After last week's interclub race at Camors and putting in a very credible performance I was slightly lulled into thinking, this racing malarkey in France ain't too difficult, sure it's a step up from racing in Angleterre, but not so massive because, really, how much difference can there be? A hell of a lot. Unfortunately I got confused post-race with the figures so the figures I gave were not true on my Facebook account, both were some of the longest races I have done, Saturday's was 130.5km, 87.9km point-to-point and then 6x7.1km laps this was the Melrandaisse. Sunday's race was 150.6km 118.2km point-to-point then 6x5.4km laps, this was La Route Bretonne. So my average speed for Sunday's race was only 44km/h compared to the 49km I suggested on my Facebook, sorry, but it's still bloody quick. Yesterday's race was also the longest race I have ever done.
Saturday morning, like most of Northern Europe, we too in Brittany awoke to some snow, but it was not settling, regardless we set out to Melrand for a big local race called Le Melrandaisse, which is raced around the roads of the GP Plouay before we finally do 6 laps around the town of Melrand. The race kicked off from the gun, unfortunately at a key juncture in the race after only 25mins, I punctured, fortunately I got a spare from the team car and I was off again pretty quickly. However, me in my nervous race state and having never been in a convoy was far too impatient to get back to the peloton and no had told me how hard it is to get back on to the peloton when it is hammering it until the right break is formed. 10km of sheer agony later I get back, but I was then spent for the rest of the ride, of which I just sat in the bunch. There were a couple of scary moments with two crashes on the last hill, before we hit Melrand and circuits 10km over the top, these were at the bottom and halfway up the climb. On the first lap of the circuits around Melrand Hamish did a good move, got away with some others to the second group on the road that had formed on that last hills. Unfortunately I couldn't follow either moves and we eventually got lapped by the first and winning break with a couple of laps left, after that the race was neutralised for what was left of the main bunch and we rolled over.
The French Army had turned up with about 12 guys and had just obliterated the field, it was not a fun day with not a single point of respite as the roads round here are often like rollercoasters, good luck finding a flat piece of road, the longest piece of flat in the race lasted approx.300m. I think I must got about 40th for what it's worth, but with 200+ starters, not too bad really. Here the results, http://www.directvelo.com/actualite/24537-la-melrandaise-classement.html
Bit disappointing not to get a top 30 when I know that I probably could of done, but the puncture and the effort to get back to the peloton finished me for the day, but it was a great experience to have and a skill that I am going to need to learn at some point. After the race, Sebastien took me, Hamish and George back to his for a lovely dinner Gael had prepared, before this though we all got a shower and massage and were allowed to watch Les Rosboeufs pound the French with Manu.
On Sunday I awoke feeling a bit rubbish, but I was looking to doing my first proper Breton Classic and an elite race that counts as the French version of the Premier Calendar. Having decided that I would wear what I wore the day before, long sleeve jersey, maybe shorts if I felt warm enough etc... I did not pack certain 'in cases' because if I am going to wear a long sleeve top, why bring arm-warmers with me? Unfortunately I decided to leave my long sleeve jersey on the radiator, not a good start to the day. Luckily the team had a pair of arm warmers for me to borrow and I had my short-sleeve jersey in a the bag as well, so it could have been worse. Moral of the story, prepare for any eventuality. Being English and seeing how heavily wrapped most French riders were, how much they were complaining about the weather and how cold they all were, I decided that, like a typical Englishman, they were all being a bit pansy and made-up my mind to wear shorts afterall.
After a figure of eight around the start town of La Gacilly, we headed north to Guer before going left and East to West to Vannes. The intial break got away in the first 45mins of racing and the only rest-bite during the whole race was the kilometres between La Gacilly and Guer as there was a Northerly wind of about 30km/h, however as soon as we turned left and headed towards the coast all hell broke loose. The wind tore through the peloton and with us racing on big wide roads, this further enabled the effect, as they are less shelterd too and so many an echelon formed, 60km of this really does take it out from you. The main bunch was managing to hold together, but people were getting shelled out the back all the time. One of them was Hamish, his echelon did manage to join back on to the bunch once the road was more sheltered and he had been chasing for 18km. Unfortunately as soon as the road became more exposed again he went off the back. It wasn't just the wind that was the problem, it was also the amount of hills we still had to contend with, absolute savage racing. At the point that Hamish was shot out for good, a big echelon of 30 to 40 went off up the road to catch the intial main break that were about 2mins in front at this point. They did eventually catch them, by the sounds of it, or at least some did. The peloton number was constantly diminshing so that by the time we began the circuit there must have been only about 60 people left. After this it was all small groups and they were stopped once they had reached Vannes and finishing circuits.
The laps were on quite small, technical roads, with two hills, one a steep bugger and the finishing hill that had few strips of cobbles to make it interesting, George and a small group clipped away half-way round the third lap, I did so likewise with 2 laps remaining, not too far from George's group at the end, not that it matters as I came 77th. I was the second-to-last person to complete the entire course as the what was left of the peloton was pulled out with a lap to go, so not a bad achievement just to complete the race. I got 17th 2nd cat, also which is another silver lining. What is quite harrowing as shown by the facts of the race is that with over 160+ people starting it seems that only 100 people even managed to do just one of the finishing circuits, about a third of the field had been put out the back-door. Here's the results http://www.directvelo.com/actualite/24532-route-bretonne-classement.html
Now I feel rubbish, like I always thought I had gone hard and deep in races before, but clearly not. It was great to experience proper echelons being formed for the first time and just to experience and compete at this level. After the performances at the weekend the team pretty impressed with us three English boys and we have been ordered to do the Queen of the Breton Classics, Manche-Atlantique, where a couple of British teams are also meant to be racing. Should be interesting especially to rest against fellow Brits next Sunday.
Congratulations on Mike Barnes grabbing his first win of the season and hoepfully Aprire's tally for the year can keep on rising regularly.
Hope you are all well and keep on enjoying cycling
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