No Pain No Gain............ Or Not.....

Ok so this weekend we had 2 races. Saturday was a circuit race. Taking in a lap of 4.5km 22 times. Or for me 13 laps. After my race last Monday I had an excruciating pain in my knee. I thought this was maybe due to change of cleats, However like many other people "who see it as normal" my pelvis is out of line and needs a tweak. For those of you unknown to this, everyday life causes strain on the body, moving parts often move where they shouldn't and then add that to riding a bike almost everyday and you get problems. See with your hips locked in the saddle and your ankles in the pedals your knee suffers in the middle, resulting in power loss too. Anyway enough of my terrible anatomy lesson, to cut a long story short, which I haven't done,... have I? .... I had to stop, I felt terrible and couldn't seem to get anything from my body, coupled with awful weather and cold wind this wasn't doing me much good....... Sound soft don't I!!!!!.... That won't do.

And so on to Sunday, I had planned to start and see how it went. I awoke to bright sunshine and instantly this made up my mind for sure. The race was an 80km loop taking in quite a good few 2+ km climbs leading on to a tough 7.5km finishing circuit which we had 5 laps to do. At the start I felt a bit sluggish, but after a good few miles moving up through the bunch I felt quite good. Luckily I recognised the road from a previous race and moved up to the front at the foot of one of the key climbs. And so it proved, a group chipped off 3/4 of the way up and I managed to get clear over the top and eventually bridge up to them. We were 2nd group on the road with the break 1 minute in front, including 4 of my team mates. After this move there were several other climbs, which despite the previous day I felt fine on, not good but fine.

 Then the toughy came, a climb that's been used in several Tour de France stage finishes. I rode up well enough and the break were in site just cresting the top. However by this point I was dieing and didn't have the kick to go with a small group who chipped off to try and bridge, so I just sat there looking terrible I'm sure.... But still there.

As we entered the finishing circuits I found a little something and was able to keep near the front of my group. 3 laps to go and the attacks started to come, Unfortunately by this point my knee wasn't feeling too great on the climbs and I had to ride everything seated and couldn't follow much, just ride up to wheels over the top. I really wanted to go myself, but my body just wasn't allowing me. I guess pain is the first warning. Fortunately within these last 3 laps only 1 little group managed to get clear and it was down a "bunch sprint" for us. I managed 6th in my group and an overall result of 34th. A shame considering the group who chipped off within the big loop managed top 15's, and I know from previous races I would have been able to go with them, However I'm confident after my treatment this week I'll be back to full strength.

Highlight of the day, slumped on the floor after the finish absolutely wrecked and been patted on the head like a dog. Good ride Hamish... Pronounced Haeemish....

Wet and wild weekend in Brittany.... Things got dirty....

So this weekend I had 2 races and to be honest they were both pretty unspectacular.

 Sundays race was a 19 lap triangular course, with every kind of wind except the welcomed taily.

It was the 2^nd of a 4 race series and with George sitting 2^nd overall it was the plan to get him a good result and by helping him out a nice result should come of it for myself too. However this didn’t quite come off as our other team mates got in the break with the overall leader and instead of sitting in the move and hoping we could come across they worked driving the break further out of reach. I tried desperately to get across and 1 of the attempts looked hopeful. I managed to get clear on the finishing hill but unfortunately only 1 other was able to come with me and over the top into the head wind we made little headway and soon were back in the clutches of the Peleton. Had 5 or 6 come we may have had a better chance of making the gap to the front group. As the race went on the bunch kept splitting and I found myself in the back of these splits, I managed to hop across to the next group and there I stayed. With one last attempt with a lap to go, to get up to the 2^nd group I had a go on the finishing hill but after about a km I was caught and to be honest I was cooked. I came over the line first of our group but this was like drinking the dregs from a warm beer glass. 35^th was my official result, nowt to get merry about.

.....And so on to Monday, which was to be a dizzying 35 laps of a 3.5 kilometer lap. We arrived at the race in pouring rain and set about getting changed in the back or a car. However there were 3 of us, George decided to take the boot and Josh and I in the car, “I think we still have our dignity”..... Thankfully the rain stopped and on the start line there was even a bit of sunshine, the lap began down a longish open windy section and then curled down to the coastline along a road with a surface complimented with tree roots uprooting the tarmac and back onto a wide section leading up a slight hill to the finish. Normally right up my street but to be honest I wasn't enjoying myself, a combination of slippery bends and dodgy “moving up strategies” made me quite nervous and each lap I eased of through the bends and without much effort road up to the wheel. But for some odd reason despite looking and feeling comfortable riders around me didn’t seem sure and insisted on taking my space. For some reason, whether it was the weather or just one of them days I wasn’t interested and just sat at the back and road round. Little groups were chipping off but nothing was sticking and when it did George was up there, my head wasn’t there and I just stayed where I was. This move stayed out of site until about 12 laps to go. I rode up to the front and had a dig, Josh did his best to slow the bunch and It was looking like I might make it across, unfortunately represented teams; team mates had other ideas and had me back in there grasp in just over a lap.

 After this it began to rain heavy and I was getting fed up and cold and seeing 8 laps to go didn’t fill me with joy. The race was over  and I was sick of getting the trademark wheel spray from the chap in front so that’s where I went, I sat on the front for the last 7 laps and road at a good tempo to keep warm and avoid the cold water and mud. Obviously after dragging the back markers round for 25 km they HAD to sprint past me  at the end for some kind of mental stimulation. All I wanted was a hat and a warm drink, one of which I received.... yes my own hat. Oh and a towel to clean up with.... shared between 3 of us.....

That’s all for now...  It may sound a shitty weekend but I have 2 more races in the legs and some more speed... Alls left to do now is clean this up....

A progressive agressive Weekend

Right so this weekend just gone I had 3 races.  Saturday an Inline race as the French say,  Basically we departed from the Town of Noyal did a loop of around 75km to return to the town and finish off with 7 laps of a 3km circuit.

Tale of the race- It took quite along time for any moves to stick in the race but once one did we were represented with George. It wasn’t so much of an attack more of a drift of 20ish riders moving clear off the front. When the gap had grown to around 30 seconds “out of site” I decided to have a go and get across. My first attempt was brought back half way up a climb so over the top I went again and I was pleased it stuck. Shortly after  1’s and 2’s came across and we formed a good working group. We had the break in site “1 minute” but of course ideally I didn’t want to take anyone with me so I stuck with the group and saved myself from going alone. As we reached the circuits riders from our group began to get ahead of themselves and started attacking the group thinking they were Vino’s . I just followed all of these moves until they were all burnt out, and after 3 laps it was me and one other.  Still he persisted in trying to get shut of me although we were only going for 20^th place. Anyway his energy soon ran out and with 3 laps to go I was on my own. I rode very hard for the final 3 laps not sure of where the break was, with the bell lap ringing the now “split break” came into site, I had 3kms to catch them i tried desperately but they kept looking back and decided not to mess about, round the last bend with 300 meters to go I was a mere 100 meters off them. I came home in 20^th, I was happy with my race and pleased I could get away from the bunch so far out and last till the end.

Me and the levitating bidon

 Sundays race was a circuit race – 17x 5.8km. There was quite alot of pressure to do well in this race for 2 reasons. One it was the 1^st of a 4 race series with 1000€ and a 40 inch tv up for grabs for the eventual winner and secondly both me and George were in the previous days news paper as potential favourites.  The race was hard, with the previous days race in my legs and unbelievable winds I was finding it pretty tough, people were attacking every lap and been brought back on the same lap so we decided to save ourselves for a last hard hit out for victory. With 7 laps to go a group of 20 riders slipped clear both me and George in this move. The group worked for a little while but with so many people its very rare that everyone will work and soon it turned into who could attack in the daftist place. With 2 to go 4 riders managed to get away “one of whom was George” Happy days let that go sit on and get 5^th!! Hmm no.. on the last lap one chap found an extra gear and I could not get to him but 2 others did. 8^th was my hope now, coming into the sprint I was sat around 10^th wheel and this is where I stayed, a disappointing sprint left me in 18^th. But George managed 2^nd and put him up there in the series. There’s 3 left so time yet, one of which is this coming Sunday.

And Finally to Monday. Another circuit race this time 18 laps and yet again very windy and cold with heavy roads. The bunch stayed together for  4 laps but then it all kicked off, and I had nothing in me to follow, 2 known strong riders were in this group of 5 and so despite how bad I felt it was crucial to try and get there if I was to have any chance of a result. I got halfway to the break before I was joined by 10 or so more riders.

Between groups trying to bridge to break

 We were working but not well and the gap went out to a minute. Lap after lap I was sure my legs would come round but they just didn’t and I was suffering, I managed to keep with the front of the group and as legs were getting tired this group also split now into 5. So now it was 5 against 5 and we were getting closer but I was getting more and more capput. The wind was amazingly strong and on the long dragging grovely climb i felt like id put 20 kilos on and lost 200 watts. With 4 to go i couldn’t hold the group on the hill and their wheels disappeared from my sites, they got a huge gap on me over the top and through the village and by the finish they were out of site. I road alone for half a lap and recovered catching another dropped rider we worked for a lap and then he went bang finally after 16 laps my legs felt normal, I pressed on and was catching the group of 4 who in turn were almost upon the break. The bell lap rang and I was maybe 30 seconds off  them, along way in only 4.5km but I rode hard and gained on them on the climb in the last km I was 200 yards from them and caught one on the approach. I was absolutely knackered but happy with my race, I was disappointed to have lost contact but this was with 3 days racing in the legs and in the end I was more or less back with them. I came away with 8^th hopefully my 1^st top ten of many to come.

2nd Groups split, me following eventual winner

2 laps to go suffering like a dog

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.