World Cup Countdown – The Brits: Annie Simpson

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For years a favourite in the Trophies, Annie Simpson rides her first World Cup in Milton Keynes next Saturday

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Would Cup Countdown – The Brits: Annie Simpson

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annie simpson

Annie Simpson has over the years become well known in cycling circles due to her success on the road and cyclo-cross in domestic racing. A winner of the Women’s Tour Series, Annie is now in the thick of a Cyclo-Cross series with good form.

Annie and her partner Ian Field will both be racing in the World Cup but whilst for Ian, Milton Keynes will be the umpteenth World Cup he has ridden, for Annie, it will be her first.

“We’re both excited and it’s all Ian thinks about! It’s what has given him his motivation to train hard and its really exciting to see there will be so many Brits racing” explained Annie. “It is something at the beginning of the year, I didn’t think was going to be possible for me but now I have been selected, I’m really excited, especially as it’s the first World Cup ever in the UK”.

Annie had a great start to the season as she explained. “I started off the season and won every race up until Southampton where I was ill. I’d done the Supercross the day before in London and wasn’t feeling great during that and just came down with flu overnight”.

“I ended up pulling out of the Trophy at Southampton because there are a lot of other races this season and I knew I could drop a round. Since then I have raced against some of the girls who were in the top four at the trophy and won so I am still confident I have some form.”

VeloUK had spoken to Annie before the National trophy round at Durham where she lost out in a sprint to the line to Amira Mellor who also rides the World Cup. But where as Annie says she can feel the pressure in the National Trophy, especially when wearing Yellow as she was after Shrewsbury, in the World Cup, there is no pressure.

2012 Tour Series Woking 29_Simpson_480

“It is so exciting for me as I have never been in this situation before. I have watched quite a few Worlds Cups in Belgium and I have raced in Belgium before and am under no illusions we’ll be gridded at the back. But for me, it will be about seeing how many riders I can pick off and it will be quite nice not having any pressure”.

Annie has not yet ridden the course in Milton Keynes but says “the pictures of the course look good. It’s hilly and I’m looking forward to getting out there and going hell for leather.”

Like most of the domestic based British riders, Annie works full time but is thankful she is based in Yorkshire. “I train as hard as I can despite work and we have a really great group where I live where we can get out together and motivate each other and I’m very lucky”.

“Maybe I don’t get the same rest as the full timers but I train as hard as I can and I won’t be thinking about not being a full timer when I am on the start line”.

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Annie added that cross training sessions with some of the best cross riders in the country midweek have helped give her more confidence in muddy conditions which may well be on the cards for the riders next Saturday.

After the World Cup on Saturday, will come the next round of the National Trophy and Annie says “It’s actually better I don’t have the stress of the jersey as it gets to me”.

“Now I can concentrate on the races without having to worry about keeping the yellow and if I ended up with the yellow after the last round, then so be it”.

Good luck to Annie next weekend

WHERE: Campbell Park, Milton Keynes (Near the shopping centre)

SATURDAY
World Cup – Saturday 29th November, 2014
9am – Official Training
10am – Junior Support Race (40 mins)
12.30 – Women’s World Cup
2pm – Elite Men’s World Cup

SUNDAY
National Trophy, C2 Men & Women – Sunday 30th November 2014

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