Back to Flanders, the home of gutter death!!!

So the second part of the blog update is focusing on my return to Belgium.

I arrived in Belgium on Wednesday 31st of May and my first race would be the following Sunday in Posele, Nevele. I had done the race last season so i knew the course and what to expect. The course was about 6/7 km round with 3, 90 degree bends and a few twists, mostly on single track concrete roads. As soon as we set of my intention was to get a near the front as possible, staying out of trouble and making it as easy for myself out of the corners as possible. Lap after lap went by and felt good and confident I would finish my first race back in Belgium. However time after time on the small road, lined out in the gutter people were pulling out the line and i only had the legs 5-6 times to get back in the wheels. In the end I finished 55th from a starting field of around 80-90 riders.


My next race was 2 days later Tuesday 5th June in the GP Willy Callens, Wakken. Another race I had done before and this was a race of Cornering. There were 8, 90 degree bends in less than a 10km circuit. I was very focused for this race and wanted to improve on my previous race. I was a rapid start, about 2 km on a wide road then a sharp left into a single track lane. I made my way up to the front on the big road and got a good position going into the lane. In the whole race i never lost positions in the corners always gaining. A split in the peleton on the small lane decided the breakaway but i was in the second group.  About half way through the race I got shelled in the cross wind section, but really dug deep, riding from  group to group and made my way back on, something i would not have not been able to do last season. I managed to sit in and recover take in some food and drink and finished around 10th in the bunch sprint, taking 43rd place and not to my knowledge a 15€ prime.  Happy Days!!!!


After a Decent start i was selected for a couple of Interclubs the next week. Unfortunately they didn't work out to well due to me been a bit panicky and not having the legs.

Team Announcement Before Belsele Interclub

The first of the two was Moorsele, My race was over within 30km, a lot of crashes on little lanes caused split and chasing back on and in the end I didn't have it in the legs on a hard fast crosswind section and went backwards. The second was in Belsele, Waasland. 12 laps of a 12km circuit. The circuit was tight and twisty with 3 cobbled sections, the first half was going great for me holding a good position in the group and feeling good. 5-6 laps to go I was caught behind a huge pile up, with inexperience I panicked and chased back on hard, not realising how many people were behind me, to regroup with and get back on together, consequently I popped and spent a further 3 laps in the cars, going from number 26 car to number 6 and then right to back. When the ambulance comes past you know its game over!!

In the cars in Belsele

A few Kermeses went by with disappointing results, but I got my head down with some good training and the next two were good races. I was set to train from Monday to Friday and race Saturday and Monday. The Saturdays race was a Belofen (U23) in Bachte- Maria-Leerne. It was a tough very fast windy race, with a fast sharp left hander 300 meters from the finish line. I rode strongly in the race, winning the sprint from my group, finishing a respectable 53rd from 113 starters. 

Last Ronde, Bachte-Maria-Leerne

Monday was a 17:00hr start on a rolling course with some big roads on small lanes and obviously been belgium a good few tight bends too. I road very well and just wanted to get the whole 120km in my legs and more confidence in the head. There were around 20 riders up the road so I knew I was sprinting for a top 30 placing, "in the money". I'm very confident in my sprint and from the last corner was around 300-350 meters to the line. Just as the kick was coming, marshals were flagging us down, a rider from the break was sparco in the road so obviously unsafe to sprint and the brakes went on. In the end I finished 51st.

Aspelare 1.12 b

After the two finishes in 3 days I was confident my form was coming good. However a week later in Melle, just 2 km from the start i was brought down in a crash and race over, from the outside a few grazes and a bit of road rash but inside was a different story, my whole left side was twisted, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, ankle. But after going to see my coach/ "Magician on the massage table" I was new man. But after a few days of not been able to much my legs weren't too go for the next few races, and I didn't manage to finish them. 

After these disappointing performances I had a chat with my coach about training and we decided I would focus on endurance training with intensity mixed in and then 1 race at the weekend. I'm pleased to say this worked and my next race was good, I finished 43rd. I was a little disappointed because at a crucial point I hesitated and missed out on the front group where a top 30 place might have been achievable. But it didn't happen and i'm determined it will next time. I now have another full week of good training and race again Saturday.

I will try to update this blog now after every race and keep you up to date with what's happening.

Hamish

Better late than Never

Right about time I wrote up a new blog, I was blogging weekly in the winter speaking of my training and then had my head set on writing another one after the first block of British races. Unfortunately some weeks I would completely forget or others I was just too tired.

I’m going to do this blog in two blocks then it’s not so long,  i’ll first speak of my 2012 UK Races. I was very nervous in the week leading up to my first race of the season, reason being i knew i had good form and my fitness was high, but that’s all well and good out training but you can’t gauge your performance until you come up against racing competition.  Plus it was a local race “Clayton Velo Spring Classic” and obviously as in all races I had the intention to go and put in a solid performance.  With the likes of Rapha Condor Sharp and various other teams coming in numbers it was set to be a good strong race. Im not a rider to be put off by big established names, if anything it makes for better strong racing, and as Wilko had said to me a few days prior “you want to be going to them races, thinking  I’m going to put these good lads away today and show them I’m more than capable”.  I came away satisfied with my race finishing in 27^th place, between groups, I managed to jump clear of the main  group in the final 2 laps  and finish just off the back of the second  small leading group.

End of a very wet Eddie Soens

On the attack in Cockermouth

Week after week my results were good and i was happy with my start to the season. A few races I entered didn’t go my way but in all my events i was aggressive and getting in with the action. Always following the right people in the attacks but not always at the right time, but this just goes to show it takes time to develop a good race head and with the right help it will all come together.

Clayton Velo Spring Classic- 27^th

Eddie Soens Memorial- 96^th

Cdnw Pimbo- 23^rd

Cdnw Saighton- 20^th

Cdnw Cockermouth- 25^th

Merseyside Wheelers RR- 5^th

National Emergency services RR- 8^th

Yorkshire Day @ races- 13th

Northwest Regional Championships- 26^th

I competed in 5 other races but no results shown out of the top 10, so not sure of exact results.

Next Blog will be with in the next few days, speaking of my return to Belgium and how its gone so far.