Alps Training Week

As of tomorrow until Monday 5th July, I will be in the Alps for a training week in preparation for a stint of upcoming stage races in July and August. I will be joining my brother and the riders of Cambridge University CC, to be based in the small town of La Giettaz. Situated towards the North of the Rhone Alps region, there will be plenty of spectacular cols to take in: the Romme, Columbier, and Aravis to name but a few. Look out for some photos later in the week!

A step closer to professionalism?

No, not a win. But today I took part in my first rider protest – a sure sign of disgruntled professionals at work? Well perhaps not. But how the situation arose is quite exceptional.

Today's race was in Erembodegem, supported by the owner of my teams title sponsor, Van Eyck Sport, and naturally I entered the race among a large contingent of team mates. The course was a 17km circuit, featuring a couple of climbs, a narrow cobbled descent, and many fierce sections of cross wind. Perhaps however, the most distinguishing feature was a railway crossing, which we would be traversing 7 times in the duration of the race. After a short delay to remove parked cars from the circuit, it was not long before a crash mid pack caused devastation to the peloton. Singled out in cross wind, debris on the road caused 6 riders to crash at high speed, including team mate Dom Schils, who walked away with cuts and bruising, the frame taking most the hit cracking in 4 different places! After a brief chase back to the front group, I made sure I sat near the front of the bunch, as splits occurred every lap. With half the race completed, and the peloton vastly depleted, I decided to make my move. With a 30 second deficit to a leading group of 8 riders, I attacked through the finish line and was joined by one other rider. Sharing the workload, and riding flat out we bridged to the break after 10 kilometres.

Working well together, we slowly edged out the lead and with 3 laps to go, the race was as good as won. However, as we approached the railway crossing, almost inevitably, the barriers came down, and the race stopped, - we were forced to sit and wait while the peloton, now over 2 minutes down rejoined us. Normally, given the situation, the break would be given back its time gap as the race restarted. However, with no-one really in control, nothing seemed to happen, and the race simply set off again with the advantage gone. From an all but guaranteed top 10 position, I now found myself in the same situation as the start of the race, all be it with half the peloton now dropped out of the race.

Having restarted, another break group formed, with 15 riders moving clear, myself not one of them. Not disheartened however, I soon found myself attacking again, and was joined by 2 team mates along with 3 other riders. Working together, we closed the gap to the leaders, when on the final lap the railway crossing unbelievably closed again. Still with no-one in control, exactly the same situation occurred, where dropped riders simply rode back up to the stationary break. With total chaos, the so called 'bosses' of the peloton called for everyone to stop. After a long delay, much shouting between officials and self-appointed rider spokesmen, it was agreed that all the riders still present would split the prize money between us, among completion of the race. We set off again at a pedestrian pace to complete the lap. Averaging 20kph, we rolled to the finish, and all stopped just before the finish line – much to the dissatisfaction of the 'booing' crowd. It was then announced that no prize money would be paid.

All in all, the race was a total farce. The idea of hosting a race crossing a train line on 7 occasions at peak time on a Monday evening is inherently ridiculous, and the total lack of authority displayed by race official made a total mockery of the event. With no result to speak of, and knowing what could have been, is somewhat disappointing, but I can take much confidence from the performance – probably the best ride I have had this year!

Lembeek, Ottenburg

Last Sunday I headed to Lembeek for an apparently hilly Kermis and the course didn't disappoint. Having met Dom at his house in Zellik, we rode the 35 kilometres to Lembeek and completed a lap of the course. From the start/finish line, the road wound upwards for 3.5 kilometres, with 3 distinctly steeper sections to negotiate, before dropping down for the remaining 3.5 kilometres through a series of high speed corners.


Staying near the front for the opening laps was crucial as the climb, although not 'mountainous' was clearly going to be enough for wheels to be dropped. The usual flurry of attacks began, and trying my hand on the climb early on, it quickly became apparent that any time gained on the ascent was diminished by the impetus of the peloton, reaching speeds of around 75kph every lap. After a 'super-prime' of 150 Euros, the race settled down, as the climb seemingly became longer and longer and the descent shorter and shorter every lap.


Eventually one of my team mates, Dieter Uyttersprot broke clear of the peloton with 2 laps to go, and accompanied by one other rider made it to the finish to take the win 9 seconds ahead of the bunch. The final half lap was certainly one of the most dangerous situations I have been in. With the chase fully on, the speed on the descent was incredible, often being cut up, and lent on as every rider tried to get to the front for the mass sprint. Approaching the line, I evidently chose the wrong wheels to follow as riders who had gone too early sat up, and blocked my path to the line. I crossed the line in 28th place.


Riding back with Dom, we headed to Geradsbergen, where lies the infamous 'Muur'. Following much of the Tour of Flanders route as we headed back to Zellik, we clocked another 70km which brought the days total to 211km.


With few mid-week races to chose from, my next race was Saturday, in Ottenburg, which again promised to be a hilly affair. The circuit was distinctly more undulating, with one short, but hard climb denoting the mountain primes. With strong winds, I positioned myself towards the front of the peloton, and rightly so, as wheels were constantly being dropped as the field split on numerous occasions. Despite moving into an early break, we were swept up by the peloton on the long gradual descent after the finish line, as the impetus of the peloton allowed for greater speeds to be generated. However, I sat back in and waited for my next opportunity to attack. With 10 riders at 30 seconds to the field mid-race, I decided to try my hand on the main climb of the circuit and jumped into another group of 10 riders, forming a good chase group. After a flat out 2 laps, we finally bridged up to the leaders, leaving the peloton well behind.


Inevitably, on the final lap the group split to pieces, and suffering from the earlier efforts, I found myself sprinting for 11th position, but poor positioning through the final corner saw me slip to 4th in the final dash for the line, finishing in 15th place.

Its another solid result, and a strong performance to go with it. After a slight lull in form in the last few weeks, I feel I am coming back stronger, and the top race form is just around the corner – just in time for the stage racing the team will be riding in a few weeks!


But to end on a slightly disappointing note, despite having enough points to meet the entry criteria, I will not be riding the national road race championships. My points were incorrectly allocated from the regional championships, and therefore I appear to not have enough points on the ranking list. Despite the fault being no fault of my own, the start list will not be altered, with the organiser suggesting a not particularly helpful 'tough luck' attitude. Nevertheless, its still a long season in Belgium, and there are plenty of big races ahead to look forward to.

More Bad Luck

With Bierbeek a total write-off with terrible legs, my attention shifted back towards the 'second-leg' of Hoxem – a repeat of last Sundays race featured at either end of the week long Kermesse. Despite the forecasted rain, the race stayed relatively dry until the final lap of proceedings. After a poor start, I missed an early move, with the 16 riders holding a 30 second deficit to the bunch. Realising the danger of such a move, and with the relatively slim time gap, both myself and team mate Dom, decided to try and bridge the gap. After what seemed an eternity of attacking, often forcing splits on the main climb of the circuit, only to be absorbed back into the peloton on the long descent, we eventually went clear, with 1 other rider tagging along but never willing to do any work. Working in part of a 15 man break, we jostled for position coming into the final corner of the race – a very tight bend, now covered in standing water. As we were caught by the peloton, Dom led into the bend, with me in 5th wheel ready for the hill sprint top the line. However, somewhat inevitably, the rider in 2nd wheel crashed out halting the sprint. Dom got away to win the sprint, and starting from a standstill I managed to hold off the late charge, finishing in 17th position.


Yesterday, I returned to Stok, again for a second race around the fast circuit. However, after just one lap, a spoke failed in the rear wheel. Riding to the car, where my spare wheels were, the only option was to stop, change the wheel and try to chase back onto the rear of the peloton Despite a smooth change, the task was too great, with the circuit delivering average speeds for the bunch around 45kph. However, all was not lost as once I was out of the race I continued riding behind the 'green flag' – a car denoting the rear of the race, and so at least got some speed training in my legs.


Next race is this Sunday in Lembeek, and promises to be a hilly one.

Kester - all 4 kilometres of it...

With just an hour of racing in my legs at Hoxem, I decided to race the following day in Kester. Despite the wet and slippery conditions the race went out hard, as the 7.25km course predominantly featured undulating, tight, twisting lanes – and it was these lanes after just 4km which ended my race. Despite good positioning in the top 10 wheels, the rider in front of me came down on a corner leaving his bike in my direct line. Fortunately the relatively low speed meant I stayed upright, but my front tyre fared a substantially worse fate, taking the hit with a 53 tooth chainring. As with all kermesse racing there is no mechanical back up and for the second time in 2 days a puncture has prematurely ended my race. Of course 'tomorrow is a new day' and I head to Bierbeek for another local race. Third time lucky?

Hoxem

So, today my birthday was greeted by a flying visit from the puncture God. After Just 1 hour into a local Kermesse in Hoxem, the start being just 1 km from Kumtich, my race was cut short with an instant puncture. With heavy rain and strong winds on the undulating Hoxem course, I got off to a slow start and missed the opening move after 2 laps where almost all of the races ‘big hitters’ escaped off the front on the main finishing climb of the circuit. However after a few laps, facing a 30 second deficit to the 9 leaders, I jumped over to a break of 10, and we quickly organised a strong chase. Having moved well clear of the peloton, the gap to the leaders was steady at 30 seconds, when my luck ran out and I was dealt a puncture for my efforts. Race over.

In the end, the leaders stretched out their gap, the peloton was pulled out of the race as it was too far back and the group I had ridden with sprinted it out for 10th - a hill sprint finish which I would have relished! With only an hour completed today, I will now take the opportunity to race tomorrow.

Regional Champs and return to Belgium

After a brief 9 day return to England, I am now back in Belgium. The reason for the return of course being the regional road race championships held on Sunday.

In sweltering conditions, 60 of Essex finest lined up at 9 am in Saffron Walden ready to tackle the slightly longer than expected 190km race! With little wind and 30 degree heat, it was always going to a tough one.

With team Orbea fielding by far the largest team, making up 9 of the 60 strong field, it was always going to be an uphill struggle defeating them – the race was theirs to lose. The race proceeded at a pedestrian pace, a highly welcome change to the usual suicide early attacks of kermesse racing. Eventually a few riders, including myself were willing to attack in an early bid to go clear. However the needlessly negative tactics of a dominant team Orbea became immediately apparent – every time an attack went one of their riders would follow it. Almost every time an attack went, it would be pulled back into the peloton after a few minutes.

Having spent a lap or 2 of non-stop attacking with my team mate Dom, each taking it in turns to go as soon as the other was caught, Dom eventually got away with a couple of Orbea riders and were never seen again, whilst I was left in the peloton being chased down every time I attacked. With the break clear, including 5 Orbea riders, it was going always going to be a hard task bridging over to it. Teaming up with Joe Skipper, the winner of last year’s event, with no team mates, we set about trying to force a split in the peloton and forming a small enough group to ensure everyone would work. Forcing the pace at the front, but with no wind to aid us, a few splits occurred but almost always came back together with just the 2 of us seemingly interested in chasing.

The race followed this pattern for what seemed forever, and I rarely ventured from the front of the chase for the duration of the race, and often took the opportunity to attack but never gained enough time to go clear. By the end of the race 8 riders were left in front of the majorly thinned out peloton and taking second in the sprint, I finished in a disappointing 10th, with Dom taking 3rd.

In all honesty the race was very poor and allowing one team to field some 15% of the field with almost every other team with just 1 or 2 riders didn't really allow and meaningful racing to occur. However, Orbea did what they had to do to win, and I cannot take anything away from Andy Lyons - a very deserving winner.

Having travelled back to Belgium early on Wednesday morning, I located a kermesse in Oosterzele for the afternoon. The dark skies and cold rain that greeted me in Belgium was a somewhat unwelcome change to the high temperatures of last week. The 6.4km circuit was mainly flat with a couple of tight corners to negotiate. The race also came with the added bonus of a oil spill across the road leading into the final 90 degree bend before the finish! Despite the fire brigades best efforts to clear the oil, the road was still incredibly slippery and as such the corner was to be neutralised for each of the 18 laps.

After the long journey to Belgium and 261km ride on Sunday, having ridden home after the race, in my legs, I wasn’t feeling too great, and coupled with my seat post slipping on the first lap; I was suffering from the start. Knowing even attempting to attack would be suicide, I treating the race just as training and to knock the effects of the journey out of my legs, I sat back and watch the race form in front of me.

After 2 hours however, my legs started to feel a lot better, and with 23 riders 2 minutes ahead decided to give some attacks and see what happened. With some degree of success -soloing over to a group of 8 being my personal highlight- it came down to a bunch sprint of 30 riders which I was able to win, finishing in 24th position.

My next race is in Hoxem, just 3 kilometres from Kumtich on Sunday, my birthday, so naturally it’s a race I hope to go well in!

A few more races...

I bring you this blog from a Belgian motorway, as Dom and I make our way back to England for the regional championships next weekend. I have to confess I have been fairly lazy this week for the blogging and indeed 3 races have passed since Stok.

Ooredegem
Last Sunday (9th May), we headed to Ooredegem for a fast crit style race on the short, tight circuit – each lap only 5km long, featuring an ascent of a cobbled climb. In fairly typical style the race went out fast, as the battle to get through the early laps in the first few wheels ensued. As ever, early breaks went and on just the second lap a group of some 22 riders including many of the favourites went clear. For the duration of the race more breaks came and went and I often played my own hand on the climb but never gained enough advantage to force a group clear.

Having dropped 2 of my 3 gels early in the race, in what can only be as a ‘schoolboy error’, I was forced to complete the remaining 100km on just 1 gel. Taking its toll on my body, a bout of cramp reared its ugly head in the bunch kick for the line forcing me to roll in towards the rear of the peloton.

Deinze
The following Sunday was a Kermesse in Deinze. The mainly flat terrain again provided a fast average of 45kph, despite a few technical sections thorough the town featuring 3 simultaneous 90 degree bends. An early break of 10 riders moved away and quickly gained a good 30 second lead over the peloton. The gap remained fairly constant and having attempted to bridge the gap on multiple occasions, I settled back into the peloton to see how would unfold.

As the race progressed, the peloton realised that the break was destined to succeed, and an impromptus chase featuring riders various teams was organised. After a few laps of hard chasing the break was back in sight and the junction was eventually made with 4 laps to go – still time for another counter attack to steal victory.

Never-the-less, the race came down to a bunch gallop to decide the victor. Forced to pull hard on the brakes on a round-a-bout 500metres from the line (after taking the alternate line proved to be the wrong decision), I kicked hard, weaving in and out of riders and eventually came home in 12th, just some 10 metres behind the winner.

Although I’ll take the result, it’s disappointing to know I could have been so much higher if the positioning had been right going into that final roundabout. At least I can see the form is returning now after my short break, so it’s looking up for the rest of the season.

Overijse

Finally, yesterday I raced in Overijse, an area known for its hilly terrain, and tough climbs. The circuit lived up to its reputation featuring 10 laps up an 18% 500m long climb, and steep descents – one of which cobbled.

The opening 2 laps were taken at a ferocious pace, and instantly I was suffering. It became clear that I hadn’t recovered from Thursday’s race and 85km training the day before left my legs fatigued. For me, the rest of the race was uneventful, unable to do any attacking, all I could do was sit in and follow wheels. Completing the full duration of the race, the group didn’t even muster a sprint for the 40 something place!

So that ends the week, and unfortunately on a somewhat downward note. However, I know the form is there, so if the preparation is right then hopefully I can have a good ride at the regionals.

Stok - Kortenaken

It may seem somewhat duplicitous to be reporting that I was content to have rolled in with the peloton for a top 100 position at Thursdays race in Stok, but considering this is the first race in nearly 2 weeks, winning, or even trying to win was never an objective.

We were to face 10 laps of a 12km circuit starting at 18:00. Even if we were to average a ridiculous 45kph, the finish would still be taking place in darkness, and that is exactly what happened. The wide straight roads, coupled with little wind provided the perfect conditions for a fast race – ideal for getting some speed training in.

It was not long before I found myself hovering off the front of the peloton. Feeling fresh, and strong I spent almost the entire first half of the race either off or around the business end of the race- naturally, an encouraging outcome. Unfortunately, I was never able to gain more than a handful of seconds despite sometimes going clear with a good size groups, even being in a front split later on in the race with the peloton splintered was not enough for any escapees to go clear.

Ultimately I worked far too much, far too early and found myself unable to do much more than hang on for the final few laps, just as Dom, who had been biding his time in the peloton moved into what became the winning break, and finished off in 9th, while I rolled in with what remained of a weakened peloton – just half the 200+ riders completing the race.

For me, the result was irrelevant, and far more encouraging is that I felt strong and had a very aggressive race. Perhaps more importantly however, is to learn from your mistakes - I trained too hard while racing too much, and definitely won’t be repeating this blog in a month’s time!

'The road to success runs uphill'

If you were to ask a cyclist about an area they are familiar with, you can almost certainly guarantee the initial response will include the destinations of all the best climbs in the area. Knowing the steepest, longest hill (and your personal best time up it) is part and parcel of being a cyclist. I was almost surprised then that arriving in Belgium, a country perhaps falsely stereotyped for its flat terrain, no-one really knew of any climbs at all, jokingly reminding me of where we are.

I was not expecting anything like the “mini Alps” of the Ardennes, and acknowledge that the legendary climbs associated with the Tour of Flanders are hardly close by, but I was hoping for more than the odd drag I was so often taken to.

The first break through was the Mur de Huy, although an exceptional climb – the steepest finish to any professional road race – it’s not exactly a local loop always giving a total trip time of around 6 hours. I was looking for something more like 3 hours on a circuit type course – akin to the Baddow- Hatfield Peveral loop I so often rode at home.

Recognising my best chances were heading south and into the undulations of the Walloon, I set about searching for a new ‘training ground’. Using an albeit simple approach, I located areas on maps with the greatest gradient changes but this at least gave me some idea of where to look. After several reconnaissance outings – riding up every road that seemed to assure a degree climbing in the area - I eventually worked out a good loop connecting the best I had found.

What I came up with surprised me – on a 30km loop, starting just 25km away, I found 5 challenging climbs, the steepest of which being an apparently 27% cobbled section. Although lacking a centre piece, -all the climbs being short but steep power climbs (the longest measuring just under of a kilometre) - the route does at least offer the lung bursting efforts I had previously only matched on the turbo! In total the 100km ride features 2 climbs of the "Kauterhof" (a shallow but tough cobble ascent featured in the 'Tour of Belgium'), 10 climbs over 2 laps of the circuit and a 2km cobble section from Brussel-Zepperen.

I have been here two months and its almost a relief to be able to break away from flat, exposed windy roads which all those I’ve ridden with seemed to have succumbed to – at least unless, they didn’t want to give away their top training secrets...

“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.”

Sir Winston Churchill