This month has been much better than the last and looking back has gone by in a flash! Racing-wise, I started off with a big “en ligne” race with over 180 riders. Before the start the DS told me to just stick on one guys wheel who is called Salva Vilchez. The weekend before he had just won a big elite race with pro’s by riding away in the last 20k’s and putting a minute into the chase group so he was going well to say the least. Well, after a lead group formed from small attacks, I followed his wheel to the front and followed his attack, from this point on my teeth were ground to my handle bars holding his wheel. He was like a motor bike and didn’t seem to get slower on the hills. When he flicked me through it took me quite a while to actually pass him as he barely slowed down. We took a group of about 10 with us and mainly from his work closed a 40second gap in no time. The race then proceeded to split to pieces and to cut I long story short, Vilchez won, fairly easily! I ended up finishing about 20th but a couple of minutes down.
The weekend after this race, we went down to the flat windy region below Brittany called “loire Atlantique” to do a stage race called the Tour D’olonnes. The first stage went well and was ripped apart in the cross winds by the big teams, and ended in a group sprint in which I finished safely in 31st. The following morning was a team time trial in which we were one of the only teams not to be on time trial bikes! Still we finished 10th out of 20 odd teams over a 11km course but still lost over 2min30 to first team. (to put it in perspective though 1st place averaged over 48 kmh where as 2nd team averaged about 46kmh!! I was pretty annoyed after this TT though as the my team didn’t really know how to ride properly and a couple of riders kept messing up the rhythm but on the road I voiced my opinion to put it bluntly! The afternoon stage was very wet and windy and quick. With about 20-30k’s to go the peloton was in pieces. I finished in the front group where I got a top 20 in the bunch sprint.
The next weekend I did a smaller 2nd cat race, however there were still 190riders! I was feeling strong that day and was spurred on by the fact that I had family over to visit and watch however there was a big crash with about 1.5km’s to go and a group got off the front after this. I chased back after avoiding the crash but having to go off the road and pretty much stop, but only caught the back riders by the finish at the top of the hill. I finished 19th but would have been contesting the podium if I had my positioning right.
This Saturday I had a pretty awful race; after forcing a chase group my legs died for some unknown reason after about 30k’s and I rolled back to the peloton and ended up pulling out on the finish circuits. Not a good day. However, on the Sunday, I had better legs and won the King of the Mountains prize which got me my first podium and trophy to go with! This was a morale boost after the bad day before.
Aside from racing, I have enjoyed this month more than the others. Dan, the English rider on the team came over for 3weeks and then Ben, the Aussie arrived as well so English speakers outnumbered the polish in the appartement so the music and movies changed from mainly polish to all English! HA!
This week I have a crit race in my home town which is 20laps of a 5.4k circuit with a 1km+ hill in it so it should suit me. Pete Bissell won this race last year so it is a memorial race for him and this kinda motivates me to win. Then at the weekend, we are travelling down to Bordeaux to do a big stage race with a couple of European national teams racing and teams from all over france entered so it should be a good one. I’m told it’s also very hilly down there so I’m looking forward to it!
Sorry this is sooo long! Hope English racing is as good as over here! I doubt it though!
Keep pedalling.
