Alan Murchison's blog by Alan_Murchison

This week was a biggie in my Olympic 2012 challenge, as I was tackling good and proper the Cycling Road Race. For 2012 we have many great cycling medal prospects both in the velodrome and on the road, but one of our hottest tickets must be Mark Cavendish. Almost unbeatable in the last 3 Tour de France races, if it comes down to a sprint he's the man my money will be on. The race circuit is on a tough course as it involves 10 laps of Box Hill in Surrey with no opportunity to rest. That includes several little climbs and a grandstand finish back in Central London, so it promises to be one of the highlights in 2012 for many of us.

It's a course of 152 miles and you can expect the average speed to be about 30mph ! So 5 hours of full hammer, the longest Olympic event that's for sure. A lot will come down to the quality of the British team and their ability to get Cav into the right position with 400m to go. That’s a big ask after 152 miles of racing. The team will also rely on co-operation from other riders usually teammates from their pro team. So not only a physical test, but a political play and a mental test. Tactics play a huge role in road racing at this level. Now I was trying to replicate the 2012 road race as closely as possible, so I did a bit of homework to be just like Cav, minus the huge talent of course. I bought some official kit - Cav's current team HTC Highroad Tour has a supplier in Germany.

And I purchased some Oakley glasses - any excuse for new shades! Courtesy of Richard at Specialized UK, I wore an S Works 2D helmet and had the pleasure of riding a brand new 2012 Specialized Tarmac Race Bike, with stunning carbon wheels. Not quite the Venge model, but almost identical to Cav’s bike in weight, geometry and styling. 10 out of 10 for effort ? So after freshly shaving my legs (like a true pro!) I set off with a 5 hour minimum ride being my target (as this will be the approx time for the pros).

In the first couple of hours I took it fairly steady, drinking and eating little and often, although I stopped to fill up my bottles after 45 miles and to eat a Boost bar, which tasted amazing! Then I had a hilly hour between 3&4 hours and felt really strong. And after 4 hours, I had the wind behind me for a good 15 miles and averaged 23 mph for 45 minutes. So at this stage I truly felt like I was flying, really good energy levels and strength up to 5 hours. But then gradually I started to feel a tad jaded as the clock started getting closer to 6 hours. So the stats for the man with all the gear and no idea? 110 miles in under 6 hours, which is just under 20 mph.

I was quite happy with that, as it was a windy day and a fairly hilly route. Previously 70 miles had been my longest ride on the bike, but I believe I could happily have carried on to reach the 152 mile Olympic target. However I had to get home to get the kids from school! I bet that won't be on Cav’s mind come the 28th of July 2012! Next week rather randomly Alexandra Burke!