(Pictured above at Wambeek Daniel Patten my house mate was the winner)
Hello,
In my last blog post I described how
the Suir Valley 3Day stage race went. So in this one I want to speak
about my return to Belgium and the races I have done and the end of
my season.
In the 3weeks that I have been here I
have raced 5 times, 2 professional races and 3 amateur races.
My first race back was Heusdan, which
was a pro Kermesse north of Gent, it was a fast flat twisty course
which had a rough section of paving capable of firing both you and
your bike a foot in the air at any given time, the only incline's on
the lap were two motorway bridges, one which you passed on your way
out of the town and one on your return. From the beginning I rode OK,
I worked hard to keep central in the bunch and out of the wind, these
proved to be working good as the laps ticked by, but at the
Half way
point disaster struck and a large crash on a narrow lane brought my
race to a halt. Luckily I didn’t crash and managed to stay up right
but as those up front forged on we behind were left, doing our best
to work our way through the blockade of injured riders. Eventually I
got going and joined a fast chase group which pressed hard in pursuit
of the bunch, catching them in the space of 3 laps. Unfortunately
this left my legs heavily drained and during a tough cross wind
section I was distanced in a small group and was pulled the following
lap.
Wambeek: I have raced in Wambeek in
past 2 seasons in Belgium where the tough terrain and unforgiving
course were seared into my mind. From the gun I took off with of the
mentality of riding a very aggressive race, I formed a small break
away immediately after the tough cobbled climb and pressed on to
achieve a large gap on the chasing peloton. Lap after lap I dug deep
taking a few primes and valuable points in the Burg Classement as we
crested the hill clear of the bunch every lap. It wasn’t until
close on the 80km mark that a large group of riders joined the 8 up
front swelling it to close to 20, It was at this point that I could
feel the effects of being out front all day taking its toll. With
such a large group it became very hard to keep the pace up as few
were willing to dedicate to the work with so many sitting on.
Steadily the attacks began and all I could do was try my best to
follow but was distanced with one lap remaining and only managed 20th
at the finish.
(In action at Wambeek In a 3 Man break which lasted until 4 laps to go)
In Wambeek there was a very rough
cobbled burg which tested both men and there equipment to the max.
Having been supplied the Planet X Pro Carbon 50's by Planet X Ireland
this was going to be a good place to test them out as the course was
one of technical corners coated with gravel and dust, long wind
exposed straights and a tough cobbled hill. I have been finding the
wheels good, they reduced the weight as the carbon rims are very
light but yet they held true on the rough concrete roads and cobbled
sections. Lap after lap the wheels held strong and were 100%
reliable, a lot of people claim that deep sections are not suitable
to rough roads when racing but I can honestly say that I felt very
comfortable as I hammered over the cobbles in the break away lap
after lap. They are also very ridged and have virtually no lateral
sway which is also good, as I have had problems with previous wheel
sets, especially when sprinting from corners and attacking on
climbs. The swinging of the bike would cause the rime to sway and
catch the brake blocks and in some cases the frame itself. (http://planetxireland.com/)
The following 2 races were uneventful
as I was pulled from the race in the main bunch as the gaps to the
break were to big.
(Hammering up the Murr on my Planet X Carbon Pro 50's)
My final race of the season was Stad
Prijs Gerrardsberegn which is one of the toughest pro kermesse races
of the year, I prepared well for the race in the days before,
ensuring I rested good and maintained my healthy eating. On the day
of Gerrardsberegn I traveled to the race with my team mate and we got
kitted up, prepared our bikes and joined our team were a photo was
taken of us all. Some big names were signing on to the race such as
BMC's Greg Van Avermart, and Vaconsoeil's Bjorn Leukamens &
Johnny Hoogerland. The course was a tough one consisting of 13 laps
of a vicious circuit which included the Murr of Gerrardsberegn each
time round with an overall race distance of 173km. I lined up towards
the front and very soon the race was underway, Immediately the pace
rose as we scaled the murr and descended the other side, once off the
climb we immediately entered a tough cross wind section were splits
were almost certain to appear as the laps went by. Each time we
climbed the Murr I ensured that I was as far forward as possible
which in turn made it much easier on the rapid descent. But after a
number of laps I began to suffer and upon entering the cross winds I
was distanced in a group from the leaders and we were pulled one lap
later, I wasn’t too happy with my performance but taking into
account I was distanced with Niko Eckout and Stijn Devolder the two
time Tour of Flanders winner I suppose I cant give out to much.
I Traveled Back to Ireland on the 3rd
of September, covering the 600km+ journey from Oudenaarde to
Cherbourg in France. Luckily my Girlfriend was there to keep me
company as she traveled over to Belgium to aid me with the long
journey back. The ferry from Cherbourg to Rosslare is 16hrs but went
by quite fast with the on board entertainment and then the overnight
journey which allowed us to sleep. Once In rosslare It was a 350km
trip to Ballina but one that I enjoyed being on Irish roads and
knowing I was soon to be home and so I was.
I am know going to be taking a break
from both my training and racing before beginning my winter training
program.
(Happy Out enjoying an end of season Beverage with my Girlfriend)
