It's Teide butt!

I decided to come over to Tenerife as a treat to myself for some warm weather training, and to see my friend Richard as it has been far too long! Last time I saw him we were freezing our nips off at an early season ‘Springtime’ Pursuit. This time round we were in a much more pleasant environment, a Spiritual Retreat in Armenime!

Flying in just before sunset was a real treat.

 As you can see the terrain is remarkably similar to the Surrey/Hampshire hills.

I’m staying on a banana plantation which is so great! It’s peaceful and a bit like living in the jungle as you go in through all of the leafy orchards.

This is a snap I took yesterday morning. I woke up, wandered out onto the steps outside and was treated to this sight. I’ve definitely woken up to worse things.

Today we did a little spin up El Teide, the local volcano. I’ve never ridden from sea level to over two thousand metres before, so it was jolly nice. We were riding uphill for two hours forty five minutes which was about as epic as it sounds and when you reach the top it’s a full blown moonscape. The scale of everything is so huge, I couldn’t really get my head around it.

My mind was blown.

Met this guy too and could NOT drop him!

Kruishoutem = WIN

I won my second race of the season yesterday! It was a fairly standard Kermis race around a good little circuit with a section of cobbles, some tight corners and quite a few people watching.

Where's Wally?

I spent most of the race creeping around, letting things unfold and watching people. I’m doing quite well at my new tactic of letting other people be the aggressors and using them as much as possible. 

Yeah Buddy!

It’s so good to win again, as it’s been over four months and I’d almost forgotten how. Hopefully I can keep being a crafty devil and get a few more good results before the season’s out.

DreamTeam

I went to a Pro Kermis yesterday with Llewellyn and we paid three euros to race a full Rabobank squad, including Lars Boom and Michael Matthews, 1t4i rider John Degenkolb, and a fleet of other top Pros. It was pretty darn cool. I did plenty of sneaking around and hiding as the professional Kermisses are 160km, which is a full length race in my eyes!

Here comes the pain train.

Nearing the end there was a break of seven riders just up the road and I thought I'd try to attack across (that's a joke by the way; it was Lars Boom and Andy Fenn up the road!).

But I did attack with 2km to go and felt good. There was no getting away from the Rabobank leadout train for Theo Bos though and I was reeled in. I snuck back into the line and managed 27th place. All in all a really fun day. I can't wait for my next pro Kermis.

I won a sprint!

... For 57th place, against four other guys. Which as far as I can see makes me the next Mark Cavendish.
Yesterday was the Under 27 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad race in Zottegem, which is just down the road, so it was our local race. It included copious amounts of cobbles and steep little climbs (of course it did, this is Belgium) so thankfully I've started going a bit better.

There were several crashes in the first hour which meant some fun chasing back on, and when the race started to shred ninety minutes in, I was too far back. I decided to sit back and cruise, to try and get to the end of the race rather than do too much and suffer later on. I was in a big group of about 70 riders so we were still motoring along. As the race went on the group was whittled down by the course and fatigue, until there was only 7 of us left.

We finished way down on the front of the race, but I felt pretty strong and did a good sprint at the end so that's progress in my eyes. I've got a week or so now before a stage race to do a bit of training and maybe a Kermis or two for some money. Yayyyy!

See you later England

I’ve been a long time absent from the blogosphere, mainly because I’ve been willingly absent from the racing scene for the last month or so. I’ve been doing my best to pretend I’m not a cyclist; and succeeding far too well! It's been the best part of 5 weeks since I left the motherland of two wheels (Belgium obvz!).

I did the National 25 mile time trial a few weeks back and was disappointed to finished 8^th  with a 50:36. Not to sound like an egomaniac but I know I’m capable of going a lot faster (mainly because I did go a lot faster the week before at a local 25. I did a 49:07 on a training wheel which would have bagged me 4^th place but never mind. It’s done and dusted now and I’m certain I won’t be driving 5hrs each way again for a time trial any time soon!

Feeling rather lethargic and sorry for myself at the National 25.

I started the National Road on Sunday and bowed out gracefully after realising I couldn’t hack the pace 3hrs in. Having only done a Castle Combe circuit race as preparation (2^nd by the way, thanks for asking) I had it coming to be honest. I’m certainly well rested now after feeling rather deflated from the amount of racing last month: the problem is I’ve now gone the other way and I’m under raced!

Looking like a whopper chopper at the National RR. I have put my saddle up since!

I returned to Belgium on Monday and did my first race today. It was a UCI 1.2 so nothing like a christening of fire, and it had the finishing circuit from hell which had over 3km of cobbles every 15km. I bottled it again and got dropped at about 3hrs and was determined to finish in my little group but they pulled us out with one lap to go. I’m going with a new psychological method to stop myself getting teary eyed when I do crap in races which is me saying to myself “Yeah, let’s build on this form legs. You're doing really well. Loads of other people pack races too. It’s the taking part that counts”. It’s like having Mr Motivator in my head.

Le Tour de la Manche

It was a successful weekend for the team in France! I’d like to say at this point that I played a ‘team role’ which roughly translates as – I didn’t have the legs to do anything good so tried to help the bigger boys.

Beach break! We never actually went though: it was too far to walk.

The first stage was quite twitchy and nervous and there was a big ol’ tumble 35km in that took down a lot of the bunch, including me. I snapped my forks in half and my front wheel folded itself nicely around the guy who was lying down in front of me. I was pretty unscathed though; I just took most of it on my head, so no harm done. I chased back on, but then the race was neutralised anyway as 80% of the field were off the back. Then it was game on again.

Well at least I didn't puncture.

Bjorn convincingly won the stage in the end, after infiltrating the break of the day and climbing like an absolute demon. This meant we were holding the yellow jersey! Llewellyn was also up there the whole day but Lady Luck had other ideas, and he came back to the bunch after getting the slowest wheel change since cycling was invented. I got in a counter attack near the end but went so deep up the climb that I was on my knees, and then we got caught anyway. Classic!

Dream team.

Day one had been sunny and rather pleasant, but from then on it was a much damper event. It rained every day. Llewellyn was in great form and was in the break on day two as well, claiming a strong third place after a gritty stage.  

Enjoying the view from our 'balcony'

The morning of day three was the time trial and I was hoping for a decent result to pick up my spirits and justify the team’s confidence in my abilities. We drove the course beforehand and it turned out to be three hills in a row with some descents in between: not in my favour really. I bashed out a twelfth place though which in hindsight is quite good, but at the time I was disappointed. Mostly I was just confused as to how the winner took a whole minute out of me. Animal.

The second stage of the day was fast and furious and Llewellyn was again in the action, in the break, up the road, and first over the line - awesome win. At this point he was sitting second on General Classification so on the final day we had some work to do, dragging breaks back and generally trying to help him out. I did my job for the first 90km or so but once we got to the finishing circuits, which turned out to be hilly and seriously sketchy in places, I was toast. I clung on until 11km to go and then rode to the finish alone. Kinch lost a second on the line and so slipped to third place on GC but it was a strong performance, and a big bonus on top of the stage performances.

Sufferfest 2012: final stage, finishing climb, three laps to go.

We’re back to France on Thursday for le Tour de Loiret which should be a bit less hilly but no less aggressive or dangerous. You can always rely on the French for that! Bonne Journée. 

Team Duties

I raced an interclub on Sunday in Affligem and my plan of doing as little as possible until the final 20k went bottoms up when the manager told me to get in the early break. I'd spent the preceding few days psyching myself up to just sit in, rest up, save it for the finale, etc. etc. Same old story really!

I got in every move going to try and sneak off and do what the boss said but nothing stuck. I felt good over the Mur and the Bosberg and was in a big split at the front, which I was convinced was the break of the day, but then guys started attacking each other (why?) and we got bought back. A small group went on the finishing circuits and I clipped off the front with our road captain and a few others in a bid to get across to what turned out to be the winning break. I put in some big efforts but we were chased down by the Lotto team in the bunch (it feels cool to say that at least) and it came to nothing. So that was more or less the end of my legs and I spent the rest of the race slipping and sliding around the bunch. I blew completely with 5k to go and lost about ten minutes on what was left of the bunch (don't tell anyone though because I was given the same time). Classic Dewey! Oh and I nearly forgot to mention we rode through four different storms which included wind, rain and a cheeky bit of hail; good old Belgium. 

'Maybe this break will stick...' Nah.

I'm getting very conscious (because my girlfriend told me yesterday) of how all my recent posts are just about how I do too much in the race, it doesn't work and then I blow up, and I am trying to change my ways. I feel like this is my own personal AA meeting: 'admitting you have a problem is the hardest step', but I've done that now. I just need to sit in in the races now!

Lotto chasing the break, me chasing the wheel in front.

Mind of a moron(?)

If you’ve ever wondered what goes through the mind of a rider when they attack from a long way out then wonder no more, because I did it last Sunday, and I’m here to spill the beans. Here is my inner monologue.

‘I’m feeling quite good now. I think I’m stronger than these other guys in the break. The bunch is getting pretty close. We need to go harder or we’re going to get caught. Ah what, there’s oil on my new white bar tape! This cross wind is getting pretty boring. Wow they know how to make bumpy roads in Belgium. I’m going to go a bit harder now and see what happens. Is anyone going to come with me? Oh that’s good that guy’s coming across to me: oh no he’s not. Is that the bunch behind? I’m going to look forwards now. Can I make it round this corner without braking? I can make it round this corner without braking. I’m not going to make it round this corner without braking! I should probably stay upright I think. How far is it to the finish? Not so far. Two laps from here, only two laps; that’s alright. How long was a lap again? 10km or so wasn’t it. Oh shit.

20k to go: Okay that’s it, nice big gear, push the pedals. I can’t see them behind right now, that’s good. Why is no one clapping? Belgians. Oh no there’s a crazy lady, my biggest fan.

19km to go: I feel good. This is easy! Maybe I’m not going hard enough, I’ll go a bit harder. I can’t breathe! Okay that’s too hard, easy tiger. This corner’s good because I can stop pedalling for a second or two. My ear’s itchy.

18km to go: Out of sight out of mind. This is fine; maybe if they catch me I’ll still be able to sprint anyway. Stay on the drops; that’s not back pain, that’s just character building stuff.

17km to go: How long is this lap? Have they sent me the wrong way because I’m not a Belgie? Maybe I should take the union flag stickers off my frame. They do look cute though.

16km to go: I haven’t changed out of the 11 in a while, what a big strong boy. I need to pee.

15km to go: This road is too straight, I need some corners soon. Omega Pharma are probably all on the front right now. Goodo.

14km to go: I know this hill. I attacked here once. Twice more up it and then I’m home and dry.

13km to go: That’s the bunch. They look pretty mad.

12km to go: Maybe if I celebrated as I went over the line this time they’d be nice and give me the win?

11km to go: Hey crazy lady! You’re my favourite.

10km to go: Next time round through the finish and I’ll either be very happy or very sad.

9km to go: Distance means nothing when someone means everything.

8km to go: This energy drink tastes funny. I can’t really see straight. Probably shouldn’t crash.

7km to go: If they catch me now I can definitely sit in and win the sprint. Definitely.

6km to go: What am I doing here? Am I enjoying this? Maybe I should get a real job.

5km to go: I must be close now. My legs are starting to go. Just once more along this crosswind section. Where is the bunch? I hope my legs look good on telly.

4km to go: Up this hill, out the saddle, power power power. MY LEGS FEEL FINE.

3km to go: Put it in the eleven. Don’t hit any stones. Are my brakes rubbing?

2km to go: Crazy lady, you’re a hero. Round this bend, don’t hit the curb.

1km to go: I can’t see the bunch. This is actually happening! I’ve just remembered why I do all the training and sacrifice stuff. This crowd is incredible; they’re going mad for it! This celebration is going to look so great on video! Hahahaha.'

http://www.focus-wtv.tv/video/wielrennen-gent-staden