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After emerging as the winner of
the Revolution Future Starts competition last season, having
lead from start to finish, British talent
Eleanor Dickinson made her debut in the elite category at the
Revolution Series in Glasgow last weekend.
2015 was a successful year for Dickinson with a silver medal
in the scratch race at the Junior European Championships in
Greece, before three medals at the British National
Championships. Illness following the Road World Championships
has forced Dickinson to take time off the bike but after a
strong showing in Glasgow Dickinson is already looking for
more as she continues to develop against some of the best in
the world.
Last weekend's Revolution Series in Glasgow was my first round riding
with the elite women, and also my first time back on the track
since Junior Track National Championships in August. I was
suffering with illness following the Road World Championships
and my training has been a
bit on and off meaning I had to miss the first few rounds of
the series. Being able to get on the track last weekend and
race against such a class field at Revolution I knew it was
going to be a struggle in terms of my fitness… but I loved
it!!! It was great to get back racing at such an awesome
event! My best result of the day was fifth place in the
elimination in the evening session. It's such a fun event once
you get in to it especially when you have the crowds of the
Revolution behind you! I can't wait to go away, get some solid
training in and come back to the future rounds and really get
stuck in.
I've ridden four seasons of the Future Stars series and every
series I've enjoyed more each time. Last year was by far the
best!! Winning the series was an amazing feeling, after
watching previous winners every year they have been people I
have looked up to while racing. To finally win the series and
manage to lead from the first round was a massive achievement.
The Revolution Series has always been racing I look forward
to. It is everything a youth rider would love!! Big crowds, a
competitive series and to be able to share the night with some
of your cycling heroes and now I am able to race against them!
There aren't any events like this for youth riders, the crowds
are something you don't get at youth racing so being able to
experience that and the pressure has helped me a lot while
moving up to the elite women category. I wouldn't really say
that the races set you up well for the women's racing as the
races in the future stars event are a maximum of 20 laps and
the minimum in the women's series are 40 laps. So it is a big
jump length wise, but that's what makes the women's racing so
exciting. It is tough but its perfect for development; it lets
you feel what it's like to be racing how the top athletes
race. I've only ridden one round so far with the elite women
but I have already learnt so much!!
After winning the Future Stars last season, and some hard work training on
the track with the Olympic Development Programme I was
selected to ride at the European championship in Greece for
Great Britain, where I went on to pick up a silver medal in the
scratch race.
The step up to the elite category from juniors as expected is
tough. For me it is something which I have been looking
forward to for a while, being able to get stuck into some
longer races. Every race is a challenge but every race I learn
something different, which I think, is the most important
thing. In
the Revolution Series, racing against elite women there is no pressure
for me to pick up results. So there is more of an opportunity
for me to try new things in the race and work out whether
it worked or failed, too see what I am capable of doing and
what’s the best way to do it. Which I will benefit from
massively when I go away racing internationally because every
race is different.
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