Grand Prix des Filets Bleu: Concarneau

Tuesday evening's, usually spent in front of TV, maybe out at the cinema or catching up with friends. Not for the racing cyclist in France! Evenings over here usually mean one thing...nocturne racing!

Rather than mull over the previous couple of races I will basically say they haven't gone to well.

After a stern talking to myself and asking myself what would Jens Voigt do, I decided to stop feeling sorry for my bad form and do something about it!

Tuesday morning then and out for the usual spin in the morning to open the legs before the evening's racing. Sun out, wind howling I headed off for my usual loop. Only difference today was I really had the bit between my teeth. Legs were feeling stiff yet I was in no mood to take it easy. A relatively hard hour of sprints to wake both myself and my legs up, felt much better afterwards.

So normal prep and then away at 6pm for the 40 min drive to Concarneau, Finistere way. Well when I say 40 mins that's if you don't get lost. Probably the simplest race to get to. Literally onto motorway come off at Concarneau. What did I do? Miss the turn off. Typical

So off at the next one and finally direction Concarneau. With many of my races the towns are completely new to me yet this was a bit different having stayed here on holiday with my parents when I was younger. Still that didn't seem to help much, as again I got lost trying to find my way to the start! So finally arriving, a bit fired up, with 45 mins to go before the start.

No idea why I struggled to find the start as it was slap bang in the middle of the town, by the port with massive crowds, hoardings and a big banner and podium! Still signed on I headed off for a warm up.  Warming up I was able to have a look round the town as well. Beautiful town with lots of restaurants, a market and a port, perfect for a relaxing summer evening!

The circuit then. 2.2km. Long finishing straight with tailwind, dead turn (Blackpool Tour series like) Block headwind back straight, flowing right hander, another fast left, a drag then a very very dodgy downhill left, with loads of road furniture to lead back onto the finishing straight.

Technical, fast and very reminiscent of a criterium circuit in the UK. Main difference here, as I lined up for the 8pm depart, was there was an 80 rider field and we had 40 laps of the circuit!

On the start line, normal suspects. Leceumie Espoir, VCP Lorient, Cotes D'Armor, Hennebont Cyclisme, AC Lanester and the winner from The Lorient Nocturne on Friday night, and his team mate.

Just myself from UCL Hennebont. So away we went. I was a bit far back (30th wheel) and knew this was not the place to be as the circuit gave little room for moving up. So abit of kamikaze riding was the name of the game for the first lap. Up the inside of the corner, over a kerb and coming into the second lap I was sitting top dozen or so riders.

The pace was electric, with a strong field and a great atmosphere everyone was up for the race. The bunch was in one long line and this is pretty much how it stayed for the next couple of hours. Moves going off the front only to be brought back. I was now sitting around 20 riders back. Yet my worst nightmare was always only a few minutes away...a dead turn!

Maybe because I'm relatively light or maybe just the fact I literally have zero fast twitch muscle fibres, either way I was struggling out of the corner every lap. I tried everything, on hoods, drops, spinning, big gear, at front of bunch, leaving a gap, sprinting early, the lot! Nothing seemed to work that well! So wasting a lot of energy out of the corner and having to do it 40 times started to become frustrating!

Anyway soon a break was up the road of half a dozen. Due to being pretty worried over last few races of 1 finishing and 2, being good at the end of the race. I for some reason became very negative in the race. Legs were pretty good yet I was not going with moves, afraid I would blow up later. Stupid I know and not the way I usually race.

So anyway the break went out to 30 seconds. Yet the bunch still had lots of the top riders in it. An hour done and the bunch was a lot lot smaller! Probably halved. The pace was still on and I was feeling good.

Soon though tiredness in the bunch started to show as a big crash occurred on the fast left hander onto the finishing straight. I avoided it yet it made the next few laps pretty interesting as we scooted round the mess!

10 or so laps to go and another group had just eased off the front. I again was to worried about getting to the end rather than actually being proactive (not the aim of the game I know!). They were literally dangling though and bridgeable for a good few laps. Also by this time the sun had started to set, plummeting Concarneau into darkness. Last 20km was to be a real nocturne!

So last couple of laps and the bunch were flying. Last lap and the bunch caught some of the second group on the road just as we hit the line. Zelinski, taking the bunch sprint for 12th. Myself, 20-30thish.

So no result as such. Why? Well a few  reasons...

1. Not proactive, too worried about blowing up, not the way I normally race, maybe a bit more confidence needed.

2. The circuit was basically a sprinters one. I would have had to been on a good day for a result here.

3. couldn't get out of the bloody dead turn, even after 40 attempts!

So although no result, I thoroughly enjoyed the racing, fast, furious and finishing gone 10pm! Crowds were massive and Concarneau a lovely town. What more can you ask for on a Tuesday nights race.

So back at 11:30pm, a nice peanut butter and banana sandwich and off to sleep. Bit of a break in racing before Seglien race Sunday. Before that though a bit of time to recover, a couple of rides and a trip or two to the week long Interceltic Festival at Lorient!

Challenge du Roi Morvan at Clegeurec: stupid British Mentality

Challenge du Roi Morvan...always does what it says on the tin...challenges.

As you may have gathered from the previous few posts racing hasn't been going to well at the moment. Why? I'm not entirely sure. After a kicking at Lorient on Friday night I was not prepared for the same scenario for today's race.

After what was a terrible nights sleep  (a very annoying mosquito doing laps of my bedroom!) I awoke a bit bleary eyed. Luckily I opened the shutters to find bright sunny skies, think I would have returned to bed if it was anything else!

Breakfast, bike cleaned, kit packed, then lunch and off in team car to the race. Garmin on I was under it's guidance. Normally this works out fine but today it decided to take me the more scenic route to the race! This meant country lanes for an hour, great!

Still arriving with an hour to go in the town of Clegeurec, near to Pontivy. A strong coffee before to try and wake me from my slumber and signed on, kitted up and ready for the 3pm depart.

Not doing my usual ride in the morning I headed off for a prolonged 30 min warm up round the 5.4km circuit. The wind was howling and the circuit was hard. A few kilometres false flat, a twisty farm track descent and a bit of a climb to the finish. At least it was dry!

Lined up on the start line. About 50 riders for this one. Some good riders as well including AC Lanester, Sojasun and VCP Lorient. For UCL Hennebont it was myself, Laurent and the two Phillips. Watching was an assortment of UCL supporters, family, friends and team manager. A real UCL outing it would seem.

So 3pm and away we went. Literally as soon as foot clipped into pedal and the rain began. Not just any rain, proper full on hacking rain! So lined out, pouring with rain, wind howling and we hadnt yet done one of the 16 laps!

Soon after a mere couple of laps the race was in pieces. It seemed like there was 3 options, attack, get dropped or get off! Lots of riders seemed fall into the last two categories!

Soon there weren't many of us left and I was really suffering in the cold rain. Trying to keep warm I spun a ridiculous gear and kept eating and drinking. Soon though the race had exploded. Riders everywhere. I was in a group of 8 or so with 2 riders at the head of the race, a group of 13 just behind them, then my group and to be honest no idea what was happening behind that.

My legs were actually pretty good, just my body was going into shut down. Could hardly change gear. Wasn't so bad on the drag but on the descent was terrible. Trying to concentrate, stay upright and hold onto some form of warmth.

Soon after another few laps my group was down to 5. Some riders dropped, others just, sensibly, calling it a day. After stopping on Friday I was in no mood to do the same again.

Continuing lap after lap and soon there was just myself and pink jersey rider (leader of series for something?) 4 laps to go. Although ridiculously cold my legs were feeling ok, my companion wasn't! Last lap and I dropped him. 

Final lap and in no mans land alone, I rode in to finish 16th. Surprisingly though handing my number in I was awarded an envelope with 10 euros in it!? Sympathy prize possibly!

Stupid British mentality, probably sums it up though, as riders stopped I forged on. This mentality of needing to finish isnt very European, as my team mates pointed out afterwards! Also with a big race to do on Tuesday, getting cold and wet today for a lowly 16th place wasn't really a good idea, lesson learnt.

So still hunting form, plenty more races to do it luckily. Now to rest up before Concarneau Nocturne on Tuesday and hope legs, head and weather plays ball!

Grand Prix du Port de Pêche à Lorient: switch on or get off

41st. The placing I came? No, the amount of races I've started so far this season. Not quite sure in previous seasons how many I've done, but pretty sure by end of this season it will be the most.

So that in mind my 41st could have been just any other race. Well it wasn't.

After my easy week, a couple of weeks ago I headed back into training this week. With August and September both jam packed with racing and big races like Plouay and Perthes, I was keen to get some quality miles and training in the legs.

So Monday, a recovery ride to Port Louis, Tuesday a day of sprints round the coast and back inland for the final hour or so. Wednesday, a steady 3hrs. All I hasten to add in beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures. Summer weather at last!

So tan lines worked on and feeling good I had Thursday as a day off. I wish I hadn't! What a day, poured with rain all morning, so was stuck in doors with the cat. Thankfully brightened up in afternoon so headed into town for a coffee. Still what a long day and with my landlady out all day till 9pm I was feeling very bored and pretty down by the end of it.

Still Friday at least looked a lot more interesting. Awoke to rain again, yet I had no time to wait till it passed. Kitted up I headed off for my usual hour spin and to pick up the team car. Car picked up and surprisingly no rain for entire ride!

Back and normal pre race rituals. Wipe bike down, bottles, eat. By this point in the season I think I could do this with my eyes shut! Still all sorted and ready for evenings race.

The sun had finally come out as well, just in time for me to leave at 6pm for Lorient.

Off I headed and with The Lorient Interceltic music Festival on (a week long massive all things Celtic affair!) I left with plenty of time. Too much it would seem. I arrived an hour and a half early! Port de Peche. Basically Lorient's massive fishing port and tonight's race.

So 20 min drive was all it took and arriving I realised this was a biggun. Massive crowds, lots of hoardings, big podium and a festival atmosphere.

The race was an Elite National. This basically is, other than professional, the biggest category of racing. Due to being on a smallish team I don't get to do to many of these (Route Bretonne, Manche Atlantique etc fall into same category) So this was the perfect opportunity to see how I figured against the top riders.

Elite National 's also have more red tape, as for the first time in months I had to show my licence when signing on. Lots more numbers to pin on as well! The biggest difference between these top races and others is the prize money. There was tonnes of it on offer. Primes ranging from 100 euros to 250!

Everyone was there for this one, including some pros from Bretagne Schuller. These riders were actually not taking part in our race but acting as celebrities for the preceding support race.

So all signed on and kitted up. I saw Sam and we headed off for a warm up. A 2.9km circuit. pan flat, very windy, wide open roads, not much in the way of corners and only a couple of roundabouts..and a strange pave section to negotiate.

Warm up done and lined up ready for the 7:45pm depart. 32 laps. On the line were only just over 40 riders. Yet don't let this fool you. This was not gonna be an easy race and on a circuit like this the fewer riders the harder it was to be. The riders were of some quality with Leceumie Espoir, AC Lanester, UC Nantes, Cotes d'Armor, VC Lyon, Aix en Provence, VCP Lorient and BIC2000 (with Bretagne Champion Vignes) to name just a few. More worryingly just myself for UCL Hennebont!

So away we went and straight away the pace was on! Through the roundabouts and attacks going from kilometre zero.I was half way down the bunch and was ok. With such a windy circuit and a lot of quality riders the plan was to sit in and save as much as I could for the final few laps.

Not the best of ideas. Soon things began splitting and I was too far back. Two groups up the road with myself and a dozen others in the final segment. Riders were already being dropped at an alarming rate due to the frantic pace. Soon the groups were away. Yet my group, with some big hitters in it, weren't happy to call it a night and after a few laps of full gas riding we were all back together.

I was starting to struggle though. Legs were ok, head was not. Sport is definitely both physical and mental. For me mentally its often my downfall. Yet mechanically I also seemed to be having problems as over the rough pave my front wheel decided to develop a serious buckle. Probably should have stopped and taken a lap out to sort it, but for some reason didnt. This meant for the next few laps I was constantly fixated on my dodgy wheel, not really what I should have been concentrating on as we hacked round at 27/28mph for the first hour!

Another few laps later and I was having fun and games on the pave. The bunch was down to 25 or so and the light was fading fast. Next problem. Sunglasses, I just couldn't see after a while! Sunglasses off and I felt disorientated. As you can see a pattern is beginning to emerge here. I just wasn't switched on for the race as silly other things were taking my attention.

10 laps to go and not many left in bunch. Break off 2 had a mere 15 seconds and the catch was imminent. This also meant to pace was electric. 7 laps to go and I was way to far back. Keen to keep as much back for the last few laps I followed wheels. I shouldn't have, as riders were starting to crack. Soon gaps opened and on wrong wheels I just didn't react in time. At that speed and with that quality of field this was fatal. Myself and a few others were soon distanced and that was it...race over.

5 riders ended up getting off the front in last few laps. With the win going to Pierre Bourlet of VC Lyon, followed by Hennebont rider and Vignes rounding off the podium. Sam did a great racing, only cramping in final metres to finish 19th of the 26 finishers.

My legs although not amazing weren't that bad, which made it even more frustrating, that with better positioning, concentration and being less passive, I would probably have still have been in the bunch and one of those 26 finishers.

So that was it, doesn't happen very often but my race was over, 25 laps of 32 done. I was really pissed off and in no mood to watch the finish. Numbers back and a short drive home at least.

In reflection I was never going to get that great a result, I am not going well enough and it was definitely a sprinters circuit, yet complacency and stupidity made what could have been a good race, a complete waste of time for me.

All I can do now is put it behind me and move onto the next one, tomorrow at Cleugerec.

Gonna make sure I'm switched on for this one. Not making last nights mistakes again!

Spezet: playing catch up

The last your heard of me was at the race at Berne, last Monday. Which I summed up as good circuit, feeling terrible though.

With any sport listening to your body is key. This is something I'm often not good at doing yet think I have improved a bit this year. So this is exactly what I did. Easy week it was.

Looking back at my training log I was scheduled one anyway and after 4 weeks full on it was a sign I needed it! Probably 3 weeks on and a week easy would have been better.

Still the weather was good and I went about taking it easy. Just recovery rides and a couple of days off.

Leaving me nice and fresh by the end of the week for the race at Spezet.


Spezet


Sunday came about, and after some great weather all week, I was looking forward to a nice warm and summery race. I wasnt disappointed.

Waking up, it was a bit overcast but warm. After a week of little ring action I needed to wake my legs up. Out for an hour with some sprints to open up. Feeling fresh and ready to roll I headed back for some lunch and waited to be picked up by my team mate, Laurent and family.

1;15pm and car packed we were away. An hours drive, long by French standards! Laurent using his local knowledge meant we arrived ridiculously early but still better early than late.

Arriving an hour and a half before. We went about watching the kids race. As roads are fully shut for all races its great to see kids able to race proper distances on roads.

So 20 mins before the start and I set about for my warm up. A 3.7km circuit. A long finishing straight, must have been at least a kilometre, which was also a bit of a hill, a twisting back section of the course and not much else to be honest. Narrow roads and a few tight corners thats about it.

So 3:45pm and lined up. It was hot, probably close to 30 degrees. 120 riders for this one. A big field. Lots of Lorient riders present and also Saur Sojasun, in the form of Steve Martin (winner at Bubry, 2nd last weekend at Les Forges) as well as lots of other riders to keep an eye on.

So away we went. 25 laps. Narrow roads meant it was important to stay near the front to stay out of trouble and not to miss the moves.

I was a little to far back and struggled to get to the front. By the time I did moves were going off the front. Moves went and came back constantly over the first few laps. I tried to follow the main guys, especially the Sojasun rider.

A few laps later and a move of 3 went. I wasnt on the wheel but made a big effort to jump across. To big an effort possibly. Getting across it didnt last long as we were soon caught. The counter attack went and just my luck that was the winning break! 15 or so riders away and pulling out a lead.


Still Sojasun was still in the bunch so all was not lost. Another couple of laps and Steve Martin and a Leceumie rider attacked I was quickly onto it and soon we were away. The next 3 or so laps of through and off can be summed up plainly as painful. I was feeling ok nothing brilliant, unfortunately Martin was going like a train. Soon we'd dropped the other rider. But we were in no mans land. The break was in sight, 30 seconds or so up the road but just two of us against 15 was a hard task. About 10km just myself and Martin came to an end when we were caught by a group of 10 or so.

The bunch were long gone by now yet my team mate Phil had made the group with me. 2nd group on the road, a good chance to bridge to the break.

Yet for some reason we seemed to slow down. Soon the gap was over a minute and the break was gone. A few laps more, lots of attacks and the group was thinned down with Phil being dropped.

5 or so laps to go and we caught half the break! Unfortunately 8 were still up the road. We were to fight it out for 9th it would seem. I continued to follow Martin as knew he was the strongest. I was feeling average to say the least.

1 lap to go and a move went. I was just not quite onto it. 2 riders dangling with a couple of kilometres to go. 1km to go and I launched an attack. Head down I had a small gap on the chase yet with 100-150 metres to go the sprint opened up and they surged past. I held off a few but was spent.

Rolling across the line in around 15th (will find out exact place later). Just on the wheel of Martin, typical.

So not a great race really, sluggish and missed the break just down to positioning more than anything.

Still back on it this week, big race at end of week at Lorient so looking forward to that. Hopefully some form and a massage can be found before then!

Roi Morvan: Berne...rien

Rien, nothing

Pretty much sums up how today went.

After yesterday ending the race at Les Forges, knackered, I had to have a miraculous 24hrs recovery.

Compression tighted up and early to bed. To be honest didn't sleep too well and woke early. Made use of morning at least with a bit of Topgear on Iplayer, a clean of the bike and put the washing on before lunching and heading off for the final, of a 3 day block, of racing.

1:30pm and last journey in the team car. Alone again!! Still only 25 minute drive to the other side of Plouay for The Challenge Roi Morvan Series race in a town called Berne.

Arriving and parked up on the finishing straight. Straight it was, flat it wasn't, was on a serious climb.

Normally I would be salivating at this point, as love a good climb. Unfortunately I was worried, very worried as it was safe to say I was going into this race pretty tired already.

This was clearly a lesson in picking your races. Hard for me as I dont know the circuits but in reflection would have saved myself for this one. Instead I had two hard races already in my legs...this was to be interesting!

So a 5 and a bit kilometre lap, a long probably 1-2km climb, windy flat section and fast descent. A small field of 50 or so riders. A good field though. UC Briochine, Leucemie Espoir and AC Lanester as well as a Sojasun rider present to name a few. For the team it was Rene, myself and Laurent.

So lined up, the advertised distance was 17 laps but for some reason it had been cut to 15 and then was told the first lap was neutralised as well! So 14 laps! I wasnt to upset though as the difficultly of the circuit and how I was feeling meant it was a bit of a godsend!

So away we went. I felt ok and sat in the top dozen or so riders. Then attacks began..I wasnt ok.

I was powerless. Absolutely nothing. Legs werent hurting, I wasnt breathing especially hard just felt dazed and weak!

So the inevitable happened and a break got off the front with Rene in it. Although I was feeling pretty terrible I tried all the tricks in the book to survive in the bunch, namely spinning a ridiculously small gear and hiding!


So a few laps later and surprisingly the bunch had split, mainly due to the climb as riders were coming to a near stop on it. I was in a group of a dozen or so with the break of 8 riders up the road. It seemed like the whole VCP Lorient team was in my group and that meant they chased. Soon the gap to the break was a mere 15 seconds and within touching distance, yet everyone was struggling on the difficult circuit and soon the impetus had gone from the chase and the break went out of sight.

I was hoping after an hour I would come round and ride into it a bit. I was wrong. Still last lap and my group had split to pieces. A group went off the front, I found myself with two Lorient riders. We tried a bit of through and off, yet with a couple of kilometres to go the rest of the group I was in came back to us.

Laurent was present, I was just about! So a sprint from my group for 14th. Well a sprint for some, I rolled in. 2 hours and felt terrible throughout.

Winner was a rider by the name of Maxime Cam, from UC Briochine. A class act. French masters champ was 2nd with Mael Nivinou (winner of the race on Saturday) 3rd. Rene had been caught by the remnants of my group and finished 12th. I was a place behind Laurent in around 20thish. Then what was left of the bunch came in a couple of minutes later.

Surprisingly the break never built much of a lead and was only just over a minute up the road at the finish.

Still pretty much a wasted race for me. Perfect circuit for me just unfortunately legs and head weren't present today.


What's next?

REST and RECOVERY

Whether the lack of get up and go is down to me about to be coming down with something, a culmination of 4 weeks pretty full on racing and training or just going through a bad period. Either way an easy week is on the cards. I had one scheduled in anyway so pretty much to plan!

Light hour or so spins, eat well, monitor HR and health and hopefully after a week be ready for the next block of racing and training.

Les Forges..one extreme to another

One extreme to another in more ways than one.

So after the race yesterday, which to be honest was a bit uneventful, I was ready to get stuck in to the race today.

Awoke and opened my shutters. Now shutters are great for keeping the light out but on days like today they also provide a bit of a shock when opened! Rain!

After such a nice day weatherwise the day before it was looking grim today. So breakfast eaten I pondered whether to do my usual pre race morning spin, with some sprints. After mulling it over and deciding if it was good to get wet before the race, I decided to go for it!

A brief 30 min window without rain, so did a half an hour with some 10 second sprints to open the legs and get yesterday's race out of them as well.

So lunched and ready for the off. As like yesterday I was to drive the team car. Alone for another journey it would seem and with no radio in the car it can be a lonely drive!

The race today was in a place called Les Forges. Luckily I have the use of my Garmin 705, which although is a bike computer doubles up as a sat nav for the car as well. I literally dont know what I would have done without it this year (used a map possibly!)

This race was in French terms a bit of a drive at 45 mins away. Most of it on the motorway so pretty easy driving. Although with rain and dark skies on the way it was looking like a soaking was in store.

Arriving and parked up right near the podium. A party atmosphere was in full swing with a barbecue, beer tent, music and even a bouncy castle!

Signed on. A pretty small field for this one yet some quality with 3 Sojasun under 23 riders being the favourites. For the team it was myself, Rene and Phil.

Kitted up and 20 minutes before the 3:30pm start, I headed off for a warm up. The circuit was a relatively small one at 3.7ish kilometres to be done 27 times. The circuit was also, on paper at least, not to challenging with a drag to the finish a drag round the back and some farm tracks. Quite flat and very Belgium kermesse-like.

So lined up and away we went. Although overcast it was now dry and very humid. First few laps I made sure I followed the wheels and the correct ones. I sat near the Sojasun guys and made sure I stayed off the front. A few moves went and came back as the bunch were keen to keep it together, for now at least!

A few more laps and Rene launched an attack. A good one at that and was soon away with a Quimper rider. They were dangling off the front and were finally joined by one other rider to make 3 away. Soon they'd built up a minute or so's lead. Sojasun were still in the bunch and I was in for a free ride.

Sojasun chased and the only real action was the bunch thinning out lap after lap as primes, the pretty dead roads and speed started to take its toll. I sat in a used the team mate up the road card.

Another few laps and a Sojasun rider attacked across to the break, now 4 away. You would have thought that was game over. Yet the remaining two Sojasun riders seemed happy to keep the chase on! Why when they had a rider up the road I do not know!

Even though I was sitting in I was really starting to struggle on the drag as the pace was stop start all the way up it.

Soon the bunch was a mere 20 or so riders. The gap to the break was 15-30 seconds and it stayed that way for lap after lap. The only major change after a few laps was me giving  myself a shock by grounding my pedal round one of the down hill right handers, one way to keep myself and the following riders on their toes!

4 laps to go and the bunch had exploded. Around 10 of us now in a group. I was feeling it, especially on the drag. Fed up with the change of pace I decided to take it on instead and went into hack mode up it. Surprisingly by the top I had a gap. 4 laps to go though surely a bit far. I put my head down all the same yet the rest of the group were soon onto me.

Final couple of laps and Phil, who was in my group was dropped. The break was also in pieces with two of the original 4 coming back to our group. A lap later and we caught Rene. A couple of riders, the break, were now dangling off the front. Now was the time to go with just over a lap to go. Yet I was empty.

Last lap and survived the final drag. 1km or so to go I gave it one last dig. Going for 3rd I gave it a go, but legs were gone. A few hundred metres to go and I was dropped. I literally crawled over the line. Knackered is an understatement. You wouldn't believe it another 15th! At least I'm consistent.

Rene finished just ahead in 12th and Phil 18th.

Sojasun royally mucked it up coming 2nd, 4th and 5th!


So why the blowing up with a lap to go? Two things I think, one didnt drink enough (schoolboy mistake) and two its the final week of what has been 4 pretty full on weeks of racing and training. Easy week next week on the cards.

So a pretty dodgy drive home followed. Luckily my lovely landlady had made rice and a big piece of fresh fish for me so at least dinner was covered! Compression tights on and early to bed. Last race of the block tomorrow...Berne.

Meant to be really hilly, just hope legs are better than today. Then a week of recovery rides and hopefully good weather for some sun bathing!

Challenge Elle Isole not as challenging as before!

Well this is blog is gonna be slightly different in that today's race was so uneventful I will instead explain what Ive been up to this week in training, a quick recap of the race and what's happening next!

So sit back and enjoy...

After the slightly disappointing race last Sunday at Hennebont, I set about a good week of training. I needed a big block as I want to make sure I am going well for races later in the season, for example the amateur version of  GP Plouay, a big target for me.


So training was to be a 3 day block. 3 hours easy with Sam Allen on Monday. Was probably more a steady 3 hours due to lots of wind! Still a nice and most importantly dry ride down to the coast to visit the nice beaches of Belz and Erdeven.

Tuesday and a hilly ride on the cards for me. Alone I headed of to the hills.  A good 3 and a half hours finding as many hills as I could and basically hacking up them! April showers pretty much sums up the days ride. Unfortunately not good for July. Cape on cape off!

If I thought Tuesday was bad weatherwise. Wednesday was terrible another 3 and a half hours alone. Hilly ride again and rain throughout!

So a couple days easy afterwards and my first of 3 days of racing today!


Challenge Elle Isole Bannalec


A relatively short 30 mins in the car to the race. 112 riders lined up for this one. Part of a series, which I had done the previous round at St Thurien (see previous blog)

A 7.4km circuit to be done 14 laps. Just myself and Philippe from the team present at this one. Favourites were yellow jersey Mael Nivnou of AC Lanester, Cyrille Masse of Leucemie Espoir and the French masters champion.

Still a lot of other riders in the mix as well. 4pm and away we went. The pace was pretty controlled and although moves were going off the front they werent getting far. The circuit basically was not hard enough and the race favourites were cancelling each other out.

So basically it stayed quick and ended with 3 riders clipping off the front in the final few kilometres and holding onto a 100/200 metre lead all the way to the line with the bunch, and myself coming in altogether.

So pretty much a bunch sprint. I'd realised quite early on into the race it was gonna suit a bunch sprint so saved as much energy as possible. Not to disappointed as was good speed work and training.

Tomorrow off to a race at Le Forges, another 100km or so race, lets hope the circuits a bit harder and more challenging and I can get away in a break...dont do these bunch sprints!

Sorry it was a bit of a brief blog but hope tomorrow have more to write about, a win or podium for instance?!