So how did the first stage pan out?
It all began with a relaxed morning spent catching up on emails and French TV. The plan was to be picked up by the team car at 12. This meant a nice relaxed meal, bike ready and off for the half an hour drive to the start. Arriving and it looked like the depart to a tour stage with crowds building and a big start area. All the big teams were present as well with Saur Sojasun under 23, UC Nantes and Cotes D'armor to name a few. Also present was bright, sunny skies and a lot of wind!
Team today was myself, Sebastien, Yoan, Cedric, Gurvan and Pascal.
So a good warm up done and onto the podium for the team presentation. After Tour des Mauges last week I knew I was comung into some form so was looking forward to today.
Around 120 riders and 130km made up of 82km en ligne and a 8km finishing circuit to be done 6 times. So 2pm and off we went. Knowing it was probably going to be a fast start I made sure I was in the first 20 or so riders. Expecting a fast start and actually having a fast start are two different things. I can safely say it was fast! 2 laps of a small circuit to start with and it was full on lined out like a crit, and this was just the start!
Off the circuit and I finally came out of the 12 on my cassette! Feeling good I made sure I stayed near the front. The loop was a strange one with lots of local roads, descents and wind. Yet the wind seemed behind us and this meant the pace never dropped and nothing could really get away. With the big teams controlling it it was just what I liked, fast and steady. Knowing some of the roads I knew we had a good climb upto Camors coming up so moved to the front ready for an attack.
Lined out up the 2km or so climb I followed a move over the top. But the shere speed of the bunch brought it back.
Coming into the finishing circuit. A rolling circuit, finishing with a 500 metre drag. After breaking my Garmin computer mount in the week, I was racing without knowledge of how long we'd done, quite important with a point to point! Normally I try to eat every 30 mins or so but not knowing I just seemed to keep eating! Suppose better to eat lots than not enough!
So feeling good onto the finishing circuits, my old habit of sitting to far back in the bunch came into force and on such narrow roads it meant with good legs I ended up watching a small group get off the front with 2 laps to go. Annoying is an understatement as not being able to get through the bunch and at least try to attack and use good legs is very very frustrating.
Coming into last lap and the break had around 20 seconds, Cotes D'armor were chasing hard as were Saur Sojasun. Finish and the break held off with Renou (winner first stage last week at Mauges) winning the stage and myself and all the team (except Yoan, who was dropped and DNFed) finishing in the big peleton 20 or so seconds behind.
A good stage and 45km/h made it a fast one, all I can say is roll on 20km team timetrial tomorrow morning and a circuit race in the afternoon. Its still all to play for. Positioning is the key tomorrow and hopefully can use my legs and go on the attack and make that break...whatever the speed! Will keep you posted!
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