Making the step up

The last few weeks have seen my first real forays into the world of Elite racing, and it's certainly a step up. Well, a couple of weeks ago I did the E/1/2 race at Chertsey. So I was really at the bottom of the pile there. More recently, yesterday in fact I rode my first Elite Road Race. As Chertsey is really only just a closed circuit, so really, its easy. Ha, well, you've gotta have a sense of humour in this sport sometimes!

Chertsey was a bit of an eye opener, when your sitting on the wheel of a guy who rode the World Championships a few years ago you know your in for a hard ride. I later found out, he (Steve Calland) hasn't even really done much training latetly, well, it didn't seem like it! The race was to be 25 laps of a 2 mile circuit. I quite like Chertsey as a course, its mostly flat with a couple of small lumps just to stretch your legs. And most importantly, it has a very long wide straight finish, sprinters paradise. Well it is if you can make it to the finish in any sort of state to sprint anyway! We ended up covering the distance in 1hr 58mins, which equates to an average speed of just over 25mph, for nearly two hours. It was pretty tough I can tell you. To put it into perspective, in March when I got away in a break in the 3rd cat race at Dunsfold, I averaged about 270watts to break away and nearly win. At Chertsey I averaged about 270watts again, but this time just to stay in the bunch. It was a real hard race, for me at least, and by the finish I could not even contemplate getting out the saddle and sprinting for the line. It mattered little as a break had already won the race anyway, but it was the most tired I've been for a while. I did however have enough not to finish last!

Then, just yesterday was the Les Ingman Memorial Road Race. Which was to be 7.75 laps of the 10.9 mile Bletchingly circuit, but I was up against some of the regions finest Elites and 1st cats. As well as 2nd cats and 3rd cats in the mix. So theoretically I should have been somewhere in the midddle of the road in terms of ability, but that didn't stop me being the most nervous I have been for a long while.

The race kicked of real fast, this course is one of the hilliest around with many short climbs followed by a real leg breaker that just goes on and on. Then just when you think its all over, you turn left onto the A25 and it continues to drag up and up until a fast narrow left hand turn followed by a very fast and also narrow, twisting descent. For which the bunch was always strung out in single file. This means that at the back of a 70 rider field you almost a minute behind the front riders! So the first couple of laps were incredibly fast, and I was thinking from a very early stage that if it continues on this fast, I won't survive too long. But thankfully a break became established after two laps, leaving the remainder of the bunch to contemplate a further 5 laps chasing.

Nobody seemed to concerned to chase so the pace dropped to a more suitable level. Which was obviously not suitable enough as some riders chose to attack again, but they never really got out of sight and the main bunch soon swallowed them up. Then a few of us tried to instigate a thru and off system to try to at least limit out losses. But only about 10 would work, then all the other riders would just try to attack up the hills after we had dragged them along on the flat. I was not amused, there were some riders who seemed quite content doing it as well, despite annoying everyone else in the process. I think it was the next lap around that a spectator informed us that we were over three minutes down on the break away group, which was also fragmenting apparently. You could almost feel the pace drop as soon as everyone had heard the news. Then it started to rain (again) and as if by magic almost half the bunch sat up and threw in the towel. I was of the opinion that I'm going to be wet by the time I get back to my car anyway, so I might as well finish! Besides the fact that I havn't raced completely in the dry since the beggining of March!!

After about 30minutes of rain the sun came out again and at this point the commisaire came up from behind us to inform the main bunch that we were on our last lap. It is often the case that when the peloton is out of contention they drop a lap off and finish early as it is almost pointless doing that extra lap. I was almost disappointed as despite the fact it was still my longest race to date, I wanted to really put a big on on the board. But there you go, so I settled back down and began to think about the ''finish''. I thought I might as well go for the sprint as its all good practice. The only trouble was I wasn't too familiar with the finish, I knew it was flat but I wasn't quite sure where the line was. It was quite a strange sprint really, I think everyone was really on their limits as it was very spread out. But I was about 2 riders back when it started. A couple of guys jumped around my right shoulder and I immeadiately got on their wheels. Then began my sprint and just managed to throw my bike across the line to claim the bunch sprint. Which I'm fairly pleased with as there were still some strong riders left to beat, and its good for the morale to race all that way and still put in a decent sprint. Especially as I had been at work, on my feet for 10 hours on Saturday evening, which is hardly ideal prep!

I wasn't sure exactly how many riders were ahead still so I wondered back down to the finish to see what was what. The leaders were just about to finish to it was a case of waiting and counting them across the line. Eventually I think there were more than 20 riders ahead of me, which was the points gone. As it was a big race the points are much higher, 60 for the win, going down to 20th place. So I was probably about 25th, but I'm still waiting for confirmed results. Which is a decent result from a 70odd rider field of E/1/2/3s, so I'm quite satisfied with that. The biggest plus is I know I can ride better than I did on Sunday, I was fairly tired from working and riding through the week, so hopefully I'll have more to offer next time...

Next time being this Sunday realistically. Back to racing against my own categories, a 2/3 race around Cutmill near Guildford. Which is another rolling circuit, but a little less so, so should suit me better. Especially if I'm fresh. Which really depends on the weather this week as I'll be racing on Thursday evening if it's not too rainy, for the first of the Surrey League evening handicaps. Which are all categories in one race, but set off in ability based groups, fastest last. Usually they all come together by the finish and its anyones game. But sometimes the lower cats do work together enough to stay away... There are a few local riders who have pulled some suprises in these races! I might even make my season debut at Crystal Palace tomorow, if... it doesn't rain (it's literally impossible to race that cricuit in the wet) and if I finish my coursework in time! Two big if's! Quite eager to get back to Palace as its such a challenging circuit, but I may have to wait another week, if anything I think the weather will tell me to do some more work for my coursework than race!!

De Ronde part 2

So after barely one beer and a McDonalds we all returned to our hotels to collapse into a heap in a vauge attempt to recover!

On the Sunday only Chris, Lisa and Myself ventured into town to see the Pro's sign on in the Market Square for the race proper. After which we returned to the hotel to have breakfast and check out. Even the pro's have to start early(ish) you see, 9.45am.

We were then the only members of the team to venture out into the Belgian countryside to rush around with the locals to see the race as much as possible out on the road... For which I was in charge of navigating. Now while I accept I may have gotten a little lucky at times, I got us to see the race three times on the road! The first occasion was at a souless roundabout in the middle of nowhere, even at this early stage there were riders off the back of the main bunch, struggling already. You had to feel for them, over night the temperature dropped even more, to about 6degrees and the pros had to endure a little snow also. Although it was much dryer and sunnier for them later on that the conditions that we rode in, so really, they had it easy!

The next stop was at the second feed station after 200kms, it was with great satisfaction that we got to look deep inside their eyes as they rolled by trying to stuff as many calories in as quickly as possible! They really looked as bad as we did the day before, which made it all seem just that little bit more worthwhile, hehe. And low and behold a Credit Agricole rider more or less handed his mussette (feed bag) to Lisa. He had barely even had anything out of it, he was obviously confident he had enough energy to get to the finish on an empty stomach!

The next stop was the climb of the Eikenmolen which happened to be where eventual race winner Stijn Devolder made his move. Again a fantastic atmosphere on the spectator lined climb must have carried the riders up it. It was here where we saw British favourite Roger Hammond still with the lead group and flying the flag. Although he looked a lot less relaxed than he did at the start in Brugge where he said hello to us as we cheered him on!

After the race had passed we then saw the last 15km of the race on a black and white TV in the back of a Belgians car, hows that for the authentic Flandrian experience??

So all in all, it was a brilliant weekend, and one which is already in the planning stages for a repeat next year... Trisportnews has found its annual Mecca! All of us, even those who said they didn't enjoy it want to go back for more wind, rain, cobbles and hardcore belgian semi-pros!

So... Bring it on!

De Ronde

Finally, a little late, here is my take on de Ronde van Vlaaderen. Or for those of you who don't speak flemish, the Tour of Flanders. All 260km of it (160miles), or was it, actually my clock read 275km by the time I arrived at the Finish in Ninove.

So most of the team travelled out to Brugge on the Thursday (3rd April) afternoon, after having settled into our hotels we convened in the historic and quite stunning market square. Where we then had a somewhat overpriced, touristic and very mixed quality meal! But the point was we were all there and all about to embark on one of the greatest adventures... There are so many stories to tell of the weekend. For a start, it turned out that the younger brother of the receptionist at out hotel rode for the Rabobank Continental team. Which is basically the Dutch U23 development team, luckily for him he was off on a training camp in Italy. While we were preparing for a day of typical Flandrian weather, rain, sleet, wind and cold!

Friday was then a quick ride through the city of Brugge, the a trip down (another) Belgian motorway to Oudenaarde where we visited the Centrum de Ronde van Vlaanderen. Which is the museum in dedication to almost 100 years history of the race. Then it was onto the finish in Ninove to drop off a couple of cars for transport home on the Saturday, post ride. While also meeting up with some of the late arrivals!

As dawn broke on Saturday morning, we were sitting at breakfast not really saying much. I think each of us was justifiably nervous of what was to be a very very long day in the saddle. After a little mucking about we all signed onto the ride and departed the market square in Brugge at 8am. Straight away we were in a reasonably fast moving convoy of riders, over 10,000 riders take part in this event every year, so you're never alone! After just 10km we had our first incident... a touch of wheels a few bikes ahead of me resulted in some shouts and some panic braking. I, having spent each of the past 8 weeks racing every weekend was straight on the brakes and looking for an escape. My team mate Grant however seemed to plow straight into the confusion. In the end, everyone stayed upright. There was no apparent cause either, bizarre. Well, a couple of guys ended up on the floor after forgetting to un clip from their pedals but there you go, school boy stuff.

It was only about another 30km until the next incident of the day too! We had been riding for about an hour when I said to my team mate Lisa that she ought to start eating now. As on such a long ride it is important to eat as much as possible. As she reached into her pocket she managed to drop her check card, which she would later need to claim her certificate at the finish. I kind of felt responsible, so in a moment of madness I did a quick U-turn and somehow found it. By this stage the next group on the road was about to catch me. I knew had I sat in with them I would never see my team again and I was acutely aware of the 220km I would end up riding effectively alone on that basis. So I soloed off the front of that group in search of the team. Eventually after a long period on my own working really hard, averaging about 42km/h (26mph) I caught up with everyone. And at the first feed stop at 60km we were all together.

After which we began to split up a little, as it was difficult to keep together when there are so many people riding on such small roads! After another 20km we came to what was one of the intermediate sprint points of the race itself (the pro event on the Sunday). As we came up to it I was on the front of a group of about 50 riders. On the incline leading up to it I was climbing out the saddle and my team mates John and Mark had dropped back a little by this point. But I had a couple of Spainards right on my wheel when one of them shouted ''sprint sprint sprint''. And all of a sudden one of them came roaring around my left side. Well, those of you who know me know full well I wasn't going to take that lying down!! So I gave it everything I had and just beat the crafty Iberian to the line! Whereby he duly patted me on the back by way of congratulation, my GCSE spanish the failed me as I could barely ask where abouts he was from!

For the next few kilometres things passed by fairly uneventfully as we completed the 'flat' half of the Ronde. After about 100km we came to the first climb of the day. Now this race is famous for its climbs, the 'bergs' or Hellingens as the Belgians would say. First up the Kluisberg, easy, only about 1.4km and an average gradient of about 8%, just like at home in Surrey I thought. So thats one down only 16 to go. The first climbs are quite seperated, it isn't until the final 60km where they really start to come thick and fast. Oh, and did I mention some of them are cobbled!?

Later on we reached the first real cobbled climb, the Molenberg. When the pro's do this, they sprint into this climb as it is a sharp right hander onto a steep narrow cobbled ascent. Unfortunately I only remembered this as we started the climb... Too late, almost imeadiately somebody stopped right infront of me, forcing me to stop also. And believe me, its impossible to get going again on wet cobbles at 20%. Unless of course you happen to have a friendly Belgian standing watching on his driveway who will hold you steady and give you a big push to get you moving again. It was incredible, I mean I guess he's used to seeing riders struggle up past his doorstep. But it was a great moment of the ride all the same.

A couple of climbs later the real drama started as far as I/we were concerned. The front group of TSN riders on the road was John, Mark and Myself. After one of the climbs Mark and I had slightly distanced John, so we stopped to wait for him. Then a few minutes later we realised we had taken a wrong turning! So as we came back onto the course we were sure that John must now be in front of us, thinking that we had buggered off and left him alone! Bit of a predicament as you can imagine, as Mark was also beginning to suffer a little. So at the next flat cobble section we hammered it across them like they were block paviers trying to make up ground on him. I actually really enjoyed the flat cobble sections as they were a unique challenge. I would like to ride the course of Paris-Roubaix now which includes 50km of cobbles as apposed to the 20km we covered in de Ronde, maybe next year!

So at the next feed we also met up with Grant and Neil who had ridden away from Chris and Lisa, who un-be-known to us had decided to stop. As the weather was truly awful at times, and they had started to get very cold. I think given the conditions Lisa did very well to get as far as she did, but I'm sure next year, given some sunshine, she could well make it all the way...

I decided at this point that I was going to try to find John, so set about riding hard in order to 'chase' him down. I thought at this point that we had bout 50km to go, when in actual fact it was more like 80km! So I rode on and on, berg after berg, and never saw a sight of him. I was thinking either he's found a second wind and is riding as fast as I am to try to catch up with us, as he probably still thinks we're ahead, or I've passed him and not seen him. As we were all wearing rain jackets at times, so all looking the same doesn't help!

I eventually found my way to the town of Geraardsbergen, which is at the foot of possibly the most famous climb of the race, the Muur. As I wound my way through the town and hit the real steep cobbled section of the climb the atmosphere was nothing short of incredible. It was late afternoon by this point, and the sun had just began to come out again. And the road was literally line all the way up with mad Belgian cycling fans, probably all of whom were looking out for a rider they knew, but cheering every rider as if they were their own. The wall of sound simply carried me to the top of the climb whereby there is a small chapel, that is simply iconic in the world of cycling! Unfortunately time was getting on and I was slipping into survival mode... I pressed on in the company of a young Belgian rider (who spoke excellent English, most of them do!) who then showed me the way 'home'.

One last climb, the Bosberg, ordinarily at only 900m long I would storm up a climb like this. But with 250km in your legs already you are simply reduced to just getting up it as best you can! At the summit it is more or less a downhill drag for the last 10km which still seemed to have a raging headwind, but the Belgian (can't remember his name!) and I worked well together to cruise through the last kilometres and into the finish area at Ninove. It was quite surreal arriving as there were just people and cyclists everywhere. Each with a story to tell.

I found the non-cycling contingent of TSN and Chris and Lisa who were annoyingly changed and dry and warm by this point, and was informed that I was in fact the first man home from our team. And that John was indeed way behind me with Mark after all! But what an amazing day on a bike, 11 hours I was in the saddle. Although it was hard, I think a wave of adrenaline and just a good day fitness wise carried me along quite happily all day. I thoroughly enjoyed the cobbles and despite the, at times, appalling weather conditions, had a brilliant day. I definately think every cyclist should come to Belgium and ride this course, it will certainly give you a new respect for the Pro's who tackle the exact same course in around 6hr30mins!

Incredible, just incredible!

It's been a while!

So the last couple of weeks seem to have vanished before my very eyes, all in a blur of coursework and riding. And it feels like it's barely stopped raining since February too, I havn't raced in the dry since March 1st. And a goo portion of all my other riding has been done in the rain too, it's almost like it's become normal!

Anyhow, this will be just a quick one to describe the debacle that was the Addiscombe cc round of the Surrey League a couple of weeks ago.

It was my first race as a newly promoted second cat and at the start I was feeling a strange mix of aprehension and care free'ness (if there is such a word!?). It was really quite bizzare, I felt good and was eager to have a few digs, yet at the same time was unsure as to whether or not it was going to be a big jump up to proper second cat racing...

As it turned out it was a bit of both. I made a few early efforts which ordinarily in a 3rds only race would have seen me away, yet everytime I looked round the whole bunch was still on my wheel! The wind was very stong all day and on particular sections of the course forcing the peloton to spread across the road as each rider was looking for shelter. Then of course the rain came, stinging at times and every time it eased, it was never long before it was right back at you.

I spent the majority of the race just hiding in the bunch in hope of a sprint finish. As it turned out in the last couple of laps a big break went away containing over 15 riders and therfore swallowing up the points.

Now, here comes the controversy. I tell you, this bike racing business is never boring!

As we went through with 1 lap to go, the break was clear, although it wasn't impossible to say we would have caught them. However, as we approached one of the narrower faster sections of the course a Police Community Support car over took the bunch, then had to violently swerve back onto the left hand side of the road actually making contact with some of the riders just ahead of me. The car then screeched to a halt at the next junction and the race was declared over. Er, what for? Seemed to be the general consensus, oh, and a six foot Sussex Police Sergeant who just happened to be riding didn't take to kindly to the Community Support Officers blatent overstepping of the mark.

Apparentlt they have no right to stop a race, let alone use blue flashing lights on there car. Let alone nearly run some of us off the road in the process. Way to go PCSO's. What exactly do they do anyway? Apart from wind everyone up, including apparently most 'proper' Police. It later transpired that the commissaire had instructed them to stop the race on his behalf. Something which he should have done himself. Allegedly we were 'all over the road' and it was apparently some of the 'worst riding he had ever witnessed'.

Now there was a general concession that we had been crossing the white line a little too much, but I for one never saw anything outright dangerous. So was a little bemused. In the end the break were allowed to finish, and all the dropped riders were also given places, while the main bunch were disqualified. Which I think is pretty stupid, as for most of the race we were together, therefore all in breach of the 'rules'. So in my opinion everyone should have been stopped.

But there you go, another example of Surrey Police doing **** all to 'make surrey safer'. They still havn't given me any kind of response for my van incident. How am I as a young person in this country meant to respect the Police when all they do is brush you off or send their reserve team to run you down?

Apart from all that the actual organisation by Addiscombe was good as ever, was just a shame the race turned out in such a manner.

Anyhow, the next day I did my single day prep for my Tour of Flanders ride. 210kms from Epsom to Brighton to Littlehampton to Epsom again. Man it was tough at times, but I made it and felt stronger for it...

In the next episode... my 11 hour Tour of Flanders epic...