Good evening,
Well not sure about "good" more a welcome from a tired Dan Kogan!
If you've been following my blog's you will see I've been racing a lot recently. With my season starting over here in France in the second week of February I can safely say I've done a fair amount of racing, 28 races in fact, including 2 stage races.
So at this time in the season the body and mind are starting to feel it a bit. The last couple of weeks I seem to be in a constant tired state, yet strangely have also got my best results in the last 2 weeks!
In February I decided, when looking through my race calendar, that my last race before my mid season break would be Priziac on 19th June. I think this was a good decision as I definitely need the break now! My head is good and keener than ever but I think the body needs a week of recuperation, and some comfort food!
Before the week of rest I had the race at Priziac. After Caudan on Thursday my body was in all sorts of pain, legs heavy, sleeping badly, I was a bit of state. I wasn't sure what the best course of action was so I did a very very easy hour Friday and an hour and a half easy Saturday...no better unfortunately!
So Sunday came and to be honest I wasn't sure how my body would take it. Caudan I'd felt terrible before but great in the race, I was hoping for the same today.
So 1pm and my team mate Pascal, his wife and two sons arrived to pick me up for the half an hour drive to Priziac. The skies were grey and the wind was howling...June weather, it was not!
Arriving we were early so I had a chat with some of The Lucemie Espoir riders, from New Zealand (nice opportunity to speak some English) Signed on and I went off for a 20 minute warm up.
3pm and lined up ready for the off. Just over 60 riders with some big names present including Jordan Le Gal and Oliver Le Gac, none over than The World Junior Champion! I had been told he was a beast (no kidding!) and he'd won some big senior races out here as well. Clearly this wasn't going to be the easy race I'd planned for, then again over here they don't seem to do easy races!
7.5km relatively flat circuit 10 times then a hilly 14.5km loop twice. Off we went and the pace was on from the off, as was the rain which started just as we did, typical.
Sitting in the top 15 or so riders I felt ok, but soon attacks were going and it began getting grippy. Luckily Pascal was on a good day and managed to get in the first break of the day. Flying along we were averaging 45km/h and the bunch was in one line, with The World Champion still in it and being heavily marked.
This didn't seem to bother him as after a few kilometres he attacked and only two brave (strong) riders were able to get on his wheel. I couldn't! I tried but legs were flat. The rain was coming down but that didn't stop the peleton from chasing hard, the now 20 rider split up ahead.
The gap was a mere 18 seconds, yet it was a case of the break nearly being caught only for the bunch to sit up, the gap went out again. I was keen though, however bad I felt, to get myself back into the race so attacked hard into the headwind. I got a gap, a big one! Unfortunately no one came with me and with 60km to go and 20 riders up front it was a tall order. I kept riding hard though hoping for a group to come across. 8km later I was still out in front feeling terrible and no one had come across!
I sat up, back to the bunch. Soon the fire went out of the bunch, as did a lot of the riders, as rain, the speed and wind took it's toll. Onto the final 2 laps of the hillier circuit and it all began kicking off in the bunch. 1 lap to go and fed up and getting cold I attacked on the 2km climb, going away with 4 others and basically that was it. We were minutes behind the splintered and thinned down break, yet in front of the bunch. Finishing very wet, cold and tired... pretty much how I started the day!
Pascal blew up due to running out of food and finished 13th, he did though win a 45 euro prime! World Champ won after attacking break with 30km to go with a couple of others.
So now with a piece of Far Breton cake in hand I am having a good rest.
Will do a mid season report/blog later in week but for now I am just looking forward to a good, dry, couple of days relaxing!
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