Since Germany there has been many new experiences that I didn’t think I would encounter this year. Professional races are a show. The sign on for Dhuren was in the really big shopping mall. There was red carpet all the way along. We entered at the back of the mall. Rode through the crowds and handed our bikes to a small child from the town, climbed the podium and signed our name on a huge white piece of paper next to our name, rolled out of the mall on more red carpet and lined up. Dhuren was horrible race for me. There was this 24% decent into a hairpin at over 80kph. Then 50metres down the road was the main climb of another 24% for 1.5km. I got dropped every climb then would chase for a whole lap to get back on to the bench just before the decent again. It was so frustrating and also really really hard! For the team it was not the best day. One rider went blind, I was an idiot, one of the guys got dropped in the first 5km, one rode into a stationary plant pot, and one contracted this horrible stomach bug which he still has until this day.
The following weekend we had 2 days to spend in Holland. The first day was a smaller race than normal, then the next day was a big 1.1 called Ronde Van Noord Holland. The smaller race was not too good for us. We rode as a team but we have no sprinters. All the time the race was next to the river we would ride on the front to split it in the cross-wind. There was not enough wind so we would only make one split in the bunch. Noord Holland was not my best day in Holland. I got dropped at 140km done then had to find my way back across Holland, I was so so lost. I stole a map from a garage (I had not money, food, or water and the broom-wagon drove past me) and then found my way back 60km to the finish.
There were a few races in between Noord Holland and Ronde Van Fryslan but they were all the same and I finished well. Fryslan on the other hand was the team’s biggest race to date. The winner was Gert Steegmans; He was there with the Quickstep team as were High road (with Roger Hammond and Servais Kanarven – former Paris-Roubaix winner). Silence-Lotto rode with all the other big teams. After the first hour and 65kms down the road (so that’s an average speed for the first hour of around and over 40mph) there were only three riders from the team left, me, peter, and Sven. Pro races either go 60kph or 30kph. They ride at 60kph until a break forces itself away. Then they go 30kph until they decide they want to break back. They then ride at 60kph until the break is back. So, with the breakaway it was time to go easy. The whole peloton stopped for a piss then they decided to start racing again. High road and quickstep chased for the last 2 hours...at 60kph going up to 65kph for the last hour. I lasted until 190km done with only 20left. I got dropped with Ed Clancy (World champ on the track) and we rode hard until the finish circuits but they wouldn’t let us finish even though we were only about 2 mins off the front group. But, this was a huge improvement for me. To keep that company for that long when they were going flat out. After all they are the world’s best riders.
Tomorrow (Tuesday 3rd June) I am riding a Professional Kermesse over 180km. On the start list is Bettini and Boonen. I’ll let you know how that one goes!!
