Megi Rychlikova finds problems and pleasure in her training for the Tour de Yorkshire cycletta for women.

Cyclist Megi Rychlikova finds Easter problems and pleasure in her training for the Tour de Yorkshire cycletta for women.

Easter was both the worst of times and the best of times for me. The bad part was all the Easter eggs which just begged to be eaten and which piled the calories on. I am going to have to go on a stricter diet for the rest of April as a result.

The good part was the lovely sunny warm windless weather which enabled me to get out for two important test rides - a shorter one in the hills around Harrogate and Nidderdale to see where I am at in terms in climbing and descending, and a longer one in the Vale of York to see where I am at in terms of endurance and refuelling. Both went well.

I was rather apprehensive about the hilly one because, like a lot of women cyclists, I don't enjoy descents in the way men do. My husband and son will happily scorch down 30 per cent gradients that I will always walk.

But on my test ride with no flat bits, the maximum slope down was 14 per cent and clutching my courage with front and back brakes, I managed to ride down every one. Going up was all right until I got to the one with 14 per cent gradient going up right at the end of the course, which proved to be a hill too far. I now feel a lot more confident in the hills.

So, reassured that my climbing ability is where I want to be, I packed some gels and energy drink and set off for the long ride to make sure I can eat and drink sensibly while cycling for hours on end. I didn't hit the hunger bonk, so that got a tick, but ability to put water bottles back in their cages while the bike was in motion got a cross. I need to practise that.

Now all I have to do is put the climbing and the endurance together. April is going to be a busy month - which will keep my mind off those chocolate eggs.