Q&A: Matt Ellmore (Prologue Racing Team)

Xmas eve quiz with Matt Ellmore of the Prologue Racing Team who’s best performance in his last year as a junior was in Ilkley

Q&A: Matt Ellmore (Prologue Racing Team)

Q: Overall, how was your season on the bike?
Matt: This year has been my final year as a junior but my first in the Prologue team. During the season we have had the opportunities to race abroad at Murcia, Ireland and Plouay and from these races I have gained so much experience and become a better bike rider.

Q: What was the best result/performance of yours in 2023?
Matt: My best performance this year was the Ilkley crit. With a circuit that suited me a lot, I made the race hard as possible up the climb to try and stretch the group out. After the race settled down, I found myself in the chasing group of 4, which ended in a sprint where I placed 6th.

Q: What race was the most fun?
Matt: This has definitely got to be the Tour of Ireland. The organization of the event was really well done, and the stages were really hilly and hard but made for good racing everyday.

Q: When you raced abroad, was it better than racing here and if so, what were the big differences?
Matt: The biggest difference I found with racing abroad was the fully closed roads which made racing a lot better as you are not having to worry about oncoming cars or time penalties if you cross the white lines.

Q: What are the key things that you learnt in 2023 in racing with the team?
Matt: The biggest thing I have learnt is bunch positioning, which was necessary in Ireland when the pace was so high and to get into the front group, you had to be in position for the climbs.

Q: What was the toughest bike race you did in 2023
Matt: The toughest race I did this year was definitely GP Plouay Juniors (France). At the start of the race, I suffered a mechanical in the neutral zone which meant I have to chase back on through the convoy. Once back in the group, I had to make my way back to the front which was hard when the race was so technical and punchy. With two laps to go, I started to cramp from my efforts, but I was still determined to finish the race and avoid being pulled out. I pushed myself to the limit to stay inside the cut off.

Q: When do you get back in the saddle and start training for 2024?
Matt: I am training for 2024. I had 3 weeks off at the start of October then started training again with basic zone 2 rides.

Q: Finally, what are your goals for 2024?
Matt: My big goals for 2024 are to focus on the crits as they are the races which suit me best.