Used and Abused
Hello,
Firstly, sorry these updates have been slow coming, unfortunately when the internet fella’s from belgacom came to install the internet on Wednesday morning the lady downstairs wasn’t home and had locked her house so we couldn’t get to the phone box. Well the guys were pretty pissed and told us to make another appointment so instead i went and purchased a use anywhere internet connection. but the good news is we have a new apartment by the sounds of things, Josh’s manager said he is waiting for the owner to get back from holiday before we can move in. So maybe it was lucky the lady wasn’t home for the internet people as we probly wouldn’t have been able to move it to the other house anyway. We have watched every movie we have multiple times already including the mighty ducks trilogy probly more times than fingers and toes.
Anyway, off the racing we go. As mentioned in my last report I did a kermesse on Sunday 6th April in Holland. This was much more organized than the weekend before. We got to the start and got pinned up for the 3.45pm start. There were 9 continental riders taking part with a team of 8 and me as well as 3 German teams including EGM from Krefeld who James Dobson has been riding for. I got the start 5 min prior after having a look around the 2.5km circuit. It was a nice course with 2 sweeping hairpins at each end and a few sweeping corners up each main straight. So if you were up the front you probly would not need to brake the entire race so that was the plan and go with ‘the guy in pink’ when he goes because he hasn’t finished out of the top 3 for the past month so must have some good form. For the first 10km I followed him round and finally he attacked and as I was on his wheel it was easy to go with it, so there we go, 10 guys up the road, 8 sec and no one looking to chase. That was until Krefeld realized they had no one up there and about 10 guys in the race so they went into the chase and bought us back a couple of km later. Then they sent a guy up the road with a Kuota (continental team) rider and some others, 8 all up. Race over at this point so it was just up to the teams to control it, that didn’t stop a few of the guys left having a go to try and bridge 30sec, never going to happen. With 15km to go Josh had finally found some legs to do something and got on the front and with 5km to go had bought the break back to 10sec, it was time to get across or die trying, so when we came round the first hairpin and into the false flat up hill straight I went with Josh sitting up at the front and the peloton slowing right down. This was good as I was pulling time. With 2km to go I was caught with the break holding 5 sec. They were caught right on the line and were same time as the bunch, I came in just behind the sprinters. It was a good blow out for me as I haven’t done a whole lot of intensity, but it was a good start and hopefully some form will come for the longer races.
I now look to a Thursday where I will do my first race with the team. A 1.1 category in northern Belgium. Sounds like the weather will be good and with some protour teams and most pro-continental teams starting it will make for the fun race.
Ryan
Welcome to the pro’s son.
Rising from bed at 6.30am to be ready for pick up at 7.30 was how the day started. First shock to the system, early morning, I think it’s the first time I have woken before 8 since I have been here. So after eating my daily intake of cheese toasties for breaky along with a bowl of porridge and coffee, I was ready to go. It was a 2 hour drive to the start so I took along my French book for the drive. I can safely say I probly learnt the most French I have learnt in 1 day in those 2 hours. Even my director was impressed when I got to the race and started blabbing in French. We arrived to the race, and I was pretty nervous, I’m not guna lie. I looked round and saw the buses of Euskatel, Silence-Lotto (our big brother team) and Quickstep, as well as Agritubal, Barloworld, Mitsubishi, Top sport, Cycle Collstrop, Team BMC and etc. So it was safe to say I was a wee bit scared. We went to sign on and rolled round for a bit before lining up. I was talking to one of my team mates and looked round to my other side, lined up next to me was Italian champion Giovanni Visconti. Pretty much I knew it was a hard day ahead when I was told 200km route and I saw him surrounded by his team mates, ex-u23 world champion Grabvosky, Van Impe and a few of there not so well known riders. Silence had Nick Gates from Australia, another ex-u23 world champion in Dominique Cornu and Wim Van Huffel. Agritubal had bought Kevin Ista who rode for Bodysol last year and is a handy rider on a course like this. I was a bit more relaxed as the race got underway and the red flag was dropped. Somehow I found myself at the front.. Not to sure what I’m spose to do, but my director told me to try and get a good bunch and get as far as I can in the race. So I followed some wheels, one nearly went away with every team represented but no one wanting to pull. After 1 hour and 23 minutes a break finally went away and the bunch slowed down somewhat. This was a good chance to take a natural break before jumping on the quickstep train back up to the bunch. It was then to the first climb of the day and as we hit the bottom I was riding what I felt was pretty good position, then my chain fell off. Here I learnt that not even with the best group set money can buy, can you prevent a chain from falling off. So after trying to flick it back on while being pushing by a team mate I decided I would have to stop flick it on and get going again. I jumped back in the convoy and eventually made my way back on to the peloton. I got over the top of the climb in the last 10 wheels and started trying to move up over the top. Quickstep had missed the break and had it single file in the cross winds for about 2km so improving position became 2nd objective as I waited till it slowed so energy would not be wasted. Once it back off I was on my way back to the front. It was much easier but this is where the whole race for me would change. Going through the feed zone I missed/dropped my musette, or feed bag with lunch in it. I though maybe I would be ok as I got a bottle from a team mate, 15km later I went back to the car to stock up for the last 50km. While I was back there the peloton had split, I’m not sure how but there was no way I could get back up there. So here I was riding into the finish in a group with 4 guys from Euskatel. It was a bit of a laugh trying to talk to one of them, with a mixture of Spanish, English and French. Eventually we arrived at the finished, we were pulled out when we arrived at the finishing circuit after 180km (and 1700m of climbing! Who said Belgium is flat?). Can’t tell you who won the race but I think Kevin Ista could have by the excitement at the Agritubal Bus.
As for me, I learnt a lot and I will probly be better off for it. As for now I will just keep trying to find some racing legs and wait for that perfect ride to come. As for the next week, It’s now Friday, I have a kermesse on Sunday and hopefully a start in u23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege next weekend. I followed the race in the NZ team car last year because of stitches in my chin received the day before while training for the race. So I will be looking to make amends for last years misfortune.
Thanks for reading and I will be in touch with another report as soon as possible.
Ryan
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