Update from Izzy Stone in Belgium

PPYCC are proud of our past members’ achievements, some of which you can see on our Past Members web page. One such rider is Izzy Stone who is just starting her second season of racing in Belgium with the Isorex Ladies Team. Izzy has kindly sent PPYCC an update of how her first season’s racing in Belgium went in 2018 and her preparations for the 2019 season. All at PPYCC wish Izzy the very best for the season ahead!

“I am very lucky to have the support of the Dave Rayner Fund which allows me to spend the entire season abroad. I had a successful 2018 season, as a first year U23 I started off struggling to finish kermesses and it took me a good month or two to get my head down and get used to the style of racing (flat out from the gun) and living away from home. There were certainly some steep learning curves, but the profound solution was: just push through.

After having a few solid results I was selected for my first UCI 1.2 race which inevitably was another step up. I was prepared for a hard race, a flat open course in Holland, but I did not expect it to be strung out as soon as the neutralised flag was dropped. Although a DNF was not the result I was hoping for, I learnt a lot and moved forward in every UCI race I did for there on in, and my kermesse results improved after riding with some world tour and other UCI riders.

The great thing about Belgium is there are so many races throughout the week so there are so many opportunities, I did unfortunately pay the price toward the end of the season of not resting up enough mid-season and found myself very physically and psychologically fatigued. It was too late to fix anything before the end of the season so I took it easy for a week or two before finishing off the season with a kermesse I did as a junior, and the Lotto Belgium Tour. I was glad to finish off the season on a high and feel satisfied with my progress throughout the year. I knew what I had to work on for the winter ahead and what to expect, but most importantly I knew what not to do, on and off the bike.

I look forward to my 2019 season, still supported by the Dave Rayner Fund, I have started off with some big UCI races and a few kermesses and the nerves and everything else has come flooding back.”