I'm Gunning To Win My Local Crit Series

Cat-three crit specialist James Bullen, 29, is a kitchen salesman from Brighton, Sussex

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Before I got into cycling, I used to run a lot. I’ve done five marathons and was a decent club runner with PBs of sub-three hours for the marathon and under 80 minutes for half-marathon. I started racing bikes about two years ago, but last year had a pretty bad crash, ending up with 36 stitches in my leg. Since then I’ve been trying to make up for lost time.

The crash happened in a cat two/ three race at Preston Park [in Brighton]. Someone swerved out and took out the front of the bunch; I was following someone’s wheel and ploughed into them at 30mph. I hit my head, my helmet exploded, and then I somehow managed to land on someone’s chainring, which went through my leg like a bread knife.

The injuries have healed well, and the scars are only physical, not psychological — I’ve been back to PrestonPark and laid the demons to rest. I’ve done lots of rehab, pilates, core work and stretching, and since October last year I’ve been working with coach Paul Pickup (pickupsportscoaching.co.uk), who has built me back up — we’re looking forward to a summer of racing.