After Sunday’s heatwave at the race at Bubry, Monday was equally if not hotter. A 750ml bottle in fact was consumed within half an hour of my recovery ride, still shouldn’t complain!
Tuesday, and this was why I shouldn’t complain! It was hacking down with rain. Luckily, after 8 days and 3 races I was scheduled a rest day. This also coincided with The Tour de France visiting the region.
So meeting up with Sam we jumped on a bus and headed off to Lorient to watch the riders roll out for the 4th stage. Other than sitting around for a long time and getting very wet the day was a success and made it back to Hennebont to catch the last 30km in a café, awesome.
So Wednesday. Race day! Awake to Sunny skies and strong winds. Out for an hours spin with some 20 seconds sprints to open up. Power was good and I was feeling good.
Race was a semi nocturne. I have been bleeting on in previous posts how races are so local and quick to get too over here. Now this had to be a record for a local race. It was The GP Hennebont, hosted by my team and starting literally 500 metres down the road in town! Definitely a new meaning to the word local.
So 6pm and began getting stuff ready. All day the wind had been howling yet the skies had stayed bright, until now. The rain came and the storms began! 6:45pm and Sam Allen rode round to meet up before heading to town. Literally a 2 minute ride into town.
We arrived to lots of barriers, a big podium and just a lot of activity. This was a well known race and a real classic from what I could understand.
Signed on, got number pinned on sitting in bus stop, I was ready to head off for a warm up. The rain was lashing down now and the 2.4km circuit was, shall we say not suited to these conditions!
The 2.4km consisted of 200 metres or so of uphill cobbles on the finish, a nasty drag, a very open false flat, a sharp kick and then a dangerous descent. Then of course there were tonnes of white lines, zebra crossings, spilt diesel and road furniture to contend with as well! At least it wasn't far to ride home if it didn't go well!
Being just about 60kg I'm not exactly built for semi nocturnes, with tonnes of sprinting, yet factor in wet cobbles you could say I wasn't too confident.
Still, lined up 7:30pm, and due to the conditions the organisers had decided to cut 5 laps off the race, so 30 laps of 2.4km to do. The field was a small one, but literally had some of the best riders in the region in it.
David Chopin (ex Credit Agricole stagiaire) and a strong Hennebont Cyclisme team, UC Cholet, BIC2000, VCP Lorient, UC Nantes, Rennes, Lucemie Espoir and AC Lanester, who had to on form Vincent Ragot, winner of the weekend previously's Manche Ocean Elite National race. UCL Hennebont had myself, Rene and Pascal. So not a big field at all but not a rubbish rider in sight either!
Away we went and I was comfortable sitting in the top 10 or so riders, that's because it was a neutral lap! Second lap and definitely wasn't comfortable any more! The pace exploded the roads were like ice rinks and the circuit threw riders left right and centre. I was having fun and games not sliding out on the white lines whilst going 100%, we'd only done 5 mins!
Onto the cobbles and I was struggling, legs felt strong just couldn't get over cobbles well. Over the next few laps I tried everything. Out of the saddle, in saddle, on hoods, on drops, on tops, big gear and small gear. I just couldn't seem to stay on the wheel in front on them. No Paris Roubaix for me then!
After a few more laps I even shouted to Sam for some advice. He plainly put it, big gear and hack!
That's what I did from then on and it was slightly more bearable.
Half way through and literally everyone looked like they'd done a 4 hr race let alone 50 minutes, lots of pained expressions and gaps opening, closing constantly. I should though say one rider was pretty much having a wail of a time, Piotr Zielinski, VCP Lorient, who by some force of nature had ridden away and was riding the race solo off the front...axe!
So half way through and the bunch was down to 20 or so riders. I was in the red, yet I seem to be able to stay there for basically the whole duration of the race! So through the uphill right corner. A Lucemie Espoir rider two riders up decked it. He was a big guy but still the noise he made as he literally slid up hill, wiping out a Pontivy rider in the process. I was on inside of corner so managed to avoid it, still nasty stuff.
10 laps to go. Finally the bunch split. By now the rain had stopped, the roads were still wet though. 11 riders, all the strong guys, clipped off the front. I had no answer, neither did the remainder of the bunch. A lap later and Sam rode up to me and asked for a drink of my bottle. I handed it to him and then did something stupid.
I put my head down and hacked. Taking away a Lanester and a VCP Lorient rider with me and unfortunately leaving Sam in the remains of the bunch with my bottle and me with no drink for the remaining 20km!
Still I was now in a 3 man chase group. Going for 13th place.
We all worked well together and soon the bunch were gone out of sight. 6 laps to go and the cracks started to appear. I was suffering as was the Lorient rider. The AC Lanester rider was going strong, a Danish guy by the name of John Ebsen. He decided to shout at us to work and after a while I just turned to him and in a few more colourful words, said we were both knackered!
4 laps to go and a prime. There was only 3 of us away yet the French love primes and on the line there was 20 euros and 10 euros on offer. Unfortunately the line was on the cobbles, so all I could do was watch as Ebsen and the Lorient rider took them.
2 laps to go and a final prime. This time I was determined to get it. Last 50 metres and came off the wheel, yet to late and missed it by half a wheel. 2nd in the prime, still 10 euros.
Last lap and Ebsen attacked. No answer from me, I was long gone! Lorient rider tried, yet couldn't get on terms and the 3 of us, separated my a handful of metres spent the final 2km time trialling it.
Across the line. I don't think I have felt that tired for a very long time! Only 70km of racing yet close to 1000 metres climbed, lots of wind, drags cobbles and sprinting and no rest. I was playing catch up every lap after the cobbles and basically spent 1 hr 50 minutes at full gas!
Surprise then that I was then ushered onto the podium! Why?
Well I was best UCL Hennebont/local rider! That meant a nice trophy and an interview. I was so knackered I could barely string a sentence together and ended up saying the word "dure!" a lot of times. Still never been on the podium before for 15th place!
So a real hard race. I couldn't have done any more, well maybe held onto my bottle! I am pretty pleased with that result, considering the circuit couldn't have been any more unsuitable for my riding style!
I'd come away with some money, a trophy, a hard workout and a top 15 in a quality field...thankfully it was only a short ride (crawl) home afterwards!
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