Becoming a segment leader awakes the 12-year old child within

Remember the jubilation you felt at the age of about twelve when you went to your local arcade and after spending your months pocketmoney on that frustrating yet addictive game that got boring a few weeks back but which you couldn't let go, you finally seen your name, or indeed the three characters you used for your name, sit a top the high score list? Yes, I felt it again this week when I set a fastest segment time on Strava and this came after spending more than my monthly pocket money on a Garmin but long before the whole thing got boring. No comment on how frustrating it could have become or indeed how addictive it's getting.

Following a route and chasing segments

Second run with the Garmin. Never thought I would get such good riding in during March but I guess you take what you can get. I'm meant to be spending my time in the gym this month getting ready for miles in April when the weather picked up enough, but I hate the gym and this was a good excuse to avoid it. And I certainly got more out of the ride. Playing around with the Garmin more I decided to plot a route on the computer first and then follow it. I was out to find a few quite roads around Western Toronto including park paths, as well as a few little short sharp climbs with a couple of Strava segments.

Boonen back to his best in what is clearly his favourite race

The Gent-Wevelgem, also known as the Tom Boonen classic, took place this weekend. One of cycling's popular spring classic races taking place in the heartland of cycling -- Belgium -- the race is a big notch on any good cyclists resume. Former cyclist turned cocaine sniffing party boy, turned cyclist again, Tom Boonen, took the win for the second year in-a-row and third time in all. It was his seventh race win of the season for a man really looking like he is back to his best. He out sprinted a group of 13 men including Peter Sagan, Oscar Freire, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Fabian Cancellara to take the glory, or at least that's how the result sheet suggests it was won.

I sadly didn't get to see it myself as I had hoped. Time and other stuff didn't allow for it which is a shame because I'd have liked to have seen the video shots of Gent, a beautiful city that I've spent a good bit of time in over the years and of which i have many fond memories.

2012 Olympic Champion, Mark Cavendish missed the break and could only finish in the large second pack in which he didn't feel there was any pride to be gained by sprinting for 37th place.

"I've found back my sprint," cheered Boonen after the race. "I'm not the fastest man in the peloton -- that's probably Mark Cavendish -- but if everybody is tired then I'm one of the best." And Boonen makes a good point. It's only worth being the fastest man on the planet if you're at the stage of the race were being the fastest is most important. Granted, Cavendish often is, especially on those flat stages or in last years World Championship and British hopes are being pinned heavily on him being in the mix with 200 meters to go at the upcoming Olympics.

The Olympics though isn't an out and out flat course however and that'll be Cavs biggest challenge. There's been talk that one day the man from the Isle of Man will one day amend his racing style to become more a classics rider and perhaps hang in over some of the tough climbs to put himself in contention by the finish, but right now he's going to have to find a way to stick in there in the Olympic race in a way he couldn't at Gent-Wevelgem.

Still, a big win for Boonen in what is becoming a big season for the Belgian. With three of the big Monuments just around the corner in the Tour of Flanders, the Paris-Roubaix and the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Boonen must surely be a favourite to win at least one of those.

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Evans in yellow again

Following last years Tour de France it is clear that Cadel Evans is getting used to wearing a yellow jersey and holding a cuddly toy upon a podium. The defending Tour champion won the Critérium International by eight seconds over Pierrick Fedrigo and fellow countryman Michael Rogers, spelling out the Australian's good form heading through spring. Given the nature of the 2012 Tour de France Evans will be confident about retaining his title, and wearing the Maillot Jaune on the top step here will only remind him of the pleasure.

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A tip of the hat to Albasini

A tip of the hat to Swissman Michael Albasini who came from relative obscurity to take Green Edge's first ever overall victory by winning the seven stages of the Volta a Catalunya. He thumped second place man Samuel Sanchez by a good 1-30 to take the general classification as other such cycling hero's Daniel Martin, Damiano Cunego, Denis Menchov and Tom Danielson could only battle it out for third place from which they all finished on the same time, 1-32 behind Albasini.

Back outdoors and a sore bum

At last. Though if i'm truly honest, it came much sooner than expected. When I created my gym program for my 'winter training' (something that has taken a back seat recently) I didn't expect to cycle outdoors until April. I mean, March break was just last week and over here people always say there's usually one good snowfall after March break. Well, there still could be, but it will have to take a real drop in temperatures. These past ten days, the weather has been nothing short of glorious for March. It's May/June type weather for Canada, and it's mid-summer type weather for Northern Ireland. I couldn't pass up the opportunity not to get a couple of miles in -- thanks in part to the new Garmin.

Buying a Garmin, Part 2: My cycling just got more interesting

It only took about five minutes in the end. Once I had my mind made up I knew I couldn't hesitate. Not over that amount of money otherwise I would tell the bloke behind the counter, "I'm going to think about it and come back," before driving home as fast as I could, burying my head under the sheets and convincing myself it was okay and that I would go back to the shop a braver sole the next day. So I walked in, demanded the product, slapped the cash on the counter, and stormed out with it under my arm. Okay, not quite.

Buying a Garmin, Part 1: The maps are key

For the past year or so I've come to accept the current computer on my road bike is long since out of date, long since past its best and long since needing replaced. The thing has served me well enough, but about halfway through my riding year in 2011, it all but stopped working, leaving me to go on Map My Ride following a ride to see just how far I went. I could only guess at average speeds. So, this winter it was my goal to get myself something high tech and something I could have a bit of fun with. Step forward The Garmin.

A daddy on a bike

My winter training took a big hit this week, though you won't hear me complaining. Not even when the weather has taken a turn for the beautiful with temperatures even touching the 20 degree mark on the thermometer. Why? Well, on Wednesday evening of last week at 9.16 p.m. my wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. All 6lbs and 13oz of her. We've spent this week getting her settled into her new home and getting ourselves accustomed to our new way of life, but it generally explains the lack of writing on here for the past little while.

18 miles and went nowhere

All winter my training has been indoor, on static bike machines, treadmills, weights or in the swimming pool. It's been a mind numbing ordeal and it's been a struggle to get myself to go along. I had planned to go almost every day but that I have went as often as I have has even surprised me. For the most part it has been short but hard interval bursts aimed at shedding weight rather than building stamina, but last night I moved it up a level by continuing to ride intervals, but throwing in a decent spin either side of it.

The race to the sun

Sean Kelly in the Paris-Nice, a tour he dominated in the 1980's

The call is the "Race to the Sun" though it's officially known as the Paris-Nice. I prefer to refer to it as the "Sean Kelly Classic" given the Irishman dominated it for seven consecutive years from 1982 to 1988. It begins this weekend, it lasts eight days and it holds a little more interest for me given I was in Nice last summer for my Honeymoon and it'll be interesting to see the race finish there as I try point out as many familiar sights as possible. Sad, but we all do it when the TV cameras show a foreign place we've been to before.