Return de la Blog

Now I know I've said this on numerous occasions but I will try and update this job more often than I have been. Since my last post which shamefully was over 6 weeks ago, I've had quite a bit going on. A bit of family time with mother Hubard and Co.., meeting friends on holiday in the area and a spot of bike racing. 

In the first week of July I had a good few races, all of which went well and prior to my family arriving on the 9th I was told by the team to take a bit of time off and recharge the batteries. I raced once in the 2 weeks they were here in a scorching 37 degrees, the race was a first cat event and I was happy to come 16th place from a starting field of 60+, considering I'm a cold skinned Northerner I think I coped rather well.

Riding round like an headless chicken.....

  

The first race back after my break was extremely painful, a real mans course which showed me the back of the bunch however in the words of "Tim Mills" I gave it some Yorkshire spirit and made it to the finish line in some sort of style, "bedraggled" would be my description. The 30 kph ride home was great I loved every minute of it..... Trainings Gaining......

I was trying here..... And I think doing a great job with appearance. Looking Sharp 

That was Monday, the next race would be a Criterium in the local town of Lorient on Friday, a nice evening made for a good ride out to the race with the lads and the crowds were pretty big too. The circuit was so glamorous, along the docks and through red light district, and no I didn't spend any priemes down there. Of course it was fast from the start and didn't really ease up at all, I followed a few moves but none of my efforts came to anything and soon was back in the main bunch and that is where I stayed for the rest of the night. At the business end of the race fellow Anglais and ami Doug Dewey rode to a fantastic win out of the break away in a close ending Sprint for the line. 

Could av done with a Tandem

The following Sunday was a round of the Roi Morvan series, all of which have been on difficult grovelling circuits with no recovery, still I was getting my legs back and was capput by the end and just about dragged myself up the final hill to the end. However another good hard few kilometers in the bank. 

Now 4 days later was the first of a good block. Thursday I would race a 1st cat crit in Concarneau, Saturday would be a 2,3 RR in hilly Melrand, Sunday an Inline race with finishing loops and Finally another Crit Monday afternoon in the local village of Locmicquilic. 

Thursday- After some good feelings in the days prior I was keen for a good weekend of racing, maybe a little too keen...... I attacked in the first km thinking yeah I'll have a dig see who comes across, however no one did and soon I was on the bumper of the lead car only to realise the first lap was neutralised, ahh well worth a do. I had a good few goes in this race but just didn't have it when the winning move stuck, however I managed to get in the 2nd group and finish well in the sprint, of which we had 2 as they were sure how many laps we had to do... Team mate George Moore got 3rd, a great result and I was 26th from 70 ish starters. 

On some dudes wheel, he was pretty strong

Saturday- Todays race was in Melrand, a village I often go through out on the bike and a circuit I have raced on before in Melrandaise in February. Me and George road out to the race "30km" and arrived in plenty of time, pinned on our Dosards and had a coffee in the sign on cafe. We had a good chat with each other, the plan was I'd get up the road in the first move and George would get a tow across. Pleased to say it worked perfectly, I was gone in the first 2 kms and just after the first lap I saw another blue and white jersey coming to my aid, along with another, more the merrier. It was a good tactic which saw us have 3 riders out of 8 in the break, most of the work was left to us, but this was understandable and we just got on with it, with 4 laps to go me and our french friend went bang and were passed by all but a few of the remaining riders, now it was left to George to bring home the bacon..... and he did!!!! a lap and half solo from the bunch saw him finish 50 seconds infront of 2nd place. I came in a few minutes behind in 16th absolutely shot but over the moon, fair to say our 30 km ride home was pretty full of moral. 

Typical, no photographers but we got a mention in the Paper. Some more than others haha

Sunday- After 150km the day before I was well and truly opened up for Sundays race and was very active all day, a fast hilly inline section made for attacking racing but no moves stuck and we did most of the inline as a bunch, a nasty steep climb up to the finishing loops killed my hopes of a breakaway success but I almost manged to get across on the loops, literally metrs away but not close enough. The loop was 5km round, 1 side all up and 1 side all down, I tried very hard to get away and almost did numerous times but just couldn't get a little move to work, I came 4th in the fast up hill sprint and 25th overall, not good enough considering how well I felt. 

And Finally Monday- After 3 races in 4 days I thought I would feel pretty tired today, but just shows with good food and sleep recovery is an amazing thing. I felt a little heavy legged at the start but as the laps went by I became stronger and stronger. Unfortunately I was still in my heavy legged place when 2 groups snook of the front, I went after them with George but we just couldn't get there, there was a little hill and we were so close but I was dying.

Can't lie I did skip a few turns for a lap or two

However we did have a gap from the bunch and so with 1 other bloke we pressed on and gained a healthy lead. We were holding the 16 man breakaway at 30 seconds but just not closing in. A few laps later it was just 2 of we worked really well together and were joined by a further 2 who pulled their weight and we kept our race alive. Slowly but surely we began to catch dropped riders from the break "not enough of them though" but at the time I was wondering whether we could be on for a top 10 however we only caught 3 which left us fighting for 13th.

That beer looks nice and refreshing...

I was beaten in a good final sprint by one chap with left me with 14th. Not too bad, but again not where I wanted to be... To say 4 of us held the break at 20-30 seconds for 72km shows we were more than capable of getting podium places.

Yeah mate, you got me...

But you gotta be in it to win it!!!! next time....

Three in a week..... races not women.....

Ok, so at the end of my last blog I left a link to my next race which would be held in my "home town". The race was a 1st category race with a twist, 250-300 meters of off roadish gravel track was included in the course, not everyone appreciated it, but I just saw it as something of a change from your everyday road race. 70 riders took to the start and it was all go from the gun, The circuit literally had no recovery on it; you climbed up atleast a km to the finish where primes increased the pace, then a 90 degree right hander in to the gravel sector and a ball busting sprint down hill for a good while before you made your way back to the bottom of the climb, not before going up ANOTHER drag.

Maybe this will help......

After another week of not been able to do much I did struggle but held on for as long as good, However the way I felt it was inevitable I would be shelled on such a demanding course, pleased to say I wasn't the only one. But I persisted and finished the race, from the 70 starters about 23 people finished, I was 21st.

plugging away

Must have been creeping here..... or Cervelo are just fast bikes.

Now after this race I didn't have another for 10 days, quite a gap in this part of the world, felt like an age. To be honest it wasn't great timing after I'd had 2 weeks of not much and this race had got me going again. However nothing I could do about it so I got a good week of training in the legs and prepared for my next races. The first of which would be a 1st category Criterium 5 mile from home. The crit was 100 km 32 laps of a 3.1 km circuit. After 10 days of no racing I was itching to go, maybe a little bit too itchy!! I made a few mistakes early on which put me in the red when I didn't need to be, consequently I blew up and the race was over after 12 laps, to be honest I think such a gap in racing didn't help. Yes I was down but a few encouraging words from "Big Nick Mills" soon got me back on the straight and narrow. He's a man you don't disagree with.... A few Nothern/ Yorkshire digs and a smile was back on my mush. Im sure they're just jealous of my accent :-P !!! 

At least I looked focused

Anyway that was Wednesday, next up was another Criterium on Friday evening in the seaside town of Arzon. It was an 80km (50 mile) race, on a nice short 1.7 km circuit. It was pretty windy on the sea front but back in the shelter of the houses it was ok. It took 17 laps for a move to be established which I wasn't in, with a further 6 going in 2 groups of 3. However I managed split the bunch on the short steep hill to the finish and got it down to 20 riders to try and bridge to the leaders. However after 5 laps working well the gap been announced to us had gone up to 50 seconds, which I found quite disturbing as we weren't messing about. With 24 laps to a go a few riders from the group decided it was time to get rid of the leaches and so we distanced them into the head win and now there were 10.

Unfortunately this is the only photo I've found of Fridays race. Still not a bad view

 The next time gap announced was 55 seconds, I couldn't believe my ears!! The 10 of us worked well but the gap wasn't coming down, in the next 2 laps guys from my group tried to attack but I wasn't letting any more go and just followed. 3 were talking and in turn each put in a dig, I marshalled all there moves and with 4 to go I thought it was time for me to put them on the back foot. It only took me one big dig to get rid and I was away with 2 others. We worked well and came into the finish together 1 of the 2 just got the better of me on the finishing hill and left me in 8th place. Now I was happy enough with this result but still couldn't understand how the 2 had done 30 laps and gained a minute. And so to Sunday, where on the journey to the race I was enlightened as to how the 2 had gained such a healthy lead so quickly and more still managed to sustain it. Spectators had seen the 2 drafting behind the lead car a number of times, Not very sporting lads, believe me their cards are stamped and they're in my black book.

Sundays course was just shy of 90km inline and 8x3.7km finishing loops. I was very keen to do well today after Fridays race and kept myself in the action from the start. It was over rolling terrain with 3 categorised climbs which came at 30, 62 and 80 km. However unlike most of the inline races a break didn't go until literally the approach to the loops.

Bit of Cod Action!

I was very disappointed to miss this, as I had been right up there all race, I think I was just nervous of missing anything. Having said that it's not like I was far back, maybe 15-20 riders clipped off, on a stretch of the road you would not expect a gap to open. Josh was in the split and he said, he didn't even know how it went, just shows not always an attack that makes the day. Riders tried to get across but they weren't been allowed with all teams represented in the move.

Grovelling about somewhere

Into the loops they gained 35 seconds which with the way I was beginning to feel may aswell have been a minute. The heat was getting to me and only 2 bidons in 100km wasn't doing me much good.

Photo's never lie.....

The gap began to drop and it came within 15 seconds, 4 or 5 riders made the junction but I just didn't have it in me to get to the wheels. I came in 41st in the most painful sprint I've had for a while. Dehydration wasn't the word!!! However it was another hard 75 miles in the legs, covering the distance in 2:45 hrs. 

Next up is "possibly the toughest crit in Brittany" So I'm told, and its only 500 meters from my house, Cobbles, corners, hills.... Need I say more. That's Wednesday, so lets see what I can do.

A few weeks to Forget

Right been a bit laxed with this blogging job recently so I'm here to tell you what been happening in last few week. Ive raced 3 times since last update, First one was a 123 inline race with 8 quick finishing loops. I was very active in the opening kilometres trying desperately to get in a move. A few moves stuck for a few km's but were soon dragged back. Eventually a break did get a lead with quite a comical outcome. The break followed the race route and the peleton was directed down the wrong road for atleast 10km.

Attacks still came during this period the last of which I was represented in, just as I was using a short drag as a spring board the lead motorbike Commissare pulled in front and asked me to stop. As you can understand there were many frustrated riders in the bunch, however I decided to defuse the situation by suggesting a cafe stop........ There weren't many takers. However we were soon rounded up and told that the break had been stopped and we rode neutralised back to the intended course. The break was let go and then we resumed, you could just tell it was going to get ripped up after a lull in the racing.

Team Loudeac basically sat on the front all day controlling the race like a pro team. It was pretty good I saw 70kph at one point and wasn't even pedalling. Anyway to cut a long story short that break was caught coming onto the circuits and a further 5 more guys got away. I kept in the front of the bunch which was down to about 30 riders by this point and then made a spectacular job of cocking my sprint up, which left me boxed in and rolling over in 26th. Ok from more than 100 starters it doesn't sound so bad but there was a sniff of a good top 10 and I messed up but Hey Ho!!!.

Next up was a local race the following Sunday, the sun was out the wind was blowing "hard" the circuit was good, what could be better?!! Well I tell you, my legs that's what, I felt terrible I was grinding up the "hill" on the circuit like it was the Zoncalon. I was unable to follow attacks and this left me in the bunch crawling around while the break gained a healthy advantage. However after 15 laps of 19 I dug something out and rode away from the group and finished alone just behind the front group. Ok I didn't get a result "28th" but I just needed to take something from the race. "Personally".

And so to the week after, where the previous Sundays condition came to light. I couldn't even get out of bed and stayed in my pit for 2 days. Some kind of virus I'd picked up was doing his work and gave me about 18 hours sleep in 24. Ok I felt terrible but it kind of made me feel better about my feeling on Sunday, as there was no way I should have felt so shit.

Consequently I DNS'd a 1st cat Crit on Thursday night which was disappointing. However Friday I felt much better and decided to go along with the lads to another crit, only to snap my gear cable in the opening 4 laps!!! I groveled round for two laps but even the 39, 11 was too hard on the short sharp climb. So I did what any right minded bloke would do and found a bar and drowned my sorrows .....  if your going to have a bad week may aswell go the whole way....  

And very Finally onto Sundays Race in the very famous Plouay "in cycling circles anyway". A circuit of 5 kilometres which each lap too in the finishing climb of the Year 2000 World Champs. After a week in bed I wasn't expecting much from this race but surprisingly I managed to get in a 6 man break on the 2nd lap which was later joined by a further 10 riders. In to the final laps I couldn't hold the group and was dropped, I came away 20th but was quite pleased to say I'd had such a bad week.

All for Now Tonight I have a Criterium and Tomorrow a race in the town where I live......
http://www.directvelo.com/actualite/26994-le-chemin-leclerc-les-engages.html#.UbxEyYBBvIU

Ok so since my last update, which admittedly was quite a while ago I've done 4 races. 2 x 2/3 cat races, 1 1st cat race and 1 Elite National Race.

After the two previous races which I spoke of in my last update I had the 4th and final event of the Trophee Job Morvan. The race began in wet conditions "not my favourite" it was an inline race with a big loop and then as far as I can remember 8 laps of grippy up and down windy finishing circuit on single track lanes. My team mate Josh managed to get himself into the winning break and I was left to salvage something for myself in the latter stages of the race. The break contained 20 people, I knew that on this hard finishing loop this would dwindle and weaker riders would be dropped and be swept up. On the 1st loop I went on the climb and pushed myself hard to get a gap over the bunch. I managed to force a gap with maybe 10 others, we worked well for 6 laps but after a while people began to sit on and not do their share. This in turn allowed the bunch to come back to us, but I wasn't going to have riders taking vital points from me which would serve well for the overall team prize. So therefore before riders from the bunch could recover I went again this time with 2 laps to go. I had good legs but so did 5 others, next time around bell ringing i went again and got rid of 3, I rode hard to finish with one of the lads rolling me on the line. He took 20th which was the last points scoring place but we secured the team prize nonetheless and I was happy to have had the legs to keep myself ahead of the peleton.

And so on to Sunday. It was the Championships of Morbihan "a region of Brittany". The race was 100 km in line over very hilly terrain followed by 6 finishing loops taking it up to 140km. I began very attentive at the front and was very close to making the break of the day but just didn't have the legs to make this move. I stayed in the first 15-20 riders all day, something that in this category of race I had struggled with before. This kept me well positioned on all the key climbs of the day and therefore saved me a lot of energy. Unfortunately I couldn't keep this up on the finishing loops and found myself going backwards. I went pop with 8 km to go but managed to hang onto the coat tails. Afterwards I had quite a bit of food still in my pockets and kind of put this down to my "blowing up". 

Now almost a week later I had my first criterium of the year. I was the only rider from the team entered and was really looking forward to it. It was a 20:00 hour start, the sun was shining and after my morning spin I had good feelings for this race. The circuit was a 1.8km fast flowing circuit around the town centre of Chatres de Bretagne. There were well over 100 starters and I was very keen from the beginning. After a few go's myself and watching others I realised nothing was going to stay until the latter stages of the race. After it was 45 laps 81 km "50 miles for you oldies". People were going bang all through the race and more so in the last 20 laps. Moves were going in the last 10-15 laps but none were dangerous. Then with 5 to go a group of 10 chipped off, I watched and counted there gap, "10 seconds Hmmm bit too much for my liking" I hit the front and rode up to the group in just over a lap. I felt unreal next lap I attacked up the finishing hill splitting the group off again, now it was 10 of us; I was like jesus we are away, the gaps massive this is it!!!!. 2 laps to go sitting well, which was more than I could say for the others. Final corner 1 lap to go, BOOM!! guy in front of my came down allowing the remanding riders to jump and get an un closable gap. I kept my self upright rode strong to end but just ran out of road to get back. After all only had 1.8km. I held off the bunch for 12th but this was no consolation of what could have been. I "KNOW" it was my race for the taking but thats bike racing, especially in Crits. I was gutted.

And Finally my latest race. An Elite National in the beautiful village of Moncontour. The race was very prestigious and I could see why. The setting was amazing "shame about the weather" the route was 17 laps of an 8km circuit taking in a 2km climb every lap.

 I felt pretty good from the start and kept myself up the front. The speed was pretty high too, we averaged 26.8 mph for 3 hours solid never letting up. After the first 5 laps I was starting to feel it but I kept plugging away and managed to crawl my way back up to the front quarter of the bunch. The winning brake didn't get away until the last 2 laps on the climb but I was no where near getting in this. I was just happy to be up there in the bunch at the end after a hard day in the saddle. I came home 58th from over 170 starters. 

Tomorrow "Sunday 26th I have a 1st cat race will keep you posted..............

Getting back in the game

So I neglected the blog last week as I had such a terrible weekend there was nothing much to say. Long and short of it was I took in far too much sun during the week and at the weekend felt trained with sunstroke and tired. Coupled with a few mouth ulcers and two DNF’s I felt seriously run down and tired. However a good few easy days and nice early nights have got me feeling ok again.

 Fortunately there was a race Wednesday so not much time to dwell on the weekend prior. The race went ok, nothing special I felt ok but did struggle at times. As the race went on I began to try and get in the moves on the finishing circuits but none of my attempts stuck. I had 1,2,3 jumps in the tank but the critical one went on the fourth and I just had to watch it sail of up the road. I rolled in 44^th from well over  100 starters and was just pleased to get the full distance in my legs after the bad weekend.

And so on to this weekend. The race started and finished in the same town as Wednesday but the finishing circuit was an entirely different beast. The race was very aggressive, everyone who could was attacking on the inline loop but nothing was getting away, little groups got 10 seconds and then were shut down. I was very attentive up at the front not dropping out of the top 15-20 riders. When we came on to the finishing the sun was at its peak and it was getting pretty warm out there. The loop was a 4km slog with not one inch of recovery.  The climb continued through the finish line and then swooped down a fast long open section, at times I wished I had a 56 chain wheel on. Then there was a steeper decent and finally up the climb to the finish, the climb was pretty pacey but also kicked up at numerous points into the town. The best way I can describe it is like a typical Spanish village, every road to the centre goes up to a church at the top. On the second lap I had a go on the fast downhill which was a mistake..... I rode my nuts of here and as I reached the bottom of the accent the whole bunch came by. I grovelled onto the back and held on desperately through and over the crest after the finish, I was then dropped and distanced on the decent and had to make up around 200 meters. I managed it and held my speed and got myself back in the first 15 for the climb. I know that if I hadn't made this decisive move I would have been dropped on the climb.

And so we kept at it, I followed everything and kept myself safely up there. Lap after lap after lap the pace didn't ease at all if anything it got quicker and I was in a world of pain, all these stick legged climber types twiddling next to me on the penultimate lap. And so one to go I was right there first ten final time on the hill, thought right this is it lad “COME ON” the pace eased slightly and this allowed some riders further back sneak up, I rounded the last bend and just sprinted with anything I had left. I was 19^th in the end from well over 100 starters.  

My next one is this Wednesday, Hopefully I can build on this weekend....

Guilliers 1,2,3

To be honest I have more photos from last weeks race than words........

On the start line with Mr Dewey

 So race this weekend was a 1,2,3 category 130km with a very good field and so it proved with an avg speed of 42kph. 72km enligne which was very fast and went through some amazing scenery, both undulating and wide open roads "I only noticed, I wasn't looking about", I stayed up the front and went with good attacks on the climbs but nothing happened.

In a world of pain here, just been caught after trying to get up to a move

After there were 8 finishing loops,they were very hard and fast especially through and over the finishing area.  I missed the important attack on the 4th one which I was unable to get to. I was caught behind other riders and consequently too far back to get to it. . I was disappointed as I felt good and it was my tactics that were wrong. In the last few laps I tried very hard to take something from the race but I just ended up getting more and more tired. However by this stage I had nothing to loose by having a go. I came home 66th from 180+ starters.

The finishing circuits were literally 1 long lineout for 60km

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....