Never seen so much Di2

On Saturday 16th March we had our Team/club Presentation. Basically this consisted of a lot of blokes getting changed into lycra in a more than uncomfortably small sized room and having some snaps taken out in the freezing cold. Not my idea of fun, but what was, was what followed, the team is sponsored by a cake and biscuit factory, this was where the presentation was held and so afterwards we were taken for drinks and cake, a lot of cake!!!  Everybody loves a bit of cake.....

Ok, so last Sunday and this Sunday just gone I had 2 Elite National races. The first of which was "la Fleche de Locmine". The race was a 100km big loop arriving back in the same town as we started, followed by 8 tough finishing circuits taking the overall race up to 160km, or for you oldies, 100 miles. The race was pretty nippy averaging around 43kph over fairly tough rolling terrain with a few tasty longish drags. The race pretty much stayed together all the way into the 4th finishing circuit and began to split on the finishing hill. My team mate George Moore got in this move and went onto to claim a very respectable 9th and 1st "2nd cat rider".

Now you maybe wondering why the blog name, well with a starting field of 160-170 riders and 102 finishers  you can imagine it was pretty brutal on the finishing circuits. Not many riders were dropped on the big loop but when it came to the windy rolling finishing circuit riders were going backwards like no tomorrow. After the finish line the road opened out and was very windy. I can say my head was almost in my spokes at times and staring at the chaps rear mech infront was a regular sight lap after lap. However towards the end I found something, and managed to move up to get 56th from 102 and around 5th in my category. Overall I was happy with my race and just saw it has a good 160km in the legs.


And so on to this Sunday just gone. I had been assured that my race this weekend would be a hard one with over 150 1st category riders taking to the start out of 200. The race was les Boucles Guegonnaise, it was mainly on big open roads with a lot of wind, very stop start and to be honest my race wasn't good at all. I felt to have good legs but my head let them down, poor positioning in the bunch when it really mattered left me in the back half of a split peleton which then blew to bits and left me fighting for a number of kms to regain contact with others. I did manage to get back on but this was short lived and on the next fast open windy down hill stretch I just couldn't keep up, really I needed a bigger gear!!! I fought desperately with others but there was no chance.  I don't know how far this was into the race at a guess I said maybe 80kms, I rode to finish and still felt strong, but it was my head that had done the damage. But it's a learning experience and it's not even the end of March so I'm not going to beet myself up about it. Next weekend I have 2 races to look forward to so a good week of training and I'll be as keen again as usual.

That's all for now. Hamish

So I didn't update the blog last week. Reason been I was pretty down about my race and didn't really have anything to say other than it was a complete balls up. The race was an Elite National "la Manche-Atlantique", reputed to be one of if not the hardest races of the season that we will be entered into. The course was an A-B 80+km and then a number of finishing circuits. The start was extremely fast with rolling hills and draggy sections on wide open windy roads. To be honest i felt shite and could hardly make it up the hills without loosing a number of places in the bunch, consequently after every hill having to put in big efforts to move back up, coupled with going the wrong way round several roundabouts this just made my race even more difficult than need be and soon enough i was right at the back and out the back. I managed to cling onto the cavalcade for a good few kilometers but there just wasnt enough vehicles for me to recover and move up. BANG back I went until bout 15km down the road i was greeted by the broom wagon. Race over. Not Happy, Back to Drawing Board. 

So onto my weeks training. Monday I didn't really do much at all. Tuesday I had a good 4 hours hilly ride with George and believe me when I say hilly. Wednesday is our designated team club run meeting at 2 pm everyweek, this is a 2 1/2-3 hrs ride with a short amount of through and off thrown in. Thursday I did another 2 1/2 hrs with a good number of lengthy climbs. Friday I took the day off and Saturday I did a few hours really easy with both George and Josh and then put my feet up to relax and watch one of my favourite race's "Paris-Nice". 

And so onto This weeks race. Another Elite National " Circuit du morbihan". After last weeks terrible race I was a little more nervous than usual going into this weeks race. I knew the race was going to be rolling with a few gritty climbs through out the big loop. The race started pretty nippy up a longish but really well surfaced gradual climb from km Zero I could tell I was going to have a good race. The kms flew by no dramas no trouble holding wheels no nothing. About 50km in I punctured on a climb again there was no panic I stopped got the wheel out waited for the car got back up to pace and was brought back up to the peleton, no issues. It was all going terribly well, if anything the added pace from chasing back on opened up my legs and from then I felt completely at ease. Moving up to the front on the long drags so's not to get distanced over top was no issue i felt great. and then..... Story of my life... 3 km from the finishing loops 90km in I found myself doing cyclocross. It all happened very fast but my only explanation of what happened was I was in the right hand gutter in the line and maybe through lack of concentration I veered off into some gravel and into a field. Quickly I dismounted hopped over a ditch and got back on I was chasing for maybe 3 km, almost regaining contact with the bunch, I felt positive I was going to get back, the team car came along side "happy days I thought get on the bumper and towed up to the group" NO!! instead the car kept its speed with the rest of the cavalcade and left me behind. Still I ploughed on with the hope of regaining contact. Anyway I didn't I  did 6/8 of the finishing circuits and then was told to stop. All I can assume is that the team car thought I'd been dropped and therefore didn't think I was able to regain contact, unlike Belgium where I'm sure Teams take great pleasure in seeing an exhausted lad eat his bar tape to get back on, but here it seems not. At the end I was too fucked to even try and explain to the guys what had happened. But at least I know it wasn’t the form, but the most disappointing thing is I don't have anything to show for it except a muddy bike....

A weekend of mixed fortunes

So this weekend I had two races.

 Saturday was a 1,2,3 Category totalling in 130km with a 90km big loop followed by 6x7km finishing circuits.

The morning began with light snow and freezing air temperatures but as the start approached the weather improved and was cold and dry for the rest of the day. 200 riders took the start and the break was established with in the 1st 10km "I wasn't in it". The route was on quite wide open roads snaking up small climbs through woods and little valleys. The pace was pretty good and teams with numbers worked away keeping things in control. On the final climb approaching the finishing circuits I made my way up to the front and went over the top in the first 10. Moves started to go but nothing was sticking and decent down to the Arrivie was pretty quick. Well positioned coming into the finishing circuits I managed to clip of the bunch and work well with a group of maybe 10 riders. We worked well together and bridged across to a group of maybe 15/20 riders. With three loops to go I was getting pretty tired but managed to keep up front and go with most moves. In the final 3 km's of the last lap 5 riders jumped clear and I was unable to go with them, we came in to the finishing straight and 15 of us were going for the sprint for maybe 30th but I'm not certain. I was happy with my race and just glad to get some warm clothes on and some food in me.

2 groups come together on finishing circuits

Sunday was an Elite National race "Route Bretonne" Teams represented included Sour Saun U23 team and several other continental setups who's names are too complicated for me to remember. This was high level race totalling in 150km. A big loop of 118 km and 6 small finishing loops. The race set of pretty sharpish and my legs took a while to come round but after a few hard efforts in the wind my legs woke up and felt really good. My positioning on the other wasn't so good. My race fell in bits at around the 80 km mark. i was caught out in a split in the bunch over the top of a long draggy climb. The group I was in worked hard for upwards of 16km and managed to fight our way back on to the bunch, a hrad effort that had took its toll. I immediately moved up the bunch to seek recovery and shelter only to be greeted by "a sawley brow type climb" to those of you who know it. I went BANG rider after came by in a long string and eventually the string ended I was unable to keep up and unfortuntly only 10 miles from the finishing circuits had to climb off. Normally I would have ridden to the loops but with no more support out on the road and with the chance of a puncture I was told to climb in the Broom, which Im happy to say wasn't empty.... I was dissapointed as my legs were good but with the huge effort just to rejoin the race done its damage and with little time to recover before a nasty drag I have to put it down to miss fortune and bad positioning.

Podium For Route Bretonne

Hope you can make sense of this ........ Hamish

Beaucoup de Soleil

OK so my 2013 racing season began today and I'm happy to report it went pretty well, I'm not entirely happy with it but it was pretty good nether the less.

The race was in the village of Camors about 1 hr ride from where I am currently living in Hennebont. My Club president Sebastian picked me up at 13:15 along with my two new team mates Josh lawless and George Moore. The lead up to the race was what I'd very much expected lots of blingy bikes, big ARRIVEE banner, podium lorry and an outside sign on table.

The race started at 14:30 and was a 13 lap "interclub". The first few laps took some getting used to with the big group "approx 110 riders" and unknown roads, especially after riding mostly with 2-4 people all winter. The race was pretty nippy at points but i have to say i felt pretty good and apart from when I had a few jumps didn't feel in any difficulty.

Unfortunately as of yet I have no exact results of the race but I have been assured by spectators I may have just scraped a top 30..ish. and as for photos I have seen a few and seem to be hidden in almost everyone, a shoulder here, a helmet top there ect... Not worth posting.

Fellow Team mates George moore and Josh Lawless had very good races. George 5th and Josh "15th?"

We then got kitted up and road home behind the car. maybe good maybe not......

Fellow British Rider Doug Dewey made the podium with a strong 2nd place. Well done Doug.

Pastures New

So a long time since I wrote this job. Last season in Belgium I never really got round to writing it, partially because i was too busy and enjoying myself and mostly because I just couldn't be bothered. But I think this time short and sweet is going to be the key to a constantly updated blog.

So on to this season, I've had a good winter with lots of miles mostly wet and perishingly cold riding my favourite roads in the world "The Dales and Ribble Valley" with the best possible company, Wilko, Robbie P , Pete Williams, Sam boast, John Hopkinson "aka Old Hopkin and in the latter few rides two good young local lads Connor French and Oliver Payton. Most of all reason for mentioning the above is to be honest good lads like the above give my training a good boost and makes it so enjoyable.

This year I will be racing in Brittany, France with Union Cicliste Hennebont Lochrist with fellow Brits George Moore and Josh Lawless. Already had a good few laughs ie Dog encounters but thats for later.

My 1st race with the team is this Sunday a local race to our Base Town, Hennebont. As of yet I have no details of the race but if the training I've done so far is anything to go by it will have its fair share of lumps and bumps touch wood it will be dry but I aint counting on it.

I travelled over on Sunday night with the lads and Nick Mills from Portsmouth to Caen. We were welcomed into the Mill's lovely Farm house where the sons are putting in some fair graft renovating which was of interest for me been a hands on lad myself.

The afternoon we arrived the 3 of us went for a spin to get the long drive out of our legs, more so for myself coming from the sticks of "Up North". Well it could have been a better start, literally 5 miles from clicking in we encountered a pretty territorial boxer dog. He stood his ground at his garden boundaries but then decided that wasnt enough and gave chase. I managed to get away but this wasnt case for George and Josh, i thought that was it however thrown down from the heavens a Renualt Clio came to their rescue and gave the dog a bit of persuasion back to his kennel with its Bumper. ..............60kph persuasion. Not the best but better than a savaged leg or worse for the three of us.


Enjoy the read more soon.....

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.