As the title suggests, this will be my last post, but only on this format as later on today I will be releasing a whole different platform for the public to view my various adventures and races; one that is a lot more interactive, greater in scope and more professional too. This post will be a summary of my last few races in Brittany, my time there and what my immediate future holds for me, so sit back and enjoy the credits.
My last couple of races were just as hard as all the other ones throughout the year and even though I got o.k. results, 18th in one, 22nd in the very last one, I knew I was capable of so much more, particularly the second, but I just didn't have the verve with me. Alas I left Brittany with high spirits and a new, determined outlook on what I need to achieve to get where I want to be and how; knowledge is power, but it's what you do with it that counts the most and I plan to do a lot with the massive experience my time in France has been.
I would like to thank everyone from the John Ibbotson Fund for the support, for without their funding and connections I would have never been given this opportunity. Secondly I would like to thank my landlady Marie who was an absolute legend and I can honestly say I can't wait to live with again next year. Thirdly my girlfriend and my family for their amazing love and backing. Fourthly Aprire Bicycles for the wicked machine and fifthly Seb and my team U.C.L.H. for making me feel so welcome and helping fully embrace the lifestyle and what it means to be professional. Finally the Mills Family, the biggest bunch of heroes and heroines that anyone could wish to meet who all do as much as they can for all of us English boys out there, unbelievable.
Here is a series of figures that will better explain how my season went, the numbers include the amount that also qualifies for the above category, so, for example, 5 top 10s and 7 top 15s, the latter also is inclusive of the 5 top 10s achieved:
63 races started and I failed to finish 14 with 1 being cancelled during the race due to bad weather.
2 wins and 5 podiums in Britain before I came out.
1 top 5 in France.
7 top 10s in France
13 top 15s in France
20 top 20s in France
27 top 30s in France
So, out of half the races I started, with 55 being raced in France, I will be in first 30 riders half the time and nearly half the time 'get a placing' i.e. in the top 20 so it shows that I am pretty consistent, especially given the range of types of courses we race in France and that I am not that far off from being extremely competitive at the business end of the race. Hopefully next year I will not have the bad luck and injury problems that I have had this year, it can only get better, especially now that I will be professional for the first time this winter and will have a proper professional structure.
For this Winter and next year I will be sponsored by a number of different companies, chief amongst which will be Elite Cycling and Paul Mill who runs the company, I can't wait to be trained by such a renowned coaching set-up and I am really looking forward to seeing what I can really achieve now with them.
I will also continue to receive the backing of Aprire Bicycles, with me riding their new Vincenza, Strada Hand-Built Wheels and their newly released wheels, Maxifuel will be providing me with the nutritional support I need, Salice will be protecting my eyes and C Originals will be protecting my head.
Finally the John Ibbotson Fund will stop running after next year and so I will be one of the last riders on this fantastic project sadly, but I will endeavour to make sure the Fund goes out on a high and I continue to be a great ambassador for the cause and CRY. Thanks to all of them for continuing to support me next year.
I will be joining up with the same team as I rode for this year, U.C.L.H., at least for the first part of the season as if my Spring campaign goes according to plan then hopefully I will be on a bigger and better team come July, but we will see.
Thanks to everyone for reading, the kind words and general morale-boosting, it means an awful lot and I can't wait to shoe everyone that it was not wasted. Check-out my new blog/website here at http://joshlawless1990.wix.com/joshlawlesscycling where all my new stuff will be on. I will be leaving this up for a week now then taking this blog down.
Keep riding!
Monday 7 October 2013
Monday 2 September 2013
Topsy Turvy
I decided on this title for want of a better phrase as these last 2 weeks have been mad in my own cycling specific terms as well as what has been occurring; a new element has been discovered, track was merely the sideshow to the field events for once with Isinbayeva winning the pole vault and then pole vaulting into a mire of ignorance and excuses, and the Syrian Civil War has now seen the introduction of chemical weapons. Not only that there was the Ashes victory, Marquez continuing to grow into the legend that he has been widely tipped to be (just a shame he couldn't dance for the next 10 years with Simoncelli) and it's been 50 years since the 'I Have A Dream' speech. Wow!
Not only that, but we have lost some outstanding cultural and historical heavyweight in Sir David Frost and Seamus Heaney, the former I urge any and everyone to watch the infamous interviews he conducted with Nixon and these can be found readily available on Youtube. As for the latter, I have rather sadly not read many of his literary works, but one of the one's I have read and adore over most others is his translation of Beowulf.
My first 2 races I did after the injury were rubbish and I had to pull out after half an hour due to my hamstring still being quite sore, they were at Locmiquelic and Meslan, both 2/3 races. the Next races were 3 1/2/3 races over 4 days and all part of the same trophy series, though they were the third, fourth and fifth ones of the series. On the first one none of us did as well as hoped as it was very tactical with a small, but good quality field. However the next race there were about 140 racers and I managed to get 8th! A great result and me and George were the perfect foil for each other, I don't really know how I managed it to be honest as I wasn't feeling great during the first hour, but as the race continued I felt better and better, it also helped the course suited me to the ground.
Me driving up the hill at Locmiquelic
Me at Meslan, but I don't know why I'm grinning like a Great White here. Maybe it's because I really do like the taste of latic.
The next race was very hilly and the break went from the gun, however over the next couple of laps we drew the gap back (there were 19 laps for the whole race) however I got stuck behind a couple of big boys on the hill when the front group grew to about 25 riders and sailed away. I tried to get across, but to no avail especially as everyone in the peloton was quite happy to chase me down and follow me everywhere. I therefore began to get quite angry with the peloton and began attacking out sheer frustration as that day I felt really strong, but it just shows you what bike racing is really like; no matter what you can still do well with bad legs and rubbish with bad legs.
Me attacking during the first race of 3
Following that I had the G.P. Plouay Amateurs race on Saturday which was brutal. 15km loops, 10 times, sadly I did 2 in the front group before being properly shelled, I continued doing the rest of the race in a small group till we were pulled out, I did 110km of the race. It was not too bad the circuit, but for the steep gravelly start of the cat.4 climb at the back of the circuit that topped out with 4km to go. That buried a lot of good people.
Now all I have left is a few more races before I head back to Blighty, which I'm looking forward just so that I can sort out what I am going to do this Winter as well as next year. At the moment, with regards to teams next year, there seem to be a couple of options, but nothing is done until it's signed as we all know from transfer deadline day. I will let you all know as soon as anything remotely interesting about my situation changes for this Winter and next year, it's really exciting information that I have, but can not divulge at this time.
I hope everyone is still hanging in there and racing strong as well as having a lovely Summer.
Not only that, but we have lost some outstanding cultural and historical heavyweight in Sir David Frost and Seamus Heaney, the former I urge any and everyone to watch the infamous interviews he conducted with Nixon and these can be found readily available on Youtube. As for the latter, I have rather sadly not read many of his literary works, but one of the one's I have read and adore over most others is his translation of Beowulf.
My first 2 races I did after the injury were rubbish and I had to pull out after half an hour due to my hamstring still being quite sore, they were at Locmiquelic and Meslan, both 2/3 races. the Next races were 3 1/2/3 races over 4 days and all part of the same trophy series, though they were the third, fourth and fifth ones of the series. On the first one none of us did as well as hoped as it was very tactical with a small, but good quality field. However the next race there were about 140 racers and I managed to get 8th! A great result and me and George were the perfect foil for each other, I don't really know how I managed it to be honest as I wasn't feeling great during the first hour, but as the race continued I felt better and better, it also helped the course suited me to the ground.
The next race was very hilly and the break went from the gun, however over the next couple of laps we drew the gap back (there were 19 laps for the whole race) however I got stuck behind a couple of big boys on the hill when the front group grew to about 25 riders and sailed away. I tried to get across, but to no avail especially as everyone in the peloton was quite happy to chase me down and follow me everywhere. I therefore began to get quite angry with the peloton and began attacking out sheer frustration as that day I felt really strong, but it just shows you what bike racing is really like; no matter what you can still do well with bad legs and rubbish with bad legs.
Following that I had the G.P. Plouay Amateurs race on Saturday which was brutal. 15km loops, 10 times, sadly I did 2 in the front group before being properly shelled, I continued doing the rest of the race in a small group till we were pulled out, I did 110km of the race. It was not too bad the circuit, but for the steep gravelly start of the cat.4 climb at the back of the circuit that topped out with 4km to go. That buried a lot of good people.
Now all I have left is a few more races before I head back to Blighty, which I'm looking forward just so that I can sort out what I am going to do this Winter as well as next year. At the moment, with regards to teams next year, there seem to be a couple of options, but nothing is done until it's signed as we all know from transfer deadline day. I will let you all know as soon as anything remotely interesting about my situation changes for this Winter and next year, it's really exciting information that I have, but can not divulge at this time.
I hope everyone is still hanging in there and racing strong as well as having a lovely Summer.
Saturday 10 August 2013
Another set-back, but chins up all-round
After my birthday weekend I had two races the following week, the 1/2/3 GP Lorient, in the heart of the city on a Friday night as the race was meant to herald the beginning of the annual Inter-Celtique Festival that occurs here every year. Then Sunday was a 2/3 race and part of the series of the Roi Morvan Challenge where I was hoping not only to do well in both races, but hopefully improve my overall position in the series by doing well in the latter.
Both races were windy, but completely different courses. Lorient was flat and fast with two cobbled sections close together and not far from the finish line and this was raced 36 times giving us a grand total of 100km approx. The race was incredibly fast from the start and at about a third of the way through a front group drifted off the front, I was unable to get across, I think because of my discomfort in the saddle due to a mixture of cobbles and saddle sore, these two really aren't bed fellows. So I managed to get into the next group that was still fighting for 18th place. Gradually our group whittled down to just 8 riders and with only 3 laps to go for us, we were lapped by the lead group of 6 sadly. This is where confusion reigned as some competitors like myself went for the sprint thinking we were finishing on the same lap as the leaders and I thus got second in the sprint securing 19th place as a result or so I thought. As some people from the group continued to do another lap of the course, but it was too late for me to get back into the race so I just stopped and hoped that the organisers would rectify the situation as the last group came through to do another lap too. As it turned out from 18th place onwards the organisers just randomly assigned places and times giving me 23rd, now my rankle here is I was either 19th, thus securing more money and some points towards my first cat. license or I was a lap down on all riders and came about 34th. How the hell did they come up with 23rd? So no points and less money than I may have otherwise received, very gutting, but at least I won 10 euros.
Me and my group on the cobbles over the G.P. Lorient
On Sunday, the race was a 2/3, short, sharp race of only 88km, but very hilly as in that time we amassed a mile of vertical ascension. The finish line was on a hill, but one had a very fast downhill before it so you could smash up the whole climb in the sprint in 53x11. The race kept on splitting apart and coming back together, I didn't do especially well at the start, but I believe my stamina is probably my greatest strength, George managed to get away in a group of 5 and I managed to get away from the yellow jersey with another. George got 4th and I got 8th, me and my escape companion were caugght by two other guys at the foot of the climb and they managed to carry that momentum around me, I was a bit gutted to miss out on 6th, but I won another 10 euros. Also my result put me into 10th place in the series overall, only 20 points shy of 5th place, so hopefully I can break into the top 7 or more by the end of the series.
Me attacking the yellow jersey at the hilly race
Not too bad a weekend, but I was hoping for me, however this week was meant to be exceptionally busy and with me finding form, leaned up, I was planning to win one of the four races I was going to be contesting this week. Thursday night, began and ended at Corcaneau, where, on a technical, I was really keen to do well, due to the many English on holiday there at the moment and to justify the good sensations I have been feeling recently as well as to properly bury any last, lingering doubts about my right knee after my injury.
Unfortunately the dead turn on the course was to prove my undoing as with a third of the race gone, the break began to form, of which I was in, but going into the dead turn someone stuck there front wheel between my rear wheel and rear mech, causing the rear hanger to shear in half and the rear dérailleur to go into my rear wheel. I subsequently fell off my bike fortunately not bringing anyone down in the process. Sadly though, even with my bike being fixed in a day by Stefan the mechanic in our local bike shop, I will not be riding the planned three races today, tomorrow and Monday, one of which I felt I was sure to win. Instead I will be sitting on my bum again resting my left hamstring, as I managed to pull that in the process of coming off my bike at Concarneau.
Obviously I am very gutted, but at the same time not too disheartened as my hamstring feels much improved from yesterday already and I believe I will be fine for next weekend's race, but I needed this little strain like a whole in the head and my aspirations to reach my first cat. license have taken a bit of a blow now. However if I am consistent still in the last few races and win one then it is still possible to reach it, if not, then I would have come close, which I suppose is an achievement in itself considering the trouble I have had this year with my knee. I'm cheering myself up though with my plans for racing over here next year and a lot of good things seem to be slipping into place, hopefully they do so that I can really show people how good I am properly, next year as well as in the last few weeks of this season.
I hope you are all well and racing is going swimmingly, I shall see a lot of you quite soon, in about 5/6 weeks I think, so until my next post, enjoy yourselves.
Saturday 3 August 2013
Birthday weekend
Thank you to everyone who made my 23rd special with the cards, messages and gifts, it was lovely and unfortunately this year though I had to settle, for once, not to race on my birthday, but do an easy cycle instead as I was meant to be competing in three races on the bounce over the weekend and Monday. Unfortunately there was a mix-up with transport arrangements so I just did Saturday, a 1/2/3 race and Monday, a 2/3 race.
Saturday's race was part of a big series, the majority of which I would not be doing, but quite a few decent riders and teams were and as it was the fourth in the series, many teams had some jerseys and places to protect or go for. Similarly to Bannalec it made for a very tactical race, but the difference being that this was a higher standard race, on a vastly different course, with less people. Only 60 started, in very heavy rain and the course was very fast and rolling with lots of high hedges and little corners all the way round the circuit thus making it difficult to see even 10 seconds up the road. 22 laps of 5.5km were to be completed with a 800m 5% hill just after the finish the really noteworthy feature of the course.
The race gradually got whittled down to about 35 people and I was feeling great, but I did too much work in the middle laps that really put pay to my chances of a top 10 as when George attacked the last time up the hill and got across the small gap with 5 others to a group of 6, I was not really able to follow the move. I ended just getting back in contact with 300m to go to the finish, but obviously being positioned so far back in this group and with 3 further away, I finished 19th. Not bad, but certainly should have been better.
Monday was a 2/3 at Berne, part of the Roi Morvan series and it was a hilly course where it rained heavily before and during the first part of the race. The course was essential up and down the same hill 17 times making 95km. Me, George and Hamish cycled out to it, before and after, giving me a grand total of 155km for the day. Anyway, back to the race, due to this being the halfway point during the series, again this race was, like Saturday, very tactical. I did the best probably out of the bigger blokes coming 13th, 30 seconds down on the winner, but I did far too much work in the first 2 laps of the race. About 70 started, only 30 finished.
I'm just pleased that my right knee is really improving now and coping with the increase in training recently as well as performing much better in the races and dealing with the efforts up these climbs admirably. I'm just hoping that this continues as it will be by a very small margin if I happen to miss out on my first category license for racing here in France and I would be absolutely gutted. It's a representation of your ability and would demonstrate some tangible evidence that this year really has been worth doing, obviously there are other, more existential benefits gleaned from my 8 months here, but I'm first and foremost here to cycle and get results, fundamentally to win, saying how much I've improved my tactical awareness may not cut it really.
Saturday's race was part of a big series, the majority of which I would not be doing, but quite a few decent riders and teams were and as it was the fourth in the series, many teams had some jerseys and places to protect or go for. Similarly to Bannalec it made for a very tactical race, but the difference being that this was a higher standard race, on a vastly different course, with less people. Only 60 started, in very heavy rain and the course was very fast and rolling with lots of high hedges and little corners all the way round the circuit thus making it difficult to see even 10 seconds up the road. 22 laps of 5.5km were to be completed with a 800m 5% hill just after the finish the really noteworthy feature of the course.
The race gradually got whittled down to about 35 people and I was feeling great, but I did too much work in the middle laps that really put pay to my chances of a top 10 as when George attacked the last time up the hill and got across the small gap with 5 others to a group of 6, I was not really able to follow the move. I ended just getting back in contact with 300m to go to the finish, but obviously being positioned so far back in this group and with 3 further away, I finished 19th. Not bad, but certainly should have been better.
Monday was a 2/3 at Berne, part of the Roi Morvan series and it was a hilly course where it rained heavily before and during the first part of the race. The course was essential up and down the same hill 17 times making 95km. Me, George and Hamish cycled out to it, before and after, giving me a grand total of 155km for the day. Anyway, back to the race, due to this being the halfway point during the series, again this race was, like Saturday, very tactical. I did the best probably out of the bigger blokes coming 13th, 30 seconds down on the winner, but I did far too much work in the first 2 laps of the race. About 70 started, only 30 finished.
I'm just pleased that my right knee is really improving now and coping with the increase in training recently as well as performing much better in the races and dealing with the efforts up these climbs admirably. I'm just hoping that this continues as it will be by a very small margin if I happen to miss out on my first category license for racing here in France and I would be absolutely gutted. It's a representation of your ability and would demonstrate some tangible evidence that this year really has been worth doing, obviously there are other, more existential benefits gleaned from my 8 months here, but I'm first and foremost here to cycle and get results, fundamentally to win, saying how much I've improved my tactical awareness may not cut it really.
Wednesday 24 July 2013
The Tour Effect
That was a great Tour de France and a fabulous advert for the sport and with quite a few deserving champions, unfortunately, even being in France, I was unable to go and watch the Tour even with 2 stages in Brittany, (well the time-trial was held on contested ground between Brittany and Normandy) but nonetheless I was still touched by the Tour. This is because since I began road racing seriously, more and more friends, family and acquaintances have got increasingly involved in cycling for a number of reasons and with le Tour. This has only increased with old school friends contacting me saying not only have they been affected by the stunning images and deeds on T.V., but have been inspired in some part by my own journey over here in France to take up cycling. Not only to commute between places, but to maybe race and generally take the whole cycling experience much more seriously.
Obviously I would just like to say how incredibly humbled I am by such feelings and honesty, but fundamentally it shows how our actions, no matter how minor they seem, really can resonate and how our own selfish actions can influence others, but in a positive manner. The recent success British Cycling has experienced recently provides plenty of fertile ground, but with me getting an increase in interest and support from more and more distant people also demonstrates the power of mass media. Ultimately I wish this to lead to more national televised coverage of cycling and instead of ITV4 showing more Minder, why don't they have the Clasica San Sebastien, the last hour of the Tour of Poland? You get the idea. Thank you to everyone for the recent support and hopefully you will all fall in love with cycling as much as I have.
I said in the last blog about my problems with the heat and now these problems should be increasing eradicated as in the past couple of weeks I have lost 3.5kg, I plan on losing the same amount again, not only to deal with the heat, but climb better. My weight has become a real issue, not only because it usually is, but with me being incapacitated with tendonitis for so long, I know that it is more than likely not to be muscle. I have now started cautiously training again as I don't want to suffer a relapse like Brian Badonde which will help with me to lost weight, build muscle and control the weight.
Now on to the racing, both were 2/3/J races, one on Friday night, one on Saturday afternoon with both having about 85 competitors. Friday night was 38 lap fast, flat circuit and there was a bit of wind, there was also a lot of money up for grabs and with primes, points and prizes every lap the race was always going to be fast, there was a UCHL rider in every break and I was feeling good, then with 9 laps to go a tornado (as the French press referred to it) hit our race causing trees to be uprooted on the circuit and visibility to be greatly reduced. It was cancelled, hopefully it will be held at a later date as they could not give the majority of the money away for overall classification, sprint classification and points classification, I managed to win 5 euros. Unfortunately the weather ruined my Garmin and I was unable to use the next day as it had not dried out.
The next day was held in sweltering conditions on a tough circuit with 14 laps and three short, steep climbs, two were next to each other and the last one was where the finish was on top of. Towards the end of the first lap a group of 10 went clear, then 3 laps later a big group got clear and across the gap to the first group, which I happened to be in, then another little group of 6 joined us. Basically the field had been split in half, but I was dying in the heat at the back doing nothing, all I had was the energy to sprint. Gradually more and more people were dropped by the front group leaving about 25 riders, at the bell 5 or 6 got away and finished just in front of the rest of us, me team-mate Stephane did a wonderful job to try and set-up the sprint up the hill for me, but I launched my sprint between 50 metres and 80 metres too early. So with 50 metres to go, coming 6th or 7th I died and ended up finishing 17th. Rubbish!!!!
It's even more rubbish when only the first 15 gets points towards getting their license upgraded, in a 2/3 race, and I have only a month now to accumulate enough points to get upgraded to a first category rider. It certainly can be achieved, but I need not only consistency in finishing and getting points, but also I need to score a good few top 5s or even a win and that would really seal it for me.
Hopefully I can bag a few points and placings this weekend, until next time, get out on the bike as much as possible.
Obviously I would just like to say how incredibly humbled I am by such feelings and honesty, but fundamentally it shows how our actions, no matter how minor they seem, really can resonate and how our own selfish actions can influence others, but in a positive manner. The recent success British Cycling has experienced recently provides plenty of fertile ground, but with me getting an increase in interest and support from more and more distant people also demonstrates the power of mass media. Ultimately I wish this to lead to more national televised coverage of cycling and instead of ITV4 showing more Minder, why don't they have the Clasica San Sebastien, the last hour of the Tour of Poland? You get the idea. Thank you to everyone for the recent support and hopefully you will all fall in love with cycling as much as I have.
I said in the last blog about my problems with the heat and now these problems should be increasing eradicated as in the past couple of weeks I have lost 3.5kg, I plan on losing the same amount again, not only to deal with the heat, but climb better. My weight has become a real issue, not only because it usually is, but with me being incapacitated with tendonitis for so long, I know that it is more than likely not to be muscle. I have now started cautiously training again as I don't want to suffer a relapse like Brian Badonde which will help with me to lost weight, build muscle and control the weight.
Now on to the racing, both were 2/3/J races, one on Friday night, one on Saturday afternoon with both having about 85 competitors. Friday night was 38 lap fast, flat circuit and there was a bit of wind, there was also a lot of money up for grabs and with primes, points and prizes every lap the race was always going to be fast, there was a UCHL rider in every break and I was feeling good, then with 9 laps to go a tornado (as the French press referred to it) hit our race causing trees to be uprooted on the circuit and visibility to be greatly reduced. It was cancelled, hopefully it will be held at a later date as they could not give the majority of the money away for overall classification, sprint classification and points classification, I managed to win 5 euros. Unfortunately the weather ruined my Garmin and I was unable to use the next day as it had not dried out.
The next day was held in sweltering conditions on a tough circuit with 14 laps and three short, steep climbs, two were next to each other and the last one was where the finish was on top of. Towards the end of the first lap a group of 10 went clear, then 3 laps later a big group got clear and across the gap to the first group, which I happened to be in, then another little group of 6 joined us. Basically the field had been split in half, but I was dying in the heat at the back doing nothing, all I had was the energy to sprint. Gradually more and more people were dropped by the front group leaving about 25 riders, at the bell 5 or 6 got away and finished just in front of the rest of us, me team-mate Stephane did a wonderful job to try and set-up the sprint up the hill for me, but I launched my sprint between 50 metres and 80 metres too early. So with 50 metres to go, coming 6th or 7th I died and ended up finishing 17th. Rubbish!!!!
It's even more rubbish when only the first 15 gets points towards getting their license upgraded, in a 2/3 race, and I have only a month now to accumulate enough points to get upgraded to a first category rider. It certainly can be achieved, but I need not only consistency in finishing and getting points, but also I need to score a good few top 5s or even a win and that would really seal it for me.
Hopefully I can bag a few points and placings this weekend, until next time, get out on the bike as much as possible.
Thursday 18 July 2013
Back-log
Apologies to my avid readers as well as my rather more casual readers on my lack of aptitude in updating my blog sooner and since I last 'put pen to paper' or as it should be known in this day and age, 'finger to little button', I have competed in 7 races finishing 6 and as they say 'when it rains...' for since my weekend in Tours I have had some ill luck and no doubt someone is taking a certain schadenfreude in it all, otherwise what would be the point?
Let's begin with the 2/3 crit at Arzon, 90km over 42 laps, small field of 45, a few primes on a course designed for me, sadly I did not do so well as I was closely marked all race, the break that went away with 32 laps remaining stayed away as the two escapees did a deal with the lead car who drafted them around the course away from the peloton. I finished a lowly 13th when I was originally hoping to win or at least podium, but I just did not quite have the legs.
That was Friday evening and Sunday's race was much better, another 2/3, but with a big field of 150 and a lot of decent teams and riders in hot conditions, lots of breaks went and came back, with me present in quite a few, when, just before the finish circuits a group of about 20 got away including myself. On the 8 laps another few bridged across the peloton and I was guilt of doing far too much work in the break as I felt reasonably good and wanted to make up for Friday's debacle. Sadly I was pretty spent with 10km to go and couldn't really follow the attacks and a group of 5 got away at the bell. One team who had 4 riders in the break were very lazy in it and then decided to risk everyone's wellbeing when they attempted to set-up their lead-out train for 6th place, I could only manage getting 14th.
My next race was a 1/2/3 race in Hennebont town centre across their infamous cobbled High Street and with 60 riders on the start line on a beautiful evening it was always going to be tough. This event was also hosted by my team, U.C.H.L., so I was especially keen to do well. I was at the front all race feeling great, but then I had a lap out as I was suffering a problem with my front wheel, went to change it to my spare front, but I could not find it! Fortunately an old bloke who had come to watch also brought an old spare pair of wheels with him and with a my new, but bombed-out wheel I was away again. Sadly a break of 12 went away on my lap out followed a lap later by a group of 7, I managed to sneak away at the end and got 19th. Disappointing, but I had managed to make the best of a bad situation.
Next was part of Roi Morvan Series where I was quite high up in the overall rankings and so was really keen to do well and was aggressive from the off, but I went too deep too early and so when the real splits occurred I was not in a physical state to respond. Unfortunately I then followed this up by panicking and tried, in vain, to solo across to the break, but blew-up as a few others came flying past me on the big main climb and managed to bridge across. This was really a slap in the face to my overall series chances as well as to the fact I thought I had improved tactically enough not to make such a amateurish error. The break was never to be seen again, I sneaked off on the last lap and grabbed 13th.
I then competed in a great crit at Plouha, again, a 2/3, but with a quality field, I had to be really on my game as there were a few good teams with 4 riders roughly and had to be careful about when to go or not. With 12 laps of the 38 remaining a group of 3 got away and held a gap of 20 seconds, we managed to catch them on the line, but they still managed to finish just in front of a large group of us numbering about 30. I believe I got a top 20, based on the numbers and most people know where they came in a race, but the organisers struggled counting and only 22 were officially marked down.
Having gained a lot of confidence from the evening crit at Plouha I was hoping to do really well this weekend, alas, I died in this heat. Both Saturday and Sunday were 1/2/3 races with a similar field line-up, unfortunately I had to give-up in the Sunday one, like the majority, after the suffering the day before, thus costing a few easy places that could have been made up on the Sunday. I managed to get 31st on Saturday, slipping away with a few others from the peloton on the last lap and winning the sprint. On Sunday, many riders suffered and were trying to be really tactical in the energy used, the latter point made me even hotter due to the boiling of my blood caused by my incandescence at the French laziness to close gaps and generally work. I then pulled up after 25 minutes and sat in the shade with a wet towel over my face for the rest of the afternoon where somehow I still managed to get a little burnt on my forehead!
An Englishman has not been this hot since General Charles George Gordon, I really don't how Robert Clive and a like did it all. So now I trying to shed a few kilos to better adjust to this weather and another area that's going to help to is I have begun training again too, happy days, though my knee is till far from perfect.
Continue enjoying the Tour de France people and I will update on Sunday, I promise.
Let's begin with the 2/3 crit at Arzon, 90km over 42 laps, small field of 45, a few primes on a course designed for me, sadly I did not do so well as I was closely marked all race, the break that went away with 32 laps remaining stayed away as the two escapees did a deal with the lead car who drafted them around the course away from the peloton. I finished a lowly 13th when I was originally hoping to win or at least podium, but I just did not quite have the legs.
That was Friday evening and Sunday's race was much better, another 2/3, but with a big field of 150 and a lot of decent teams and riders in hot conditions, lots of breaks went and came back, with me present in quite a few, when, just before the finish circuits a group of about 20 got away including myself. On the 8 laps another few bridged across the peloton and I was guilt of doing far too much work in the break as I felt reasonably good and wanted to make up for Friday's debacle. Sadly I was pretty spent with 10km to go and couldn't really follow the attacks and a group of 5 got away at the bell. One team who had 4 riders in the break were very lazy in it and then decided to risk everyone's wellbeing when they attempted to set-up their lead-out train for 6th place, I could only manage getting 14th.
My next race was a 1/2/3 race in Hennebont town centre across their infamous cobbled High Street and with 60 riders on the start line on a beautiful evening it was always going to be tough. This event was also hosted by my team, U.C.H.L., so I was especially keen to do well. I was at the front all race feeling great, but then I had a lap out as I was suffering a problem with my front wheel, went to change it to my spare front, but I could not find it! Fortunately an old bloke who had come to watch also brought an old spare pair of wheels with him and with a my new, but bombed-out wheel I was away again. Sadly a break of 12 went away on my lap out followed a lap later by a group of 7, I managed to sneak away at the end and got 19th. Disappointing, but I had managed to make the best of a bad situation.
Next was part of Roi Morvan Series where I was quite high up in the overall rankings and so was really keen to do well and was aggressive from the off, but I went too deep too early and so when the real splits occurred I was not in a physical state to respond. Unfortunately I then followed this up by panicking and tried, in vain, to solo across to the break, but blew-up as a few others came flying past me on the big main climb and managed to bridge across. This was really a slap in the face to my overall series chances as well as to the fact I thought I had improved tactically enough not to make such a amateurish error. The break was never to be seen again, I sneaked off on the last lap and grabbed 13th.
I then competed in a great crit at Plouha, again, a 2/3, but with a quality field, I had to be really on my game as there were a few good teams with 4 riders roughly and had to be careful about when to go or not. With 12 laps of the 38 remaining a group of 3 got away and held a gap of 20 seconds, we managed to catch them on the line, but they still managed to finish just in front of a large group of us numbering about 30. I believe I got a top 20, based on the numbers and most people know where they came in a race, but the organisers struggled counting and only 22 were officially marked down.
Having gained a lot of confidence from the evening crit at Plouha I was hoping to do really well this weekend, alas, I died in this heat. Both Saturday and Sunday were 1/2/3 races with a similar field line-up, unfortunately I had to give-up in the Sunday one, like the majority, after the suffering the day before, thus costing a few easy places that could have been made up on the Sunday. I managed to get 31st on Saturday, slipping away with a few others from the peloton on the last lap and winning the sprint. On Sunday, many riders suffered and were trying to be really tactical in the energy used, the latter point made me even hotter due to the boiling of my blood caused by my incandescence at the French laziness to close gaps and generally work. I then pulled up after 25 minutes and sat in the shade with a wet towel over my face for the rest of the afternoon where somehow I still managed to get a little burnt on my forehead!
An Englishman has not been this hot since General Charles George Gordon, I really don't how Robert Clive and a like did it all. So now I trying to shed a few kilos to better adjust to this weather and another area that's going to help to is I have begun training again too, happy days, though my knee is till far from perfect.
Continue enjoying the Tour de France people and I will update on Sunday, I promise.
Thursday 27 June 2013
Palin, Pilkington and Three Men went to Tours
This weekend I had the pleasure of spending the weekend with two French guys from the team Stephane and Loic at Stephane's ancestral home that is not used by his rather large family as a holiday home, no one is actual resident there that is situated just outside of Tours in the Loire Valley. Absolutely lovely, dead quiet and apples orchards all around us. The weekend comprised of three races, the first one a 1/2/3 just the otherside of Rennes with both Sunday and Monday being 2/3 races.
The race on Saturday began in horrible conditions though they soon improved and after about 40mins the day actually turned out rather nice though it did mean all of us racers did get really hot in our wet weather gear. It was a fast 3.3km loop to be completed by the 75 of us 30+ times, it has a small stretch of quite bad cobblestones and a real draggy section that was completed exposed to the elements. I made the front split everytime with Sam Allen who was also there excepted when it actually occurred after 40mins and 2 laps later the next split happened which again I missed. This was not through lack of attentiveness on my part, but from the sheer lack of training I have in my legs where in a good though small field and with the pace exceedingly high my legs just got completely burnt out. I was missing that couple of extra percent that otherwise would have meant that I would have made the first group. Anyway the race continued to split apart and I found myself out in front by myself where with a couple of laps to go I suffered the indignity of getting lapped by Sam and the front group. At least I could help Sam a bit by giving him some of my drink (see my earlier reference to wet weather gear) and he managed to pick up a brilliant third. I rolled in a bit later coming 27th, though I was mistakenly put down on the results 33rd. Only 34 finished and I was the only one from the team to finis so that's something and I felt much better for having done the race, my right knee was only ever so slightly stiff, but coped well which was a big bonus and the two weeks of enforced lay-off seemed to have done it the world of good. Unfortunately this was tempered by the fact that after a couple of laps rather than put my glasses through my jersey zip/collar, I thought I would be smart and dump them in the grass in a innocuous place near no-one where I could then go and retrieve them later. Sadly someone had taken the glasses and no-one had handed them in, so the moral of the story is kiddies always keep your belongings with unless you personally hand them to a friend or relative whom you trust!
After the race was a 120 mile to Tours and like most car journeys I slept all the way and upon waking up and arriving at the house I was met by such a typically French site I had to laugh. In the little front garden were some berry bushes, a couple of cherry trees, some strawberry plants and a pond, not filled with fish, but frogs. Stephane told me when he was younger and he visited his grandparents here he would spend all day catching and eating them. The house was pretty big, with a few mod-cons though the decor had not changed since the 1950's with some antlers in one room, lots of family pictures in the other with wallpaper with loads of deer on. With a pasta meal that night, Stephane went under the house to the vin cave where it brought up this 2002 local red.
The next day we woke up to a lovely a morning and we went into the local town, where Monday night's race was actually going to be held and went and had a big meal at a Hotel/restaurant owned by a former pro cyclist who rode for Festina. 3 courses consisting of a tomato and carrot salad followed by a plate of pasta in a butter sauce served next to an alive and kicking piece of flame-grilled steak. The latter is quite interesting to know as clearly here in France the customer is just served and how the chef and restaurant believe the food should be not the customer. Fortunately I like my steak to still be a cow mooing so I had no problem. Then we finished with some creme brulee.
After the meal we headed to just south of Tour to a lovely little village by a creek for the 2/3 Tauxiny race, 75 competitors going round a 6.5km 16 times. The loop was really technical, exposed and undulating, a proper hardman's race however just before my warm up lap the Heaven's opened and after 3km I punctured on the warm-up lap, luckily the race steward's car was behind putting barriers across the roads so they took me and the bike to the finish. So I had to somewhat fatefully change my rear wheel to a deep section due to the puncture. The race was run in the most apocalyptic conditions I have ever had the pleasure to ride in and within a lap the peloton was split to pieces, thanks to the weather, course and the fact 10 fell off the bikes around the lap. I made the first group which numbered at about 15, but was being reduced every lap by crashes, punctures and the difficulty of the course, unfortunately 6 laps I took a heavy tumble and brought enough guy down with me. Up to this point I had felt ok during the race and was confident of getting a top 5, but it was not to be. The crash was heavy, but fortunately I did not do much damage to either myself or my bike and so I cycled gently back to the finish, got changed and continued watching the drama unfold from the warmth of the car. A ripped gilet, shoecover with some cuts, bruises and grazes was all I got as well as some aesthetic, superficial damage to the bike and a shoe. Only 15 finished the race with about 30 crashing out, a few abandons and some punctures, Loic managed to get 12th even though he had to cycle the last half of the final lap with a puncture. After the race we headed back to the house where I preceded to grunt a lot as the hot water cleaned my wounds and so Stephane and Loic thought to cheer me up with yet more pasta and some Alsatian beers.
The next day we headed out for an easy 30km cycle and the conditions were beautiful though a bit chilly and then back to the Festina hotel/restaurant for the same meal that we had yesterday again, not that I was complaining. After that and a little siesta we prepared ourselves for that evening's race in the town of the hotel. Stephane and his family being local legends was really keen to do well as was I after my disappointing results so far that weekend. I thought to myself what is the main difference between my recent good run of results and my mishaps over the previous two days? And only one answer presented itself, it was the fact I had not worn my Astana headband for the previous 2 days and therefore failed to channel my inner Vinokourov!
Once I put it on under my helmet I knew then I was in for a good performance though not quite to the same degree as I was hoping. The course was relative flat though the finish was on a short sharp hill that got steeper as it went up, 40 times this 2.7km route with plenty of good primes available. Alas after 2 laps I managed to get into the break, but we never got more than 25 seconds away from the peloton who kept us on a very tight leash and we never numbered more than 6 riders, ideally we needed 10 to stay away. There were a couple of guys from the same time who cleared up the primes until about halfway through the race the peloton swallowed us up. From here on out the peloton split and re-gathered itslef continually until with about 14 laps to go quite a big group went, unfortunately I was a bit hamstrung by a lot of people not willing to work to get across to this front group, but eventually I got there with 10 laps to go. With 8 laps to go on the little climb about a mile away from the finish someone dropped a wheel and couple of teams blocked anyone trying to get across. The break numbered 11 and also contained Stephane; he managed to get third and the break stayed away. With about 4 laps to go I began attacking relentlessly though I was feeling my right knee quite a bit at this point eventually I got away with Loic and two others and then Loic launched his sprint really early for 12th place, I followed and when he began dying with about 50m to go I slowed up to not wanting to roll my team-mate as at this point our other two companions seemed quite far from us, unfortunately one of them managed to nick in front and grab 12th leaving Loic with 13th place and me with 14th.
I have to say I was a little disappointed as I knew that day I could of won, what counted against me was the fact the local cycling mafia turned up and helped to split the primes and decide the race outcome amongst themselves, which made me feel a bit better about the result. After the race we had a beer at the beer tent and chatted to the locals who seemed to be very disappointed in Jonathan Tiernan-Locke's season thus far as well as saying that being a Breton is the same as being English/British or as close as a Frenchman would get to being one anyway. We then headed back to the Festina hotel where the race officials were having an after-race meal together. For 5 euros each we were also allowed into this little lock-in and eat from the buffet, but as Loic and Stephane won some prime money they paid for me. The manageress of the hotel must have taken a shine to us over the preceding days and gave us some chocolate pudding and two bottles of red wine that must have cost at least 20 euros each if bought at the restaurant!
After this we headed back to the house where we then stayed up chatting about the race, about the recent Jalabert drug revelations and the French National Champs until the early hours.
The next day we had a long drive and finally, feeling a little worse for wear, I was in the comfort of my own bed. What a great experience though and if I was to do full justice to the sights, sounds and experiences just from the weekend alone, well, this blog would be very long indeed.
I hope everyone is well and doing well in their races, until next time stay on the bike!
The race on Saturday began in horrible conditions though they soon improved and after about 40mins the day actually turned out rather nice though it did mean all of us racers did get really hot in our wet weather gear. It was a fast 3.3km loop to be completed by the 75 of us 30+ times, it has a small stretch of quite bad cobblestones and a real draggy section that was completed exposed to the elements. I made the front split everytime with Sam Allen who was also there excepted when it actually occurred after 40mins and 2 laps later the next split happened which again I missed. This was not through lack of attentiveness on my part, but from the sheer lack of training I have in my legs where in a good though small field and with the pace exceedingly high my legs just got completely burnt out. I was missing that couple of extra percent that otherwise would have meant that I would have made the first group. Anyway the race continued to split apart and I found myself out in front by myself where with a couple of laps to go I suffered the indignity of getting lapped by Sam and the front group. At least I could help Sam a bit by giving him some of my drink (see my earlier reference to wet weather gear) and he managed to pick up a brilliant third. I rolled in a bit later coming 27th, though I was mistakenly put down on the results 33rd. Only 34 finished and I was the only one from the team to finis so that's something and I felt much better for having done the race, my right knee was only ever so slightly stiff, but coped well which was a big bonus and the two weeks of enforced lay-off seemed to have done it the world of good. Unfortunately this was tempered by the fact that after a couple of laps rather than put my glasses through my jersey zip/collar, I thought I would be smart and dump them in the grass in a innocuous place near no-one where I could then go and retrieve them later. Sadly someone had taken the glasses and no-one had handed them in, so the moral of the story is kiddies always keep your belongings with unless you personally hand them to a friend or relative whom you trust!
After the race was a 120 mile to Tours and like most car journeys I slept all the way and upon waking up and arriving at the house I was met by such a typically French site I had to laugh. In the little front garden were some berry bushes, a couple of cherry trees, some strawberry plants and a pond, not filled with fish, but frogs. Stephane told me when he was younger and he visited his grandparents here he would spend all day catching and eating them. The house was pretty big, with a few mod-cons though the decor had not changed since the 1950's with some antlers in one room, lots of family pictures in the other with wallpaper with loads of deer on. With a pasta meal that night, Stephane went under the house to the vin cave where it brought up this 2002 local red.
The next day we woke up to a lovely a morning and we went into the local town, where Monday night's race was actually going to be held and went and had a big meal at a Hotel/restaurant owned by a former pro cyclist who rode for Festina. 3 courses consisting of a tomato and carrot salad followed by a plate of pasta in a butter sauce served next to an alive and kicking piece of flame-grilled steak. The latter is quite interesting to know as clearly here in France the customer is just served and how the chef and restaurant believe the food should be not the customer. Fortunately I like my steak to still be a cow mooing so I had no problem. Then we finished with some creme brulee.
After the meal we headed to just south of Tour to a lovely little village by a creek for the 2/3 Tauxiny race, 75 competitors going round a 6.5km 16 times. The loop was really technical, exposed and undulating, a proper hardman's race however just before my warm up lap the Heaven's opened and after 3km I punctured on the warm-up lap, luckily the race steward's car was behind putting barriers across the roads so they took me and the bike to the finish. So I had to somewhat fatefully change my rear wheel to a deep section due to the puncture. The race was run in the most apocalyptic conditions I have ever had the pleasure to ride in and within a lap the peloton was split to pieces, thanks to the weather, course and the fact 10 fell off the bikes around the lap. I made the first group which numbered at about 15, but was being reduced every lap by crashes, punctures and the difficulty of the course, unfortunately 6 laps I took a heavy tumble and brought enough guy down with me. Up to this point I had felt ok during the race and was confident of getting a top 5, but it was not to be. The crash was heavy, but fortunately I did not do much damage to either myself or my bike and so I cycled gently back to the finish, got changed and continued watching the drama unfold from the warmth of the car. A ripped gilet, shoecover with some cuts, bruises and grazes was all I got as well as some aesthetic, superficial damage to the bike and a shoe. Only 15 finished the race with about 30 crashing out, a few abandons and some punctures, Loic managed to get 12th even though he had to cycle the last half of the final lap with a puncture. After the race we headed back to the house where I preceded to grunt a lot as the hot water cleaned my wounds and so Stephane and Loic thought to cheer me up with yet more pasta and some Alsatian beers.
The next day we headed out for an easy 30km cycle and the conditions were beautiful though a bit chilly and then back to the Festina hotel/restaurant for the same meal that we had yesterday again, not that I was complaining. After that and a little siesta we prepared ourselves for that evening's race in the town of the hotel. Stephane and his family being local legends was really keen to do well as was I after my disappointing results so far that weekend. I thought to myself what is the main difference between my recent good run of results and my mishaps over the previous two days? And only one answer presented itself, it was the fact I had not worn my Astana headband for the previous 2 days and therefore failed to channel my inner Vinokourov!
Once I put it on under my helmet I knew then I was in for a good performance though not quite to the same degree as I was hoping. The course was relative flat though the finish was on a short sharp hill that got steeper as it went up, 40 times this 2.7km route with plenty of good primes available. Alas after 2 laps I managed to get into the break, but we never got more than 25 seconds away from the peloton who kept us on a very tight leash and we never numbered more than 6 riders, ideally we needed 10 to stay away. There were a couple of guys from the same time who cleared up the primes until about halfway through the race the peloton swallowed us up. From here on out the peloton split and re-gathered itslef continually until with about 14 laps to go quite a big group went, unfortunately I was a bit hamstrung by a lot of people not willing to work to get across to this front group, but eventually I got there with 10 laps to go. With 8 laps to go on the little climb about a mile away from the finish someone dropped a wheel and couple of teams blocked anyone trying to get across. The break numbered 11 and also contained Stephane; he managed to get third and the break stayed away. With about 4 laps to go I began attacking relentlessly though I was feeling my right knee quite a bit at this point eventually I got away with Loic and two others and then Loic launched his sprint really early for 12th place, I followed and when he began dying with about 50m to go I slowed up to not wanting to roll my team-mate as at this point our other two companions seemed quite far from us, unfortunately one of them managed to nick in front and grab 12th leaving Loic with 13th place and me with 14th.
I have to say I was a little disappointed as I knew that day I could of won, what counted against me was the fact the local cycling mafia turned up and helped to split the primes and decide the race outcome amongst themselves, which made me feel a bit better about the result. After the race we had a beer at the beer tent and chatted to the locals who seemed to be very disappointed in Jonathan Tiernan-Locke's season thus far as well as saying that being a Breton is the same as being English/British or as close as a Frenchman would get to being one anyway. We then headed back to the Festina hotel where the race officials were having an after-race meal together. For 5 euros each we were also allowed into this little lock-in and eat from the buffet, but as Loic and Stephane won some prime money they paid for me. The manageress of the hotel must have taken a shine to us over the preceding days and gave us some chocolate pudding and two bottles of red wine that must have cost at least 20 euros each if bought at the restaurant!
After this we headed back to the house where we then stayed up chatting about the race, about the recent Jalabert drug revelations and the French National Champs until the early hours.
The next day we had a long drive and finally, feeling a little worse for wear, I was in the comfort of my own bed. What a great experience though and if I was to do full justice to the sights, sounds and experiences just from the weekend alone, well, this blog would be very long indeed.
I hope everyone is well and doing well in their races, until next time stay on the bike!
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Additions
I thought I would do another blog post as it would have made my previous one a bit long and unwieldy so here it is. Unfortunately it is really just a number of disjointed pieces really, but it's reflective of what Life's like so don't complain, I'm just not skilled (or motivated maybe) enough to be these it to one concise, flowing piece of prose.
To continue on from my previous post after Sunday's race me. Sam and Hamish thought it would be fun to go to a little festival gathering happening in the town next door, but it was closing as we got there due to it being 10pm. The only thing left open was the beer tent so we decided to have a couple of beers and just chatted amongst ourselves. We did attract some attention as we were not the average age of the people there, like 38, we were not stoned or hammered or both and we were dressed a bit differently too. In no time we had been asked for Charlie as well as fags and a light, once we said no and they knew we were English cue surreal conversations that were rather unintelligible to everyone. So after about 90mins we boys left.
When describing to Marie what happened that night I found out that 'to go westward' is the French term for 'being stoned' as well as being taught afterwards how to use her lawnmower so I could mow for her which was also entertaining as earlier in the day I couldn't get it started. This is because there was no oil in it. Lemon.
Well done to everyone who achieved well in their degrees and in other good news Tim Butt seems to be doing ok now that he is out of hospital and hopefully his recovery continues.
Harry from my British team, Aprire Bicycles, is currently leading the Race Across America in his 4 man team and they are about halfway now, so keep it up Harry. Aprire Bicycles have now finally done up there website and releasing their 2013 next generation bikes so don't forget to check it out http://www.aprirebicycles.com/.
The Nationals should be interesting this weekend and wish people all the best in them, as a result of the French Nationals taking place nearby though there will be no races in Brittany this weekend fortunately a team member's family will be putting me and George up this weekend so that we can race in Normandy and the Loire region. It should be really exciting and a real test of my French skills too.
Still can't believe the state of the British Road racing calender, with so many decent races clashing with each other this year and the fact no National B's on a Saturday anywhere I don't think and the race clashes result in empty weekends. Just because one may not be good enough to get on to the British Cycling programme at 16 does not mean they will never be good enough and if a big pool of great riders is wanted then the domestic scene really needs to strengthened by having better races, more often with less clashes. We can't expect other nations to constantly take other riders of the U.K.'s that are a bit late in developing as we are now one of the best countries at cycling. It has and will continue to grow on countries like France and Belgium's nerves and not only that it puts our athletes under a lot more pressure they maybe what is necessary if just the calender was improved.
I finish on this notice that I have started a new book, one that I have referenced many times, but never have actually properly read, Eric Hobsbawm's The Age of Revolution: 1789-1848 and if the first few pages are anything to go by I am really going to enjoy it.
To continue on from my previous post after Sunday's race me. Sam and Hamish thought it would be fun to go to a little festival gathering happening in the town next door, but it was closing as we got there due to it being 10pm. The only thing left open was the beer tent so we decided to have a couple of beers and just chatted amongst ourselves. We did attract some attention as we were not the average age of the people there, like 38, we were not stoned or hammered or both and we were dressed a bit differently too. In no time we had been asked for Charlie as well as fags and a light, once we said no and they knew we were English cue surreal conversations that were rather unintelligible to everyone. So after about 90mins we boys left.
When describing to Marie what happened that night I found out that 'to go westward' is the French term for 'being stoned' as well as being taught afterwards how to use her lawnmower so I could mow for her which was also entertaining as earlier in the day I couldn't get it started. This is because there was no oil in it. Lemon.
Well done to everyone who achieved well in their degrees and in other good news Tim Butt seems to be doing ok now that he is out of hospital and hopefully his recovery continues.
Harry from my British team, Aprire Bicycles, is currently leading the Race Across America in his 4 man team and they are about halfway now, so keep it up Harry. Aprire Bicycles have now finally done up there website and releasing their 2013 next generation bikes so don't forget to check it out http://www.aprirebicycles.com/.
The Nationals should be interesting this weekend and wish people all the best in them, as a result of the French Nationals taking place nearby though there will be no races in Brittany this weekend fortunately a team member's family will be putting me and George up this weekend so that we can race in Normandy and the Loire region. It should be really exciting and a real test of my French skills too.
Still can't believe the state of the British Road racing calender, with so many decent races clashing with each other this year and the fact no National B's on a Saturday anywhere I don't think and the race clashes result in empty weekends. Just because one may not be good enough to get on to the British Cycling programme at 16 does not mean they will never be good enough and if a big pool of great riders is wanted then the domestic scene really needs to strengthened by having better races, more often with less clashes. We can't expect other nations to constantly take other riders of the U.K.'s that are a bit late in developing as we are now one of the best countries at cycling. It has and will continue to grow on countries like France and Belgium's nerves and not only that it puts our athletes under a lot more pressure they maybe what is necessary if just the calender was improved.
I finish on this notice that I have started a new book, one that I have referenced many times, but never have actually properly read, Eric Hobsbawm's The Age of Revolution: 1789-1848 and if the first few pages are anything to go by I am really going to enjoy it.
Sunday 16 June 2013
Hard lessons have to be learnt
So this week was the big build-up to a race that was happening outside my front door, the 1/2/3 Grand Prix Leclerc (the French equivalent of Sainsbury's) at Hennebont. 24 laps of a really fast, technical 4km loop with 300m of off-road at the top of the hill just after the finish. A real strongman circuit and one that many people, including myself, were confident that I would perform well on. Alas this was not to be because I did something really stupid. My doctor in England advised me to take ibuprofen instead of paracetamol before a race as a pain killer for my knee as it would be many times more effective, however I should be careful though as the ibuprofen could trigger my asthma. I took slightly more ibuprofen for my knee than I otherwise would as I really didn't want any pain in my knee towards the latter part of this race and I thought I would compensate this by taking a few more puffs of my blue inhaler.
This did not work!
My first lap was great, but after that I just went backwards through the peloton and ended having to call a halt to my race after 4 laps wheezing my way back home with my tail firmly between legs. What a bloody tool!
Unfortunately this was my only race this week and with me going well recently, a small, but good quality field and a course that I know well from living next to it; it's just a shame I wasn't able to give any account of myself. You live and learn. Sadly I might have to wait over a week till my next race as next weekend is the National Championships in most countries, I would be competing in the Brits, but Glasgow is too far for me to get, would cost me a lot and the course looks rubbish. At least I will get a chance to continue resting my knee even more now though and catch back up with my French as I've let that slide a little bit recently.
This is because I've been caught up in my Balkan book which I've finally and what a great piece too, it's just a shame that it was written in 1999 and not a few years later so that the Kosovo Question and by extension the Macedonian Question could be dealt with more fully, it just feels a little open-ended. On the other-hand the peace process in the Balkans is continually evolving as we speak and the aforementioned Questions as well as the others in the Balkans, like Bosnia, will be open-ended for a good while longer anyway.
I also finally got round to watching 'God on Trial' this week too and I urge you all to watch such a fine drama.
On a complete different note I must mention my girlfriend Verity who won the 800m at an athletics meet in Italy on Tuesday, she is now beating me on the international scorecards this year 1-0 so far and can now legitimately claim to being the more successful partner, at least on the international stage, in this relationship. I do not begrudge such an assumption nor accolade, if bestowed as such, one iota. I am admiring her ability to balance not only the racing, but also the training, the exams she has at the moment as well as keeping up appearances with the social side of things in Siena too. I had only one job all week to do, to do well on Sunday, and I still managed to fluff my lines.
Special mention has to go to Sam Allen for his third win of the year on Friday. Chapeau bruv.
Until next time...
This did not work!
My first lap was great, but after that I just went backwards through the peloton and ended having to call a halt to my race after 4 laps wheezing my way back home with my tail firmly between legs. What a bloody tool!
Unfortunately this was my only race this week and with me going well recently, a small, but good quality field and a course that I know well from living next to it; it's just a shame I wasn't able to give any account of myself. You live and learn. Sadly I might have to wait over a week till my next race as next weekend is the National Championships in most countries, I would be competing in the Brits, but Glasgow is too far for me to get, would cost me a lot and the course looks rubbish. At least I will get a chance to continue resting my knee even more now though and catch back up with my French as I've let that slide a little bit recently.
This is because I've been caught up in my Balkan book which I've finally and what a great piece too, it's just a shame that it was written in 1999 and not a few years later so that the Kosovo Question and by extension the Macedonian Question could be dealt with more fully, it just feels a little open-ended. On the other-hand the peace process in the Balkans is continually evolving as we speak and the aforementioned Questions as well as the others in the Balkans, like Bosnia, will be open-ended for a good while longer anyway.
I also finally got round to watching 'God on Trial' this week too and I urge you all to watch such a fine drama.
On a complete different note I must mention my girlfriend Verity who won the 800m at an athletics meet in Italy on Tuesday, she is now beating me on the international scorecards this year 1-0 so far and can now legitimately claim to being the more successful partner, at least on the international stage, in this relationship. I do not begrudge such an assumption nor accolade, if bestowed as such, one iota. I am admiring her ability to balance not only the racing, but also the training, the exams she has at the moment as well as keeping up appearances with the social side of things in Siena too. I had only one job all week to do, to do well on Sunday, and I still managed to fluff my lines.
Special mention has to go to Sam Allen for his third win of the year on Friday. Chapeau bruv.
Until next time...
Monday 10 June 2013
Boom, Boom, Boom
I was looking forward to continuing my fine run of form this week with the 3 races coming up a 90km crit around Auray town centre of Thursday evening, a 90km crit right on the coast on the Friday evening near Sarzeau and a 90km semi-nocturne on Sunday at Plouay.
Unfortunately at Auray I DNFed after about 40% had been completed, it was a small field of around 60, as were the other two races this week, but it was a quality field here at Auray being a 1/2/3 event. The course had lots of slow corners with massive, out-of-the-saddle accelerations out of them and my knee really began to hurt and struggle and knowing that I had another 2 races still left to race and where I would also be much more competitive I decided to cut my losses and quit. Annoyingly if I had of continued rolling round the course I would have probably got another top 20 as only 22 finished and a few these were dropped well before I decided to pack it in.
So on to Friday's race at Sarzeau, no slow corners with big accelerations, but 45 laps including a 400m long hill, sadly for me I missed the move that eventually decided the win even though they were never more than 45 seconds from me. All the other moves before and after the winning break I got in, but I was very closely marked all race which was incredibly frustrating and so I only got 8th when really I was capable of a top 5. What didn't help was that both George and Hamish had stopped early during the race and were not there to have a positive impact upon proceedings, but by the time I had finished the race they were well lubricated after spending the remainder of the race in the pub.
After the race me and Loic (a team-mate who had also driven us there) joined them and it did not take me long to get fairly merry. Loic then decided it would be a brilliant idea to show us prized monkeys off at the local he frequents before and after F.C. Lorient football matches, a bar famous locally for having 600 different kinds of drink available including a shot called 'the Alice in Wonderland'. A lot of banter, drinks, nachos and French dried sausage (not a euphemism) later we eventually went home though George did have the pleasure of sharing a bed with Loic as it was too much effort to take George home for any of us.
Saturday was definitely a rest then on Sunday was a race on some of the 2000 World Championship Circuit and it was certainly challenging with a mile long steady hill followed by a short descent and a very steep hill lasting 400 metres just after. Then it was a fast, rolling decent to the finish straight that crested up slightly and then went a bit downhill, the straight was about 1km long. So 15 laps were in order of the course and just like all my previous races, lots of moves went and came back to the bunch in pretty short time when after a few laps George managed to get away with a few others and they preceded to eke out a pretty good gap. Hamish and Sam Allen attacked soon after and managed to jump across to them where this lead group then managed to pull out a 30 second lead pretty rapidly. I then snuck to get into the second break who then bridged across to this lead group where we had about a minute over the peloton. This was with 9 laps to go still and from then on a couple of people would get dropped every time we went up and over the two ascents. Then with a little under 2 laps to go, two guys attacked and got away from our group that numbered 15 at this point. Soon after George and two other guys attacked and managed to get across to the 2 out in front with just under a lap to go. I sat in the remainder of what had been the lead group doing sod all and then over the top of 2 ascents, for the last time, we in the chasing group were gaining on the front 5 who were beginning to look around at each other. We almost caught the front 5 on the line as I won the sprint from second group grabbing 6th finishing right on 5th position's wheel, George meanwhile scored an excellent 2nd.
Sadly in none of these races was I able to add to winnings I got from the previous Sunday's race, but although my right knee hurt considerably on Thursday and towards the latter stages on Friday's and Sunday's races I was still extremely pleased with how it felt and managed the workload. Apart from the minor blip at Auray, my good run has continued and hopefully with this new found consistency I will soon be delivering even better results.
As we are approximately halfway through the cycling season I think it is appropriate to give everyone some basic facts about my race season so far and it is quite interesting to see what I have achieved in just raw, basic statistics. The numbers include the amount that also qualifies for the above category, so, for example, 5 top 10s and 7 top 15s, the latter also is inclusive of the 5 top 10s achieved. Here we go:
Out of the 30 races started by me this year I have failed to finish 6 of them.
I have achieved 2 wins and 5 podiums, but these were all in Britain before I came out.
1 top 5 here in France.
5 top 10s here in France and 6 top 10s in Britain, the latter is now a fixed number for the subsequent statistics as out of the 6 races competed in by me in Britain, I achieved 6 top 10s.
6 top 15s in France.
9 top 20s in France
11 top 30s in France.
I hope everyone is well and the racing is going strongly too, until next time...
As we are approximately halfway through the cycling season I think it is appropriate to give everyone some basic facts about my race season so far and it is quite interesting to see what I have achieved in just raw, basic statistics. The numbers include the amount that also qualifies for the above category, so, for example, 5 top 10s and 7 top 15s, the latter also is inclusive of the 5 top 10s achieved. Here we go:
Out of the 30 races started by me this year I have failed to finish 6 of them.
I have achieved 2 wins and 5 podiums, but these were all in Britain before I came out.
1 top 5 here in France.
5 top 10s here in France and 6 top 10s in Britain, the latter is now a fixed number for the subsequent statistics as out of the 6 races competed in by me in Britain, I achieved 6 top 10s.
6 top 15s in France.
9 top 20s in France
11 top 30s in France.
I hope everyone is well and the racing is going strongly too, until next time...
Monday 3 June 2013
A more positive note
I did also have a great time when I was at home seeing lots of friends and family so it was not all bad as one could easily assume given my previous post, it was lovely to have Verity stay for a few days also so my week at homes was very mixed to say the least. Fortunately Tim has continued to improve and hopefully he will be out towards the end of next week.
I am pleased to say that my knee has continued to improve and that in my first race back in France I grabbed fourth, pretty pleased with considering how aggressive I was all race, but I mucked up the sprint and couldn't get myself on the podium. The race was the 2/3/J Saint-Jean de Villenard with about 80 riders there, 18 laps of a 6km circuit, with a real draggy climb on the circuit. I was at the front all day going for the primes and bagging points in the points classification too, this tactic resulted in me getting 110 euros as well as being at the front of proceedings close to danger. The race keeping on splitting and coming back together all day until with about 8 laps to go a big group of 15 riders went up the road with me also in it, then I went for another prime at the end of the 13th lap against another rider, but with no-one else near us two he decided to push on and so I joined him as the break of 15 hadn't been working too well and the second group of riders were never more than 20 seconds away. After a lap out in front together we were joined by four others who had jumped across from the original break of 15 riders and then we just worked well together to maintain our advantage.
With 2 and half laps to go on the main climb, two riders were dropped from our group of six including the bloke who had initially attacked with me to get away as a pair. Unfortunately I for some reason got a bit dizzy and believed this was the last lap we were on, so on the finish ramp I sprinted, but hearing shouts from my fellow breakaway companions, seeing no photographers and then managing to see the board I saw it said we still had one lap to go. This used up quite a bit of energy, but I got 40 euros for winning the prime so not all bad. Anyway after I attacked our group's entente cordiale went awry and everyone began attacking each other, particularly me as they all felt I was the strongest sprinter. The winner eventual got away just before the main climb and held a minor advantage over the rest of us, but the other 2 riders really didn't want to work with me to catch him. Coming into the final bend though I was in the perfect position, at the back of the other two, but I sprinted down the wrong side and got myself blocked, if I had of gone to the right then I might have got on to the podium, what also did not help was the fact that I really was surprised at the other two gentlemen's sprinting abilities who had really been bluffing quite considerably for most of the race.
Nevermind, I've continued to get some decent results some hopeful I can grab a podium soon, to be honest I felt a bit fat and unfit during the race due to not training on knee and having to eat and drink all the produce I bought believing I was going to do the SERRL Stage Race. My knee held up well though and I was in only minor discomfort because of it during and after the race.
I am pleased to say that my knee has continued to improve and that in my first race back in France I grabbed fourth, pretty pleased with considering how aggressive I was all race, but I mucked up the sprint and couldn't get myself on the podium. The race was the 2/3/J Saint-Jean de Villenard with about 80 riders there, 18 laps of a 6km circuit, with a real draggy climb on the circuit. I was at the front all day going for the primes and bagging points in the points classification too, this tactic resulted in me getting 110 euros as well as being at the front of proceedings close to danger. The race keeping on splitting and coming back together all day until with about 8 laps to go a big group of 15 riders went up the road with me also in it, then I went for another prime at the end of the 13th lap against another rider, but with no-one else near us two he decided to push on and so I joined him as the break of 15 hadn't been working too well and the second group of riders were never more than 20 seconds away. After a lap out in front together we were joined by four others who had jumped across from the original break of 15 riders and then we just worked well together to maintain our advantage.
With 2 and half laps to go on the main climb, two riders were dropped from our group of six including the bloke who had initially attacked with me to get away as a pair. Unfortunately I for some reason got a bit dizzy and believed this was the last lap we were on, so on the finish ramp I sprinted, but hearing shouts from my fellow breakaway companions, seeing no photographers and then managing to see the board I saw it said we still had one lap to go. This used up quite a bit of energy, but I got 40 euros for winning the prime so not all bad. Anyway after I attacked our group's entente cordiale went awry and everyone began attacking each other, particularly me as they all felt I was the strongest sprinter. The winner eventual got away just before the main climb and held a minor advantage over the rest of us, but the other 2 riders really didn't want to work with me to catch him. Coming into the final bend though I was in the perfect position, at the back of the other two, but I sprinted down the wrong side and got myself blocked, if I had of gone to the right then I might have got on to the podium, what also did not help was the fact that I really was surprised at the other two gentlemen's sprinting abilities who had really been bluffing quite considerably for most of the race.
Nevermind, I've continued to get some decent results some hopeful I can grab a podium soon, to be honest I felt a bit fat and unfit during the race due to not training on knee and having to eat and drink all the produce I bought believing I was going to do the SERRL Stage Race. My knee held up well though and I was in only minor discomfort because of it during and after the race.
Friday 31 May 2013
Highs, Lows and the Grim Reaper
As many of you know I finally made my eagerly anticipated and long awaited return to Blighty with much fanfare reminiscent of the England Rugby Union team's return from Australia following their victory in 2003; the similarities were uncanny. Anyway, after a couple of days of recovering following the epic journey undertaken with Tony Mills Junior at the helm I went to the doctors to ask about the persistent problem in my right knee, it turns out that I have very mild tendinitis in it caused by overuse. The ramifications are not as bad as maybe first feared, I was offered 2 options; either I stop cycling and rest up for a month or I persist with racing and let heal over the course of about 3 months, but during this time I shouldn't train if I'm doing 2 or 3 races that week, if I'm doing just one then I can do one or two training sessions that week instead. I will having to wear a knee support most of the time, even at races too. The good news is is that it is minor and if I decided to continue racing on it I will not be doing it any further damage and that I will get over eventually.
I have decided on the latter due to the fact that by racing on it I'm not damaging the knee irreparably if at all and you have to weigh up the loss of form and fitness that a month lay-off in the middle of the season would do for you for the rest of the season.
So on to the SERRL Stage Race, a race that I was really looking to, but 25mins into the first stage the race was cancelled and the rest of the weekend was subsequently cancelled too due to a motorbike marshal colliding with a car resulting in his, the motorbike marshal's, death. I'm not going to describe the incident as I feel it would be inappropriate, but I will comment on it. This tragic event, as well as Junior Heffernan's death, highlights the desperate need for the road racing scene to have closed roads, or, if not, at the very least make sure an ambulance is following each race and/or increase the powers of the marshals to stop traffic, these would have massively helped in preventing these incidents occurring as they will improve the circumstances in which we, the racers, and the organisers are operating under. Sadly it appears that this accident on Saturday will also go unheeded by British Cycling who have failed to deliver any findings on the cause of Junior Heffernan's death; the brief, sentence-long statement about the death of the N.E.G. rider who died on Saturday with it also being seemingly purposely hushed-up as shown by the fact that news of it was only briefly shown upon the Road homepage on the British Cycling website and has subsequently been buried underneath multiple links to reach the statement. Neither, but more importantly the former point (as there has been more time to react), were good enough for British Cycling to act upon and make a revision to their 'Get Britain Cycling' petition with which they are lobbying government. There has been no real public backing of Paul Morton's campaign by British Cycling or other authorities in the wake of Junior's death to increase the powers of the marshals and the N.E.G. also who regularly put themselves in harms way for free, completely voluntarily.
When is British Cycling going to act upon what a large portion of its members actually desire? It's all very well having this 'Get Britain Cycling' petition, but your average cyclist does not possess a British Cycling membership, every racer has to. British Cycling surely need to get their priorities in order for when you encourage people to cycle naturally some are going to want to race, how can they in such an unsafe, unworkable environment? It seems at the moment we have reached a fork in the road, how many more incidents need to occur before we jump across to the other road, one we should have gone down long ago?
Following on from this I had a relaxing weekend with family, friends and Verity instead, but this was tempered somewhat by not only what I witnessed on Saturday, but what was to come. On Monday, we had a little family get together to celebrate my little brother's first birthday, unfortunately he decided to choke on a crisp so now I'm fully aware of how to do the Heimlich manoeuvre on a baby, obviously pretty scary at the time.
Afterwards I met up with some uni mates in Camden for a few drinks, had a good bubble and it included one Mister Timothy Butt who had just got back from Portugal and who was racing (or meant to be) in the SERRL Stage Race. He's a good athlete and friend, but unfortunately he suffered a cardiac arrest the next day on Tuesday, fortunately the doctors have worked wonders and Tim is quite the fighter and he has finally awoken from intensive care today properly. This highlights the important work that the John Ibbotson Fund and C.R.Y. do in trying to increase the amount of testing done on young people to prevent such cases like Tim's and John's from happening.
Now I'm back sitting here in my house in France, alone, I wonder about the great moral lessons I maybe should have learnt, for me, it might be a little to close to home at the moment to really consider the questions and issues that inevitable raise themselves upon mere preponderance of the recent occurrences in my life. All I can think about though is thus, the Grim Reaper on closer inspection does not seem to possess the same sense of geniality as DEATH in Discworld.
I have decided on the latter due to the fact that by racing on it I'm not damaging the knee irreparably if at all and you have to weigh up the loss of form and fitness that a month lay-off in the middle of the season would do for you for the rest of the season.
So on to the SERRL Stage Race, a race that I was really looking to, but 25mins into the first stage the race was cancelled and the rest of the weekend was subsequently cancelled too due to a motorbike marshal colliding with a car resulting in his, the motorbike marshal's, death. I'm not going to describe the incident as I feel it would be inappropriate, but I will comment on it. This tragic event, as well as Junior Heffernan's death, highlights the desperate need for the road racing scene to have closed roads, or, if not, at the very least make sure an ambulance is following each race and/or increase the powers of the marshals to stop traffic, these would have massively helped in preventing these incidents occurring as they will improve the circumstances in which we, the racers, and the organisers are operating under. Sadly it appears that this accident on Saturday will also go unheeded by British Cycling who have failed to deliver any findings on the cause of Junior Heffernan's death; the brief, sentence-long statement about the death of the N.E.G. rider who died on Saturday with it also being seemingly purposely hushed-up as shown by the fact that news of it was only briefly shown upon the Road homepage on the British Cycling website and has subsequently been buried underneath multiple links to reach the statement. Neither, but more importantly the former point (as there has been more time to react), were good enough for British Cycling to act upon and make a revision to their 'Get Britain Cycling' petition with which they are lobbying government. There has been no real public backing of Paul Morton's campaign by British Cycling or other authorities in the wake of Junior's death to increase the powers of the marshals and the N.E.G. also who regularly put themselves in harms way for free, completely voluntarily.
When is British Cycling going to act upon what a large portion of its members actually desire? It's all very well having this 'Get Britain Cycling' petition, but your average cyclist does not possess a British Cycling membership, every racer has to. British Cycling surely need to get their priorities in order for when you encourage people to cycle naturally some are going to want to race, how can they in such an unsafe, unworkable environment? It seems at the moment we have reached a fork in the road, how many more incidents need to occur before we jump across to the other road, one we should have gone down long ago?
Following on from this I had a relaxing weekend with family, friends and Verity instead, but this was tempered somewhat by not only what I witnessed on Saturday, but what was to come. On Monday, we had a little family get together to celebrate my little brother's first birthday, unfortunately he decided to choke on a crisp so now I'm fully aware of how to do the Heimlich manoeuvre on a baby, obviously pretty scary at the time.
Afterwards I met up with some uni mates in Camden for a few drinks, had a good bubble and it included one Mister Timothy Butt who had just got back from Portugal and who was racing (or meant to be) in the SERRL Stage Race. He's a good athlete and friend, but unfortunately he suffered a cardiac arrest the next day on Tuesday, fortunately the doctors have worked wonders and Tim is quite the fighter and he has finally awoken from intensive care today properly. This highlights the important work that the John Ibbotson Fund and C.R.Y. do in trying to increase the amount of testing done on young people to prevent such cases like Tim's and John's from happening.
Now I'm back sitting here in my house in France, alone, I wonder about the great moral lessons I maybe should have learnt, for me, it might be a little to close to home at the moment to really consider the questions and issues that inevitable raise themselves upon mere preponderance of the recent occurrences in my life. All I can think about though is thus, the Grim Reaper on closer inspection does not seem to possess the same sense of geniality as DEATH in Discworld.
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Marked out like a Lion on the Highveld by some Boers who has been killing some of their prized cattle
Unusual title, for an unusual man, but nonetheless I believe this idiom goes some way to describing the predicament that I found myself in on Sunday not to say I was suffering alone in such a situation and is highly representative of what cycling can degenerate too and has, is and will continued to be experienced by many cyclists.
Sunday, the weather was awful on a lovely 6.25km loop with 2 climbs on it, 16 laps in total and a 2/3/Junior race with about 80 competitors only 43 finished. Right from the beginning it was obvious that I was a marked man maybe because of my recent run of semi-decent results and the fact the course really suited a rider such as myself, especially because of the conditions also. I attempted to get away and establish breaks, but nothing was working, initially when I attacked on a few occasions some people who came across with me refused to work or do very little. On top of this, their team-mates back in the peloton would actively happy other teams who may have missed this move to chase me and my little group down, subsequently they would then launch counter-attacks over the top which were hard to cover, sadly at the end of the 5th lap this is what happened, a counter move was too hard to cover and follow by myself and so I missed the winning break of 18 riders.
What was happening was also happening to Sam Allen, but we both worked to bring the gap down to the break as both of our teams had missed the move as well as the fact we were both closely being watched, as a result one of Sam's team-mates used us as launchpad to get across with a couple of others to the winning move. Unfortunately none of my team-mates were able to thus making all that effort I put in a complete waste. The break quickly gained 45 seconds, me and Sam then tried to attack together to try and get away, but no-one was having any of it, so I said to myself that the only I was going to get away was to let a break go of a few good riders and just jump across, which with 4 laps to go happened. We then worked well, but with me doing most of the work of course, never really eating into the time of the break ahead, then with 1km to go of a draggy climb to the finish I attacked my group hard crossing the line in 19th.
Happy with how I felt and my tactics at the end of the race, but just annoyed that no-one on my team was in the physical condition to help thus causing me even more grief as less people would look at me to work if I had no team-mates present. My knee was quite sore and swollen in the race and after though.
After an epic road trip with Tony Mills I'm now back in the U.K. and having gone to the doctors I can now confirm that I've got mild tendinitis in my right knee so I am able to race still, but I've got to limit the amount of training I do as well as do some strengthening exercises for my knee and wear a support.
Now I'm looking forward to riding the S.E.R.R.L. Stage Race for Aprire Bicycles, my British team, where hopefully we can do some real damage and again I will marked out like a Lion on the Highveld by some Boers who has been killing some of their prized cattle.
I hope everyone else is good, chapeau to all for the Regional Champ results, some great performances and I hope everyone is enjoying the fantastic racing at the Giro.
Sunday, the weather was awful on a lovely 6.25km loop with 2 climbs on it, 16 laps in total and a 2/3/Junior race with about 80 competitors only 43 finished. Right from the beginning it was obvious that I was a marked man maybe because of my recent run of semi-decent results and the fact the course really suited a rider such as myself, especially because of the conditions also. I attempted to get away and establish breaks, but nothing was working, initially when I attacked on a few occasions some people who came across with me refused to work or do very little. On top of this, their team-mates back in the peloton would actively happy other teams who may have missed this move to chase me and my little group down, subsequently they would then launch counter-attacks over the top which were hard to cover, sadly at the end of the 5th lap this is what happened, a counter move was too hard to cover and follow by myself and so I missed the winning break of 18 riders.
What was happening was also happening to Sam Allen, but we both worked to bring the gap down to the break as both of our teams had missed the move as well as the fact we were both closely being watched, as a result one of Sam's team-mates used us as launchpad to get across with a couple of others to the winning move. Unfortunately none of my team-mates were able to thus making all that effort I put in a complete waste. The break quickly gained 45 seconds, me and Sam then tried to attack together to try and get away, but no-one was having any of it, so I said to myself that the only I was going to get away was to let a break go of a few good riders and just jump across, which with 4 laps to go happened. We then worked well, but with me doing most of the work of course, never really eating into the time of the break ahead, then with 1km to go of a draggy climb to the finish I attacked my group hard crossing the line in 19th.
Happy with how I felt and my tactics at the end of the race, but just annoyed that no-one on my team was in the physical condition to help thus causing me even more grief as less people would look at me to work if I had no team-mates present. My knee was quite sore and swollen in the race and after though.
After an epic road trip with Tony Mills I'm now back in the U.K. and having gone to the doctors I can now confirm that I've got mild tendinitis in my right knee so I am able to race still, but I've got to limit the amount of training I do as well as do some strengthening exercises for my knee and wear a support.
Now I'm looking forward to riding the S.E.R.R.L. Stage Race for Aprire Bicycles, my British team, where hopefully we can do some real damage and again I will marked out like a Lion on the Highveld by some Boers who has been killing some of their prized cattle.
I hope everyone else is good, chapeau to all for the Regional Champ results, some great performances and I hope everyone is enjoying the fantastic racing at the Giro.
Monday 13 May 2013
Sprinting 101
Well this Sunday I raced in La Boucles Serentaise a 1/2/3 race over 130km that also included within the race the Morbihan Championships and with this race as well being the only race on Sunday being one that cat.1 riders could race, this all guaranteed that it was going to be a highly motivated and strong field. It was pretty odd weather conditions throughout the race really, occasionally threatening to rain and did so a little about 20mins before the start, but never really materialising and mostly the race was competed under some Sun. Within half an hour I regretted wearing my waterproof plastic overshoes, my feet were really rather sweaty at the end, not pleasant at all.
Anyway the pace was high from the off and after 10km a break of 22 went off up the road because in the roller-coaster section someone dropped a wheel, I found myself a little too far back as the pace was so high in the preceding kilometres and with so many wanting to do well I thought there was no need to be any nearer the front than about 50th wheel out of the 130 who started. Unfortunately I was proven wrong and tried a good few times over the subsequent 6km to try and get across the 20/25 second gap that had quickly been pulled out, alas, to no avail.
After about 10km from the initial break happening the gap to the leaders quickly drew out to 50seconds/1min and everyone sat in for the test of Cote de Plumelec, but when we got the climb we were told by the motorbike that the leaders were still only 50 seconds in front, due to this many people began to attack and fly up Plumelec, I conserved my energy as at this stage as my right knee was hurting quite a bit and I just wanted to nurse it and myself round to the finish, but once I got over the top I felt great and I attempted on a couple of occasions to bridge across to a group of about 10 that had got away from the peloton on the Plumelec climb, but within 3km we were all back together with the same gaps between the lead group at 50secs that included Sma Allen and Doug Dewey and then the peloton.
Heading back towards the finishing circuits the peloton absolutely flew and I was beginning to feel better in my right knee as well as my whole body and so I began thinking about maybe grabbing a top 20.
Upon reaching the finishing circuits the peloton exploded, 6 x 5.5km, with a short sharp ramp and a long drag with a steep section of about 12% at the top as well as 800m of plain flat for the finishing straight, the finish loop was really interesting and perfect for me. Allied to this, I felt stronger and stronger as we went round the loops and as a result, I launched a 2 attacks of my own as well as getting in countless moves eventually bridging up to Doug and Sam's group, who had been jettisoned by the lead group on the finishing circuits, here's Doug with a his view on what happened, 'It split with about 4 laps to go I think and I went out the back door along with about 10 others I think.' So after what remained off the peloton joined us I tried to sit in as much as possible and save myself for the sprint.
Here's me leading one of the moves I got in.
Sadly I positioned myself about 2 places too far back in the final sweeping right-hander resulting in me getting blocked and not being able to sprint, to add insult to injury I was on the far-side from the judges and so even though I finished in line with the guy who got 24th, I was placed 29th and then the remaining numbers were obviously between me and 24th. If I was 2 places higher up in the right-hander I would have got a top-20, damn it.
I am unbelievably frustrated by this, but I've learnt something from it and so my toil was not wasted, it's just a shame that I couldn't really show what I was fully capable off that's all, but such is the nature of the beast. I'm just happy that my knee was not too bad and I didn't have to climb off like I said I would do to Hamish after an hour as well as the fact that as everyone is saying now I beginning to knock on the door of a decent result soon so hopefully that might come this Sunday, my last race in France for a bit as I'm returning to Britain straight after.
Out of the 130 starters only about 70 finished and less than 60 finished with the peloton or the winning group, this demonstrates somewhat how tough it was as does my Strava so get on it people and be nosy.
I hope everyone had a great weekend and I look forward to talking to you all from the comfort of Bexley!
Anyway the pace was high from the off and after 10km a break of 22 went off up the road because in the roller-coaster section someone dropped a wheel, I found myself a little too far back as the pace was so high in the preceding kilometres and with so many wanting to do well I thought there was no need to be any nearer the front than about 50th wheel out of the 130 who started. Unfortunately I was proven wrong and tried a good few times over the subsequent 6km to try and get across the 20/25 second gap that had quickly been pulled out, alas, to no avail.
After about 10km from the initial break happening the gap to the leaders quickly drew out to 50seconds/1min and everyone sat in for the test of Cote de Plumelec, but when we got the climb we were told by the motorbike that the leaders were still only 50 seconds in front, due to this many people began to attack and fly up Plumelec, I conserved my energy as at this stage as my right knee was hurting quite a bit and I just wanted to nurse it and myself round to the finish, but once I got over the top I felt great and I attempted on a couple of occasions to bridge across to a group of about 10 that had got away from the peloton on the Plumelec climb, but within 3km we were all back together with the same gaps between the lead group at 50secs that included Sma Allen and Doug Dewey and then the peloton.
Heading back towards the finishing circuits the peloton absolutely flew and I was beginning to feel better in my right knee as well as my whole body and so I began thinking about maybe grabbing a top 20.
Upon reaching the finishing circuits the peloton exploded, 6 x 5.5km, with a short sharp ramp and a long drag with a steep section of about 12% at the top as well as 800m of plain flat for the finishing straight, the finish loop was really interesting and perfect for me. Allied to this, I felt stronger and stronger as we went round the loops and as a result, I launched a 2 attacks of my own as well as getting in countless moves eventually bridging up to Doug and Sam's group, who had been jettisoned by the lead group on the finishing circuits, here's Doug with a his view on what happened, 'It split with about 4 laps to go I think and I went out the back door along with about 10 others I think.' So after what remained off the peloton joined us I tried to sit in as much as possible and save myself for the sprint.
Here's me leading one of the moves I got in.
Sadly I positioned myself about 2 places too far back in the final sweeping right-hander resulting in me getting blocked and not being able to sprint, to add insult to injury I was on the far-side from the judges and so even though I finished in line with the guy who got 24th, I was placed 29th and then the remaining numbers were obviously between me and 24th. If I was 2 places higher up in the right-hander I would have got a top-20, damn it.
I am unbelievably frustrated by this, but I've learnt something from it and so my toil was not wasted, it's just a shame that I couldn't really show what I was fully capable off that's all, but such is the nature of the beast. I'm just happy that my knee was not too bad and I didn't have to climb off like I said I would do to Hamish after an hour as well as the fact that as everyone is saying now I beginning to knock on the door of a decent result soon so hopefully that might come this Sunday, my last race in France for a bit as I'm returning to Britain straight after.
Out of the 130 starters only about 70 finished and less than 60 finished with the peloton or the winning group, this demonstrates somewhat how tough it was as does my Strava so get on it people and be nosy.
I hope everyone had a great weekend and I look forward to talking to you all from the comfort of Bexley!
Wednesday 8 May 2013
Another solid performance
Today was the last in La Trophee Job Morvan (a former local pro) a series of 4 races for 2/3/Juniors where I have previously DNSed in the first race, DNFed in the second and DNSed in the third, so it was safe to say for this round at Plumelin I might not be the most closely watched. It was very active from the off and began to light drizzle soon after we started. After lots of attacks and the peloton repeatedly splitting a group of 8 finely got away on a pretty innocuous section after about 40mins, within 10km this gap had grown to about 25seconds. Fortunately there was not pressure on my squad to chase as one of our team-members was in the break, however he also happened to be one of our weakest riders. I did panic thinking the break would stay away, but fortunately we came to a section of the road that I know exceedingly well from training and racing. The peloton went fast up the main climb in the Camors Interclub that I raced as my first French race and then continued down a fast technical descent once over the top, but by the top a further split occurred. Fortunately only a little one of about 10 seconds and here I jumped across with the series leader on the descent to this little group that had clipped off. The rest of the peloton made the juncture to us by the bottom, but here we immediately hit another, sharp climb, where I nailed it up and over. I then preceded to hammer this nail down the otherside of the hill and up the next one too eventually closing the 25 second gap in about 3km which wasn't too bad. Unit!
Within the next 5km some others managed to join us as at this point we were riding on the hilliest section of the race and it had began to rain cats and dgos, but once we numbered about 20 we had a 50 second to a minute gap over the peloton, goodnight Paris. The break consisted of a few good individual riders, with no team-mates and decent riders with one other team-mate also present for them, so very finely balanced. We worked well until the finishing circuits where all hell broke loose. Unfortunately for me, my team-mate was actually more of hindrance than anything as he was at the back doing sod all, because of the fact that there was 2 of us in the break and me being considered one of the better riders in the move, anytime someone attacked they expected one of us to do something. However my team-mate Stephane was in no fit state to do anything.
We had to ride 10x4.2km laps of a rolling, open circuit, ideal for me really, but this did not quite prove to be the case. 2 got away after 2 laps and about a lap later the eventual winner went, no one was really keen to help catch them due to concerns over others as well as the fact that they never got more than 15 seconds until the last few laps, we were all trying to be a bit too clever. People were being dropped from the group all the time, Stephane went with 3 laps still go and with 2 laps to go everyone from the break just started to attack each other, I missed the next move that decided 3rd-6th as one of the original break of 2 riders who went at the beginning of finishing circuits went kaputt. 2 then clipped off to get 7th and 8th whilst I was just pipped for 9th. End result 10th when really I could or should have got a top 5, finishing only 30 seconds down on the winner so I know how close I came. Saying that on the finish picture from Sunday's race you can see me dying at 75m to go mark when the winner was crossing the line so I actually came closer in some ways to winning on Sunday.
Me being pipped to 9th
I'm just chuffed with how I rode, the great sensations on the new bike and minimal pain and stiffness in my knee. Hopefully I can get a podium next time and my knee keeps on improving, but I must apologise to Sebastien, my team president, for failing to win today even though he said I could and should do yesterday. Hamish came in a credible 21st.
After the race we had the prize-giving presentations where I'm pleased to say we won the overall team classification. As a result we got lots of beer, posh glasses, trophies and t-shirts to be shared amongst. I got given one of the glasses and a top, yes Nan; another one, it's nice to have and a proper t-shirt that you are supposed to wear out, not a top with the race sprawled across it with all the sponsors etc... It seems to celebrate Breton pride (I think) and the company was established in 1996 according to the graphics on the t-shirt, a year that still brings many highs and lows for me as in an instance I'm transported to Euro 96 and this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr__-KqnfQM
Pretty apt to be honest as today I wore my England football shirt in recognition of the fact that today was Armistice Day in France, celebrating the liberation of France by the Allied Forces.
Congratulations must go to Sam Allen for his 8th in La Essor Breton E/1/2 Stage Race in the overall and get better soon George Moore.
My next race will be Sunday, but I don't know anything other than it's this Sunday until then I will be enjoying the day-to-day delights of the Giro d'Italia!
The second greatest manager in the English game has finally departed, I admire his achievements and how nice he was to me at the Valley, but I will never forgive him or Man Utd for beating Charlton in 1999 in the last minute of the game, a Dwight Yorke far post header in case your wondering. I say the second best because Paisley would be my choice.
Very brave from Jason Collins to come out as gay, I have a huge amount of respect for him as it can not be easy.
For those who want to keep up-to-date on what I'm doing more and see what racing over-here is really like follow me on Strava or Twitter or add me on Facebook, where I will be publishing Garmin information on these formats for all to see.
Stay safe everyone
Within the next 5km some others managed to join us as at this point we were riding on the hilliest section of the race and it had began to rain cats and dgos, but once we numbered about 20 we had a 50 second to a minute gap over the peloton, goodnight Paris. The break consisted of a few good individual riders, with no team-mates and decent riders with one other team-mate also present for them, so very finely balanced. We worked well until the finishing circuits where all hell broke loose. Unfortunately for me, my team-mate was actually more of hindrance than anything as he was at the back doing sod all, because of the fact that there was 2 of us in the break and me being considered one of the better riders in the move, anytime someone attacked they expected one of us to do something. However my team-mate Stephane was in no fit state to do anything.
We had to ride 10x4.2km laps of a rolling, open circuit, ideal for me really, but this did not quite prove to be the case. 2 got away after 2 laps and about a lap later the eventual winner went, no one was really keen to help catch them due to concerns over others as well as the fact that they never got more than 15 seconds until the last few laps, we were all trying to be a bit too clever. People were being dropped from the group all the time, Stephane went with 3 laps still go and with 2 laps to go everyone from the break just started to attack each other, I missed the next move that decided 3rd-6th as one of the original break of 2 riders who went at the beginning of finishing circuits went kaputt. 2 then clipped off to get 7th and 8th whilst I was just pipped for 9th. End result 10th when really I could or should have got a top 5, finishing only 30 seconds down on the winner so I know how close I came. Saying that on the finish picture from Sunday's race you can see me dying at 75m to go mark when the winner was crossing the line so I actually came closer in some ways to winning on Sunday.
Me being pipped to 9th
I'm just chuffed with how I rode, the great sensations on the new bike and minimal pain and stiffness in my knee. Hopefully I can get a podium next time and my knee keeps on improving, but I must apologise to Sebastien, my team president, for failing to win today even though he said I could and should do yesterday. Hamish came in a credible 21st.
After the race we had the prize-giving presentations where I'm pleased to say we won the overall team classification. As a result we got lots of beer, posh glasses, trophies and t-shirts to be shared amongst. I got given one of the glasses and a top, yes Nan; another one, it's nice to have and a proper t-shirt that you are supposed to wear out, not a top with the race sprawled across it with all the sponsors etc... It seems to celebrate Breton pride (I think) and the company was established in 1996 according to the graphics on the t-shirt, a year that still brings many highs and lows for me as in an instance I'm transported to Euro 96 and this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr__-KqnfQM
Pretty apt to be honest as today I wore my England football shirt in recognition of the fact that today was Armistice Day in France, celebrating the liberation of France by the Allied Forces.
Congratulations must go to Sam Allen for his 8th in La Essor Breton E/1/2 Stage Race in the overall and get better soon George Moore.
My next race will be Sunday, but I don't know anything other than it's this Sunday until then I will be enjoying the day-to-day delights of the Giro d'Italia!
The second greatest manager in the English game has finally departed, I admire his achievements and how nice he was to me at the Valley, but I will never forgive him or Man Utd for beating Charlton in 1999 in the last minute of the game, a Dwight Yorke far post header in case your wondering. I say the second best because Paisley would be my choice.
Very brave from Jason Collins to come out as gay, I have a huge amount of respect for him as it can not be easy.
For those who want to keep up-to-date on what I'm doing more and see what racing over-here is really like follow me on Strava or Twitter or add me on Facebook, where I will be publishing Garmin information on these formats for all to see.
Stay safe everyone
Sunday 5 May 2013
A fight, my knee and some racing
Well, as you all know I wrote my last blog at little earlier than usual due to me pulling out of Saturday's race and thus not competing on the Sunday. Unfortunately I had jumped the gun a bit early for not only did George grab another third, but also I missed out on telling you about the fight between two old blokes, one a marshal, another a parent. It was quite funny really, but both pugilists did draw blood and hit the deck so if ever the stereotype that the French don't fight was destroyed then this was the act that did so. It did look a bit like the below clip though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CobZuaPMQHw
I saw the osteopath on Tuesday, who did a great job of pulling me about, he confirmed that it was water retention on the knee and that I gradually had to build my training and racing so I missed Saturday's race and rode for an hour gently on Thursday and for an hour and 30mins on Saturday, not wanting to push it. Sadly though I couldn't do the 1/2/3 stage race I had initially been entered for, very disappointing, nonetheless there was a good race on Sunday, today, La Route de Megalithes, a 2/3/Junior race with a fantastic sounding name.
I pleased to say my knee dealt with the race admirably, especially as I asked so much of it with a very attacking display, sadly I could only manage 13th, I was certainly capable of a top 10, but just positioned myself slightly incorrectly in the final 800m. Nevermind and I still performed well for my first race back from the little lay off. The race was quite short only 106km and with very little wind and a relatively flat circuit, or the big 60km first loop was at least, by Breton standards and a small field of about 100 it failed to break-up until the finishing circuits which consisted of going down the hill, round the bottom and up the hill to to the top of town by the church. 8 laps of this 5km (approx.) was cycled and it smashed the peloton into pieces continually, but a small group of about 25 still contested the finish. It was a very exciting, attacking race and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I thought today was scorching, however I am going to do a stage race in Provence in mid-June and I fear I might just melt there.
Hamish did a good performance today too, finishing just behind.
Me at the race on the new machine
Also congratulations to the English boys that competed in La Catonale, particularly Nick and Harry from my British team, Aprire Bicycles who seemed to put in some solid performances in that race today, I hope they loved the continental experience as much as I am. I have also got my new bike sorted out courtsey of Aprire Bicycles, I'm now riding the 2013 Aprire Celeste, a great bike judging by today's ride and hopefully I'll be winning on it soon enough.
Now I'm just going to relax with the cat until Wednesday or Marie returns from Paris, which ever one comes first, as that is when I will next be racing.
I wish everyone well, bonne courage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CobZuaPMQHw
I saw the osteopath on Tuesday, who did a great job of pulling me about, he confirmed that it was water retention on the knee and that I gradually had to build my training and racing so I missed Saturday's race and rode for an hour gently on Thursday and for an hour and 30mins on Saturday, not wanting to push it. Sadly though I couldn't do the 1/2/3 stage race I had initially been entered for, very disappointing, nonetheless there was a good race on Sunday, today, La Route de Megalithes, a 2/3/Junior race with a fantastic sounding name.
I pleased to say my knee dealt with the race admirably, especially as I asked so much of it with a very attacking display, sadly I could only manage 13th, I was certainly capable of a top 10, but just positioned myself slightly incorrectly in the final 800m. Nevermind and I still performed well for my first race back from the little lay off. The race was quite short only 106km and with very little wind and a relatively flat circuit, or the big 60km first loop was at least, by Breton standards and a small field of about 100 it failed to break-up until the finishing circuits which consisted of going down the hill, round the bottom and up the hill to to the top of town by the church. 8 laps of this 5km (approx.) was cycled and it smashed the peloton into pieces continually, but a small group of about 25 still contested the finish. It was a very exciting, attacking race and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I thought today was scorching, however I am going to do a stage race in Provence in mid-June and I fear I might just melt there.
Hamish did a good performance today too, finishing just behind.
Me at the race on the new machine
Also congratulations to the English boys that competed in La Catonale, particularly Nick and Harry from my British team, Aprire Bicycles who seemed to put in some solid performances in that race today, I hope they loved the continental experience as much as I am. I have also got my new bike sorted out courtsey of Aprire Bicycles, I'm now riding the 2013 Aprire Celeste, a great bike judging by today's ride and hopefully I'll be winning on it soon enough.
Now I'm just going to relax with the cat until Wednesday or Marie returns from Paris, which ever one comes first, as that is when I will next be racing.
I wish everyone well, bonne courage.
Saturday 27 April 2013
The difference between stoicism and being a tool
I am writing this blog post a little earlier than normal due to the simple fact that I only raced today and sadly will not be partaking in tomorrow's planned race, this is because I am stubborn man who really should know better with my vast experience in sport over the years. I picked a niggle in my right knee a couple of weeks ago, I R.I.C.E.d it for a bit and continued training and racing as per normal on it, with only ill effects shown after a hard/long ride. However one should never ignore such an issue as it will comeback to haunt you one day and it will simply not just go away, not when someone like myself is asking so much of my body each day. My day of reckoning was today and after about two-thirds of the race completed in what was left of the bunch, it had split into three distinct groups after about 3 laps, I called it a day as the niggle had become more persistent and was now actually affecting me riding the bike. I believe there are 2 reasons for this, one old shoes and second, just straining the tendon, but we will have to see what the osteopath says when I see him this week.
Today was a 2/3/Junior race 16x6km laps, windy and quite flat so made for me really, as stated above I did not/could not perform, fortunately there are many good lads out here on tour with me to more than make up for my flaccidity with an all-British podium. Sam Allen won, Doug Dewey got second and George Moore got third, all great rides by the fellas who would definitely pick up some decent awards and nicknames at uni for their performances recently. Due to this though I feel I would win an award out here in France that I became synonymous with during my time at Swansea, that of 'Being the biggest wet cock', something that I rather would not happen.
During the week George's Mum, Dad and his Dad's parents came to stay as it was Monsieur Tash's birthday thanks to them for the lovely meal they all took us to on Thursday evening and Friday's lunch at their gite.
I will keep you all updated on my knee situation, I hope all is going well over in Britain or wherever you may be. I'm off to watch some stuff to cheer me up, Arturo 'Thunder Gatti vs 'Irish' Mickey Ward springs to mind as does the Flight of the Conchords, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmDTSQtK20c.
Bonne Courage
Today was a 2/3/Junior race 16x6km laps, windy and quite flat so made for me really, as stated above I did not/could not perform, fortunately there are many good lads out here on tour with me to more than make up for my flaccidity with an all-British podium. Sam Allen won, Doug Dewey got second and George Moore got third, all great rides by the fellas who would definitely pick up some decent awards and nicknames at uni for their performances recently. Due to this though I feel I would win an award out here in France that I became synonymous with during my time at Swansea, that of 'Being the biggest wet cock', something that I rather would not happen.
During the week George's Mum, Dad and his Dad's parents came to stay as it was Monsieur Tash's birthday thanks to them for the lovely meal they all took us to on Thursday evening and Friday's lunch at their gite.
I will keep you all updated on my knee situation, I hope all is going well over in Britain or wherever you may be. I'm off to watch some stuff to cheer me up, Arturo 'Thunder Gatti vs 'Irish' Mickey Ward springs to mind as does the Flight of the Conchords, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmDTSQtK20c.
Bonne Courage
Monday 22 April 2013
Short and sweet
Hi Ladies and Lads, the week just gone has been quite a good one for me, as now I have finally taken delivery of my Aprire Celeste frameset, which is currently getting built up at the local bike shop, Macarini's and just a solid week of hard training with nothing really going wrong. Here in Brittany, we have been blessed with some warmer temperatures too making the whole experience and series of sensations this week much more pleasant, on a side note, my tanlines have come on leaps and bounds drawing many an envious and admiring glance.
I had the one race this week on the Sunday, Le Ronde de Poerhut, a 1/2/3 race covering 134km. The race was rapid from the off as the weather was good and very little wind. There was lots of activity at the front of the bunch with lots of breaks constantly going and coming back with nothing properly sticking until a break went with about 8km before the finishing circuits, 9 laps of 7.5km on a tough, draggy route. I was nearly in this break and could go with the first time, however when they stuck their heads down and went for it a second time I just didn't have the legs. That's the difference compared to most British races, as in the latter you only need to launch the once, you don't necessarily always have to go again on top off the initial attack.
Once on to the finishing circuits the peloton stayed pretty much together until about 2 and half laps in when all hell broke loose and lots of little groups were breaking away, re-forming, all very liquid. I ended up in a group with George where we sat in thinking we were going to sprint for about 20th place at best, at worst 30th. The rest of our group also seemed to think this too and so the sprint was quite keenly contested. unfortunately the sprint was at the top of a hill, albeit not a serious one and I made the cardinal sin of launching my sprint too early, with about 200/250m to go. I was winning the sprint and then cramp hit my thighs with 100m to go and so I had to try and sprint sitting down. At this point a couple of riders come flying past, including one who was trying to do his best Theo Bos impression, George. He won the sprint, I think, but sadly for us it was not for 20th or 30th, but 40th and so that's where he came and I finished in 44th. Sam Allen and Doug Dewey had great races finishing 10th and 3rd respectively.
My Pinarello held up well during the race and hopefully I can continue with another good block of training and being able to race without any issues, this will definitely help with the new bike and then when I finally get the bearings for the Reynolds front wheel, then I should be really flying.
In other related news this week I haven't had the opportunity to conduct as many discussion with Marie as I would like, but French is gradually becoming easier and I can get my point across, though ruefully, in quite a barbaric manner, not only with my heavy English accent, but using the infinitive form of words and roughly describing the actions of an object, for example, that I am attempting to describe. Hopefully my advances in French won't be disrupted by me beginning a new book after finally getting over Captain Scott's fateful journal, this book is called The Balkans 1804-1999 by Misha Glenny. I initially began to read this about two years ago, however it had to be put on the back-burner due to my degree and the necessary reading for it getting in the way. From what I remember it was great read, however I did only read 120 pages out of the nearly 700 so I can not really judge yet.
I hope everyone is well and their racing is going great too, congratulations to Graham Howell on his first win of the year also.
Another great week of professional road racing this week, it's just a shame that we didn't get to see the anticipated showdown between Nibali and Wiggins, but it only makes me pine for the Giro to start as soon as possible especially with Hesjedal return to form as demonstrated by Martin's win at La Doyenne yesterday.
Check out Graham Howell's and Verity Ockenden's blog, they've written some great, interesting pieces that are nowhere as disjointed as this blog entry.
I had the one race this week on the Sunday, Le Ronde de Poerhut, a 1/2/3 race covering 134km. The race was rapid from the off as the weather was good and very little wind. There was lots of activity at the front of the bunch with lots of breaks constantly going and coming back with nothing properly sticking until a break went with about 8km before the finishing circuits, 9 laps of 7.5km on a tough, draggy route. I was nearly in this break and could go with the first time, however when they stuck their heads down and went for it a second time I just didn't have the legs. That's the difference compared to most British races, as in the latter you only need to launch the once, you don't necessarily always have to go again on top off the initial attack.
Once on to the finishing circuits the peloton stayed pretty much together until about 2 and half laps in when all hell broke loose and lots of little groups were breaking away, re-forming, all very liquid. I ended up in a group with George where we sat in thinking we were going to sprint for about 20th place at best, at worst 30th. The rest of our group also seemed to think this too and so the sprint was quite keenly contested. unfortunately the sprint was at the top of a hill, albeit not a serious one and I made the cardinal sin of launching my sprint too early, with about 200/250m to go. I was winning the sprint and then cramp hit my thighs with 100m to go and so I had to try and sprint sitting down. At this point a couple of riders come flying past, including one who was trying to do his best Theo Bos impression, George. He won the sprint, I think, but sadly for us it was not for 20th or 30th, but 40th and so that's where he came and I finished in 44th. Sam Allen and Doug Dewey had great races finishing 10th and 3rd respectively.
My Pinarello held up well during the race and hopefully I can continue with another good block of training and being able to race without any issues, this will definitely help with the new bike and then when I finally get the bearings for the Reynolds front wheel, then I should be really flying.
In other related news this week I haven't had the opportunity to conduct as many discussion with Marie as I would like, but French is gradually becoming easier and I can get my point across, though ruefully, in quite a barbaric manner, not only with my heavy English accent, but using the infinitive form of words and roughly describing the actions of an object, for example, that I am attempting to describe. Hopefully my advances in French won't be disrupted by me beginning a new book after finally getting over Captain Scott's fateful journal, this book is called The Balkans 1804-1999 by Misha Glenny. I initially began to read this about two years ago, however it had to be put on the back-burner due to my degree and the necessary reading for it getting in the way. From what I remember it was great read, however I did only read 120 pages out of the nearly 700 so I can not really judge yet.
I hope everyone is well and their racing is going great too, congratulations to Graham Howell on his first win of the year also.
Another great week of professional road racing this week, it's just a shame that we didn't get to see the anticipated showdown between Nibali and Wiggins, but it only makes me pine for the Giro to start as soon as possible especially with Hesjedal return to form as demonstrated by Martin's win at La Doyenne yesterday.
Check out Graham Howell's and Verity Ockenden's blog, they've written some great, interesting pieces that are nowhere as disjointed as this blog entry.
Tuesday 16 April 2013
The French, bonne chance et malchance
This post is a mixed bag really involving many different emotions and covering differing subjects, but as ever I am going to start this chronologically and so it begins with Marie. She and I have both decided to try have a proper sit down discussion each day to improve on each other's respective language skills of the other peron's language. This has been highly enjoyable and is really eye-opening on so many different levels, certainly how the French view us, the English/British and themselves. Firstly the French look at the English and to some degree the rest of the British Isles to be Norse and do actually refer to us as being such, not just that we are closely related or that we have similar cultural and lingistical aspects, this I find absolutely fascinating and goes some way to explaining why the French view us the way they do. They see us as very different to themselves and in view us in the usual British/English stereotypes, proper, slightly cold etc... what's interesting though is how much this is all reflected in the languages and everyday speaking. When a Frenchman asks a question, half the time they will miss out the beginning question word/s and the establishment of context, they presume you should be able to answer and recognise that's it's a question in the first place, just by the slight inflexion at the end of a sentence. It's quite off-hand and has made learning French even more of a struggle. Whilst in Britain, we mostly or always use question words to ask a question because how can you ask a question without them? It's just a statement otherwise surely?
What the French think of themselves is interesting too because they also see themselves as uncommunicative and not just with foreigners, but to each other, having said this nearly everyone I have met as made a real effort to communicate with me. On the otherhand though whilst us English will usually slow down and pronounce words correctly to help foreigners who are struggling with speaking English, the French don't really seem to embrace this attitude, what they will do is try to say what they are saying in as many different ways as possible until we get something. Any of them that do speak English will readily employ as much as they know for us during conversations which is most welcomed, though since I arrived I have been surprised by either the amount of French that do not speak any English or necessarily any other language, this makes me think that Brits are not quite as ignorant of other languages as before, but only slightly.
On to the racing, I picked up my first top 10 on Saturday coming 9th in G.P. Peaule 2/3/Juniors, a very stormy day, the race was held on a square-ish 4.5km circuit around town, with a long draggy hill in it that came in 2 stages. We had to do 22 laps altogether. I was in every move in the race except the one that got away and would contain a good few of the top 10, someone in about 8th wheel for no real reason put the brakes on literally, allowing a group of 7 to go up the road, I was 20th wheel at the time. This was with about 10 laps to go, with lots of the favourites markking each other and racing so hard earlier to try and get away, as well as most of the decent teams represented in the break, there was no real concerted effort to chase. Sam Allen managed to jump across to that group and then take a great win, unfortunately I just didn't have the legs to go with Sam thus costing me a higher position, which on balance I should have got. Anyway I sat in for the sprint and got 9th, not too bad, though I should have gone earlier as many from the break were crawling across the line as I was finishing. Pleased, but also this performance was tempered by disappointment at not getting as high a placing as I should have done.
Nevertheless after yesterday's performance I was feeling confident about the Bignan race also 2/3/Juniors, this race was longer than Saturday's totalling 120km and a lot hillier, including going up Plumelec Hill from two different sides. Anyway today was lovely day with not as strong winds as the day before, therefore I switched to my deeper section wheels. Unfortunately this would prove to be my downfall as the front wheel has some bearing issue, these are getting replaced however the new bearings have not arrived yet, still I thought it would be fine to continue using the deeper front wheel until the new bearings came. This was not that case as at the beginning of the race I felt rubbish and like I was cycling through treacle, no where near as easy as the previous day's performance felt. I believed I was having an off day, however on a big climb about 55mins, this is where the peloton really shattered, I was alright postionallly, but it felt so difficult cycling up the hill and my front wheel was giving me real cause for concern actively resisting me. I changed the wheel at the top of the climb, but I had to wait a good while before the car got to me because of how strung out the peloton was (incidentally Sunday's race had a lot of starters, close to 200). I changed the front wheel and chased back on to the peloton. Sadly, the race had well and truly gone from me at this point, so all I could make sure to do was get in the next move and make it as good a training session as possible, so I drove the break finishin 62nd.
Another thing that made me even angrier than my front wheel bearings completely going was the fact that Sebastien, the team president, discovered that my Pinarello has two cracks either side of the cranks and bottom bracket. Sunday was certainly a black day for me. On top of this I've got some swelling on my right knee, but this has really gone done now with some R.I.C.E.
Nevermind, it is all a learning experience and hopefully no more bad luck occurs, now I've only got one race this week, another 2/3/Juniors where I hope I can really perform.
Hope you are all well and enjoying what little Sun that has managed to shine through.
What the French think of themselves is interesting too because they also see themselves as uncommunicative and not just with foreigners, but to each other, having said this nearly everyone I have met as made a real effort to communicate with me. On the otherhand though whilst us English will usually slow down and pronounce words correctly to help foreigners who are struggling with speaking English, the French don't really seem to embrace this attitude, what they will do is try to say what they are saying in as many different ways as possible until we get something. Any of them that do speak English will readily employ as much as they know for us during conversations which is most welcomed, though since I arrived I have been surprised by either the amount of French that do not speak any English or necessarily any other language, this makes me think that Brits are not quite as ignorant of other languages as before, but only slightly.
On to the racing, I picked up my first top 10 on Saturday coming 9th in G.P. Peaule 2/3/Juniors, a very stormy day, the race was held on a square-ish 4.5km circuit around town, with a long draggy hill in it that came in 2 stages. We had to do 22 laps altogether. I was in every move in the race except the one that got away and would contain a good few of the top 10, someone in about 8th wheel for no real reason put the brakes on literally, allowing a group of 7 to go up the road, I was 20th wheel at the time. This was with about 10 laps to go, with lots of the favourites markking each other and racing so hard earlier to try and get away, as well as most of the decent teams represented in the break, there was no real concerted effort to chase. Sam Allen managed to jump across to that group and then take a great win, unfortunately I just didn't have the legs to go with Sam thus costing me a higher position, which on balance I should have got. Anyway I sat in for the sprint and got 9th, not too bad, though I should have gone earlier as many from the break were crawling across the line as I was finishing. Pleased, but also this performance was tempered by disappointment at not getting as high a placing as I should have done.
Nevertheless after yesterday's performance I was feeling confident about the Bignan race also 2/3/Juniors, this race was longer than Saturday's totalling 120km and a lot hillier, including going up Plumelec Hill from two different sides. Anyway today was lovely day with not as strong winds as the day before, therefore I switched to my deeper section wheels. Unfortunately this would prove to be my downfall as the front wheel has some bearing issue, these are getting replaced however the new bearings have not arrived yet, still I thought it would be fine to continue using the deeper front wheel until the new bearings came. This was not that case as at the beginning of the race I felt rubbish and like I was cycling through treacle, no where near as easy as the previous day's performance felt. I believed I was having an off day, however on a big climb about 55mins, this is where the peloton really shattered, I was alright postionallly, but it felt so difficult cycling up the hill and my front wheel was giving me real cause for concern actively resisting me. I changed the wheel at the top of the climb, but I had to wait a good while before the car got to me because of how strung out the peloton was (incidentally Sunday's race had a lot of starters, close to 200). I changed the front wheel and chased back on to the peloton. Sadly, the race had well and truly gone from me at this point, so all I could make sure to do was get in the next move and make it as good a training session as possible, so I drove the break finishin 62nd.
Another thing that made me even angrier than my front wheel bearings completely going was the fact that Sebastien, the team president, discovered that my Pinarello has two cracks either side of the cranks and bottom bracket. Sunday was certainly a black day for me. On top of this I've got some swelling on my right knee, but this has really gone done now with some R.I.C.E.
Nevermind, it is all a learning experience and hopefully no more bad luck occurs, now I've only got one race this week, another 2/3/Juniors where I hope I can really perform.
Hope you are all well and enjoying what little Sun that has managed to shine through.
Monday 8 April 2013
Heavy (but not the Dizzee Rascal/Chase & Status song)
This blog will be pretty loaded and heavy so best be prepared, firstly I must of course mention the death of Thatcher, I certainly did not agree with many of her policies as many do not, but even though I and many of my family are socialist or possess socialist leanings, including myself, there is still a great amount of respect for her and what she did. This is because she believed in her convictions, stood by many of her descisions and wanted to do her very best for Britain as well as breaking down so many barriers by becoming Britain's first woman Prime Minister. Many people point to fashion, music and trends to define the '80's, but these tell you all you need to know about the far-reaching pull that Thatcher had during a turbulent period in Britain's history. From Punk in the late '70's to the early '80's, the Ska movement and the New Romantics, all these reference Thatcher. The rise of the Yuppies and the 'Loadsamoney' figures, her refusal to bow to the I.R.A., miners, the Soviets, the Argentines etc... (the list gets quite long), Thatcher changed Britain directly socially and cultrally as well as politcally and economically showing a profund reach that many politicians simply do not have today, have not had in yesteryear and will not ever have. The Iron Lady changed Britain fundementally and that she was still being discussed regularly even after her retirement as MP shows just how far-reaching her policies and her character was. She was a giant that bestrode global politics who tried to solve the many problems that were deeply inflicting Britain and the world, at least Scargill has finally beaten her, I wouldn't be surprised if he dies soon too as I suspect his only reason for living over these past couple of years was just so that he could finally beat at something.
I think the fact that Thatcher's legacy has always been discussed is testament to her really because Tony Blair, the more recent PM who served only a year and half less as PM as Thatcher, and his legacy is not discussed as much in comparison I feel. Spitting Image put it perfectly in this little piece, though it obviously refers to her ousting when she was PM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1jY5fYjV-U
With regards to my previous post it drew much attention some positive and some negative, including Verity, who said that I simply had not gone far enough in that I didn't call for podium girls to be got rid of in future cycling events. My reply was that this is simply to radical, not for me, but society, especially captialism and by getting rid of podium girls you are beginning to unravel the thread of the fashion industry that is entwined with other threads that make up the rope of capitalism. The problem is more profund when unravelling the thread of fashion as this represents the epitome of capitalism and everything it stands for, a greed, a wanting, all objects and lifestyles that are unattainable to the masses and more importantly, useless. Podium girls are the personification of this, I am not having a go at them per se, but the occupation and so that is why I feel I could not suggest such an idea, it is too big with too many vested interests.
I rested up this week, starting training on the turbo on Wednesday and training on the turbo everyday except Saturday because of the weather being so poor and my cold. I then looked forward to my first race back on Sunday, 18 laps of a flat and open 5.5km course, a 2/3/Junior race, the second in a series of 4 races that began the previous Sunday, yes that's right I missed the first one. As George came second last week in Sunday's race he was also second in the G.C. so we believed, quite rightly, that the whole team would be working on behalf of George, unfortunately only me and Hamish did. After a couple of laps a break went of about 10 containing 3 of our teammates as well as the overall leader, they stayed away till the finish much to our collective dismay, I was riding strong all race, but I punctured with 4 laps to go, race over, very gutting. The peloton subsequently split into two with George the right side of the split this time and Hamish the wrong side, George eventually came over in about twenth, putting in fifth in the G.C. and Hamish rolled over in about 30th. The weather was good with a fair wind, nothing else to note really.
In stark constrast Monday's race was abysmal with a strong wind and heavy, sudden downpours, though the course was relatively well sheltered. It was a 1/2/3 race over 36 laps of a 3.5km course right by the coast, flat again, but with a good 2.7km of it on crap roads so us riders got very muddy in deed. Feeling completely fine during the race, was near the front, in all the moves etc... but then disaster struck with about 20 laps left, my rear skewer undone itself slightly when I hit a big bump in the road. I stopped and put it right however I was never going to get back to the peloton so I took a lap and was forced to join the peloton. This was rather annoying as a big split occured on the lap I sat out with about 25 riders going clear, including George, I tried to get across a couple of times, but to no avail, as did Hamish, but then eventually I got in the right move, three of us, including Sam Allen worked well to bridge across the gap to the lead group that got to a minute at one point. It took us a bout 4 laps to get across, but we did. What helped was this group had slowed as a group of nine guys had jumped away with about 6 laps remaining and the others that were left were all fried. It came down to a sprint for 10th place, unfortunately I chose the wrong line and got boxed in slgithly, but that's sprinting, still I managed to get 17th. George finished just behind me in 20th and Hamish came in with the peloton in 37th. A good weekend of racing considering that disaster struck in both races, but I took away a lot from all of them and I am just happy that I am now fully recovered from my illness.
Results for Monday's race are here http://www.directvelo.com/actualite/25394-grand-prix-rene-le-mene-a-crac-h-classement.html
Again fantastic international racing this week in both the men's and women's side of cycling it really has been entertaining and is a great advertisement for the sport.
The next race will be Saturday, so until then I bid all of you a due. Thanks for reading and rememeber, don't give up.
Me with Sam Allen and some French gezzer jumping across to the break at Crac'h
I think the fact that Thatcher's legacy has always been discussed is testament to her really because Tony Blair, the more recent PM who served only a year and half less as PM as Thatcher, and his legacy is not discussed as much in comparison I feel. Spitting Image put it perfectly in this little piece, though it obviously refers to her ousting when she was PM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1jY5fYjV-U
With regards to my previous post it drew much attention some positive and some negative, including Verity, who said that I simply had not gone far enough in that I didn't call for podium girls to be got rid of in future cycling events. My reply was that this is simply to radical, not for me, but society, especially captialism and by getting rid of podium girls you are beginning to unravel the thread of the fashion industry that is entwined with other threads that make up the rope of capitalism. The problem is more profund when unravelling the thread of fashion as this represents the epitome of capitalism and everything it stands for, a greed, a wanting, all objects and lifestyles that are unattainable to the masses and more importantly, useless. Podium girls are the personification of this, I am not having a go at them per se, but the occupation and so that is why I feel I could not suggest such an idea, it is too big with too many vested interests.
I rested up this week, starting training on the turbo on Wednesday and training on the turbo everyday except Saturday because of the weather being so poor and my cold. I then looked forward to my first race back on Sunday, 18 laps of a flat and open 5.5km course, a 2/3/Junior race, the second in a series of 4 races that began the previous Sunday, yes that's right I missed the first one. As George came second last week in Sunday's race he was also second in the G.C. so we believed, quite rightly, that the whole team would be working on behalf of George, unfortunately only me and Hamish did. After a couple of laps a break went of about 10 containing 3 of our teammates as well as the overall leader, they stayed away till the finish much to our collective dismay, I was riding strong all race, but I punctured with 4 laps to go, race over, very gutting. The peloton subsequently split into two with George the right side of the split this time and Hamish the wrong side, George eventually came over in about twenth, putting in fifth in the G.C. and Hamish rolled over in about 30th. The weather was good with a fair wind, nothing else to note really.
In stark constrast Monday's race was abysmal with a strong wind and heavy, sudden downpours, though the course was relatively well sheltered. It was a 1/2/3 race over 36 laps of a 3.5km course right by the coast, flat again, but with a good 2.7km of it on crap roads so us riders got very muddy in deed. Feeling completely fine during the race, was near the front, in all the moves etc... but then disaster struck with about 20 laps left, my rear skewer undone itself slightly when I hit a big bump in the road. I stopped and put it right however I was never going to get back to the peloton so I took a lap and was forced to join the peloton. This was rather annoying as a big split occured on the lap I sat out with about 25 riders going clear, including George, I tried to get across a couple of times, but to no avail, as did Hamish, but then eventually I got in the right move, three of us, including Sam Allen worked well to bridge across the gap to the lead group that got to a minute at one point. It took us a bout 4 laps to get across, but we did. What helped was this group had slowed as a group of nine guys had jumped away with about 6 laps remaining and the others that were left were all fried. It came down to a sprint for 10th place, unfortunately I chose the wrong line and got boxed in slgithly, but that's sprinting, still I managed to get 17th. George finished just behind me in 20th and Hamish came in with the peloton in 37th. A good weekend of racing considering that disaster struck in both races, but I took away a lot from all of them and I am just happy that I am now fully recovered from my illness.
Results for Monday's race are here http://www.directvelo.com/actualite/25394-grand-prix-rene-le-mene-a-crac-h-classement.html
Again fantastic international racing this week in both the men's and women's side of cycling it really has been entertaining and is a great advertisement for the sport.
The next race will be Saturday, so until then I bid all of you a due. Thanks for reading and rememeber, don't give up.
Me with Sam Allen and some French gezzer jumping across to the break at Crac'h
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