I wish I was as fast on the bike as I am at updating this blog. Always feel its good to get thoughts of the race out of my mind asap and move on to other things, so here goes!
After Wednesday nights, surprise podium appearance, at the ridiculously hard, GP Hennebont, I crept along on Thursday for a hours recovery ride, on the flattest road I could find. I think a mixture of a hard race and lack of sleep after a semi nocturne means I am basically a walking zombie the next day!
So other than that a day watching the Tour! Friday feeling a bit better although still pretty tired. I headed out for an hour and a half easy spin. Keeping check of HR and power I was still tired it seemed. Thankfully I missed the rain, which when it did come down literally didnt stop for hours.
Saturday morning, dull, grey skies....meteo Anglaise it would seem! Off out for an hours pre race open up. Meaning half a dozen sprints. Feeling alot more rested I headed back ate, caught a bit of the Tour and then was met by Pascal and his family at 3pm for the 40 min drive to the race.
The race was in a town called St Thurien, Finestre region. Arriving and this race was a pretty big deal. Part of The Challenge Elle Isole Series. Made up of a number of rounds and including KOM, General and sprinters classiments. As this was the first one I'd done (and I think the 6th or so in the series) I was in no contention of getting in these classements. Still I was fired up and ready to race!
Signed on and 100 riders for this one. Guys to watch were a couple of AC Lanester riders, Cyrille Masse of Lecumie Espoir (leader of the GC) the recently crowned National Masters Champion from Scaer and a handful of Lorient riders, to name a few.
Just myself and Pascal from the team for this one as well.
So the race itself...made up of 14 laps of a 6km circuit. So as per usual a short race! Not ideal but the circuit made up for it! Constantly rolling, a nasty wind, lots of drags, a hard climb with a KOM sprint each lap at the top and lots of twisty roads.
5pm and we were off. 100 riders meant I needed to stay alert and out of trouble. I sat myself on the KOM leaders wheel (polkadot jersey..easy to spot!) and watched as riders attacked and were brought back due to the fast pace in the bunch. The peloton were really shifting, considering how hard the circuit was.
A couple of laps in and I was sitting top 15 in the bunch. The pace was on and I was not feeling good. Legs just felt a bit hollow. Still a prime was on offer and 1st. 2nd and 3rd across the line got money. I was up for giving it a go. One rider opened up the sprint. I couldnt get on but did manage to get off the front of the bunch. At the line and pipped by one rider...3rd, a pretty poor 5 euros won!
So another few laps and splits started to occur. 5 laps in and the elastic broke. Not so much a break more a split in the bunch. 25 or so of us away. Lots of the big hitters, yet the GC leader wasnt there. We had to hack...and hack we did!
The remainder of the race can be summed up pretty simply. Riders going off the back on the hard circuit, myself having fun and games getting myself over the climb (not sure what was going on today!) and with 3 laps to go, my bottle coming out of the cage. Not the end of the world you would think. Unfortunately it wedged itself on the frame and for some really stupid reason, at 50km/h, I reached down and tried to free it. In doing so I somehow put my hand through my wheel. Thankfully I got it out quick enough and came away with all fingers intact and just a small cut...stupid boy!
2 laps to go and it was really hard now. Soon attacks were going. I couldnt react and the break split into 4 groups. I was in the 3rd. Last lap and I was in a group going for 12th. Rolled across line,15th place. Pascal came in in a group around 5 minutes later in 25th.
Winner was a guy from VS Plabennec, winning solo, with his team mate second and an AC Lanester rider 3rd.
A hard race, well over 1000 metres climbed, over 40km/h average and felt a bit underpar throughout!
Happy then I used my head, not legs and got in break. Bunch was in pieces,with riders all over the course. Still another race at the sharp end. Locoal Mendon tomorrow, another really hard one on paper.
I hear its flat, fast and includes lots of Sojasun riders...lets hope legs are there then!
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