Tim Gudsell

Hi,

Well first of all Happy New Year to you all.  This is my first post for 2012 and my first real post since the collapse of my team Pure Black Racing.

It hasn’t been the easiest of months since PBR folded, as it has left me at a real crossroads in my career and life.  At nearly 28 most would say you are nearing the peak of a cycling career.  This is normally true if you have been lucky enough to follow a nice progressive path through the ranks and built on early years as a professional.  For me it’s not quite the case right now, with a number of rocky years and now on the job hunt at the worst possible time it’s hard to feel like I’m coming into my peak.

After December’s news, it took a week for it to soak in and I can say not a lot of training was done.  Then after I had sent as many emails and made as many phone calls that I could possible think of, I got back on the bike and started a real panic training block up until the road nationals.  As at that point the only thing I could see that could help my chances for a contract for 2012 was the national jersey on my shoulders.  So I knuckled down, kept a low profile over the silly season and thanks to my good friend Brendan Cameron who spent hours pacing me behind the scooter I felt I had found some good legs quickly.

In the end it was a story of too little too late. The nationals we raced at a frantic pace from the start, and I was really lacking in some race intensity.  Some guys had been targeting the race for a while and it showed, as the pace set on the climb was so rapid there was less than 15 guys left at the halfway point.  I was happy to see though, my good mate James Williamson have a great race and pull on the national champs jersey at the end of the day.

I felt pretty disappointed in myself after that, but really I was scratching to get some form and that was all I could to on the day, scratch to hang on.  The following weekend I enjoyed a good weekends racing at the Hub Tour in Hawkes Bay.  Finishing up third overall at the end of the 4 stages without really too much effort or ambition.

So where to from here….  Well your guess is as good as mine.  PBR have mentioned they may be able to hang onto the dream, but in what capacity we are not sure.  Personally my main objective is to come up with a minimum I am prepared to race for, not just in salary, but in race program, lifestyle etc the whole package.  I really do hope something comes along that fills these requirements but only time will tell.

I guess we all plan things in life, but it’s not often it always runs that smoothly.  My ideal career of retiring at 34 after 12years pro, may still come true but if it doesn’t it will just be how best I adapt to whatever life throws at me.

Thank you all for reading, it has been great to have all your support over these tough times and I hope I will be writing to you again soon with some positive news.

Cheers

Tim

Check out this really good article from Jane Aubery at cyclingnews.  It is hard to take when the future was looking so bright.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pureblack-racing-folds-leaving-riders-searching-for-opportunties

Tim

Dark days for New Zealand cycling, as the most promising and exciting thing to happen to the sport here in a long time dies an early death.

Here is one of the first articles from the demise of Pure Black Racing….

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/10626/PureBlack-Racing-team-in-financial-difficulty-international-programme-abandoned.aspx

Will be back with a full report soon.

Thanks to everyone for the supportive messages to date.

Cheers

Tim

Hi all,

Sorry it’s been a while since I have posted up some info.  It felt like the season was over when I returned from America, as for the last few years it has that has just been how it is.  You return home from overseas and you relax you head switches off from racing and the on tour lifestyle, but this year it’s not the case.  I am quite surprised to be saying it too, but the training I got in once I got going again on the bike has done something right as my form has had a turn for the better.

It has been a full on week here in Victoria, with some good opportunities at times and also things not really going to plan at other times.  Anyway after spend the first 2 days of the tour in the breakaway almost all stage I managed to find myself in the top 10 on GC.  Today we lined up for the queen stage of the tour in Sorrento, with wind blowing a gale and 3 ascensions of Authers Seat climb ahead of us.  There were a lot of nerves in the bunch as it was quite possible the field could get blown apart before we even hit the climbs with the strong winds out on the peninsular.

In the end we had a fairly good showing in the team with Chady in the breakaway and almost nabbing the KOM jersey but missed it by a few points, and I managed to move up a spot on GC to 9th.  It has been promising to feel good legs again but the couple of bad moves early on could have really put me in the mix.  Now we just have a 60km circuit race ahead of us tomorrow to finish off.

With just 2 races left in the season now, the grand “Te Awamutu Open” and Tour of Southland I am looking forward to the opportunities their before hanging the bike up for the season and taking a good break.

Back very soon,

Tim

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/10032/Tim-Gudsell-rebuilding-his-career-with-Pure-Black-Racing-after-FDJ-exit.aspx

http://www.sportzhub.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13093&Itemid=1