Welcome to the First Ascent Blog.

This week I head out for the Tour of Malta cycling stage race. It consists of two time trial stages and two road stages. First Ascent has provided me with funding and clothing for this event which will be a brilliant experience for me to race with some professional teams.   I plan to use this as a training event to help support my triathlon performance and as always it will help me to be recognised within the cycling world. Female cycling stage races are difficult to find as it is still very much a male dominated sport. I will keep you all informed on how I go. Without First Ascent, wider racing experience like this would be limited, so thanks guys.   With Love Di

Cyclocross racing started last September with the aim of some fun and off-season training. However there is some sort of addictive bug you catch from cyclocross and I was as competitive as ever, cyclocross very quickly became an important focus for me last winter as I was in with a shout for national rankings. Cyclocross is off road cycling and a blend between road and mountain biking. I started the local league and my first few races were memorable. I clearly had the speed on the straights, I had the killer instinct that I was just going to hit it hard and give it my all. I’m not saying this tactic didn’t work but it was vey clear I wasn’t the most stylish rider on the course. I was possibly just the most competitive and aggressive (in a good way off course). I watched my female competitors and some were very good technically and were experienced in the various, specific cyclocross skills. I have great respect for all the girls out there racing in cycling as it still is pretty male dominated.  I gained a few 2nd and 3rd places in the Notts and Derby league races at the beginning of the season and realised if I was to win the league and race at National level the only way to get there was PRACTICE. I painfully learnt the main skills involved, flying mounts, dismounts, manual lifts, carrying technique and general bike handling. When I say painfully it was not the time it takes it was the bruises, pedals in the shins and not to mention the flying mounts that definitely hurt when you get them wrong. However there is nothing like pain to ensure you learn to do it right. I practiced regularly and it paid off. I got stronger in each race as I became more confident and was smoother. I looked like a cyclist rather than a triathlete. Triathletes don’t normally have to deal with tree roots, steps, mud, hurdles and off camber banks with more mud. I was used to smooth roads and flowing bends. I have to confess I loved the mud so the more muddy it got, the better it got for me as I have good power from my road cycling which helped. The full Notts and Derby cyclocross league consists of 16 races with your top ten results to count.  I did 12 of the races. I won 9. I also raced in 4 other cyclocross league races at other counties where I achieved 4 more 1st places. With my results I was clocking up my points for the national rankings.   This brings me on to the Midlands, regional and National races. I was invited to the Inter County Champs which is a team event. Myself, Sarah Naylor and Lucy Garner (Newly crowned Junior World  road race champion) rode strongly for the East Midlands team and we won.  I also rode the Midlands Championships, where I got my first real taste of how many hugely talented riders there where out there.  I came 7th. I thought this was ok but my coach Gary McCaffery did not agree. He knew I could do better!  So I carried on training and training some more. Then I headed off to the National Trophy series. In my two races at Derby and Shrewsbury, I achieved 11thand 5th places. These races were a  great experience for me and I learnt a lot about tactics and pacing. Finally it was the main competition of the year the National Championships at Ipswich here I was racing the very best in the UK, including seasoned professional riders who compete regularly on the continent, and it was my time for everything to go right. The course really suited me, fast and flowing with not too many over technical areas. I was happy with my preparation and the course and placed  9thoverall in the senior women’s race. For me this was an excellent achievement for my first year racing cross, especially as I beat a number of riders who have represented GB in international events.   By the end of the season I was ranked overall as 5th female rider in GB. It wasn’t the easiest journey, cyclocross involved a lot of crashes, bumps and bruises, but I guess that’s the nature of cyclocross, we all have highs and lows. It can be anyone’s race and it’s never over until you cross that finish line. I had a wobble in the middle of the season after a nasty pile up, it took me some time to regain my confidence but there were definitely more positives than negatives and I was completely hooked. I have had a brilliant season and would like to thank all my sponsors for their support, the coaching from Matlock Cycling club and, as ever, my personal coach and pit/mechanic man Gary McCaffery. Cyclocross was seriously cold at times so a special thanks to Raidlight for all the cold weather gear. My main plans now are road cycling and triathlons, I am racing in the Tour of Malta in March and my main targeted triathlon will be the Mont Ventoux event in September, where I will compete as defending Champion. For more details and news regarding my performance visit www.resultsfitnessandswimming.co.uk.   Happy riding,  Di Lee  

Happy New Year to all.   This Winter has proved that despite the conditions of the past three years, the snow and cold is something that can't be depended on in the UK. Something that can be though, is the rain. Buckets and buckets of the stuff. So whether you're sailing, paddling or just going for a run it is best to protect all those shiney new electrical Christmas presents (at least the Army Cadets seem to think so anyway):   http://www.armycadetforce.net/kit-reviews/miscellaneous/378-sealline-waterproof-case.html   This year, SealLine have release iPod/iPhone and iPad cases, we think these are going to be quite popular this year:     More info here

Good news for us all, taken from www.mwis.org:   "Intense Atlantic lows will pass close to northern Scotland, bringing long periods of often severe upland gales, and bands of rain (focussed on western Scotland), interspersed by showery weather. Temperatures will oscillate: further mild periods, but increasingly also colder periods, especially across Highland Scotland, where there will be several freeze thaw cycles. By the middle of next week, cold conditions will be prevalent. Snow will increasingly build up on, particularly the north and western Scottish Highlands, with snow occasionally to a low level, and penetrating south to summits in England and Wales."

HYDROTHERAPY - Britain's hardest DWS? [More]

Black Diamond athletes Nico Favresse and Adam Pustelnik made the first repeat of Orbayu, a multi-pitch line on Spain's Naranjo de Bulnes, which at 8c+/9a had been hailed as the world's hardest big wall free climb. Although the pair felt the route was not as hard as it was originally trumpeted (they graded it more in the 8b+/8c range), they had nothing but high praise for the route's quality. We had Bernardo Gimenez on the scene to capture their successful redpoint of the route and he has edited together this excellent video. At the end of the video you'll see footage of Adam as he is stabilized, rescued and hospitalized after a terrible ground-fall while attempting a new line with Nico after they had redpointed Orbayu. Adam continues to make progress in his recovery and we look forward to seeing him back cranking on the rock in 2012. BD athletes Adam Pustelnik and Nico Favresse make first repeat of Orbayu (8b+/8c) in Naranjo de Bulnes, Spain from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Neil has reported to us that he has ".. probably had the best climbing season of my life" and considering what he has achieved to date this is quite an claim! Keep an eye out for the coming reports of what he has been upto but for now, here is quick preview.     Photos courtesy of Liam Cook.