So here we are, another blog with more news. This blog has taken considerably longer to right than any others despite the deficit in length.
At the start of July I had a rest week to recover from the season so far and to be ready to peak for my main target races. After the rest and once I got that first race out of the way, I knew I was in good shape. Hitting the numbers in every session Matt had set me, which is an achievement in itself as saying Matt pushes riders to their limit is an understatement. Anyhow that’s another blog post for Another day.
My first race after the rest i snapped my gear cable so moving on, I was selected for the interclub Schaal Schoeters Beveren. My role in this race was to ride for our fast sprinters. This race was a chance for me to gain selection for a 5 day tour later in July. The course was pan flat, with one 80km lap and 7, 11km local laps. I was told just to keep hydrated and eat in the first 80km as it wasn’t windy enough or testing enough course to get away and stay away with a peloton of 200. So that’s what I did, I almost spent the first half of the race chatting to people I knew in the group. At around 75km I started to move up ready for the more technical local laps. The race started here. For the best part of the race the group was lined out. I managed to neutralise a few breaks before they became dangerous and did my best to look after my team mates and keep them near the front. However, I wasn’t called upon too often. The plan from here was to lead the peloton with 3 of my team mates on my wheel in the last 2km. I managed to find the front with 10km to gap but by now the peloton was bunched up. It became a fight to hold your position. Unfortunately the guys were on the other side of the road. So I tried a risky move and dropped back in an attempt to move up on the other side. Unfortunately I ran out of road and left this too late. Despite this we had two guys in the top 20 and finished second team pout of 31. I myself rolled across the line in 65th. Plenty of positives to take from the race, but I would have rode a really good race if I had been there as planned in the final.
Onto the next race, Vlierzele. A testing course on roads I had ridden before, I was looking forward to see what I could do here. I tried a few efforts in the opening laps but with around 150 riders I knew nothing was going to stick early on. So I decided to keep my powder dry and sit close enough to the front to know what’s going on but far enough back to be completely sheltered. I figured the best time to go would be from 4 laps to go, with a fair amount of climbing eventually the elastic would snap. Strangely this was around when the break went but unfortunately I didn’t get that far into the race. I crashed with 5 laps to go I think? The rider in front of me touched wheels with the rider in front of him, came down and took a few others with him, including myself. I then flew off my bike and ended up rolling into a ditch on the side of the road. I knew I had done something to myself straight away. I had broken my wrist. So that was the end of that race and my time here in Belgium, for now. I hope to return after I have got myself back to fitness as I will be in a cast for 6 weeks.
I have a few goals planned for the end of the season which I still believe are more than achievable. I will just have to try even harder. As I definitely wont be able to part take in a road race for a considerable amount of time, I hope to do some local TTs once I can grip the handlebars. These will be the stepping stones to regaining the form I will lose until I get my cast off.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me so far on my journey.
Bye for now
Ben
At the start of July I had a rest week to recover from the season so far and to be ready to peak for my main target races. After the rest and once I got that first race out of the way, I knew I was in good shape. Hitting the numbers in every session Matt had set me, which is an achievement in itself as saying Matt pushes riders to their limit is an understatement. Anyhow that’s another blog post for Another day.
My first race after the rest i snapped my gear cable so moving on, I was selected for the interclub Schaal Schoeters Beveren. My role in this race was to ride for our fast sprinters. This race was a chance for me to gain selection for a 5 day tour later in July. The course was pan flat, with one 80km lap and 7, 11km local laps. I was told just to keep hydrated and eat in the first 80km as it wasn’t windy enough or testing enough course to get away and stay away with a peloton of 200. So that’s what I did, I almost spent the first half of the race chatting to people I knew in the group. At around 75km I started to move up ready for the more technical local laps. The race started here. For the best part of the race the group was lined out. I managed to neutralise a few breaks before they became dangerous and did my best to look after my team mates and keep them near the front. However, I wasn’t called upon too often. The plan from here was to lead the peloton with 3 of my team mates on my wheel in the last 2km. I managed to find the front with 10km to gap but by now the peloton was bunched up. It became a fight to hold your position. Unfortunately the guys were on the other side of the road. So I tried a risky move and dropped back in an attempt to move up on the other side. Unfortunately I ran out of road and left this too late. Despite this we had two guys in the top 20 and finished second team pout of 31. I myself rolled across the line in 65th. Plenty of positives to take from the race, but I would have rode a really good race if I had been there as planned in the final.
Onto the next race, Vlierzele. A testing course on roads I had ridden before, I was looking forward to see what I could do here. I tried a few efforts in the opening laps but with around 150 riders I knew nothing was going to stick early on. So I decided to keep my powder dry and sit close enough to the front to know what’s going on but far enough back to be completely sheltered. I figured the best time to go would be from 4 laps to go, with a fair amount of climbing eventually the elastic would snap. Strangely this was around when the break went but unfortunately I didn’t get that far into the race. I crashed with 5 laps to go I think? The rider in front of me touched wheels with the rider in front of him, came down and took a few others with him, including myself. I then flew off my bike and ended up rolling into a ditch on the side of the road. I knew I had done something to myself straight away. I had broken my wrist. So that was the end of that race and my time here in Belgium, for now. I hope to return after I have got myself back to fitness as I will be in a cast for 6 weeks.
I have a few goals planned for the end of the season which I still believe are more than achievable. I will just have to try even harder. As I definitely wont be able to part take in a road race for a considerable amount of time, I hope to do some local TTs once I can grip the handlebars. These will be the stepping stones to regaining the form I will lose until I get my cast off.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me so far on my journey.
Bye for now
Ben