Nothing like an evening by the seaside, a setting sun and warm temperatures...well that's what I experienced at Arzon, with an 85km race thrown in for good measure of course!
After Lanester criterium on the Wednesday evening, I was pretty tired come Thursday. I think a combination of first race back after a week dormant and maybe coming back into it a bit to fast meant I had basically got a kicking! So Thursday an easy hour.
Friday and after an 11 hour sleep, clearly needed, I headed out for an hour spin with half a dozen sprints to open up. Feeling ok I was ready for second race of the week, another semi nocturne, this time in the picturesque Arzon.
So away in team car with team mate's Eric and Pascal. It was a rather warm 25 degrees and with an hours drive to the race we slowly cooked! It's amazing how with races here all so local, how an hours drive feels like a long trip. To think in the UK this is called a local race!
Anyway we finally arrived at 6:30pm at Arzon. A beautiful port/beach resort, in the Gulf of Morbihan. Lots of yachts and restaurants, perfect for an evening of relaxing...not for us!
So signed on and we watched the finish of the kids race. A lone attacker holding off the bunch for 3 laps. Pretty impressive. Little did I know this scenario was to repeat itself a bit later that evening.
So a 20 min warm up with some sprints round the 1.7km lap. The lap was made up of a 100 metre or so climb to the line, false flat, sharp righthander, false flat, another sharp right, along the beach with a massive crosswind and back up the hill...simples.
On the start line and Jean Philippe, Pascal, Eric and myself were UCL Hennebont's representatives. 50 laps to do with primes and a small 40 or so rider field it was gonna be an interesting one.
7:30pm and we were off. With all these semi nocturnes it's important to ride near the front. Small roads and lots of sprinting mean gaps open pretty quickly. I was sitting top 10 and feeling ok. Attacks were going but with the wind nothing was getting much of a gap.
Soon the pace and VCP Lorient riders had split the bunch. After a mere 10 laps there was just 20 or so riders left, unfortunately with Eric missing the split. I was not feeling great either. Soon Frederick Dayon (ex World Fireman Champion!) attacked with a rider from Hennebont Cyclisme. The gap soon opened as the bunch looked at each other.
Onto the windy beach road, and the gap was 20 or so seconds. Pascal did his usual and put his head down and surged off the front. Sitting half way down the group I sensed the danger and jumped across the gap onto his wheel. Across really quickly we soon began riding through and off to catch the front two riders.
It seemed though to take a ridiculous amount of time to close the gap. I was struggling to go through and Pascal was wailing at the front two to wait, a strange tactic, I was trying to not laugh as well! Still 4 laps later we bridged the gap and within another 2 laps another 3 riders bridged up to us. 7 away now and the bunch out of sight, we were going for the win!
In a strong position with two of us from UCL Hennebont in the break, I spoke to Pascal. He said he was confident of the win and with myself feeling slightly worse for wear I decided to do all I could to help him.
Through and off in the break. But with the constant primes and stop start nature of the circuit riders were missing turns and it was pretty disorganised. Soon we dropped a rider and were down to 6. Just over 25 laps to go.
20 laps to go and out of nowhere the bunch, or part of it, were back on us. This was probably due to VCP Lorient missing the break. I was feeling pretty spent to be honest and my gears had now decided to play up, jumping left right and centre, great!
Dayon sensing a lull, as the bunch caught us, attacked and went away. Soon he built up a sizeable gap and that was the last we saw of him! He soloed the last hour to win by a minute, impressive stuff.
We were going for second and I was still keen to help Pascal as much as possible. I drove the bunch hard trying to get rid of riders on the hill. It worked and the bunch started to split.
10 laps to go and VCP Lorient attacked taking Pascal with them. 6 now made up the chase group. I was still in the bunch and now with Pascal safely away going for 2nd, I was pretty spent, yet keen to end on a high.
Onto the climb, 8 laps to go and the bunch exploded. I managed to get away with one other rider. Both of us suffering we plugged away. Soon Jean Philippe and a few others came across. 6 of us away. Last lap and legs had well and truly gone. They'd felt terrible throughout and I was really riding just on adrenaline!
A final ditch dig on the climb with a lap to go, a small gap gained yet it wasn't to be, into the sprint, going for 7th and legs were not playing ball. 11th across the line. Not a good evenings racing for us with Pascal 5th, Jean Philippe 8th, myself 11th.
Wrecked to put it politely. Lots of wind, attacking, break being caught, lots of work and I didn't even manage top 10!
Thinking I at least picked up a bit of money for primes I found myself being handed 5 euros! Madness considering I'd won at least one prime and got 2nd/3rd in a few others. I was at least expecting 20 euros. Maybe primes just for the French!?
So that pretty much summed up the evening. Bad legs, rolled for prime money, not home till midnight and no sleep, as you can see not my most favourite race!
Still tomorrows another day (and race). Bubry tomorrow, really looking forward to this one, very hilly so I've been told, local and starts at a sensible 4pm.
Good legs please and a nice podium wouldn't go a miss!
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