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Ceci Lee Sze-wing

I spent part of our flight home from Perth on Sunday recording some thoughts for this diary.
I like to reflect after a training camp, because you can analyse the whole body of work. Everything went to plan, there were no injury issues and I feel fit, strong and confident.
Winning a road race against men last week was a big boost, not only the result but also the way I paced myself against physically stronger riders. It was also good timing before this Sunday’s race.
We have worked well as a team on our strategy. Road racing is very tactical and technical, and it demands a collective effort. You cannot win by yourself.
I did not appreciate how complex road racing was until I began working with Ben Kersten, our road endurance coach, who joined earlier this year.

The course in Zhuhai is flat, so it’s highly possible the medals on Sunday will come down to a bunch sprint at the end.
In that situation, the idea is to form a chain of the teammates who are in that front group. We want as many in there as possible.
The rider who is aiming for the win sits at the back of the chain, conserving energy, then gradually moves forward and takes over close to the line. Ben has helped us work out the best timing, and we’ve been practising our formula a lot.
Camps immediately before a major championships can feel strange. Although you still train hard, the load begins to decrease as we taper for the competition.
As an athlete, your instinct is to push yourself as much and as often as possible, but I understand the importance of rest and recovery for maximising performance.
We had massages and treatment to feel at our best, and just tried to enjoy the extra time, although I spent most of it in my room. I wanted to stay as fresh as possible, so in the last week I had all my meals in the hotel, rather than going out to restaurants. There will be time for that later this month.
It is always nice to arrive back to familiar surroundings, but this is no ordinary week.
We had only two full days in Hong Kong, before leaving Hong Kong Sports Institute for Zhuhai at 9am on Wednesday. One of the blessings of competing so close to home is that we had checked into our hotel two hours after leaving.
Minimising travel fatigue was another reason Herve, our head coach, chose Perth for the camp. There was no time difference from Hong Kong, so we have not had any jet lag issues.
Everything we have been working towards this year will boil down to the next fortnight.
There is plenty of expectation on me as defending road race champion, but that is something I am getting much better at managing.
I spent some of my rest time in Perth reading a book called The Champion’s Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train and Thrive. It talks about mental strategies and techniques for performing in pressure situations, and how to adopt a positive competition mindset.
It is important that I don’t zone in too far ahead of the race. Constantly analysing every eventuality is draining, and as soon as you start thinking about the result, you put too much pressure on yourself.
That is something I have done in the past and it has inhibited me on the bike. Mentally, I will be treating this like any other race. I am at my best when my mind is clear, and I ride aggressively.
As long as I have done everything I can to be in the best condition to execute our plan, there is nothing to worry about.
After a short rest to settle into our rooms in Zhuhai, we went out for our first training session. Familiarising ourselves with the course is vital, because the layout influences your timing and tactics.
Whatever the outcome on Sunday, we’ll have to immediately begin focusing on the track afterwards. Racing in the velodrome starts next Thursday, and I have always been clear that the omnium is my priority.
That doesn’t mean I won’t be completely focused this weekend. We have all invested too much effort to allow ourselves to be distracted now. I am always so proud to represent Hong Kong. It’s been such a long preparation, so I’m looking forward to racing. I’m going to enjoy it.


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Ceci Lee (second from right) with her Hong Kong road race teammates after their arrival in Zhuhai on Wednesday. Photo: CAHKC

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When she’s not cycling, Ceci Lee likes watching and playing rugby. Photo: Elson Li

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Ceci Lee and the rest of the Hong Kong squad are in Australia preparing for the National Games next month. Photo: Jonathan Wong

 Ceci Lee (centre) alongside Hong Kong teammate Yang Qianyu (left) at the Hong Kong Velodrome. Photo: Jonathan Wong

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Hong Kong

Ceci Lee Sze-wing puts the finishing touches to her preparations for Sunday’s road race and the velodrome events that follow


Ceci Lee Sze-wing puts the finishing touches to her preparations for Sunday’s road race and the velodrome events that follow.


Ben Kersten

Diary of a champion: Hong Kong cyclists settle in and plot tactics in Zhuhai

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Ceci Lee Sze-wing puts the finishing touches to her preparations for Sunday’s road race and the velodrome events that follow

Ceci Lee Sze-wing puts the finishing touches to her preparations for Sunday’s road race and the velodrome events that follow