GCN Presenter To National Champion? | Track Cycling Challenge

[@gcn]

What challenge do you want to see Alex take on next? Let us know in the comments below! 👇

[@DoNuT_1985]

The trend says, do an unsupported bikepacking race, even though it is tough to win or rank high in one of these, as a fairly trained cyclist with good equipment, you can absolutely finish one within the time limit as a mortal. Doesn't have to be the TCR.

[@Star14trek]

Repeat next year but with 2-3months of track riding Alex 😁

[@Star14trek]

Good go Alex considering you followed the GCN mantra .... Do as I say not as I do! 😵‍💫..... Ride/train on the track 😁

[@_gregvalencia]

I would love to see another attempt with some proper track training. Maybe with Manon as a coach?

[@codemonkeyalpha9057]

I think Alex should keep on with the track racing, see how much he can improve in a year knowing what he knows now. I get he was disappointed, but I suspect tightening up his line and resolving those on track aero issues would get him near the 20 seconds he needs. Can't expect to get your optimum performance first attempt, I think this was a cracking effort considering he hadn't had any time in the velodrome.

[@alexpatonGCN]

Thanks for all the kind and positive comments everyone. Always a tough one putting yourself out there and open to failure, but it was enjoyable and fun to show a different side to cycling.

[@jrgensneisen6021]

Would be awesome to se you give it another go with more track training! But i can see how that could be difficult time and budget wise

[@KitagumaIgen]

Break down - BREAK BACK! There's next year to improve to.

[@mattb106]

Great video Alex. Just watching the accompanying tech video now. I’ve been building up the parts for a pursuit bike at the moment having started track riding at Newport last year. Luckily Im eligible for masters racing so there are 3km events instead but I’d like to have a crack qualifying for the British champs next year. Hope to see you there!

[@ViveSemelBeneVivere]

Alex, the main thing is it was a learning experience and now you know what it takes for trying again. 😊👍

[@evantozer]

Great video Patrick!

[@mesnilman2327]

Alex, loads of kudos. But get yourself some proper track time, rope Manon in to coach you, and bring it home next year.

[@chm2]

Was a great effort. Really want to see this and see how much you improve.

[@gcn]

Would you like to see this next year? Should we go for take two? 🧐

[@mesnilman2327]

@@gcn Definitely! And some vlogs/videos along the journey. Track days, events between now and then. Manon involved. It would be great!

[@Zwiesel66]

@@gcn Yes definitely, I wish Alex all the best for his next attempt.

[@John-ou4rm]

​@@gcn So here we are 1 year later. Racing or 🐤 out?

[@andrewmcalister3462]

Alex, huge kudos for being so honest in the final segment. 👍

[@GCNalex]

Thanks Andrew, always have to be honest with yourself and i feel was a fair evaluation.

[@andrewmcalister3462]

@@GCNalex You can't learn from your experiences if you aren't honest with yourself, and that is a very different thing from making excuses.

[@matthewgburnell]

Great effort Alex. You shouldn't be too disappointed - 4:25 seems an absurdly tough standard for the pre-qualifying for the qualifying event for the National track champs! And anyway take heart from the fact that 4:40 would have won you the gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and every Olympics prior to that!

[@GCNalex]

Thanks for finding the positives, maybe i need a time machine rather than invest in more prep for next year hahah

[@John-dh1gh]

Yeah, and he would have beaten Fred Flinstone, Yabba Dabba Do! If he was in an outdoor velodrome and using the old bikes with similar gear.... then we'd see.

[@ierefaanbatchelor2578]

Well done Adam (aka Alex) 😁. Respect for the attempt. Loads of effort and work to even get there. Would love to see re-do after some on track training and the addition of some more tech 🤩

[@gcn]

Maybe something for the future!

[@rudolphpyatt4833]

Have Manon put him through the ringer; he’ll definitely get better.

[@BreakawayB]

🏆Excellebt video, Alex. It says a lot to video your performance and put it online for everybody to criticize. You may not have met your qualifying goal, but you were the best version of yourself.

[@ecksman97]

More of these videos please! Really enjoy when the presenters take on challenges like this, Fondos, crits etc.

[@chones_]

Great video. No shame in not qualifying--Alex just needed more time on the actual surface he intended to race on. Love to see GCN presenters doing challenges that normal folks would attempt, and coming short. That's life. Trying to overcome those hiccups and improve is the fun part.

[@GCNalex]

Cheers Steve, was fun to share my experience with everyone

[@Jimbo5063]

Well done, Alex, even if you didn’t qualify, that was a huge effort. Thank you for sharing it with us viewers.

[@suzannesharp5078]

Great video and inspiring to see Alex have a go at something outside his comfort zone. Very honest and relatable experience. Well done

[@gcn]

That's really great to hear! Alex wanted to show how hard it is to compete in these events. Is there anything else you'd like to see us take on? 👀

[@GCNalex]

Thanks Suzanne, glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[@ianswinscoe7678]

I love the honesty Alex, just having a go is half the battle. Top kudos for doing this

[@eddysobieralski8075]

Alex, you should consider riding the National Masters Track Champs in the summer. The pursuit is 3k and you could double up by riding the kilo if you don't want to ride the bunch races. Good effort BTW 👍 Your preparation and experience mirrors what so many us go through.... 😎

[@mattb106]

I was going to suggest this but I’m sure Alex mentioned he was born in 1990 on a recent video so he needs a couple more years

[@eddysobieralski8075]

@@mattb106 There is a 30-34 class at the National Masters. The World Masters is from 35.

[@mattb106]

@@eddysobieralski8075 ah apologies I read the word ‘national’ as ‘world’ for some reason. That does remind me I need to look at when that is!

[@eddysobieralski8075]

@@mattb106 29 Jun - 2 Jul. Entries should have opened 1st Feb.

[@GCNalex]

Maybe thats my calling, Masters racing, maybe im past it for racing Elite these days haha

[@supersixmikeohimod]

Well done Alex. Probably the most genuine video on this channel for a long time

[@GCNalex]

AH very kind, glad you enjoyed it

[@richcrompton6891]

Alex, I think you did exceptionally well with your effort ,and when the QT is at Boardman WR speed, it was a mighty task.

[@gcn]

It just goes to show how far track tech has come and world records tumble! Alex smashed it though 🙌

[@faithwyar]

Massively well done Alex! Congrats on putting yourself out there and giving it a red hot go

[@marke9817]

Well done Alex. That was a great effort and it took a ton of courage to allow it to be filmed. Thanks so much for sharing your journey and your post race musings.

[@byrondixon4648]

Really like this one GCN. Big respect for Alex and his efforts.

[@rangersmith4652]

Whenever you set a lofty goal and turn yourself inside out to try and achieve it, you can hold your head high, even if you fall a bit short. Congratulations, Alex, on being brave enough to put yourself out there and give it a go.

[@gcn]

Well said! We are very proud of Alex 🙌 Would you like to see him take on another challenge? If so, what challenge?

[@PVVI2015]

Thank you for sharing this experience! I think you’re amazing!!!

[@russellbridge2721]

Amazing video Alex and GCN! Keep going, lots of experience on the track needed… Thanks for having the courage and honesty to put this video out.

[@markgueren9633]

That was AWSOME!! Good for you Alex!! You’ve inspired me to go harder!!! Thanx!

[@blackcyclist]

A great effort. Really positive to hear your breakdown and analysis at the end. That is where I feel we learn the most & can make the best gains. 👍🏿

[@gcn]

Very true! You don't learn from winning all the time 🙌 What lessons have you learnt from riding?

[@blackcyclist]

@@gcn when I started road cycling, I learned that my years of MTB riding gave me a solid base for endurance. Since then I've learned to fuel correctly for rides & workouts. When I occasionally race, i relay my stream and look at where I can make better gains or maximise on recovery. still so much more to learn, but you never really stop learning, just improving if you think you know it all 😁

[@gcn]

@@blackcyclist Great to hear that you've got that race background! Do you find that the mountain biking has helped your handling? That can really give you an edge!

[@blackcyclist]

@@gcn ahhh when I say "race" I've only done a few races on Zwift. Nothing outside yet, but I have a new race spec bike arriving in 3 days.... So who knows. I think MTB riding has prepared me for hill climbing efforts.

[@nickfitzpatrick5302]

Real challenge, real world training in amongst real life. Great effort, analysis and honesty and at the end of it all, it shows beautifully what’s needed at that top level. Plenty of lessons learned for us all to benefit from in whatever context they may apply to our events and training. “Never underestimate anything” is a great lesson in itself , right up there with “ALWAYS have a contingency” (my own guide in life 😂). Thanks so much for the work you’ve put in and the feedback you’ve shared. Nice one 👍🏼

[@2.old4this]

Superb effort Alex! Be encouraged and go again!! Use this as part of your training and you’ll get those seconds and qualify. 100% you’ll do it. 100%.

[@werdsmyth]

Fair play to you Alex. I did a pursuit on my regular track bike once and it was hands down the most unpleasant experience I've ever had on a bike. Went out too hard, blew up after 4 laps and had to stop myself from blacking out for the remainder of the effort. And that was a Regional Champs, not Nationals!

[@HKRoad]

That’s four minutes at least faster than most of us Alex. Well done on an impressive effort

[@DavidvanderWant]

Alex is a genuinely likeable guy in these videos. Great video, super entertaining, very relateable. I foresee a series buildup to next time including coaching sessions with Manon.

[@GCNalex]

Thanks David

[@JIMMYHIBBS1]

You get my respect for being a rollers man - I bought a smart trainer and zwift, etc, etc …. But ultimately went back to rollers - no more updates, no crashing mid-ride, no fees, and much better for your core !!

[@patrickenglish9593]

one of my favourite videos. entertaining and honest. huge effort. if you wanted to give it another go with more tack time I would be really interested to see how you got on and cheer you all the way

[@gcn]

Noted! We'll see what we can push Alex to do 👀

[@GCNalex]

Cheers Patrick, Id be tempted, but track time is tough to get and thats the reason i had none in my prep this year, life is busy as im sure we all well know.

[@10ktube]

Great video, the dark side of competition is always tough to watch, but not everything is roses in competition. Can you share your power and other metrics with us geeks? Just curious how you did with the fitness part of the process.

[@GCNalex]

Hey, unfortunately no power data from the event due to not running my power pedals and using Aero ones. I would have said power was down on what i achieved in training due for a number of reasons. A few days ahead of the event i did 5min @ 440w on the track bike on the indoor trainer. Would be interesting to have the data from the event though

[@bubblesezblonde]

For a tech guy who tried to use construction foam for a DIY solid tyre experiment I thought you did amazingly well. (All I know about track cycling I learned from watching Manon's excellent vids on the subject.) Some people mistake self-critiques as 'excuss'. I enjoyed the insights too.

[@GCNalex]

Haha i love you called me a "tech guy". You know i spent years racing at a high level? But also thanks for the reminder of the solid tyres, maybe i should revisit that idea😂

[@billkallas1762]

I've done a little bit of track racing, and getting started on a TT like you are doing is a hard thing. It looks like you've calculated your gearing so that you won't spin out. If you don't, you end up spinning 130 to 140 rpm. At that rpm, your HR goes through the ceiling.

[@mtbmax21]

This was a super real video, would like to see you do this again next year!! 🎉Great effort Alex!!!!

[@JustJosh07]

Great effort Alex! Incredible that you’re able to put out such a time, with such a short time to prepare.

[@chrismadge7292]

Fair play to you Alex for giving it a go. Made for a great video too.

[@kevin._.farren]

That might be the smallest fan for a turbo setup I’ve ever seen. I’ve gone for the industrial floor fan that could circulate the air for a warehouse.

[@geoffreyhoney122]

Hats off to you Alex!! Can't even imagine me attempting that. Well done!! Love the attempr and the build up!

[@paulgowers6252]

Fair play Alex. A great effort and the post-ride assessment was just so honest. Probably the best GCN video I have watched because it was so personal.

[@brianridley1102]

I would love to see a GCN. Presenters 4k challenge. Track, gravel, MTB and TT

[@GCNalex]

I would love to get a team in for the 4k Team Pursuit next year. Also gives me scope to blame others for not going fast enough hahaha

[@terrycollingwood5512]

Brilliantly well done for getting involved and giving it a go. Great effort and genuinely impressive performance. 💪🏻💪🏻

[@bigQuackers]

Awesome video, very personal. Thank you for sharing. I ride the velodrome in Milton (just outside of Toronto). Heck just a round track. Easy right? It’s harder than it looks. Congratulations on your time.

[@lorikendrick1705]

GREAT EFFORT, ALEX. I like your enthusiasm and easy going attitude about attempting this challenge. You got your bike approved, kit sorted, practiced as you could..... Yes, some time spent on the track would have helped you, You have the heart and desire to do this discipline....just short on time.....don't give up. I enjoy your vids and so until next time.....keep peddling!!! 😉☘

[@greengonzonz]

We love this! More competition entries by more of the team. 💙

[@GCNalex]

Il do my best to get the crew to a race this summer!

[@StornofuerKasse3]

First of all kudos for such an effort! But WHY was there no help from a former track cylclist, that sits in the office right next to Alex? So get Manon involved and see you next championchips. But this time prepared.

[@GCNalex]

haha, Manon is super busy too, but trust me, we had many a chat in the office about track prep. Its tough racing the very best !

[@cleberaraujo055]

Brilliant effort mate, 15sec off is not bad for a first time. Keep up and you’ll improve. Great experience to be had, forget the negatives concentrate on the positives. Respect. 👏👏👏👏

[@gcn]

Onward and upward! What should we challenge Alex to next? 👀

[@davidf2281]

This was good stuff -- hope Alex returns to the velodrome soon

[@alinapopescu872]

You did really well, Alex, don't worry or beat yourself up too much. "The best I could today" is good enough.

[@creeperut1886]

People vastly underestimate exactly how hard and fast track racing is. 4k in particular, as you mentioned, just getting the start right takes loads of practice. It can't be simulated on a trainer or Zwift. Beyond that, I'd say 1) 4:40 is objectively fast - well done! 2) 4:24 is absurdly fast, and while I understand it's a National Championship for a nation that takes velodrome racing extremely seriously on the world stage, that's not going to be achievable by people who haven't dedicated YEARS to the pursuit of... Pursuit. 3) The most fun I ever had on a bike period, nevermind a velodrome, was doing a well-practiced Team Pursuit. A GCN Team Pursuit, taken seriously enough to practice a few days a week for a few months before a competition, would be excellent viewing and participating.

[@gcn]

Hey there, thanks for your kind comments! The standard set by British Cycling was phenomenal - the time to qualify was actually quicker than Chris Boardman's world record in 1992, which is incredibly fast - so Alex did an awesome job! GCN in a team pursuit would be absolute chaos (evidence 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppawYoWAptaEgc0), BUT, if we could get our resident track expert Manon to coach them - which presenters would make your team of 4 on race day? 🤔

[@creeperut1886]

@@gcn Manon, Alex, Si, and Ollie. Alternatively, Manon + anyone else who'd put in the practice (not to be confused with Training - two totally different things.) Like the individual pursuit, pacing for a Team pursuit start is a very fine line between 'too fast' and 'not fast enough' AND you have to hit the right pace for 4 riders instead of 1. So I'd 100% put Manon in even if she doesn't have the highest wattage. Wattage doesn't mean wisdom.

[@creeperut1886]

@@gcn I amend my reply from earlier. Instead - have 2 teams, and do a 'mostly un-practiced, but safe' race, then some practice sessions, then a 'practiced' race later, and see which team improves the most with practice.

[@MrYono73]

Alex given balancing work and kids etc I reckon you are being pretty hard on yourself. Having said that I don’t think you should give up. You came so far with minimal if no track time, imagine what you could do with some track practice scheduled in. Massive thanks for keeping it real and not sugar coating it. You should be proud. Most of us were gorging over Christmas 😂

[@gcn]

Alex is a busy boy, baby sitting Hank is no easy job! 👶 He put in some hard work and smashed it out! Would you like to see Alex take on another big challenge? 👀

[@GCNalex]

Super kind words, thanks very much, but no kids to look after yet. Big respect to those who manage to train with kids too!!

[@petervonl]

I love these videos. The struggle is much more inspirational than the result, be it success or failure... Great job, Alex 👍

[@samhamfast]

Well done Alex! I love to see you guys give it your best shot. Please keep the challenges coming; they are a great encouragement to me to keep trying my best.

[@RichThomas]

Great video Derek (😉) aka Alex. Thanks for being so candid and open. Some food for thought on taking on a big challenge. And some good take-outs for what to do differently.

[@GCNalex]

Hi, Derik here! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@donball370]

Alex, good effort mate. Especially when there's the small thing called a full-time job. Would hope you'd think about having another go, meanwhile I'm eying up my first crit race after your Adelaide crit race. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@GCNalex]

Hey Don, GO FOR IT. Enter that race, you wont regret it!

[@goodcompanycoffee]

Keep your head up. Too humble. What an effort, thanks for putting yourself out of your comfort zone. Motivates us average joes!

[@tommurphy5133]

Well done for the solid effort! Hope you give this another go

[@ChrisCapoccia]

Always tough showing up to a race and being completely out of depth and finishing dead last. I've tried a few cat5 crits, and the best I ever did was narrowly avoiding last place. Completely different than showing up to a local 5k run with people of all abilities

[@swites]

4:40 is still fast. I remember Boardman and Orbree setting those world records around the 4:20 mark back in the day. But always annoying when you know u could have gone better with a bit more practise on the velodrome.

[@stuartmcgill5065]

Great effort Alex and thanks for sharing. I wouldn't say 'excuses' they're take-aways points to improve on for next time. Look forward to seeing you applying these improvements and having another crack. Nice one! ;-)

[@annspangler4959]

Fair play, Alex. What an effort! Nothing to hang your head about here!

[@seattlegrrlie]

This is a great experience, you learned a massive training lesson. Always practice the actual track you're gong to race.

[@philscott1105]

Wow Alex! Great effort. Just riding rollers on TT bars is awesome 😊

[@ZeroSeriesMMX]

Sneaky Alex was prepping for two races at a time. 😂 Excellent. 🥂

[@petersteadman841]

Smashing effort! Worrier bread 💪

[@Doktor_Al]

Always rooting for you, mate. You are awesome!

[@HeibesHealth]

I’ve got to be honest: Track cycling scares me. Huge kudos to you, Alex!

[@davidorvis]

Awesome work Alex so many people in this world will never be able to do what you've done. Always do your best.

[@Mati03x]

An incredible video Alex. I love single chase! and the truth is that your time is very good! but your conclusion is excellent. Practicing at the velodrome makes a difference.

[@DiscipleOfMan]

Unbelievable effort!, Top class and inspiring

[@folixmute]

It was a good effort, I wouldn't say you're making excuses. You critically evaluate your performance and identify key areas where you could make improvements.

[@dorydiavelone3531]

Great job Alex , it takes courage to get out and do what you did, now you have a place to work from!! GREAT JOB!!!

[@KenSmith-bv4si]

That was awesome Alex, I was hoping for a time of 420 but, you gave your best, no worries cool video.

[@blakemorton9870]

Great vid Alex...would love to see you have another blast at it. Ps. It WAS the air density!!!!!

[@callummckirdy308]

Mate!!! What a champion you are putting yourself out there and taking us along for the ride. No chance I'd be that brave. No such things as excuses; only reasons - you did great. That velodrome isn't going anywhere so I look forward to watching the sequel in a year's time when you crack 4.24 🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@HoudiniNL]

Lots of respect for trying, Alex. And to put the effort in perspective, you were only 6% of the qualification limit! 👍

[@kevp9234]

Very interesting and well done for having a good go at it!

[@Star14trek]

Good go Alex considering you followed the GCN mantra .... Do as I say not as I do! 😵‍💫..... Ride/train on the track 😁

[@speckles9251]

An exceptional video from that camp. Go try again to show that part of the process.

[@leissp1]

Good on you Alex. 4:40 is not too shabby. That's over 51 kph Chapeau

[@paulim8703]

Try early, learn fast from that, and adapt. You’re out of the blocks, well done! Also shows how good the others are, and the dedication needed to qualify.

[@rebeccawebster7483]

Top job Alex full kudos. So next year.......

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

well done mate. Next time use the following psychological trick .... "you are 33km in to a marathon and can feel a fart brewing. At that distance you know that such an event can never be trusted and up ahead is an aid station with a single portable toilet. You have limited time to make it and the two people adjacent to you have the same predicament. There can be only one" - and that will give you an extra 15 - 20 seconds when you try this again next year.

[@FlatSpinMan]

That was a really good analysis at the end. Really insightful No need to be so harsh on yourself, I thought. You gave it a damned good crack.

[@martinandrews2860]

Enjoyed that vid. Well done. Mere mortal!

[@rg31404]

No way this was a failure - just going through the whole process of training and signing up for the event etc. is a huge win. Now you also have a lot of info on what to improve if you want to give it another try, you even have footage to analyze positioning!

[@StephanieLuff]

I bet it was nice to not have to make your own starting beep sounds! Great job putting yourself out there.

[@brentmclean3676]

That was still a good effort! maybe you felt the way you did because you are still very competitive and with that you still have a very high expectation for yourself! as you said Technique and lots of practice are essential, your fitness was exceptional, It would be awesome to see you do some more runs and see the improvements!

[@biamarconchi]

Alex, I'd consider this as a learning experience for the next time. Certainly not a failure if you know what to improve. Really nice.

[@danielsiapin]

Kudos! Power numbers?

[@cb6866]

Thanks Alex and crew....good job bud !

[@gregvassilakos]

I admire Alex's roller skills. He has the rollers close to the cabinets and wall. I find it helps a great deal to have at least one bike length of clear space in front of the rollers so that I can focus on a point some distance in front of the bike.

[@scottwelfare7311]

Alex, a really good attempt based on how much time you had well done. Watching the video I think you've got a lot more in you for this. Perhaps though one more final attempt next year, but with more preparation this time. Would give you motivation toward a goal to focus on for the next 12 months.

[@gcn]

Should we dive deeper into this story? 👀

[@scottwelfare7311]

@@gcn Yes, I think there is a potential series of videos here over a 12 month period, like from track TT beginner to track TT hero. Videos charting a build me up fitness training program for his event, with input from training experts that have appeared on GCN. Also input from someone like Dan Bigham about refining the equipment Alex uses and improving what he is already using. He could spend sometime in a wind tunnel to improve his position on the bike and also aero tweaks to the bike. More track time also to develope his velodrome riding skills with input from Manon and other experts. Perhaps also short vlog style videos from time to time for Alex, so he has something to chart his progress and everyone to watch and to also have his own personal accountability to achieve this one huge goal for himself. I think this would be a great story to follow over the 12 months.

[@jimjim676]

Well done Alex! You done your very best and that’s all you can ask!

[@keithrides65]

That must have been pretty tough after your build up to event effort. But I think you nailed it when you said it was a learning experience. When you can take away a positive, you are a better person for it. Cheers.

[@nigelwatson1120]

Awesome…full kudos

[@SteveBrill]

Great video and a sterling effort Alex. 👏

[@uzi17]

This was the equilvant of Ollie entering a bodybuilding competition

[@davidrogers7292]

Alex, head up ,chest out !!! The REWARD is in the EFFORT !!! Day one on the track (in a while), National Championships, gave it your best shot, I'd say well done lad!

[@kevin._.farren]

Why do velodrome riders use tinted visors? Would it make it easier to see with a colorless one?

[@matwetton]

Depends on the lighting and your own sensitivity to light etc.

[@TheFakeStig]

Christ man, just stopped this now at 13:26 as I am dying here, literally you passed on your stress..I lived these moments with you 😂 so nervous to see what the outcome is!