Lining up in Bastogne for the departure of the 2009 edition wasn't much fun as it wasn't much more than 8 degrees with a heap of fog and mist surrounding the area, but as always it was the same for everyone so I wasn't really too bothered. The plan for me was to get over the climbs and coming into the final go with some moves to try and get away with a handful of riders.
The Start
The race started well, a smallish 20km loop around Bastogne back through the start and out onto the course proper. It was a pretty fast first hour covering 48km, I was good just sitting in the wheels until we hit the first climb of the day where I was able to move up to the front and control the pace a little bit.
Leading peloton over the Côte de HOUFFALIZE
Over the top of the next climb, Côte de WANNE, there was an attack which was well represented which included myself and a team mate. There were maybe 15 in the group by the time 2 groups joined on the decent with all the big teams represented so i'm not sure why the move didn't stick but anyway it was all back together a little while later.
For the next while it was resonably hard, and I had really bad legs so it felt like I was pedalling 1 legged most of the time. I found a rhythem on the 3rd catogorized climb of the day, about the 8th climb in total!, the Côte du ROSIER.
I know this climb really well as it was my close to home last year so I have ridden it numerous times at training and race pace. I went over with a front group but it all came back together down through the valley to the next climb, the Côte de LA VECQUEE. I had a bit of trouble on this climb, I hit the bottom in good position but dropped my chain and by the time I got going again I was at the back and trying to get back to the front. I caught the front again on the decent but a group had already gone off the front. We started picking up riders that were dropping off the front.
Next up was the climb Côte de LA REDOUTE, famous in Belgium as this is where the fire works always happen! It's a steep one. 23% for 2.2km.
I was going well and had made the split of 5 over the top of the climb, for the next 12km or so I had to go really deep to make the junction to the 2nd group on the road, with just 7 up ahead of us.
I was starting to find some legs after 3.5 hours of racing and started to cover some moves trying to get across to the front group. I got away with one other rider as we headed toward the last hard climb, the Côte SAINT-NICOLAS not far behind the front.
Looking down on the climb, yes it's steep!
Over the top of the climb with 10km to go all was good. There were still 7 in front with me and 1 other in the gap with the peloton behind. And thats where it all went pear-shaped. Forgetting to eat over the last 50km, and with 8km to ride I found myself on the worst hunger flat and simply ran out of legs.
The pro's going over the Côte SAINT-NICOLAS
I got caught and dropped by 3 groups on the run into the finish. I had completely run dry. I lost 7 and a half minutes in the final 8km of the race. Finishing in 90th place. Something I was a little dissapointed with as it had looked like a good result could be on, not saying I would have won but a top 20 was within reach.
But as you do, things happen and it's something I will learn from and move on from. I should have probly known better but with wet roads, a lot happening, eating just slipped my mind and I paid for it at the end of the day.
Something thats since been pointed out to me is that it's a huge race for the U23 so just to finish is an achievement and something I can build on next year, also this time last year I hadn't even finished a race.. Now i've finished my first 3!
I still have another year to go back and give it another crack, and I still believe it's a race I can win. I took a lot away from the race and I have a better idea of how it will unfold next year.
Thanks for reading and hopefully the next post has a better result with it.
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