Lazy Blogging

It's been a busy week since my last blog, and with my brother staying over here to get his own piece of Belgian pie I've been a bit lazy on the blogging front. Here's the first report of many more to come, from Evergem.


Wednesday 18th, I travelled to Evergem for a mid week race really in preparation for the 2 day event in Wambeek the following weekend – the town and therefore home race for my team. On the border to West Flanders, it was always going to be a fast, flat circuit, and it didn't disappoint.


Immediately the 100 or so strong peloton strung out around the narrow 7km circuit, but staying reasonably well positioned toward the front end stayed safe ahead of any splits in the field. With very few breaks getting away, and none staying away, the pace seem to settle a little until. At the half-way mark however, whilst I was caught napping and drifting towards the back the race suddenly picked up, as waves of attacks at the front shredded the peloton. For 2 laps, it was head down, singled out, bar-chewing hell. With wheels being dropped links,rechts, and centre? it was a case of moving forward at all costs: to be caught the wrong side of a split with the peloton never dropping below 50kph, more often that not nearer 60kph, would have meant race over.


Eventually, the pace dropped again, but remarkably the peloton remained together, albeit a lot of riders out the back, but unknown to me, no break group had gone clear. Assuming (with nothing to actually base it on) there was a break group ahead, I settled in to test out my bunch sprinting legs. On the final lap a group of 12 moved clear, who went on to contest the win - my misjudgement causing me to not even try to go with it! In the end I came 21st, 9th in the flat out, 65kph tail wind sprint to the line, with added road furniture thrown in to add spectator interest.