Last Sunday, I made the short trip to Glabeek, just 10km away, for another kermis race, hopefully a littler more recovered than my latest racing endeavours. Keen to move away early from the 82 strong field, I went 'cyclo-cross style' – clipped in and attacked from the gun (albeit with more success than my average cyclocross start), taking one like – but perhaps not so great - minded rider with me. On the wet, undulating and windy circuit, we were soon reeled back in after half a lap or so, and I settled down at the front of the peloton. Moving into a couple more attacks, nothing seemed to be sticking and I soon found suffering from the 'kamikaze' approach. Sitting back in the wheels and singled out with the high pace of the peloton (44kph), there was little I could do as groups of riders clipped off the front.
Putting in a few digs later on, I moved off the front of the peloton, before being swept up within the final lap, ending second in the sprint for the line, in 23rd place.
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Friday, September 03, 2010
And Now For Something Completely Different...
Guest blog by Andrew Nichols
Never having ridden in Belgium before and having not raced at all on the road for two months, it was with some trepidation that I lined up in Wambeek for the start my first kermis. As had been immediately obvious from riding up the cobbles of the Kauterhof the day I arrived, Belgium is certainly nothing like Essex. I had no reason to expect the style of racing to be similar either. Taking Dave's advice, I adopted a strategy of hiding in the peloton for the first few laps to avoid expending too much energy. Within seconds of the race starting it became clear that even this is easier said than done. Unlike in British racing, the lack of a neutralised section provides the opportunity to attack from the start line. An opportunity that it appears is seldom missed in kermis racing. Having survived the opening laps, I reached for a gel. Struggling to open the packaging, the wrapper split leaving most of it's contents over the bike. Being aware that I would have to spend most of the next two hours chewing my handlebars to stay in the race, it was comforting to know that they at least now had some nutritional value. As the race progressed, the bunch began to split over the cobbled climb and with three laps to go I found myself in a small group off the front of the peloton but some distance behind the race leaders. Believing that we would surely be pulled from the race before the finish I began to attack more and broke away from the group on a climb before riding over to two other riders a little further up the road. Despite numerous attempts no one was able to ride away from this group and I remained there until the end, finishing in 27th place and looking forward to the second part of the race two days later. As it turned out, this was considerably shorter than expected with my chain breaking just one lap in.
Disappointed by this, we decided to ride again the following day in Jauche, a race that was characterised by a long, exposed, drag and it's accompanying crosswinds and fast decent. At 5'4” and 58kg, it was always going to be a struggle but spurred on by the possibility of a top 20 finish I kept pushing only for a slow puncture to cause me to stop 2 laps prematurely in 29th place. My final race was to be the following day in Ruiselede. Feeling quite exhausted from the previous days efforts and knowing it was likely to be one race too many, but costing only three Euros to enter and being on the way home, it seemed worth giving it a go despite the bad weather. Three quarters of an hour of holding on to the back of a fast moving peloton later and sprinting out of a corner proved one acceleration too many and I was dropped out of the back of the group. After a few minutes, I was joined by another dropped rider and as I perhaps should have expected by now of kermis racing, he attacked and raced me for what must have been about 60th place. (Somehow don't think I've ever seen that happen at Hog Hill). This move typified the attitude of riders fighting for every place, that seemed a fitting summary of my week in Belgium.
Never having ridden in Belgium before and having not raced at all on the road for two months, it was with some trepidation that I lined up in Wambeek for the start my first kermis. As had been immediately obvious from riding up the cobbles of the Kauterhof the day I arrived, Belgium is certainly nothing like Essex. I had no reason to expect the style of racing to be similar either. Taking Dave's advice, I adopted a strategy of hiding in the peloton for the first few laps to avoid expending too much energy. Within seconds of the race starting it became clear that even this is easier said than done. Unlike in British racing, the lack of a neutralised section provides the opportunity to attack from the start line. An opportunity that it appears is seldom missed in kermis racing. Having survived the opening laps, I reached for a gel. Struggling to open the packaging, the wrapper split leaving most of it's contents over the bike. Being aware that I would have to spend most of the next two hours chewing my handlebars to stay in the race, it was comforting to know that they at least now had some nutritional value. As the race progressed, the bunch began to split over the cobbled climb and with three laps to go I found myself in a small group off the front of the peloton but some distance behind the race leaders. Believing that we would surely be pulled from the race before the finish I began to attack more and broke away from the group on a climb before riding over to two other riders a little further up the road. Despite numerous attempts no one was able to ride away from this group and I remained there until the end, finishing in 27th place and looking forward to the second part of the race two days later. As it turned out, this was considerably shorter than expected with my chain breaking just one lap in. Disappointed by this, we decided to ride again the following day in Jauche, a race that was characterised by a long, exposed, drag and it's accompanying crosswinds and fast decent. At 5'4” and 58kg, it was always going to be a struggle but spurred on by the possibility of a top 20 finish I kept pushing only for a slow puncture to cause me to stop 2 laps prematurely in 29th place. My final race was to be the following day in Ruiselede. Feeling quite exhausted from the previous days efforts and knowing it was likely to be one race too many, but costing only three Euros to enter and being on the way home, it seemed worth giving it a go despite the bad weather. Three quarters of an hour of holding on to the back of a fast moving peloton later and sprinting out of a corner proved one acceleration too many and I was dropped out of the back of the group. After a few minutes, I was joined by another dropped rider and as I perhaps should have expected by now of kermis racing, he attacked and raced me for what must have been about 60th place. (Somehow don't think I've ever seen that happen at Hog Hill). This move typified the attitude of riders fighting for every place, that seemed a fitting summary of my week in Belgium.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Jauche, Ruiselede
Jauche
With Andrew's chain snapping on the first lap in Wambeek the previous day, we decided to change plans and took to the start line in Jauche on Tuesday.
Again strong winds battered the wide expose course, and feeling fatigued I knew all I could do was follow wheels and see how the legs felt later on. With constant attacks the pace was furious and slipping too far back, I found myself having to close gaps to hold my place in the peloton. Of course, in the battering winds, the field split to pieces, and I found myself with Andrew, in the second group on the road, with the early break group gaining a good gap. With a few riders not content to sit and work with the 15 or so man group, the pace very changeable, and as their futile 2 minutes attacks went and came back, the leaders gradually extended the lead. With Andrew puncturing 3 laps out, and riders loosing contact, we came into the final lap with 9 riders together, and despite a favourable uphill sprint, the efforts from the previous day proved too much and I had to settle for 4th from the group, 13th overall with 9 riders still up the road.
Ruiselede
Despite knowing how fatigued I was, and for an unknown reason even now, I again joined my brother at his final kermis of the week before heading home that evening. The pain flat circuit, combined with a fine drizzle, meant we were destined for a 'brake/sprint' situation at every corner. Not the type of circuit for, by this time, dying legs...
Inevitably the entirely fruitless task of taking on the race was evident, both of us dropping out at the hour mark...
Lesson: 4 races in 5 days: may have bitten off more (bar tape) than I can chew with this one.
With Andrew's chain snapping on the first lap in Wambeek the previous day, we decided to change plans and took to the start line in Jauche on Tuesday.
Again strong winds battered the wide expose course, and feeling fatigued I knew all I could do was follow wheels and see how the legs felt later on. With constant attacks the pace was furious and slipping too far back, I found myself having to close gaps to hold my place in the peloton. Of course, in the battering winds, the field split to pieces, and I found myself with Andrew, in the second group on the road, with the early break group gaining a good gap. With a few riders not content to sit and work with the 15 or so man group, the pace very changeable, and as their futile 2 minutes attacks went and came back, the leaders gradually extended the lead. With Andrew puncturing 3 laps out, and riders loosing contact, we came into the final lap with 9 riders together, and despite a favourable uphill sprint, the efforts from the previous day proved too much and I had to settle for 4th from the group, 13th overall with 9 riders still up the road.
Ruiselede
Despite knowing how fatigued I was, and for an unknown reason even now, I again joined my brother at his final kermis of the week before heading home that evening. The pain flat circuit, combined with a fine drizzle, meant we were destined for a 'brake/sprint' situation at every corner. Not the type of circuit for, by this time, dying legs...
Inevitably the entirely fruitless task of taking on the race was evident, both of us dropping out at the hour mark...
Lesson: 4 races in 5 days: may have bitten off more (bar tape) than I can chew with this one.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wambeek – Day 2
Naturally, it was 2 Van Eyck riders who flew off the start line to initiate racing for the day and joined by 3 other riders, they settled into the lead break for the day. Behind them, it was clearly a day to sit right at the front of the peloton, moving up the road at all opportunities. With 5 up the road, a few already out the back – including Andrew with his chain snapping on the opening lap – its easy to see that if 10 riders form a break ahead of the peloton, then they will gain a numerical advantage, become the peloton and the those behind would have been dropped...
Soon enough I found myself in smaller groups out front and settled into a rhythm within the group. In such small numbers, and fierce winds blowing on the exposed course, the work-rate for everyone was very high, despite the pace being relatively slow (39kph average). Despite numerous attacks (including team time trial formation at times) from myself and Dom, the going was too much for 2 or 3 riders to stay clear, and despite getting close the leaders at times we never made the junction and so we settled down to tick over the laps, as the gap to the leaders steadily increased again.
Toward the end of the race, the group was down to 6 riders, including the U23 Luxembourg national champion. In the final lap another team mate – Yannick – attacked the cobble climb, and following the response from a “non-worker” in the break group, I counter attacked him over the summit and continued the final lap alone.
The punishing wind meant the final few km drag to the finish line would be block head wind, and with Yannick pushing hard to catch a dropped rider from the break, I put in an all out effort to close the gap. I caught the pair, at 50metres to go point, both now looking at each other to start their sprint, and jumped instantly, integrating my own sprint onto the 8km time trial, and just being pipped at the line!
7th on the day, 1st under 22 and 4th overall for the two days, (although really joint 3rd!), with team mates 1st and 2nd, it was a great day for the club!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wambeek: Day 1
The 2 races, one on Saturday, one on Monday, can be ridden as independent events, but in riding both you qualify for an overall general classification, based on finishing positions rather than time. There was a separate U22 category, and added to that a 'Bergklassement' (king of mountains) prize located at the summit of a long cobbled climb to be scaled 13times each race. Add all that up, and it's makes a fiercely competitive race!
With 99 riders signed on for Saturday's race, we went out slightly steadier than usual, everyone seemingly cautious of how the next 110 km would pan out. Of course it did not take long for the attacks to go, and on the first lap I jumped into a small yet futile break group...
To be continued...
Thursday, August 26, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Het spijt me, ik spreek geen Vlaams!
"I'm sorry, I dont speak Flemish" - for all you non-flemish speakers out there...
Despite my good intentions earlier in the year, I have to confess my language learning capabilities have been somewhat stretched. So I am a little more clued up than when I arrived, and my “learn to speak Dutch in 3 months” book has provided invaluable help, if a little under-used and over-optimistic (perhaps 3 years is more feasible?), but to suggest I have 'learnt' Dutch would be wildly inaccurate! I've picked up the words often thrown around the house, and can understand spoken Dutch with a small degree of success, but speaking the lingo. No chance.
On the bright side, everyone's English has somewhat improved...!
Despite my good intentions earlier in the year, I have to confess my language learning capabilities have been somewhat stretched. So I am a little more clued up than when I arrived, and my “learn to speak Dutch in 3 months” book has provided invaluable help, if a little under-used and over-optimistic (perhaps 3 years is more feasible?), but to suggest I have 'learnt' Dutch would be wildly inaccurate! I've picked up the words often thrown around the house, and can understand spoken Dutch with a small degree of success, but speaking the lingo. No chance.
On the bright side, everyone's English has somewhat improved...!
5th in Tielt Winge
On Sunday, amid uninterrupted rain all day, I headed just a few kilometres north of here to a wet kermis in Tielt Winge. At 15.00 the race started with 130 or so riders signing on – although nearly losing 30 on the first lap as we were sent the wrong way!
The undulating, twisty, and at times narrow 7.8km circuit provided plenty of attacking options, although on the now drenched roads, few breaks gained any real advantage in the opening laps. Having forced a few moves a couple of times, I finally broke clear alone with around half the 117km race remaining. Bridging over to 2 riders, the 3 of us worked together well for a lap before being joined by 7 others who had also slipped clear of the peloton.
With the 10 of us working well, we were quickly a minute, and then 2 clear and with just a couple of laps remaining it was clear the break would succeed. Despite the attraction of primes every other lap - which I didn't contest to save myself for a favourable hill sprint finish – the group remained almost together until the final 3 kilometres. With a lone rider attacking on the main climb of the circuit, and then 3 chasing, I was thinking too much about the sprint and hesitated, gambling on the other 3 riders closing the gap. Of course, they didn't. Riding to the line, I led out the sprint for 5th and won convincingly, nearly catching 4th place on the line, but just a handful of agonising seconds short of the winner.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Confident of the hill finish, I needed to stay at the front, and do all I could to get back to the leaders. I became more concerned with beating the 2 riders with me than chasing for the win. Still, I can't complain, 5th is another good result, and another lesson learned.
The undulating, twisty, and at times narrow 7.8km circuit provided plenty of attacking options, although on the now drenched roads, few breaks gained any real advantage in the opening laps. Having forced a few moves a couple of times, I finally broke clear alone with around half the 117km race remaining. Bridging over to 2 riders, the 3 of us worked together well for a lap before being joined by 7 others who had also slipped clear of the peloton.
With the 10 of us working well, we were quickly a minute, and then 2 clear and with just a couple of laps remaining it was clear the break would succeed. Despite the attraction of primes every other lap - which I didn't contest to save myself for a favourable hill sprint finish – the group remained almost together until the final 3 kilometres. With a lone rider attacking on the main climb of the circuit, and then 3 chasing, I was thinking too much about the sprint and hesitated, gambling on the other 3 riders closing the gap. Of course, they didn't. Riding to the line, I led out the sprint for 5th and won convincingly, nearly catching 4th place on the line, but just a handful of agonising seconds short of the winner.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Confident of the hill finish, I needed to stay at the front, and do all I could to get back to the leaders. I became more concerned with beating the 2 riders with me than chasing for the win. Still, I can't complain, 5th is another good result, and another lesson learned.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Hoeleden
Well, it was hardly a race to write home about, but I'll do so anyway. On Tuesday, I headed to Hoeleden, just a few km from here to a race on local roads. Riding a warm-up lap I was assured that there would “definitely be a crash tonight”, on a notorious corner where “crashes occur every year”, and “people always end up in the hedge”. I got the point. At the little later time of 6pm ('handily' meaning we would finish in darkness), the race rolled out with 107 riders taking to the start.
After an uncharacteristically slow start, the calls of “is the race started yet” - predominantly from an over zealous New Zealander - were answered as the peloton soon charged round the circuit. Unfortunately, I managed to spectacularly miss 35 riders heading off out front, and having gained a few minutes it was race over. Throwing what was left into the “it's just another training race” pile, I did as much work as I could, and even got in a little time trial practice for a lap or so, before rolling in just ahead of the disinterested peloton in a group of 4.
Next race is tomorrow, another local circuit just north of here in Tielt Winge.
After an uncharacteristically slow start, the calls of “is the race started yet” - predominantly from an over zealous New Zealander - were answered as the peloton soon charged round the circuit. Unfortunately, I managed to spectacularly miss 35 riders heading off out front, and having gained a few minutes it was race over. Throwing what was left into the “it's just another training race” pile, I did as much work as I could, and even got in a little time trial practice for a lap or so, before rolling in just ahead of the disinterested peloton in a group of 4.
Next race is tomorrow, another local circuit just north of here in Tielt Winge.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
2nd Day in Overijse
It's been a fairly quiet week on the racing front, with just the return leg of Overijse on Saturday. This event is a 2 day affair, with the individual placings making up a general classification. The course for this event was much harder, with multiple climbs, cobbled ascents and descents, and fast technical corners, sharing many similarities and indeed many of the same roads with an event I rode in Overijse earlier in the season. With 82 riders signing on, racing got under way at 15:00.
Despite the constant attacking, the peloton stayed very intact for most the race, and not feeling too great, I bided my time sitting in the wheels knowing the race would become a war of attrition rather than one to award attacking flair. Going on the attack in the last quarter of the race, I felt terrible, and soon found myself back struggling toward the rear of the now 40 man peloton, with over half the field dropping out the back. However, worse was to come as now a series of all body cramps began to set in. Riding through it as best as I could, with the pace heating up in the closing laps, I lost contact on the main steep climb of the race, cramping every time I stood out the pedals.
Eventually I came in 31 place, somehow leaving me with a hard worked, but possibly not well earned 9th overall on the gc. The problem: by the end of the race I was totally dehydrated, and hadn't drunk any where near enough leading up to the race. A total school boy error on my part, and one I shouldn't be making. Lesson learned.
Despite the constant attacking, the peloton stayed very intact for most the race, and not feeling too great, I bided my time sitting in the wheels knowing the race would become a war of attrition rather than one to award attacking flair. Going on the attack in the last quarter of the race, I felt terrible, and soon found myself back struggling toward the rear of the now 40 man peloton, with over half the field dropping out the back. However, worse was to come as now a series of all body cramps began to set in. Riding through it as best as I could, with the pace heating up in the closing laps, I lost contact on the main steep climb of the race, cramping every time I stood out the pedals.
Eventually I came in 31 place, somehow leaving me with a hard worked, but possibly not well earned 9th overall on the gc. The problem: by the end of the race I was totally dehydrated, and hadn't drunk any where near enough leading up to the race. A total school boy error on my part, and one I shouldn't be making. Lesson learned.
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