan on getting there?
This season I just want to learn as much as possible; I'm surrounded by a group of girls who have so much more experience than myself and more importantly they are willing to share that and help me learn. I feel really privileged to be in this position and just want to work for these riders to help them gain the results that they are capable of. Hopefully next season I'll have adapted to riding in Belgium and with the help of the team be able to target races out there myself. These will be achieved by simply training and racing out in Belgium as much as possible and listening to all the advice that if so readily available.
How old are you?
27
What have been the highlights of your racing career so far?
The two results that I achieved in the National Series last year really stand out for me. Firstly my win in the Mendip Hills and secondly the result that I achieved at Aughton RR. The later of the two was an excellent race; Helen, Amy (Hunt) and I were in a break from the first time up the hill, we extended our lead to about 6 minutes! Helen had the stronger legs the final time up the climb but I was still over the moon with second place!
Every race this season has been really memorable; I've competed in more women's races this year so far than I did throughout the entire season last year. The team's best race so far has got to be Begijnenbijk. It was a Belgium National race local to the area where the team is based. There was a real team effort for Helen here and she rose to the occasion with an awesome ride to take second place.
For more information on the team or way to support Team FBUK please see:
www.teamfbuk.com
Have a look at Emma's prints, they can be found on her website
www.emmasilversides.com
