No race today, no ride today, no bike today

I woke up feeling rermarkable chipper this morning considering how sore I felt when I went to bed. Two glasses of Red wine and two Nurofen might have done the trick there, I slept really well, obviously my wounds haven't gone away but a lot of the soreness has, although I do have a slightly stiff neck to add to the list, that I didn't have yesterday.

The biggest issue I have was where somebody rode over my right calf while I was on the ground. When I woke feeling sort of OK, I thought today's race is pretty close, I'm going to ride. However being a little worried about the calf I changed my mind to maybe do an easy ride, if that felt OK maybe a longer steady ride and if that felt OK, I would do some serious efforts to test myself.

So I got ready, went out, about 1k down the road I realised that I could change down the cassette to the 11 but I couldn't change back. Bugger. Came back to the hotel, begged some tools to take the lever assembly apart, had a fiddle, the best I could do was get it working intermittently and even then I wasn't sure how I was achieving that!

So no race nor even a ride today, all things being equal by not racing today I was going to race on Monday, that has to be in doubt now, the bike shop opens at 9.30am, I have to persuade them to see to my bike first, hope they can fix and then drive the 45 minutes to the race which starts at 12, going to be tight. That assumes that they can and will fix it and that we don't need a spare part or something that they don't have. Three race potentially lost now. It seems my body is bouncing back quicker than my bike.

Apart from a twisted brake hood it seemed fine yesterday when I rode it back to my car. I suppose I could always buy a new bike!

I spent the afternoon watching F1 on the TV, which is pretty boring these days, I used to follow it but lost interest, I can see why now. But I spend some time on Youtube amusing my self with old clips of Eddy etc etc. I did find some clips from the VWF racing, the VWF is my preferred racing this year, it was one of their races that I crashed in but I can't blame the organisation for that. I've appended a few here of courses I have raced, although the camera work is pretty static so you don't get the idea of the circuit.

What you will see is that the races usually breakdown into a 'selection' of maybe 15/20 riders, in my races very often on lap 1 or 2, then that 'selection' keeps attacking itself to pair the group down even more sometimes into 2 or 3 groups. To date I have always made that selection so these video's are my first opportunity to really see what's going on behind!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL2SoqgdD8Y&feature=related

Aalst has a lot of racing in and around the town

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrvkW-pffHE&feature=related

Temse is where the European Champs where this year, same course

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJCkllq24E4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj0DJIIrR7c&feature=related

To finish off the afternoon I've just watched Cadel, roll Gilbert and McEwen in a post tour crit sprint, yeh right! The crowd seemed to like it OK.

Crashed out!

Not much I can say about today's race, crashed on the second lap of 5.

Ironically it was the safest, least technical race circuit that I have ridden this trip, perfectly marshalled, good road surfaces, one stretch of 500m category 1 cobbles just coming onto the home straight which was about 500m dead straight nice and wide, beautiful tarmac surface, we were in Holland after all. Topped off with only one of the guys I would recognise as a sprinter being there and I started the race thinking in a straight line I was faster. What was also in my favour was the fact that there were 'premies' for the first three places each lap, which in my experience tends to neutralise the race by the non sprinters attacking for the lap prizes cos they know they are not fastest in the finish, whereas the sprinters tend to keep their powder dry for the 'big' sprint. My plan was not to get involved, do just enough, give the sprint a big crack!

I was right about the outcome, my sprint pick cracked the win in a bunch finish, double bugger.

Anyway there was one straight which was cross wind, we were in the right hand gutter, me minding my own business, then we were braking hard, turning left, two guys going down, I had nowhere to go tried to make the grass verge, came up short. Given there is no stuctural damage I am pretty sure that I held onto the bars right through, took it hip, elbow, back? and helmet. The helmet's smashed and I knew I wasn't right while I was on the ground, so stayed there, everybody else remounted. To be honest if I hadn't hit my head I would have as well.

I can't say enough about the race organisation with a medico on the spot, finding somebody in the race caravan that spoke English, then getting taken to the first aid tent, bit of luck there as well, there was an old chap with a suspected heart attack in there and they had proper ambo's on the spot. One of then checked me over rather than leaving me to the volunteers. I am pleased to report that we still use the brush to clean out road rash wounds, I really enjoyed that! So I know have a good collection of what we used to call 'Patrick Sercu' bandages. The VWF officials where fantastic, each of them that speaks English came into the first aid area to check on me and knowing that I am on my own enquiring if I wanted somebody to drive me home, can't say enough about how good they are.

So ankle, knee, big cherry on the hip, back, elbow and hand on the right side. I think that I got rammed by one or two riders while I was down, had the tyre marks on my right calf and back. Consequently my right calf is very sore and my hip/groin is very difficult to walk, my hand being chopped up is inconvenient to say the least.

I'm hoping that when I try my bike tomorrow that it will be easier riding than walking, assuming that I can get out of bed! I can race tomorrow or Monday, hopefully I will be up for one of those.

My bike has minor cosmetic damage, I think, I will check it properly tomorrow. Some Nurofen tonight I think.

Recovery day and some pre race drills

Another easy day today, I know I'm still tired from the last two races. The weather was a little better today, well it didn't rain at least, about 20c I think, with light winds.

So I did a couple of my pre race drills on the ride today, I didn't feel particularly special but the power seemed to be there so I can be happy with that.

Very quiet afternoon, went and bought a new tyre for the rear wheel, my wife persuaded me to do that!, doesn't happen often, so I spent some time changing the tyre over and cleaning the bike. Helped by Jurgen's littles blonde beauty, she gabbles on in Flemish, I'm answering her in English. I would say that neither of us knows what the other is saying but that's not quite true, she's smarter than me!

The quid pro quo for her helping me with my bike was 10 minutes playing soccer when I'd finished, even I can manage that with a 7 year old.

The race tomorrow is just over the border in Holland, with an 11am start, so I will need to be ready and away relatively early, for here anyway.

Very very easy day

Having got back from the race yesterday quite late I was pleased to have a shower, have dinner and go to bed.

Trouble was I didn't sleep very well at all, a good 8 hours would have done me the world of good, but when I'm tired I do have trouble sleeping properly, its also one of the signs of overtraining. But in this instance its just physically knackered from two hard races in 3 days, hopefully over the next couple of nights I'll catch up with my sleep.

Did my 2 hours today just cruising along the canals, to be honest I really enjoy the ride its very relaxing and calming. Problem today was I woke to low clouds and drizzle, not particularly cold, bit of a breeze, but I thought what the hell I'm not very good at going back to bed during the day, I'll do my ride.

The ride was spoilt by two punctures! but since air bottles where 10 for 5 Euro's that wasn't a real problem. It was only yesterday that I was wondering whether I should get a new rear tyre but the tyres on the both wheels were new on and unused when I left, it has 1600km on it so although it has a few cuts and nicks it should be OK treadwise, what I might do is swap the tyres over, certainly cheaper.

The boys were trying to get me to race tomorrow, apparently its a hillier course again, but they way I feel today it wouldn't be very sensible to do that, so I'm going to wait until Saturday, there's some big deal race just over the border in Holland, I'll do that.

Still kicking myself about yesterday but I don't think I rode a bad race and I was definitely one of the stronger riders, I just missed the break or possibly more correctly at the time that it all went off I didn't quite have the legs at that moment. Anyway, note to self pay more attention when the champ goes up the road!

I was having a look around Youtube this afternoon to see if there were any good clips of the racing style in Belgium.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKFJFlDuhcY

This is undoubtedly a clip of amateurs but I promise you the look and feel are exactly the same with Vets and probably as fast, the differnce with Vets is we don't race as far.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SNQncMlpw4

The second clip shows you have to pay attention and anything goes for getting around the course or making up positions, don't think I've come across anything quite this radical but pavements, forecourts, roundabouts etc are all fair for 'different' routes.

Another race, maybe I shouldn't have.

4pm start for today's race, very civilised start to the day. Driving the 10 minutes to the course, a real luxury for me as I was explaining to some new friends today - but more of that later. According to a thermometer I passed on the way 24c, it was, at that point very pleasant.

I have raced at this venue before but any hopes I would know the course really well were scotched when I was told apart from the finish, which we were doing the other way, there was only about 500m from the 'old' course. So no help there then. On the positive side the old finish was 200m out of a corner, the new finish was 980m out of a corner but the 500m I would be familiar with was cobbles! Admittedly not as bad as Monday's circuit probably only 1 star, flat and straight.

To be honest I don't think I had recovered from Monday, but I had reasoned that I'm here to race so race I did.

The course was not as complex as the last race but still managed to move about quite a bit, probably 90% of it was urban including one fairly major road that we were hitting as the end of work day as traffic was building and therefore had to be stopped as we approached each lapped. The power of bike racing in Belgium, gotta love it.

From the start we went straight for 200m, 90 degree right up a hill for 400m, 90 degree left onto 500m of cobbles, 90 degree right onto a 200m straight, 90 degree right onto a 1km straight, 90 degree left onto a 500m straight, 90 degree right onto 1.5km straight, fast downhill, 90 degree left 1.km straight still slightly down hill, out onto the mainroad, 800m, 90 degree right up a drag for 500m, 90 degree left flat then down hill for about 1km, into 120 degree right onto finishing straight which was all slightly uphill, 3% according to my SRM, 980m to the line! Apart from the cobbles it was mostly fast good tarmac, only a few sections of concrete and no bad joins.

5 minutes to go we are all on the line ready to go, 45 minutes later we are still there. As far as I could tell the police were having difficulties with the number of cars that had to be towed away, gotta love Belgium. By the time they had finished there was still one very awkwardly placed car which had already been clamped! and couldn't be towed, this got a marshall of its own, this chap had a yellow warning flag and a whistle which we got both of every lap.

I filled in the wait by getting into a conversation with the Belgian champion and one of his team mates, they both had enough English to make it worthwhile which was excellent as we exchanged views on our respective racing backgrounds and of course they were interested in the Australia. They were both horrified with the idea that I have to travel 2.5 hours each way to race with my own club, 4 hours each way for more serious racing, they really couldn't comprehend that but coming from Flanders they wouldn't and we had a good laugh at that. When I was trying to explain 14 hours each way to do the nationals in Adelaide they looked at me like I was some sort of Alien. As they pointed out they go to St Johann in Austria most years and thats only a few hours each way, there are incredible upsides to living in Australia but access to this sort of racing isn't one of them.

Anyway we finally got underway and I was really dreading some one going off the line, I've never been good at that, sure enough somebody did but fortunately it was a bit half hearted which was good since I was sitting dead last wheel for the first half lap trying to get my body going. After that we got going in earnest so I moved up to the business end of the race. We had an interesting situation in the race since we had 5 of the team I've mentioned before and the Champ had two very strong team mates and between these two teams they shaped the first 5 laps of the race, attacking and counterattacking trying to get the right mix into a break. I took the view that anytime there were two of each in a break, along with any other 'individuals' like me, I would go across. To be honest this got pretty wearing and after one particularly extended flurry of attacking I was pretty stuffed and somebody left a gap coming onto the home straight, they do that sometimes it is irritating. Anyway a group of six moved away a really soft breakaway, everybody was looking around for somebody else to take up the chase and they just kept getting further and further up the road, coming through the finish the Champ jumped away hard with somebody on his wheel, that was it! everybody else still wants somebody else to do the chasing. End of race really.

Try as I may there was only one other guy who was actually up for working to get us back into the race, anybody else with energy was only interested in sitting on and then jumping away. So it was pretty easy for the front group to move away, they had 4 strong riders, 3 from the one team and 4 pack fodder onto a good thing for the race.

I knew I was just wearing myself out trying to get back into the race but when there are 8 up the road there didn't seem much point in sitting in for a sprint, unfortunately the majority of what was left seemed intent on doing just that. I lost count of the number of times I forced a small group off of the front but everytime it fell apart because they just don't 'work' turns effectively and the rest managed to drag themselves back.

By the time we got into the last lap I had decided that I would turn off with half a lap to go, that's where my car was parked, I thought I was both unmotivated and too stuffed to sprint. However when we got to the turn off where my car was, I decided not finishing is not a good habit to get into so stayed in the line.

Flying down the hill into the 120 degree final turn I sort of went into autopilot and moved up into about 6th wheel coming into the corner, to my surprise the sprint started there, bearing in mind that it was all uphill.
Non sprinters trying to burn out the sprinters, very nearly worked on me for the first 500m I was consciously thinking that all I was capable of was going to be to sit on the wheel, if I could! At 400m to go I was thinking maybe I had something left and then when a couple of guys fired off I went with them and without really thinking I made my own move up the left hand gutter, so I managed to keep my record intact, just, punctures aside.

Interesting little fact, the last 980m, uphill took 1 min 8 secs! When I was riding track I would have been ecstatic with a 1 min 8 sec kilo! and I averaged 620 watts. There was only one guy that finished the race on Monday that finished in front of me, I did say Monday was hard.

Recovery day, nice and easy

Boy I needed an easy day today, but I could have done with sunny and warm instead of cool and wet.

Did one of my easy canal rides today, 2 hours 60k, I can't say that my legs actually hurt but they are empty so the only good thing about today's weather was the wind was very light, so I was able to keep the legs turning over mostly in the active recovery range.

Being wet it was pretty quiet along the canal, well it was until bearing down on me out of the drizzle was a very purposeful group on TT bikes followed by a team car, they were past me in a flash, but I read the logo's on the team car easily enough, Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator, so I assumed it was the team practising for a TTT or maybe the feeder sqaud.

Wrong, on my way back they were stopped having some work done to a bike, so I stopped and blagged a tool to secure the mounting of my SRM which had worked loose crossing the cobbles in yesterdays race. Chatting to the manager? it turns out that it was the Belgian U23 team and sure enough as the riders pulled away I finally noticed that the group was 4 lads and 3 girls, last seen flying through the murk at a great rate of knots.

Added a bit of interest.to a pretty flat day.

A bit of shopping this afternoon, some new batteries for my camera, some gels and some more fruit. Of course I had to clean my bike yet again, it lives in my room and I don't like to bring in when its dirty, so it had to be cleaned first.

I was thinking about yesterdays race during the ride today and decided that the course was almost a mini (very mini) tour of Flanders, hills, corners cobbles all coming thick and fast. I was also thinking and wondering how many of my peer group would have enjoyed that particular course.

With all the free time I have here I have been wondering whether I should start a coaching service for Veterans. I've been a pretty good coach over the years with all the paper qualifications earlier on but of course its all changed since I came back to racing. I've worked with some top coaches recently who have even been 'Masters' racers themselves but in truth its been so difficult to establish what is realistic for older Vets to expect of themselves. So I think with all the research and experimentation that I have carried out, I am very well placed to help the older vet. I could do programmes, recovery, diet, supplementation etc etc. Anyway I'm still thinking on that one, watch this space.

Finally won a sprint, pity about the break!

What a race! Hard course or what! This was definitely the hardest race, course wise, that I have been in yet. On the other hand the race was over for all but 11 riders before the end of the first lap, this didn't exactly make it easier but at least more manageable, no one was ever going to take a flyer from a long way back.

Firstly the course, the weather was dry, very fortunately, overcast most of the time, occaisionally sunny and about 20c, wind not bad too a lot of the course was quite sheltered.

The course, from the start / finish line, up an incline for 250m, right turn, 200m right turn, downhill for 500m into a difficult 90 degree left, narrow road across a kerb! up a short sharp climb of 300m, down a little hill then up drag (3%) for 400m, 90 degree right turn for about 1km, wrong way through a roundabout (bought you back to the top of the finishing straight), 120 degree right turn up another drag for about 1 km, 90 degree left slightly downhill, both sides of a roundabout into a fast 90 degree right, straight for about 400m, hit the cobbles! 250m into 110 degree left, still on the cobbles straight for 1.5km all but the last 200m on cobbles, after about 300m of the cobbles the road tilted downhill through a fastish left hander, which was kind of 'exciting' at speed on the cobbles. 200m of fast downhill, hit a speed bump fast (50kph+), turn 90 left while still in the air, left again after 20 m, turn right after another 50m, turn right after another 50m down hill, turn left after 100m, still downhill, turn left immediately, effectively making the corner a horseshoe, 100m turn right, 50m turn left onto a quick downhill for 100m turn left at speed back onto the mainstraight with 800/900 m to the line up an incline of maybe 3%.

So a really tricky course, but fortunately dry, but with all the straw bales, waved warning flags, blown whistles and flashing blue lights it was all very 'Le Tour". Gotta love the atmosphere.

This was a new course to everybody, so it was a bit of a farce trying to do a warm up on the course, by following different riders I saw about 60% but not necessarily in the right direction! What I had seen was the first loop of what was almost a figure of eight layout, and I knew that the first real attack was going to come out of the tight left hander, that required a 'bunny hop' across the kerb and then a full on sprint up the nasty little hill. I had seen the cobbled section and was a little windy of that but I had not seen the incredible sequence of corners that followed it.

Anyway, sure enough, the first serious move came out of that corner but I was well placed and ready for it, unlike many of these 'hard types' I generally flick it down a couple of gears going into corners so that I can pick it up quickly on the way out. I'm sure they think I'm a bit of a wimp but hey it works for me.

From there we were basically in a single line until we hit the cobbles, boy did we hit the cobbles, possibly not a 3 star section in the Paris Roubaix but definitely a 2 star, with bike riders going everywhere, the first left hander was a critical point, its virtually impossible to get out of the saddle to pick up speed from a low speed corner on the cobbles, it has to be done in the saddle, then flat tack to the end, picking up speed as it sloped downwards. There were some gaps but I was firmly in the line and although my bike was making such noises that I was sure that it was disentegrating, however the dreadful noise stopped as soon as we hit the smooth tarmac again, so from there on I just ignored it.

A quick look around as we sped downhill into the amazing sequence of corners and I realised I was last in the line! A quick count revealed there were 10 of us, then it was concentrate as we flowed through the complex of corners that I hadn't previously seen, I thought they were never going to end! Power on up the home straight as the group realised that the race was decimated, one rider rejoined as we came across the finish line, he subsequently stayed on the back regardless for the balance of the race. So one lap down, six more to go and assuming that I can hang on I'm almost guaranteed of being in the 'money', keeping the record going at least, although I wasn't totally convinced at that point I could go the distance on this course.

Next lap was the usual mix of attack, counter attack etc., no collective thoughts of working together to consolidate the gap! Anyway through the cobbles again, no problem, well no special problem anyway, out of that into the corner complex, I'm sitting eighth wheel just minding my own business, it was all 'no brakes' stuff and I was doing it all without any issues. Then the guy in front of me got it all wrong, it is unusual but he stopped us, then compounded it by not getting out of the way, I was trying to get around him on the correct line, he was almost on an opposite tack, I was swearing and he was just getting in the way!

Long story short thge first 6 came out of the last of the corners onto the home straight almost 100m clear, I jumped really hard and nearly got there as we crossed the finish line but the front six had seen the gap and were full on, I had to wait for the rest of the group.

So we are now 5 chasing 6, I have no idea where the rest of the race was at this point. In the group was my big mate from the 'team' that always tries to work the race over, but at least he was working, I was working and the joker that had caused the problem was letting us work and then trying to jump across on his own, pillock,the other two were just sitting on, or hanging on, didn't make any difference they were doing bugger all to help.

It took us 3 laps, we rejoined just coming up to the line with two to go and it was hard chase, what I found interesting was that I was getting really strong through the cobbled section and very quick through the corner complex. In fact as we were closing the last of the gap I came out of the cobbled section about 100m clear and hooked onto the back through the corners, the rest didn't catch on until we reached the finish.

However the two strongest riders had obviously seen us coming and clipped off the front as I was rejoining, by this point I had no legs at all but the balance of the group was looking around, I got off the front a few times but wasn't strong enough to make it stick on my own so reverted to plan B, or actually plan A, sprint!

We had picked up 3 or 4 riders from an earlier race which was getting irritating cos they weren't just sitting on the back they were getting in the mix, I did give one an earful for chasing me down and dragging back the group.

Through the cobbles the last time I made sure I was well placed pushing past some of our unwanted passengers, down into the start of the 'corners' section I was fourth, made one position through the sequence of corners and came out onto the home straight third wheel, stayed to the left hand side as the road curved gently round to the right and wanted to avoid any 'congestion' even if it was slightly longer. I was right too, two riders managed to get into a contretemps but I was moving well, the speed was picking up and although it was my less favoured uphill sprint we had the wind behind us which countered the slope. They kicked off early, well I though they did, I waited a bit and started my sprint at 161m to go according to my SRM, peaked at 55kph and was clear on the left.

Pity about the breakaway and my legs are totally wrecked now. I'm looking forward to a recovery day tomorrow.

Easy Day

Woke up this morning to a cold windy drizzly day. Sitting at breakfast it occurred to me that rather than go ride, I might get in the car and drive down to Paris but then decided that although the idea of seeing Cadel on the podium was attractive the thought of getting into the zoo that Paris can be for traffic on a normal day, with the Tour in town it would be 10 times as bad so I opted to watch on TV instead.

So I did my 2 hours in the cold, 16c I think but much cooler in the wind, there were not many bike riders out and about so I guess the local bike riders weren't too impressed either.

The last stage was pretty predictable, not sure what happened to Rojas, but no others sprinters teams had any credible lead out train, so the result once HTC hit the front was foregone.

Had nice dinner and am having an early night, going to race again tomorrow, hope the finish is one for me, one of these days I might get it right!

Race day for me and Cadel

Well I woke up with a face like quasimodo, swollen and sore from my wasp sting, the left side of my face and gum were not pretty, I do hate wasps that sting indiscrimanetely!!!!!

That and the fact that it was p...... down with rain made me think that perhaps I should go back to bed and not race this morning. However the weather forecast I looked at categorically said it would be good by midday, so I went and signed on and was ready to race at the appointed time, two undervests, arm warmers and plenty of oil on the legs. First two laps were wet then the sun came out!

The course was pretty straightforward, starting with a long straight, maybe 2km. 90 degree right across cobbles, 50m, 90 degree left still on cobbles then another long straight maybe 1.5km, 90 degree right another straight about 1km, 90 degree right onto a 750m straight, 90 degree right onto a straight about 2km, 90 degree right onto straight about 350m, finish line back through 110 degree corner, that was the lap. Two comments, the straights weren't exactly straight they meandered left and right and most of the roads were pretty much concrete with that dreaded concrete gully, 'valley of death', which needs to be respected at all times especially when the roads are wet. The consequence of this is that riders moving across it make a really exagerated switch, pay attention! The other thing is, when you are turning off a narrow road onto a narrow road (3m), there is usually only one viable line!

We started like it was a one lap race, right of the bat a group of around 10 moved off the front and looking at the composition of the group I made a BIG effort to get across, it came back together, this happened again towards the end of the lap, again I made BIG effort, again it came back together. I've known some quick starts but the first lap was the hardest in the race, my SRM says so! About half way through the second lap I saw the first crash that I have witnessed in the racing here. Mind you it had to be a Brit, there were 3 riders about 20m off the front and he failed to respect the 'valley of death', it was quite specatacular it flicked him high in the air and body slammed him like a sack of s..., well spuds anyway. On the wet roads he and his bike just slid neatly into a ditch! I spoke to him afterwards he was OK, which was good, but he actually thought he was in the race winning move, get real!

Anyway half a lap later I drifted backwards to take a drink and realised that I was at the back, wheel 15? we then had a touriste ride for half a lap and another 20 riders caught up! From there on it was a normal race, attack - chase, attack - chase and so on. To be honest I didn't feel particularly special and spent the whole race doing as little as I needed to to be in the 'selection'. I hope the problem was my wasp sting.

Bell lap and there were two riders 20 seconds of the front, with one of the riders having 5/6 team mates in the race, who were hanging around the front neutralising everything. By this stage I had decided I would just sprint from whatever group I was in and that the Belgian Champion would be my reference point, he's not champion for no reason and is a very canny bike rider. I am usually quicker than he is 'my' type of sprint.

Down the last straight one of the Belgian champs team mates 'buried' himself to close the gap, so with a 1km to go we were all together. I was sitting pretty with 750m to go, one back from my 'target' back wheel, when for reasons I didn't understand, we did a 90 degree right turn on the straight! I was on the pavement taking avoiding action and lost a whole heap of places, effectively so had most of the 'sprinters'.

Consequently I was fighting to make up places going into the last corner, that was 'exciting' I can tell you, but long story short I came out of the last corner too far back and it was total mayhem down the last 350m, at first I didn't make any ground but as I hit the 'straps' I was slaloming through the field, made 10 places in the last 100m, but needed another 100m really, 4th! Give me a run I seem to be hold 'it' longer than most.

My 'friend' who I thought was having a 'go' at me, won, but immediately got into altercations with at least 4 guys for the style of his riding, as best as I could judge they seemed to think he had pulled himself off of them on the way though. So it's not me, everyone has a problem with him.

Spoke to the Brit that flipped himself at the end of lap 1, he thinks the rest of us were lucky, yer right! but his pal was a guy that I raced against 30 odd years ago, he was a Milk Race rider in his time, I think he was a bit miffed when he realised I was 15 years older than him!

If this entry doesn't make too much sense its because instead of my usual glass of red wine with dinner, I had a bottle. Be fair Cadel deserves at least that!

Wet ride and a wasp sting! Great day!

Another wet day, not particularly cold about 16c, I think. Took one of my easy rides along one of the canals today, they're just so easy on the mind.
So here I was riding along in the drizzle minding my own business when a flipping wasp flew in my mouth, it was a bit dozy with the cooler day I think, so I managed to spit it out before it stung me on the chin, little bugger. Wiped it off my face and rode along watching it stinging the palm of my mitt, so I clapped a couple of times, that put an end to him!

Things is I am allergic to wasp stings, now this little European wasp doesn't seem to have been as virulent as our wasps at home, but I didn't have my 'bee sting kit' from my allergist with me. I'm on the case now and my face is swollen but seems to be under control, sometimes these things really knock me about so I'm hoping that the smaller wasp will have less of an effect on me.

It actually dried up on the ride but as I turned for home I was being tailed by the biggest blackest cloud, obviously very full of the next downpour. So I came home much quicker than I had meant to, even got my bike mostly clean too before I had to run for cover.

Spent the afternoon biting my nails watching Cadel, I think he rode a very canny race, using as little energy as he needed. Now is he 58 seconds quicker than Andy in a TT? I hope so, I really hope so. I'm almost thinking I won't race tomorrow so I can watch it, but no I'll race.

BUT GO CADEL.

Puncture!

Well after a few days downtime, I was ready to race today. The race was actually the East Flanders Championshiop but since I had been allowed to start the European Championship at the weekend I figured I'd be OK today, that was the case, I was fine. I was told I could win the race but not the championship, again.

Weather was OK, quite warm 22c I think, but with the threat of very localised showers. The course was a real beast. a longish lap at about 9km and started with a 2km climb, that pinched up quite steeply at the end, a long fast descent through a town, swing right 90 degrees, a bit of flat then a wicked wicked steep narrow winding descent on a concrete road that was still wet from earlier showers, certainly Andy Schleck would have been squeeking about it! Then a long slow ascent to the finish, straight for 2/3km rising all the way, so the circuit was relatively straightforward.

I managed to get lost doing a warm up / siting lap but fortunately I was following a local who at least had the advantage of being able to ask directions, he had some English and was very good, making sure I was with him to the finish. So I had a decent enough warm up but didn't see most of the course, especially that very fast swooping downhill but then I always liked to race the place to place races, so you get used to taking what comes.

I don't know whether I have explained what happens with the course, marshalls etc. Some days before the race, signs go out on all the course roads indicating no parking, temporary one way's and any other changes of that nature. About one hour before the race the police will tour the course shifting any cars parked where they shouldn't be, there is always somebody that loses track of the time and I have seen cars towed away before now. 30 minutes before the racing is due to start the marshall's will have been briefed and all be in place, Police will generally marshall significant junctions (this is the sensible time to go for a warm up!) A few minutes before the racing is due to start the lead police car will drive the making sure everthing is good to go, then the race will start.

Where my pal and I went wrong today, apart from going out before the corners where marshalled, was I think due to the fact that there must be another race in the vicinity at the weekend which had its road signs out so we couldn't tell the difference cos we were certainly following the signs.

There was a lot of confusion, for me at anyrate, at the start. I think there must have been a late decision to combine a bunch of races together? Possibly due to relatively small fields. 3 bunches of 20/25? Nobody bothered to explain to me so I started blind, assuming that we did indeed have three races on the go today. I have to admit that I am not generally in favour of this approach although it normally is beneficial to me cos I can go with the faster riders. That was the case today we were flying up the hills so fast it was just a case of keeping on top of the gear, much easier.

However the downside was that the yellow numbers were trying to stay in front of the green numbers and the white numbers where trying to stay in front of everybody. Consequently some of overtaking was a bit desperate since although there a clear age distinctions, the ability level isn't that clearcut. So I wasn't all that impressed with some of the ducking and diving going on on the flat and downhill only to have to unwind it on the hills cos I was climbing better.

Anyway problem solved, I punctured coming off the winding down hill section and abandoned. There did seem to be a few punctures today, I didn't see any particular issues but there must have 4/5 punctures in the first laps.

In my own race, run seperately not with everybody else, I think I would have been OK, certainly in the money again, at the end of the first lap the field was down to 30/35, I didn't see where it happened but I think the split must have happened coming out of the fast downhill.

So having sorted out a race programme for the next two week, my next race would have been Sunday, its all change, I'll now race on Saturday and see how it all shakes out.

Slow day

2 hours this morning, steady endurance ride with a few surges up some 'bergs' down towards Brakel where I believe Mr McEwen lives. I was lucky with the weather it was really overcast and heavy but half way through the ride the sun came out, brilliant.

One hour after I was back it was raining and rained all afternoon.

The forecast for tomorrow is the same so I might have wet race on my hands, the race is actually down in the vicinity of Brakel so will most likely have a climb or two so I hope I'm ready.

There is actually a good run of races now, a lot of them with hills, some of them quite severe, at least by my standards so will be a real test.

Pretty happy with the way the racing has been going, I'm competitive and thats what I was hoping for, taking prizes is a real bonus.

Rest and recovery days

Yesterday was very definitely a recovery day, two hard races in two days is a bit on on the old body these days. I slept so well the previous night I almost slept through breakfast! heaven forbid that a bike rider misses a meal!

A two hour recovery ride followed, just trying to keep the legs spinning over, even if the weather wasn't really cooperating, drizzly and very windy. So not being equipped with winter gear, a couple of extra vests, arm warmers and knee warmers, augmented by my 'gilet in a pouch', had to suffice. It was OK although the headwind bits weren't exactly enjoyable. I stuck to one of my trusty canal rides which on the ride were uncharacteristically deserted, who says Belgian bike riders are tough?

In the afternoon some domestic stuff, trip to the supermarket, greengrocer's and the big bike shop in Aalst where I thought since I had time (there being no Le Tour on the TV), I would have a look at the plethora of bikes they stock, I can't off the top of my head think of a brand that they don't stock. The problem was that they are in the middle of their big sale, 20% of everything, so the place was mobbed, so I got the few bits and pieces I needed and left.

Dinner and an early night worked well.

Today the weather was totally different, sunny a pleasant 22c with light breezes, perfect. An endurance ride was the order of the day, most of the time in the upper end of my endurance range, some good spells at level 4 and a couple of three minute intervals at 115% of threshold. I'm not quite recovered but felt a lot better today than I did yesterday. Spending the afternoon watching the tour flat out on the bed will have helped. Go Cadel!

I've decided not to race until Thursday, I should be nice and fresh by then I hope. From there I will try and space out the races to not overdo it but its difficult not taking advantage of all the race opportunities.

Since the upcoming races are of the hillier variety I will do some hill stuff tomorrow, endurance ride with some hill sprints, should set me up OK.

European Championships

Well I was told that I could'nt win the championship on my AVCC licence and I didn't.

Its a shame in some in some ways since the course today was really to my liking, had some real hills in it and was generally pretty fast and I seem to prefer it when its fast rather than just plain 'gutty'. Still I was in the 'money' yet again and I beat the two guys that squeezed me out yesterday.

More of that later. I was a little surprised at how big deal the event was today and the VWF really did a great job, but then I think they are probably the most organised of all the bodies in Belgium. So it was almost a mini world champioship really, guys from all over on the start line, well all over Europe and me anyway.

There were some things that amused me before the start, not the least my friendly 'jury' lady telling me that she had told all the other riders as they signed on that they can ignore me for the championship. Yeh right!

I was flagged down by a group of ladies as I was rolling around a few minutes before the start because they wanted to take a close look at my jersey. So fellow GVCA'ers our jersey is officially a babe magnet, well maybe not babe's!

What was more ego building was the number of people who said to me before the start that they thought I was the best sprinter in the field and they thought that I should have won yesterday, well I agreed with should have won yesterday but I don't have a handle on being the best but I do think that certain riders are now very wary of me, which is probably not a good thing.

The start / finish area was a classic Belgian race environment, cigar smoke, beer, hot dogs, hamburgers, onions, frites it was great, cos there was a pretty decent crowd as well. I have soem photo's but lack the means to get them onto my PC here.

The course started with 90 degree right 50m after the start, straight up a hill about 4/5% for 1km, then a fast slightly down hill run, the road twisting right and left but mostly fast corners, then 90 degree left straight into a savage block headwind ( I really didn't like this bit) for about 700m, then 90 degree left into a cross headwind for about 1km that turned into a fast downhill into a 90 degree left, still slightly down hill for maybe 500m, then a 90 degree right down a steep ramp and then immediately up an equally steep ramp, 90 degree left the wrong way through a roundabout (shade of Le Tour) then a 1km straight cross wind into a 90 degree left for 300m with a tailwind, 90 degree right for 100m into a 90 degree left (wrong side of a roundabout) then up a 200m ramp (about 6%), 90 degree left onto the home straight (straight into the block headwind), 300m to the line.

So I generally enjoyed the long uphill, I was able to move up quite easily there most laps, I enjoyed the fast stretches, but I'm not as strong as the top guys into the wind but I can do it, I cornered as quickly as any body, better than most and on this course there were no corners that I didn't do well.

The race started in the rain and the boys were very respectful of the corners in the wet, more so than I wanted to be especially the fast downhill left hander which we were approaching at about 60 clicks basically I flew down the outside every time into that, it was a good test of carbon rims and swisstop brake blocks, they work fine absolutely no qualms.

For the first 4 laps (of 8) I concentrated on just staying near the front but not getting too involved, if I'm honest I had set myself to go 4 laps and call it a day but at 4 laps down I was OK and rolled down my arm warmers since the rain has stopped. With 4 laps down the race pace started going up a notch as more and more groups tried to get away.

At this point I should mention that all the top guns were there from the day before, plus a few others, one guy that I remembered from my last visit, a total maniac on hilly course but can't sprint plus a whole host of visiting dutch riders so there were quite a few fresh legs in the race.

My two protaganist from yesterday were there, one was easy to spot he's the Belgian champion, so no mug, and a very strong bike rider but not as quick in a straightline as me, I was getting some respect from him, the other guy turned out to be a bit of a mongrel, three times he tried to ride me into a wall at 50 clicks, the first time I thought he had not seen me but after that....

Coming up to two to go there were four away, I was busting my b.... to across this guy was on my wheel, attacked me at the top of the downhill, but then started braking he seemed to be happier at 50/55kph, I moved around him very happy to go into the corner at 60kph, he tried to push me into the wall of the terrace houses whipping past my right ear, he got shoved out of the way, I dropped him going through the corner and chased the break almost to the finish line when a group of six came up with my 'mate' in tow, he immediately attacked and I managed one 'last' effort to latch on the back. At this point we are 50m off the back of the front group, then we got into the usual nonsense where we aren't going to work together we are going to attack each other to get across on our own. Well I didn't I was just hanging on for awhile, I really had tried very hard to get across.

Anyway we are going nowhere but the front group wasn't either, moving ahead again just about 20 second away, very frustrating. We came into the last lap still jumping about but making no progress. Coming up the last ramp before turning onto the home straight I moved onto my 'mates' wheel, he launched out of the corner with me on his wheel, I went past him, he sat up, I went 10m futher the sat up myself turning to indicate to him that it was just to easy. I think that situation might run through the next few races.

I'm not sure but I think I may have done better than anybody else that raced on Saturday, not that counts over much when you are finishing 8th!

I'm definitely having a few easy days now.

I was robbed!

Well I thought so anyway, no really dangerous moves but very effectively squeezed at the finish from both sides so I had to brake when I should have been just flowing through the middle. To rub salt into the wound cos I was braking over the last 40m I even got nipped for 3rd, bugger, from that excellent feeling when you know you have the legs of everyone in the sprint to fourth in a blink! Double bugger I know I won't get too many chances like that.

From the way the first two shook hands, I think they knew exactly what they had done, or maybe I'm being paranoid. I would probably have done the same, but boy I really rode the sprint well so I'm disappointed that the chance slipped by.

Anyway back to the beginning. I wasn't going to race today until checking the details for the race I had intended to ride on Sunday, its billed as the European Championship so I worried that I wouldn't get a start so I raced today.

As it happens, my friendly lady that runs the sign on and the judging, told me when I came to the table to collect my money, that I should start tomorrow, I can win the race, but not the championship. She also said that I should tell the other riders that too so they would ignore me when I broke away. Fat chance, of me breaking away or of them letting me.

Today's weather was overcaste but about 22c so ideal except for the wind that got stronger and changed direction while we were racing. A tree actually blew down on the back straight while we were racing. While I was doing a warm down lap it started spotting with rain, so we were lucky, the next races weren't.

The course was fairly straightforward, 8 x 7km laps. From the start line it was straightish, the road moving left and right quite a bit with a headwind, into a fast 90 degree right that was onto what I was thinking as the back straight, about 2km and tailwind, I enjoyed this stretch, up a little ramp and straight into a 110 degree right into a 500m straight which was into the wind, 90 degree right another 2+km straight that turned itself back into the wind, 75 degree right for 400m, then 90 degree right into what was the home straight, with about 1km to the line straight back into the wind but the houses did give some shelter. At 300m to there was this savage traffic calming ramp that threw the bike up into the air, 10m across the top of it, then whack back down again. At 150m to go there was some building works which squeezed the road down to one lane then the finish.

To be honest I was sort of hoping that with a championship the next day some of the 'guns' might take a rest. No chance every good rider that I have come across so far was on the start line, no easy ride then.

It was very nice to get some 'hello's etc before the start, including a 'hello Ray' from the strong man from the strong team I mentioned earlier in the blog. While I was doing my warm down lap I was chatting to a Dutch guy, they always speak good English, who was trying to get me up to Amsterdam next weekend to ride a big criterium, I will have a look at it but its probably further than I want to travel.

To be honest some of these guys are so strong I find it really difficult to go blow by blow with them. Today I never managed to move off the front with a reasonable looking group, I was always bridging on my own. When I was doing it down the fast back straight it was no problem, I have loads of speed but anywhere I was out in the wind it was a real struggle. I remind you of how the races go here, somebody launches out after a break away group and they batter themselves to get there, if you happen to jump on their wheel, you attack them when they start to fade, no working together, so that's why I try to get the job done with my speed, cos I'm not as physically strong as these guys.

So the race was attack and counter attack all the way, at two to go I was suddenly aware that there were 3/4 riders still in the race that I didn't know where there. From there it was just rider after rider launching off, as soon as one was brought back, the next went, I was hanging on saving my legs for a sprint, hoping that the group would be intact cos I never had it in me to get off the front on my own, in anycase they weren't going to allow that and I knew it.

I didn't mention the last corner, it was the one on the course that I just didn't seem to get quite right, it seems that there always (at least) one, today it wa the last. I think I'd be a lot happier if we just took them no brakes, I think some of the guys brake unnecessarily, however on the last lap it was fine, everybody left, 15 I think, was absolutely full on.

I had moved up into the last corner and came out of it moving to exactly where I wanted to be, right in the mix but not at the front, it was a strong headwind finish. During the race I thought that bloody hump in the road would play some part, I was right, somebody tried to attack onto it but they were soon blown away, coming past the road works, third, I got that wonderful feeling that comes with realising that the two riders in front of you are at max and you haven't really opened up yet. Of course I then picked it to blow straight through the middle, you know the rest, bugger again.

I guess if I had been a 'real' sprinter I would have carried on and hit one or both of them on the way through, maybe a headbutt? but I'm a long way from home with only one bike, one set of wheels and definitely one body.

Real shame I don't suppose I'll get many chances like today, still for a second or two it was a great feeling.

Maybe I'll race tomorrow although I know I shouldn't.

What a difference a day makes!

Waking up this morning the weather couldn't have been more different, going to bed early with rain and drizzle, waking up to clear bluse skies, fantastic.

Two hours today a cross between an easy endurance day and pre race day in terms of effort. Probably more like a Fartlek day, doing a bit of a mix, just doing what I felt like at the time, all very relaxing and I felt a heap better for a having a complete day off the bike.

I even did a bit of exploring today, it was such a nice day that I tried a couple of new roads today just to see where they went. For such a populous place with some very busy places, Its truly remarkable that you can also find some really really quiet places, just you and the birds, a few cows and a lot of horses, brilliant.

I decided on my ride that I wouldn't race on Saturday, I would race on Sunday and then Wednesday, however just checking the detail I see the race that I had selected for Sunday is the European Championship, so I may not be able to start, I know I can't take the title but if I go along and then can't start that would be a bummer. So I will race tomorrow just to be sure.

There are two (nearby) races to choose from, one is on a course I don't really like or more precisely I don't like the finish, the last 200m turns through 90 degrees, I'm not super keen on those, so I'll go to the other in Appels, either one is only 15 minutes away.

I would have preferred another day before a race but I don't not want to race this weekend. So midday in Appels is where I'll be tomorrow,

Total rest day

Well I knew I was going to have a very easy day today but steady rain interspersed with heavy rain convinced me that a complete day off the bike is exactly what I needed.

There are a few things that I might have done if the weather had been more cooperative, indeed if the weather had been nice I would have gone for a nice cruisey bike ride just to turn the legs over, but with the rain that hasn't stopped all day I decided the first day of the British Open Golf on TV was compelling this morning, followed by the Tour for 4 hours this afternoon, both watched while laid out on the bed. Can't be more restful than that can it!

Nice dinner this evening and early to bed, the weather forecast is better for tomorrow, I hope it is going to be.

Race day - Koeklare

In reality I knew I shouldn't race today, the racing's hard and I know from past years that 3 races in 5 days is not sensible, my body doesn't recover.

However when I decided that I would race I was thinking of two factors, one that due to my lack of racing this year and particulary no racing for a month just prior to coming here, I know I need some racing in my legs to sharpen up. Secondly since a day of heavy rain was forecast I decided that if I was going to get wet I might as well race! As it happened it was a dry race. Of course I love to race, that's why I'm here, its just better fun when you are competitive.

The drive over was easy, a bit longer in K's than I normally do but all on the freeway until the last few K so a really easy journey. So I was in deepest West Flanders, home to many of those iconic Belgian 'bergs', like the Kemmel. Today's course was pan flat. As I drove into the village, I realised that I'd raced there before, in fact I was 2nd the last time I rode when the sprint suited me fine, about 2km straight run into the line. This year different course, totally different finish, not so good legs either!

I went to sign on, the ladies running the sign on remembered me. I had been a bit sneaky with the sign on inasmuch for reasons not clear to me they ran the O50 race first followed by the O60 race and finally the U50 race. So by turning up at the sign on after the O50 race had started sticking me in there was not an option. So after a conflab with the chief official, he agreed I should start in the O60 race. Not sure why they started the O50's at 3.0pm, there were only 20 in their race, but surely most of that field will be working? The O60 race had I think 49 and started at 4.30pm, the U50 race started at 6.00pm and had about 70 starters. In both the other races the winning break went off the line and were never caught.

The weather was very overcaste but didn't rain, pretty cool about 16c and very windy.

The course was quite frankly a bitch! Immediately after the start/finish line was a 90 degree right hander down a straight that meandered left and right and had street furniture alternating left and right side, every 50m, for about 750m. At speed this straight had only one line for a single file bunch because you couldn't move either side to move up cos you faced a wooden post and some vegetation. At the end of this straight was a 90 degree right followed by another 90 degree right in about 50m, onto a headwind straight slightly shielded by a grove of trees, this was about 300m long followed by a 90 degree right onto a narrow road that was straight into the headwind for maybe 500m, 90 degree right onto a 300m stretch that bent left, then into a 90 degree right, 30m into a 90 degree right, straight into a left, leaving a 131m to the line (measured by my SRM). So you can see why it was a sprint that didn't suit me very much at all with 3 corners in the last 200m.

The circuit was supposed to be 3km (I think it was 2.8k) and we definitely had 20 laps to race. I was also paying attention but we got a lap board from about 8 to go.

My legs were not good from the start, I felt really flat, analysis of my SRM shows that whilst it wasn't very hard in terms of wattage, my heart rate remained low, for me a sure sign that I am tired.

Anyway, I was thinking after 7/8 laps that I would pull out but then reasoned that I was still in the mix, holding in about 10th place but not really enjoying it but that I should knuckle down.

In short although I felt pretty average it would have been better if the race had been harder. Time and time again a 'selection' of 8/10 of the strongest riders forced itself off the front, only for it to ease up and some of the lesser lights rejoined. Problem was the rejoining riders kept coming round and trying to slot in at the front, so there was a continuous selection of dead wheels to worry about everytime it arced up,very irritating. I would have been much happier if the pressure had stayed on, it would have been easier as well.

So we had a bunch that was a nice manageable 8/10 riders one lap and unwieldy 25 riders the next. It was such a narrow course, moving up was very very difficult almost everywhere.

We were moving quickly through 4 and 3 to go, with the hardcore of around 10 maintaining the leading places, everybody else in their rightful places, behind and out of the way. Really flew through 2 to go and then as we were coming through the headwind section coming up to the bell we stopped, so savagely riders needing to break hard to not run into wheels, consequently we are swamped with a bunch of riders that quite frankly from there just got in the way, so difficult was it to move up.

Going through the bell we had one rider about 50m off the front 20 chasing hard so that we are in a line with me way to far back, picking of riders in each corner then we got into the last k it was just so difficult, with that complex of corners in the last 200m, you had to be there or very brave. So all of a sudden we had riders deciding they were opting out of the sprint coming back at you whilst others, me, are still trying to press forward.

To cut it short, I was never in a good enough position to win, we blew past the breakaway rider and by straightlining the last left hander by bunny hopping the curb, using the pavement for 20m to pass riders, passing one rider in the short straight, I managed 6th. I think on another day I might have been strong enough to take it out from about 1000m out but not today. So from feeling pretty average I think I'm quite pleased with the result and now I'm definitely going to have 2 days break before my next race, I hope I'll be fresher by Saurday.

Another recovery day

Boy I think I needed it too.

Decided to go and ride the 'other' canal route I ride but avoiding the industrial side of Aalst, I did that Ok, realised I'd missed a turn but decided to wing it anyway. I thought I was way to the right of where I should be but finished up riding more or less a circle but at least I finished up at the other canal so had my recovery ride OK. It was beautifully sunny today and very hot out of the wind, not that there was much chance of that on the canal.

Biggest obstacle apart from getting lost, again, was the advent of the organised bike tours that use the myriad of marked bike trails, many of which travel for at least part on the canal roads. These rides have a leader with fluoro jacket and a loud whistle, plus a tail guard or whipper in! I had to negotiate 3 of these armada's today, two coming towards me, one I had to overtake. The thing is we're talking about 30/40 grannies ( and a few grandad's) bearing down on you on their 50kg street bikes taking up the whole width of the path, with a fair amount of wobbling, scary stuff I can tell you!

I think I'm going to race tomorrow with the OVWF in KOEKELARE MOKKER which is further away than I normally go but since 90% of the drive will be on the motorway it will still only be about an hour. There are two things that might go against that; as I write this blog its raining and I believe the forcaste is wet and windy tomorrow, having said that I'm fine in the wet, just adjust the tyre pressure and normally good in the wind. Also the OVWF was the organisation that 'promoted' me to the O50 race after the riders complained that I was spoiling there races the last time I was here! I won't get up in the O50 race.

So we'll see how tomorrow pans out, I thought I would race tomorrow because I think I still need races and racing tmorrow with then give a full 3 day recovery for a Saturday race.

Mendonk Race another flipping sprint 2nd!

I decided to race today despite preferring to race every third day, I found my recovery just isn't complete if I race too often, especially at the moment when I don't think my body is 'race hardened' but I'm getting there.

Today was nice and warm, 25c, much less wind, but its never not windy in flat flanders, a bit like Gippsland in that respect but very unlike it in every other respect. For instance when I was driving to the race today I passed through the heavy industry area on the outskirts of Ghent pretty ugly but every country has one of these sectors. If you understand where Ghent sits in the country, the site of ocean going ships docked makes you look twice even though I've seen often enough before, the waterway sysem is just so impressive.

I've raced at Mendonk before, winning the bunch sprint for third in 2009, to be honest there are courses I much prefer but the finish does suit me to a T. The course is so complex its difficult to describe but the first two thirds snakes across narrow concrete farm roads before coming onto the finish straight with maybe 2km to the line. There are so many changes of direction with most of the straight bits being between 200m and 500m, some of the corners are pretty difficult with the washed out gulley's on the side. I nearly lost it on one of these with two laps to go when a particularly tall chap caused me to change my line at the last minute so missed the turning in point, and there was only one!, consequently I was running out of road on the way out and had to stand my bike on its nose to avoid the drop off! There were a few 'comments' from behind, of course I had to apologise and do the right thing by closing the gap I had left.

That's why I ride the smallest bike I can get away with, with the longest stem that I can buy, small bikes are more nimble than big ones.

I started the race thinking that my legs weren't great and I would go to half way (8 lap race) before I got involved, do what I have to, but remain calm, save my legs. A factor in all my races so far has been the presence of a particularly strong team with 5/6 of the strongest riders, they have dictated the racing loading up the breaks, then defending their team mates, consequently it seemed prudent to only expend my efforts in response to break groups that had 2/3 of these guys in it.

I jumped across to two breaks in the first laps! so much for my plan. But I felt good there were some spots on the course where my speed was a real asset, what I lacked was the ability to sustain it for too long. I knew my FTP (threshold) wasn't where it could be but I am able to arc it up for 60/90 seconds to bridge gaps very well. So I concentrated my efforts in bridging gaps to everything that looked promising, but nothing stuck even though there were 10 attempts each lap.

Consequently we were all together starting the last lap. Unfortunately we didn't get a last lap call, unusually for me I didn't have a grip on where we were in the race. Others were in the same boat but the lap was full on and I was definitely getting a bit jaded jumping out of those tricky corners, thinking we were coming round to the bell I was trying to save my legs as much as possible.

We came onto the home straight in three groups still in the hunt with a single guy about 100m off the front, I was in the third group saving my legs, we all came together, apart from the one guy, at 750m to go so I was on the back, I should point out there were 12/15? in the group. At 600m I'm thinking these guys are setting up for a sprint, at 500m to go I'm looking to move up but just like Saturday, I was going fast but not yet sprinting, at 350m I committed down the right overtaking many, at 200m to go I knew I was blocked there, cut back into the middle, found a gap, moved through one guy still in front of me, I had to cut right (or left) to take him. As I moved up on him he moved across me to the barriers to block me, so second again!!! third in the race.

I had to hang about to get my prize money in the biggest tent I have ever been in, the 'Festent', wher they party big time. This tent seated over 600 people, I was there far too long and counted the seats! had a stage, a dance area, a big bar with seperate seating and an indoor archery butt! Yep archery and it was incredibly popular, people turning up with their own bows and all the kit, amazing stuff. But it was incredibly hot in there and to be honest, I had enjoyed the race, well almost, and should have just left the money for the WAOD funds, it wasn't worth waiting an hour for I can tell you.

One of the up points is that more and more of the guy are at least saying hello now, but English is a problem for most of them.

Before the race I bumped into a brit, he's 81, looks great and races in the over 70's. I coached his son at one stage in the 80's good bike rider but never went on with it, apparently he's a swim coach now.

I'm ready for another rest day tomorrow.

Sore legs today, very much a recovery day.

Definitely have sore legs today so my ride was very cruisy, 2 hours along the canal, more or less dead flat, just spinning the legs. I'm going to race at Mendonk tomorrow afternoon and thats a course that definitely has narrow farm roads on it with lots of corners, so plenty of sprinting out of corners tomorrow. If I remember correctly the local farm traffic had made deep drop offs on either side of the road at all the corners, fine if you're in a tractor but very definitely 'exciting' if you get it a little wrong on a bike.

I was thinking about yesterdays race again and I wish I was better with words to more adequately describe how it really is, if you haven't been in a Belgian race its almost impossible to imagine how different it is from an oz (vets) race. Attacks go then riders will jump across one at a time til the front group is formed then its up to the riders in the bunch to jump across themselves, preferably hitching a ride on somebody elses wheel, there is no chance that the bunch will work together to pull back a break. If you are crossing a gap and have somebody on your wheel, then if you pull over to invite a turn this will illicit an immediate attack, if you don't pull over then as soon as you start to slow the rider sitting on your wheel will attack anyway.

Even in the break its all about continually 'testing' the others, there is a sort of cooperation buts its normal to jump through when you hit the front, none of the slick short turns of a Oz handicap, here the turns are long and hard and only when the rider at the front starts to falter is he relieved by the next rider charging through, got to love it, real racing.

Thats why I was getting quite into in the last couple of laps when the the whole race was attacking everbody, so to speak. It is a style of racing that ensures that only the strongest are there at the finish. I'm not sure too many of my normal peer group would enjoy, at least until they got the hang of it. It is why that a small country like Belgium punches above its weight in world terms.

The other thing I was thinking about yesterday, while I was watching the next race, the team strips are fantastic, really colourful, loads of advertising, they all look just like the pro's. Mind you I did spot one team that had 'camo' shorts as part of their colour scheme, different it definitely was maybe not quite as tasteful as some of the others though.

I waited to collect my prize money, I don't always, we're not racing for sheep stations, but with the VWF (yesterdays race) I pay 2 euros deposit on the number, so I had 12/15 Euro's coming. I like signing on with the VWF, the ladies speak English and are very organised. The race HQ was the ubiquitous village bar, with the bar at the front and I guess a function room at the back connected by a corridor say a metre and a half wide, the mens urinals were situated here, no screens just two urinals fixed to the wall, so you had to pee here with men, women and children brushing past you.

So I'm now lying on the bed watching GC favourites crashing out of the tour, I hope Cadel satys upright.

Race Aalst

Much much better race result today at Aalst but more of that later, first I need to catch up with yesterday when I seem to have had a mental abberration and missed my blog entry!

My only excuse was I got a bit out of synch with some shopping and other essential housekeeping stuff.

I did a 2 hour endurance ride in the morning mostly sat in the middle of my endurance range but added a few hills surges just to keep the race 'systems' awake and because I felt todays race may have some hills in it. A few things struck me when I was out, not literaly you understand, but to highlight the respect that cyclists generally get on the roads here, there were 5 seperate motorists that had edged across the bike path ready to do a turn or whatever, they all gave way and reversed back out of my path. I'm guessing that law says I have right of way, but would a motorist get out of your way like that in Australia? I think not!

Discovered another little problem while I was being domestic in the afternoon. I have usually got my petrol at the little gas station in the village where I stay, it used to be one of the few where someone came out and pumped gas for you. Not anymore like all the other garages I have seen, they've gone fully automated, which means no body manning the place and a definite understanding of cryptic Flemish to work the various options!

Fortunately a young chap who spoke pretty good English came to my rescue, after two women I first asked for help gave me some funny looks and a blast of Flemish. However the bl.... machine wouldn't take my credit card, most shops don't either, they only accept Belgian credit or debit cards, a real pain in the bottom. There was a machine that took cash notes, which I had, but I couldn't have negotiated the machine and the pump without the help of my new Belgian friend. The difficulty is that all banks won't give me cash and again the one that I had been using in the village is gone. Actually with the fallout in European banking its distinctly possible that the whole bank has gone!

Anway to catch up with today, the race was at Aalst which is only 5 minutes away, I thought of riding there and back which would have been no problem, just like the old days in fact, but it was drizzling here in the morning so I opted to go in the car. It didn't rain in the race.

The course was entirely in the town which in my experience is relatively rare, so no narrow concrete farm roads at all.

The course started more or less straight for about 750 metres, then a sweeping down hill left into a 90 degree right hander, 200m then a 90 degree left hander, then a wide straight for about 2km which was straight into the wind and for me the hardest part of the course, then a 90 degree left hander, 200m and a 150 degree right hander, this was a real close your eyes and commit job, 100m then a 90 degree left immediately into a 90 degree right hander that basically bought you onto the home straight which climbed at maybe 3% up through the finish. The problem here was all though it was 'straight' it was littered with wiggly bits, street furniture, taffic calming 'humps' and was one lane wide. I didn't really consider it a sprint for me, I'm much better when they're straight and fast, I can usually find a few extra KPH of a fast start, I'm not good at 'punchy' sprints.

So we were off, 39 starters I think I heard and the race caller was giving me, or at least Roy Rodez, a bit of a build up. This was a very very hard race, there were some very strong guys who were using the headwind straight to try and smash the race and another lot trying to kick out of the series of corners leading to the home straight. I tried to be a bit conservative for the first half of the race and got really involved in the second half of the race since I wasn't thinking it was going to be a sprint finish.

I lost count of the number breakaway attempts I tried or actually succeeded in getting into only for it to come together again, usually minus one or two rider, Coming round tto the bell on the headwind straight the whole race was in ones and two's along that straight, it was fantastic racing, nobody could sit on. This was repeated on the last lap and three guys were dangling off the front maybe 10/12 chasing, unfortunately they held on, just, cos the rest of us were fighting tooth and nail through every corner.

Through the 150 degree corner I think Casey Stoner would have been proud with how far I managed to lean the bike over (and gain3 places), however the infighting got a little more literal shortly after as riders were bouncing off each all over the place as the sprint kicked off in earnest at 500m to go. Now the thing is that I never actually sprinted, I couldn't get through so I was sitting back going fast with load left in the tank, with 50m to go there was a gap on the right and I was through, if it had been 60m I would have won the sprint, but in any case there were 3 away, however I said I would need a few races to pick up, so far I've been right so I hope theres more to come.

RECOVERY DAY

I must admit my legs were a little sore this morning so a leisurely recovery ride along the Scheldte bike path was the order of the day. It was a bit windy so it wasn't always that easy but I managed to keep it spinning for a couple of hours watching the scenery, checking out the massive canal boats that deliver stuff all over. The owner/operators of these canal super barges live on board and basically go where the load takes them, they carry their car (sometimes two and a pleasure boat) on the roof of the accomodation part. I'd love to see how they get the cars off, it would take a big ramp, possibly by crane? Fascinating stuff but the bow waves that these boats put up is enormous, I guess a testimony to the power units that drive them. Anyway watching them this morning kept me amused for an hour or so while I rode along side.

Bit of a problem with the race programme, there were three races for me that show in the master calendar as being in a place called Burst which is a 10 minute bike ride from where I am staying so I was thinking that would work for me, the first is on Friday, unfortunately when I went to check the detail, a number of races seem to have been dropped off the schedule for these days, mine included - major bummer. I could probably get up in the 50 race but I don't think that's a good idea, so I'll have to rethink the schedule I think but in anycase there will be no race tomorrow. I was going to race Friday then again Sunday or Monday, now it will be Saturday and Monday for sure. The course for Monday's race I finished 3rd the last time I raced there so hopefully I will be getting good feelings in my legs by then.

First Race Sint Gillis Waas

Now I have the first race out of the way and am quite happy with how I went.

Todays start time was 4pm which is a little unusual and a lot inconvenient. Hanging around all morning then scrambling for something to eat in the evening unless I wanted to do hot dogs and frites at the race, which I didn't.

So I messed about all morning only having a journey of around 40 minutes to the race and that was generous although there are an awful lot of road works at the moment. Of course when I came to get the exact details of race location from the WAOD website at about midday, they'd taken it down, Duh!
Of course after a beautiful sunny morning although it was a bit windy, actually a lot windy, as soon as I started loading the car it started raining! It rained for about 10 minutes of my journey then reverted to sunny 22c but still very windy.

Well I remembered the village where the race was being held and as long as you're in the right vicinity its usually not too hard to find the course, then having find the course the nearest bar will probably be the race HQ. Today was I think a community centre or some such, definitely had a bar and plenty of toilet facilities as well which was a bonus.

Signing on is no bother now, it helps that the chief official recognises me, he's always polite but not excatly a smiley type, I guess you know what race referees are like! There was a bit of a discussion, in Flemish so I couldn't contribute since nobody at the officials table at that time speaks any English, but I was pushed up a race from last time. Probably not unreasonable since I did place just about every time out but it will be more difficult this year I'm thinking.

The course started in the village outside the community centre which was the end of the finishing straight. 90 degree right turn from the two lane road onto the main road which was two lanes and two bike lanes, so nice and wide. It was also new hotmix which I loved and a cross tailwind which really started hitting you out of the village about 500m down the road, next turn was a 110 degree right onto the ubiquitous Flanders concrete farm road, 3 metres wide, this was also cross tail wind but more tail, along this for about 1km then a 90 degree right turn onto another concrete farm road, cross head wind but slightly sheltered by an orchard. This particular corner I got wrong every single time and I think this fact may well have been what was progressively chopping people off the back, but more of that later. This stretch was about 500m then a 90 degree left turn, more farm road for about 1500m cross tail and the fastest bit of the lap, then a 90 degree right turn up a little embankment which made a slow corner but needed a big kick out of it into the wind. 200m then a 90 degree right back onto the two lane finishing straight which was actually quite winding but also a block headwind up through the finish where there was some respite from the wind as you came into the village houses but only completley shielded for the last 200m to the finish.

The start was as usual a bit chaotic but we got underway on time. My plan A was to sit in, do nothing and if I felt OK see how I felt in the sprint. Plan B was the same, so was Plan C. I was surprised to see 60/70 starters in the race but that was all good, plenty of wheels to follow.

Well I started at the back with three well thought out plans, by the approach to the second corner I was sprinting up the outside to go through it in 6th, staying in the top 10 for the first 2 laps (of 8). The first lap was very quick and very aggressive, well I thought so anyway, but I was happy enough .

Coming round to the finish straight on lap 2, there were 4 guys that had got away to about 150m lead and were working well, the head of the bunch was rolling through but didn't seem to have any impetus. I rolled through did my turn and the bunch pulled over with me, I freewheeled they freewheeled, shit I thought it was a little early to worry about what I was going to do or not do. I had a drink and soft pedalled the switched into the other gutter and jumped hard, got clear put my head down and chased on my own, of course now the bunch was chasing me, but at that stage I was stronger, forced the gap and bridged up to the front four who promptly sat up when I got there! I did find last time that the riders who are in the WAOD will frequently spoil their own races to seemingly prevent me being in at the finish. Well I don't mean me personally but me the non WAOD Belgian I suppose.

Anyway the race went on, I was a little blown for almost a lap after my efforts to bridge across to the break. Which plan that was part of escapes me for the moment but I'll have a better plan for the next race though, honest.

I won't bore with a blow by blow, but I'll mention a few phases of the race which was aggressive and attacking all the way round but particularly so on the narrow farm roads with the difficult corners. There were stretches if you were in the front section you could echelon, trouble is that 3 riders, 4 if you were prepared to risk falling off the side of the road, so 5 maybe 6 riders driving here put everybody else in the gutter.

The front echelon going hard through the corners made the line stretch and break each time there was a sprint out of a corner and it was sprinting, I popped over 1000 watts several times just chasing wheels, usually out of the corner I mentioned, no matter what line I took I seemed to lose a length or so, jumping out of the corner and sprinting out of the corner invariably created a great hole in the line behind me and I think I was (inadvertently) the cause of great chunks of the race getting chopped!

At one stage about halfway through the race I slipped back a bit far and was horrified when I looked back and there was nobody behind me, we were already down to about 40.

So all the plans were out of the window and I just raced it the best as I could, there didn't seem any point in launching attacks since that seemed to bring a mass reaction but I'm usually good at jumping very quickly across a gap so thats what I did, unfortunately everything I went with was bought back but at least I found some who would work with me.

Coming round to the bell there were 6 riders away by 10/15 seconds and the gap seemed to be holding as nobody wanted to commit to the chase, compromising their sprint. As we came into the home straight with about 2km to go I attacked and just went for it, I didn't see the point of saving a sprint for seventh, I got clear and to within 50m of the break then got caught by a group of 8 charging hard with about 600m to go, just caught the back and was really just hanging on when we caught the front group whom I assume had slowed with nobody willing to drive the sprint so we slowed, another 3/4 riders managed latch on the back.

Then we were sprinting, I wasn't going to and in anycase you can't sprint from that far back, but I did anyway and managed to overtake a few to finish tenth, so in the 'money', although nobody would retire on the winnings.

Given that I haven't raced for a month I feel pretty pleased with the first outing I know I can improve from there with a couple of more races. However more importantly I really really enjoyed the race it was everything I came for, fast and aggresive, technical,just loads of fun, can't wait for the next one although tomorrow will be a recovery day.

Recovery Day

What a beautiful day, 28c, sunny, light breezes, perfect for a cruise along the Scheldte bike path watching the big canal boats and enjoying the sun.

I'm into the swing of riding on Belgian roads now, as long as they see you 99.99% of motorists are going to give way when the should, theres always going to be one idiot and the trick is to try and ensure that they see you. The bigger danger is the elderly ladies on their daily shopping trip either on their bikes or on foot, they can be a bit oblivious of whats going on around them. They load their bikes up with so much shopping they can be a bit wobbly as well, taking up a lot of space on the bike path. It seems to me the trick is not to surprise them and your fine.

Mind you I'm not sure I should be the one disparaging the elderly!

My legs felt pretty sluggish today to be honest but sprints on top of V02 intervals will do that to you, certainly does to me. After I backed it off right into active recovery range and got the legs spinning it was much better.

I expect my body will be in for a shock tomorrow, after all I haven't raced for a month but I think my condition is good so hopefully it will be just a matter of getting hardened by a couple of races.

I've settled into my laundry routine right from the beginning, keeping on top of it every day saves the misery of that one big day to deal with. My Sard Wonder soap works a treat as as long as the weather cooperates everything is dried out the same day.

I have about 40 minutes to travel to my race tomorrow, I can do most of it on the freeway - its easier that way even if a little longer. Slightly odd start time of 4pm as well but I assume thats so the youngest guys will get up at about 7.30pm just when the party is getting going. The crowd will probably be a bit raucus by that stage!

I haven't raced in this particular village before but its going to be flat, possibly open out in the country so wind could be a factor and if the course is winding I better get my cornering skills up to par quickly. I'm actually pretty good at all that but we get 'protected' a bit too much in Oz and I can't think of a recent race with real corners where a skillful rider could make a difference. I guess its safer that way but personally a more technical course suits me well.

The start time gives me plenty of time to get my stuff together tomorrow morning, clean and tune my bike and not get bored with the waiting. I will miss the tour stage though, no doubt I'll find a replay of at least the highlights later on.

Training day

Today was an 'official' training day, I have decided my first race will be Wednesday, so I ran a few training drills today. Two sprint sets and I had thought to do 3 x 3 minute Vo2 intervals but changed it on the road to 4 x 2 minutes Vo2's so as to not go too deep, V02's are basically max power for the 2 minutes keeping the rpm's up to make the heart peak out at maximum as well.

I opted to do the intervals up by one of the canals by Dendermonde and the only way to get there that I am sure of is to skirt the industrial area of Aalst which isn't that nice so I thought I would try and do it 'cross country' keeping away from the city. To my surprise I managed it, unlike yesterday when I went round in circles so I was pleased with that, did my intervals then came back a different way. I must admit coming back I didn't finish up exactly where I had anticipated but I at least finished up somewhere that I knew which must be an improvement.

The sprint sets were OK but not special which was a little disappointing but the V02's were good, power was right up where I expected it and I felt like I could go higher if I had to, save that for racing.

I suspect that I might struggle in the early races because I think I am under raced this year, although I've done some good races I think my racing schedule has been to light. A deliberate decision to avoid the travel so I might pay for it in the first races, I have the power but think that the continuous peak efforts in the style of racing in Belgium will be difficult until my legs get used to it, still thats part of the challenge and I will enjoy the racing anyway.

I know I'm not going as well as the last time I was here when I wasn't out of the 'money' in any race I did (except the champs when I punctured!!!), but if the weather holds, today a very pleasant 24c, light winds, I'm going to enjoy it anyway.

First day started at last

Hopefully I've got my major 'whoopsy' out of the way. I managed to pack everything except my powerlead adaptor, without which I couldn't charge my PC, my phone my SRM etc. therefore no communications!!!! Duh!

I tried the two big electrical stores in the nearest big town of Aalst without any luck so I fgured I was down to a choice of one location, a major international airport. I remember Brussels and its airport from my working days, difficult to negotiate and crowded, so I knew I wasn't up to that on Saturday while I was short on sleep and jet lagged so I went to bed instead, 11 hours sleep and I certainly felt a lot better. So I went this morning at 8.30 after my breakfast thinking it would be quieter early in the day. The roads where OK, short term airport parking was OK but the airport itself was a zoo! but then July 1st is the start of the holiday season here and it showed.

Airport stores where not in abundant supply but I managed to find a store with a selection of plug adaptors, three of the sort I needed, so I bought two and hightailed it out of there as quickly as I could. At least I am on the 'air' now.

My trip was OK, but then I fly business class to make it as painless as possible but even then they tried to charge me for my bike as excess baggage. Since my baggage allowance was 35kg and I was only 3 kg overweight a short conversation ensued which resulted in commonsense prevailing, no excess charges.

The first day is always tiring, I actually arrived in Schiphol Amsterdam at 6am, I was expecting 7am, fortunately the Hertz desk was open, most of the competition didn't open until later. My car got upgraded to a sporty 6 speed manual box Renault, having spent the last 8 years driving automatic boxes, that certainly gets your attention early in the morning and jet lagged I can tell you but I was soon enjoying using the gear stick and clutch again, not exactly my Porsche Carrera of old but enjoyable nonetheless.

The 2 1/2 hour drive from Amsterdam is easy enough, after stopping off at the big big bike shop in Aalst for a few essentials that were not worth bringing, a stop at the greengrocers, where the lady remembered me from the last trip which was nice, picked up some fruit supplies, finally a stop at the super market for a few healthy snacks and I was ready to check in to my hotel.

Saturday afternoon I was a bit of a zombie, just trying to stay awake. I got all my stuff out of the car, my baggage, bike and my shopping. Unpacked and rebuilt my bike, had a welcome shower and lay on the bed to watch stage one of the tour which was showing on four different channels I think it its entirety, mistake, right from the off I was struggling to stay awake. It had beem my intention to try and stay awake until around 8pm then get a good sleep. I wa asleep before 6pm and finally got up about 6.30am feeling a whole heap better I can tell you.

So after a quick trip to Brussels Zaventem airport I wanted to do 3 hours just turning the legs over. As it was I was feeling quite frisky for the first hour or so and pushed on quite hard, especially up some of the rolling hills, the power numbers where promising I felt. The middle hour I was on road that I didn't know where I was, basically 'winging'it, just when I thought I should resort to the map in my pocket I suddenly realised I was on a road I knew well but going the wrong way! I had managed to ride a complete circle despite trying to ride a straight line. I always consider I have a really good sense of direction but the winding lanes of Belgium really threw me out, hopefully I'll get better as the weeks roll on. The trouble is that I can't remember all the village names, or at least can't remember them in context and frequently the theme of signs that I was following just stopped.

Still I got my 3 hours in, the weather was sunny and back in time for the tour TTT so its all good.