Zellik-Galmaarden

Yesterday, having recovered from a recent illness, was Zellik Galmaarden, and with the team gaining one of twelve wildcard entries (from 250 applicants), for the “top competitie” race, it was to be my biggest competition to date. The course featured a total of 17 climbs, along its 175km race distance – the completion of which being the only realistic target. A warm day coupled with only a slight cool breeze made for a more promising outcome. At 12.30, the race departed Zellik with 200 riders, representing 28 teams including continental squads from Holland, USA, and many top Belgian squads.

With an opening neutralised 5km, it gave me the chance to position myself towards the front end of the peloton, knowing that as soon as the flag is dropped we would be singled out on the 20km flat straight roads early on in the race. However, this was to be the least of the pelotons problems with the dire and almost unacceptable road surfaces we encountered. With considerable potholes littering the road, riders constantly swerving and jumping at 60kph to avoid them, the opening kilometres were manic.

The first climb of the day was to be the Muur 40km into the race, where just 2 weeks prior saw Fabian Cancellara drop Tom Boonen on his way to victory in the Tour of Flanders - this too, was to be a decisive moment for me. Just prior to the Muur, a mass pile up on a downhill hairpin preceding the climb briefly halted the peloton. Attempting to avoid the crash, I steered into the gutter and onto an adjacent area of grass, and back onto the road to join the frenzied attacks to reach the bottom of the Muur, less than 500metres away, at the front of the race. However, in a perverse twist of fortune, I had avoided the crash, but picked up a puncture on the rear wheel. Climbing the Muur with the rim bouncing off every cobble was hard work, and the fast twisting decent perilous! In this situation staying with the peloton, while the convoy made its way back up to the group was key, but the relentless pace to catch riders who had jumped away on the climb was impossible to maintain. Slipping back I found company with a Beveren 2000 rider suffering a similar fate. With the team cars stuck behind the original crash, the peloton, and my target of finishing vanishing into the distance, the outcome was becoming increasingly predictable.

Eventually with the wheel changed, the chase back to the group, now some 5 minutes ahead, was on. Slipstreaming the car - at 80kph – we made it to the back of the convoy and I set about moving up through the cars. However, instantly hitting the Bosberg, and with the huge effort preceding it, progress was slow, and the inevitable soon became the reality. With the team cars ordered to follow the race, I was too late, and descending off the Bosberg, the convey disappeared into the distance. Rejoining the Beveren rider, we rode towards the finish and predictably, were pulled out of the race.

Disappointed. To have made the race to the first climb, feeling relatively comfortable, and forced out with a puncture, and no team support avaliable, is understandably a frustrating outcome. With the race coming down to a 100 rider bunch sprint, perhaps finishing could have been possible, but for now it’s impossible to say. However, that race is done and I have to keep looking forwards. Next week I have another chance on the Muur in the Affligem classic, but not before a Kermesse on Wednesday. They say you make your own luck, so let’s see if an aggressive, positive approach to Wednesdays race can reverse my fortunes.