dur times

After last weekend's mishap, where I ended the race with my bike in basically pieces, I luckily (with the help of my team mate and the local bike shop) got the bike back up and running within a couple of days.

To be pretty blunt the season so far hasnt been good for me. The standard of racing here is incredibly good and no race has gone by without being lined out in the gutter. To be honest I havent managed to adapt to this well and after the first month or so out here the type of racing now is completely different.

Where as in February and March the races were longer and more controlled, now the majority of races are kermesse like, on small circuits, still very fast and just lots of attacking and lasting normally 100km or so.


Realising it's not quite happening at the moment for me, my team mate (winner of over 40 races, so a lot of experience) got me working on my power in the week. This meant a good 3hr plus ride with big gear efforts up the 1-3km climbs. Safe to say it was a hard session. We have also been working on sprints and especially that initial jump.


So after a couple of hard days I lined up for The Trophee Daniel Le Breton series race in Ploemel. A mere half an hour drive away for me.


Arriving with my team mate Sebastien and Sam Allen (both not racing due to injuries) I signed on at the podium and began a warm up. Being a 3.2km circuit this meant I was able to get a good few laps in. Feeling a bit tired the days leading up to the race I was surprised I felt ok as I rode round and did a few efforts to open up.

The circuit was a wearing one. Consisting of a short climb upto the finish, a very fast section and a quite nasty, if short, drag round the back. Oh yes and also two nasty dead corners to sprint out of!


So 3:30pm and lined up. Just over 70 riders. AC Lanester, VCP Lorient, Hennebont Cyclisme and BIC 2000 riders were all present. A good quality field as ever. For UCL Hennebont we had myself, Gurvan, Pascal and Rene. What lay ahead was 31 laps, some primes and an invevitable fast start.


Knowing the roads were narrow, there was a lot of corners and the sheer speed I made sure, as we were waved away, I was sitting in the top 10-15 riders. Feeling surprisingly good, within a few hundred metres attacks started to fly.

Following wheels I was in a good place, and although not comfortable, I was ok. After a lap (just shy over 30mph average) gaps were opening. Breaks were going and then being reeled in. Onto the drag round the back of the circuit and an attack went. I was sitting a dozen or so riders back and jumped to follow. I couldnt quite get on terms though and was dangling a handful of bike lengths behind. As the drag eased out I was joined by an ASPTT Rennes rider. But it was to late. Turning onto the main road and the break of 10 or so riders were dangling but with just myself and one other rider and a fast, windy and open road it was to little to late. The break were soon gone. I'd missed it.


The rest of the race was pretty disheartening to be honest. In the bunch and feeling strong, knowing I should and did have the legs to be in the break just annoyed I didnt have the legs at the time to follow the attack.

One lap to go and the peleton was a mere 15 or so riders as the pace and parcours took there toll. Onto the drag for the last time and with a lot of riders up the road in a number of groups were werent racing for much. Still its a race and I wanted to finish with an effort. Half way up the drag and a rider attacked, I jumped and got on and we were soon joined by a couple of other riders. 1km to go and into the finish and the last turn onto the finishing line.


After grounding my pedal on this corner earlier in the race, I was cautious and not willing to take risks for a 25th-30th place. Easing back I was 4th man and thats the way it finished after coming across the line.

A disappointing race, a very nearly good one, just plain and simply didnt have the legs and the right time to close that gap to the break.

In better news Rene finished 12th and Pascal 18th. Myself 30thish and Gurvan in what was left of the peleton.

Getting a bit tired of writing about getting a kicking so will leave you with my plan for avoiding this in the future!


Plan from now is to basically train like a crit rider. Short sharp efforts, little recovery and high cadences. I am determined to crack these races and do well out here...just gonna keep plugging away, train, rest well and what will be will be!

Photos - SPORTBREIZH - tout le cyclisme et le cyclotourisme en Bretagne -

Photos - SPORTBREIZH - tout le cyclisme et le cyclotourisme en Bretagne -: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

An expensive afternoon in Pleucadeuc

The Boucles du Val d'Oust, a 1/2/3 cat race was the plan for Sunday.




After the plainly shocking display at the semi nocturne on Friday I was in the mood to make amends.




12:30pm and Nick and Tony arrived at the house to drive me, the hour or so, to Pleucadeuc, a town the other side of Auray. Another pretty hot day in store.




Arriving and the wind was howling, as usual for Brittany! Signed on and ready to roll. I had a half an hour warm up with some sprints to open the legs up.


After Friday's shocking race I took Saturday relatively easy with just a light spin on the bike and a much needed massage. Although my legs weren't feeling great, warming up, they were a great deal better than Fridays.


So 2:30pm and we were lined up on the start ready to go. This was a pretty impressive field of just over 100 riders including Sojasun, BIC 2000, Cotes d'armor, Hennebont Cyclisme, UC Nantes, Cholet, VCP Lorient and AC Lanester to name just a few. Representing UCL Hennebont was the experienced Rene, and the not quite so experienced...me!




Off we went. 90km en ligne then a 5km finishing circuit to be done 8 times. So 130km. You wouldnt have thought it was 130km though the speed we set off! With the bit between my teeth I battled to the front and after a mere 1km saw one of the race favourites (Vincent Ragot, Lanester) go on the attack. Keen to get away and make the break I jumped across. Yet the bunch were in a fierce mood and soon it was all back together.

This pattern of events followed for around an hour! As attacks went and were brought back. Soon with a strong head/crosswind the bunch were in tatters as the pace, 44km/h average for the first hour, and the rolling parcours took their toll.

Soon a break went. I was in a good place sitting top 15 in the bunch but to be honest just didnt have the strength  to react. Luckily Rene could and soon had got away with a dozen others.


The bunch were not happy to let this go though and hitting a climb attacks were going left right and centre. Legs were feeling pretty average still but head was good and I was keen to bridge to the break. Soon with the climb and the sheer pace I got away in a chase group of 15 or so riders.


With BIC 2000, Cholet and Saur Sojasun in the chase group I was in good company. The break was insight  we had Rene in it meaning I could get a free ride across...everything was looking positive.

Then it started going wrong. I missed the bottle at the feed. On such a warm day this was key. Still I had a few more opportunities to get a bottle. Next issue was the chase group or to put it bluntly the lack of chase! As riders ducked and dived we were a mere few hundred metres at times behind the break. Yet no one was committed. Annoying to say the least before long the peleton came back upto us.




By now the bunch was significantly smaller and sensing the race was going up the road, riders were chipping off the front in pursuit. Soon we hit the finishing circuit, 5km, about a kilometres shallow climb, a short descent and a relatively flat remainder. 


We had 8 laps and after missing the bottle I was starting to feel dehydrated on such a warm day. I did though find myself in a group of around 10 riders and soon we were working well to close in, now what was the second group, on the road.

Lap after lap we were a couple of hundred metres behind the second group on the road but as we were going flat out, so were they! So basically lap after lap deadlock. We were closing the gap on the climb only to lose it on the flat.




So 4 laps to go and onto the climb again. Climbing ok, legs were pretty average as they had been all race. We were coming upto 20km to go and were now in touching distance of the group up ahead. 




That is until the AC Lanester rider behind me decided to ride into my rear wheel. What happened next was very abrupt and very final! His front wheel hit my rear mech and pushed it into my wheel, thus snapping the hanger and in turn ripping the mech and spokes in my wheel..oh and the chain as well!


To put this into persepective I came to such an abrupt stop I took an inch of rubber off my tyre. Hacked off to put it politely. My race was over.


Can only be thankful I didnt crash, mainly due to the fact this happened on the drag. I wouldnt like to think what would have happened if this was on the descent.




Also this occured on the finishing circuit, again better here than on the 90km en ligne. Still as you can tell it could have been a hell of a lot worse.


Still feeling pretty annoyed and a bit down in the dumps about it. A trip to the bikeshop today where I spent a small fortune yet was unable to get a rear mech hanger.


Ordered one now on the internet, hopefully will arrive soon and I can get back into the swing of things for the weekend.


Decided to do just Sunday's race this weekend as need a confidence boost and think better to concentrate on one race rather than two. I am learning a lot, but to be fair taking a hammering. 

Yes, its May and the seasons long but then again I need to start getting to the sharper end of these races...if anyone has any ideas how please let me know!

first semi nocturne: Ploeren

Hello and welcome to my first post nocturne post!

It's 7am, Ive hardly had a wink of sleep, can only mean its the morning after a late night race.


After Tro Div Ster, last weekend, I came out of the race with pretty good legs and was just lacking the rolling parcours to use them on.

So keen to get stuck into more racing I was down to ride The Trophee Daniel Lebreton Nocturne on Friday night.

A 7:30pm start meant a day of chilling. I was quite keen to get a short ride in on the morning but was advised by my team mate to be as fresh as possible for the evening's race.

6pm and picked up in the team car by my team mate Gurvan and his girlfriend. Off we set for the 30 min drive to Ploeren. Arriving at an industrial estate, we parked up. Bikes off and headed to sign on.

72 riders down to ride including such names as David Chopin (ex Credit Agricole stagiare) Vincent Ragot (just finished Tour of Brittany) and Warren Barguil (top espoir often picked to race for national team). So to put it bluntly, with Cholet and a number of others also fielding a strong team, this was gonna be a full on race!


So all kitted up and half an hour to go I set off for a warm up around the circuit. 2.5km panflat, one roundabout, 4 corners, lots of wind and basically a tour of the industrial estate. A few laps done, with some sprints to open up, I got on the second row of the line ready for the inevitable fast start. Team had quite a few riders at this one, six in fact and 36 laps for us to do something in.


7:30pm and we were away, 90km of flat, flat out, industrial estate action! First lap, and the anticipated fast start was not happening. The bunch were happy to roll along and even with a Cholet rider (eventual winner) attacking from the gun, there was little urgency within the bunch. One lap done and the race began!


Attacks left right and centre, tonnes of sprinting out of corners, jumping about and riders cornering like 50 pence pieces! A couple of laps in and other than the constant sprinting out of corners I was feeling ok. Following wheels and trying to bide my time to get in the right move.

A few laps later this all seemed to go to pot. Legs suddenly came over heavy and sluggish. Although I was keen to race my legs were refusing to. So unsurprisingly moves began going off the front and I just couldnt react to them. Soon a massive group had gone. Basically race over.


So in a group of 15 or so we continued. Still feeling pretty rough and wondering where my good legs from Tro Div Ster and Tour des Mauges had gone.

To make a long and quite honestly uninteresting, remainder of the race short, I came in in the group sprinting for 30th or so.


With myself and Gurvan the only two finishers from the team it was safe to say it was a pretty rubbish race for us all!

Chopin was his normal awesome self getting in the break, Barguil and Ragot didnt fair much better than me and Cholet ripped it up and won.

So another panflat, sprint fest. A mixture of bad legs, sprinting out of the same roundabout 36 times and a quality field meant unsurprisingly I got a kicking. One to forget.

Only surprising thing was, I was told, there was actually a group behind ours, clearly going even worse!

So race finishing at 9:45pm and arriving home, 11pm. Still wired after the race Ive managed a mere 4 hours sleep.


Plan today is try and recover some sleep for tomorrows race, a light spin on the bike and a have a much needed massage (not had one in a very long time)


Tomorrow, Boucles du Val d'Oust 1/2/3 race at Pleucadeuc. 90km en ligne then 8 laps of a 5.1km circuit. Really looking forward to this one, which on paper looks to at least be rolling if not hilly!!

Lets hope for a better nights sleep, better legs and a race tomorrow that at least has a motorway bridge!

Tro Div Ster stage 3: getting stuck in!

So after the disappointing TT in the morning I was ready to make ammends in the final stage in the afternoon.

The GC out of the window for us but not for the top few riders who were only seperated by a handful of seconds, this was going to come down to the wire!


Billed as a relatively flat stage with two KOM points a small 2.5km circuit to start with to be done 3 times, followed by a 62.5km loop and finished off with a 6km crit like finishing circuit do be done 5 times.

Saur Sojasun in yellow with UC Nantes and Cholet snapping at their heals, the next 100km would decide the overall and for myself would be an opportuntity to get envolved in some moves and hopefully make a breakaway.

From our lunch stop at Lanester we had a 20 minute drive to the start of the final stage in a town called Erdeven. Arriving and the weather was great, 24 degrees and sunny. Early we headed off for a coffee and chilled out. Bikes prepped by helpers and kitted up, we signed on and I set of for a 20 minute warm up and a look round the 2.5km starting loop.

chat with manager, Yvon before stage 3

Unlike the morning my legs felt good, infact they felt great! So lined up 2:15pm and we were off.


From the gun the pace was on and I sat relatively comfortably in the first 20 riders as Sojasun lined the bunch out. The 2.5km loop was a twisting one and one definately to be ridden near the front.


Coming out of the 3 starting loops the bunch was in one line and the attacks were flying. Keen to get in a move I followed the wheels and was soon away with a Nantes and Cotes d'Armor rider. Feeling strong was not enough as the bunch was in hot pursuit and soon we were back in the fold, only for more numerous attacks to follow.


With a high quality field such as this it is pretty much down to a bit of calculation and luck as to who to follow. I found this out as soon a 4 rider group had slipped away and soon had built a small gap. I'd missed the move, more out of bad luck than anything.


So the break was established at 20 or so seconds. Saur Sojasun were in no mood though to lose the GC and had 5 riders on the front of the bunch and thus lining it out. 40km in and onto the first KOM. My team mate Pascal knowing I was feeling good got me into the top dozen riders as we hit the bottom of the 1km ascent. Feeling good the attacks began and although I couldnt respond to the first one I got in a chase group and crested the hill.


Flat out, Safe to say somes up the next few kilometres as break, chase and bunch were hammering along. 50km and final KOM the pace hadnt let up and we flew up it.


To put it simply the next 10km were the same, in that Saur Sojasun basically kept the hammer down and literally kept the bunch in one long line.


Onto the finishing circuit. Now as dangerous finishing circuits go I think this was well up there...6km loop, 3 roundabouts, 2 train track crossings and a load of road furniture..good job we werent hurtling round it then 5 times at close to 50km/h!

 Across the finishing line for the first time the crowds were big and the atmosphere electric.  The break were holding a minutes lead yet the gap was coming down. Last lap and were break were caught. A big bunch kick was on the cards. Great..for a sprinter!




So with good legs again it was all coming down to a sprint and to be honest I chickened out. Last 1km and with two roundabouts 100 riders and the win on the cards the bunch were all over the place. Not confidient about getting stuck in with this I sat back abit and as the sprint opened up I was about 30/40 riders back and did sprint and surprisingly actually made up quite a few places. 

So final stage done. 44km/h average. Can say 100km done literally km 0 to 100 pretty much lined out!

Very hot and very very fast. Sojasun held onto yellow, UC Nantes won the stage, all our team finished in bunch safely and personally I had given it a good go with a few attacks on the final stage. 

 Unfortunately this was a race really between the big few teams and was only decided by that TT. A shame there wasnt a couple more stages or harder parcours to break things up a little.

Good news is legs are good, just hoping upcoming races have a few more hills in it to split things up abit! Not sure I can face another bunch sprint!

Tro Div Ster stage 2: Team TT

So after a massage and a good meal after stage 1 I got to bed early. Unfortunately a bad sleep was had and with a 7am wake up on Sunday it was safe to say I was feeling a bit sleepy!


So a light breakfast, all kit and bike prepared..ready to go. 8:30am and  the team car and team mates arrived at the house. It was pretty cold out so layered up we set off to ride to the start, 10km or so away in a town called Kervignac. With the team cars following us we were able to get a bit of motorpacing to open the legs up and prepare us for the mornings stage.

Arriving, and again all the teams present as was the huge podium, banners and organisation. Signed on I headed off for a warm up of around 30 minutes.

Now The French are not renowned for their love of timetrialling and unfortunately my team fully embraced this! The plan was to just ride 80% and save as much as possible for the final, afternoons stage. So any hopes of a good GC were forgotten and to be honest it was going to be hard to compete anyway with 90% of the teams fully aeroed up on TT bikes.

With no turbo trainer in France I set about doing a few efforts on the ajoining roads.

So 9:27am we lined up ready for the off. Normal road bikes, a rider less than most of the other teams, after losing Yoann yesterday, and no practise of a team timetrial...this was to be interesting.

Off we went and my team mate Pascal set off like a scolded cat. A relatively flat 20.5km TT with a few drags and a block headwind throughout! So getting into it we were rolling through yet I could tell we weren't going well. Compared to the day before my legs felt wooden and other than Pascal, my other team mates legs werent much better.

A few kilometres in and one of my team mates started missing turns. So down to 4 riders doing through and not really knowing where I was going it was a case of just get to the finish! So hitting the finish I can safely say it was one of the worst TT's I've ever ridden!


Not surprisingly we were smashed by Sojasun. The shock was we were smashed by 3 minutes. Sojasun, fully aeroed up and clearly flying did it with a storming ride, considering the headwind, in 24 minutes for the 20.5km.

Disappointing for us, but to be honest what can be expected, no aero aids, no practise and little motivation.

Luckily though in France the three minutes we lost is actually not reflected in the GC! It seems that they work out the GC not based on the TT times but on where the team placed in the stage.

So Sojasun won, then UC Cholet were second, so were put 5 secs back, next team, UC Nantes Atlantique were 3rd so were put 10 secs back and so on and so on. So basically we were 18th team...but seemed to be put just over a minute back so to be honest was a bit confused but just happy we weren't 3 minutes down on GC!


So a good warm down round the afternoon's finishing circuit, changed and headed to the local supermarket! Why? Well this is where lunch was put on. A good lunch it was too of pasta, vegetables, rolls and fruit. Ready and fuelled up for the 2:15pm start of the final stage in the afternoon. I knew I had just one more chance to get stuck in and couldn't wait to get going!

Tro Div Ster stage 1

I write a mere hour after finishing the first stage of Tro Div Ster. Why so quickly afterwards you may ask? Well this was probably the most convinient finishes as it finished a mere 2km from my house!


So how did the first stage pan out?

It all began with a relaxed morning spent catching up on emails and French TV. The plan was to be picked up by the team car at 12. This meant a nice relaxed meal, bike ready and off for the half an hour drive to the start. Arriving and it looked like the depart to a tour stage with crowds building and a big start area. All the big teams were present as well with Saur Sojasun under 23, UC Nantes and Cotes D'armor to name a few. Also present was bright, sunny skies and a lot of wind!

Team today was myself, Sebastien, Yoan, Cedric, Gurvan and Pascal.

So a good warm up done and onto the podium for the team presentation. After Tour des Mauges last week I knew I was comung into some form so was looking forward to today.

Around 120 riders and 130km made up of 82km en ligne and a 8km finishing circuit to be done 6 times. So 2pm and off we went. Knowing it was probably going to be a fast start I made sure I was in the first 20 or so riders. Expecting a fast start and actually having a fast start are two different things. I can safely say it was fast! 2 laps of a small circuit to start with and it was full on lined out like a crit, and this was just the start!

Off the circuit and I finally came out of the 12 on my cassette! Feeling good I made sure I stayed near the front. The loop was a strange one with lots of local roads, descents and wind. Yet the wind seemed behind us and this meant the pace never dropped and nothing could really get away. With the big teams controlling it it was just what I liked, fast and steady. Knowing some of the roads I knew we had a good climb upto Camors coming up so moved to the front ready for an attack.


Lined out up the 2km or so climb I followed a move over the top. But the shere speed of the bunch brought it back.

Coming into the finishing circuit. A rolling circuit, finishing with a 500 metre drag. After breaking my Garmin computer mount in the week, I was racing without knowledge of how long we'd done, quite important with a point to point! Normally I try to eat every 30 mins or so but not knowing I just seemed to keep eating! Suppose better to eat lots than not enough!


So feeling good onto the finishing circuits, my old habit of sitting to far back in the bunch came into force and on such narrow roads it meant with good legs I ended up watching a small group get off the front with 2 laps to go. Annoying is an understatement as not being able to get through the bunch and at least try to attack and use good legs is very very frustrating.


Coming into last lap and the break had around 20 seconds, Cotes D'armor were chasing hard as were Saur Sojasun. Finish and the break held off with Renou (winner first stage last week at Mauges) winning the stage and myself and all the team (except Yoan, who was dropped and DNFed) finishing in the big peleton 20 or so seconds behind.

A good stage and 45km/h made it a fast one, all I can say is roll on 20km team timetrial tomorrow morning and a circuit race in the afternoon. Its still all to play for. Positioning is the key tomorrow and hopefully can use my legs and go on the attack and make that break...whatever the speed! Will keep you posted!

ent