Ok so i know i did a pretty pants job at updating while i've been away since saturday but .... actually dont really have a reason apart from never got round to it! Sorry!
ok so saturday was Circuit D'Armorique, 15 laps of about 8.5km circuit, pretty flat with a bit of wind to mix things up a bit. After what seemed like a personal photo shoot on the start line for Johan Le Bon (junior european/world champ) we set off ... flat out. On the second lap 4riders were just starting to pull away without a Bic2000 in it so to the front we went and put the hammer down to bring them back. After pulling off the front to take a breather as more riders got to the front, i dropped slightly too far back and while doing so a split of 19 formed just off the front and immediately pulled away. We had 3 riders up front but i was annoyed to have just missed the main move as they pulled out to a minute very quickly. I followed a couple of attacks in the next few laps but they were out of sight out of mind up front and with a big race the following day, many of the teams behind gave up the chase and pulled out. With 4laps to go i followed an attack by cedric hervé from cotes d'armor and with 2more tagging along, we clipped away to the finish. Knowing the race was already up we weren't really giving it full gas but in the last few km's of the final lap we were coming up on a group of about 10 infront. I just thought this was a group at a lap down however as we caught them just after the finish line i realised it was the 2nd half of the main break which had split in 2!! They were riding for 10th place and we came home just behind for 20th with me taking 22nd for the day.
Sunday was a trip over to Redon-Redon, the next of the early season Brittany Classics, and one of the last. 160km on rolling roads with light winds and a sunny day to top it off was on the programme. My orders for the day were to get in the early breaks so the team didnt have to ride until the finish circuits where the race would most probably be decided. So off i went from the flag and did my job. Nothing was sticking and after each try the legs were getting a little more frustrated! After about 60km, with everything more or less together, we turned up at the foot of a beast of a wall... about 5 or 6 hundred metres at over 15%. Over the top about 10riders had clipped off and looked strong with some big hitters in the mix... but no Bic2000... so on the front i jumped and gave a quick call down the radio for a little help with the chase and i had people breathing down my neck who were looking to slow down the chase in anyway possible. bastads. This meant twatting it on the front until anybody else came up the front. A few km's later i gave another desperate yelp down the radio for some help shouting the odd "putain" for extra effect!! This must have done the trick i think as eventually the reinforcements rolled up and lent a hand... finally! With a combined Bic2000 and Team WiloAgem chase the break gradually came back and soon after a counter went with Clement Mahe there for the guys in green. Finally, i could take the foot off the gas! The break stayed away right until the sprint where it was passed in the last few hundred metres... dammit! I pulled the plug in the sprint and rolled in mid-peloton to save what was left in the tank for tomorrow.
After a good meal and massage on sunday eve at the team digs, Laurent, Matthieu, Vincent, Gwenael, Enric and myself set out early monday morning for the 6km TT prologue. My start time of 9.03 was bad enough but when i rolled out to test the course in the cold mist at 8.15, i realised that i had left something very important back at the digs... my legs! I Headed back ad tried to get in a good warm up on the turbo but i couldnt get into it. I gave what i had in the 6k's but knew it was a poor time as i rolled across the line. I ended up doing 9min 12 with the winner (Vendee U rider - french U23 cyclocross world champ and junior cross world champ last yr) coming in with 8min15. 57 seconds over about 6km... that was pretty pants on my part! The afternoon started with the same legs as i had the morning but after sitting in confortably for the first 30 odd k's they started to turn for the better. The race then soon got very interesting as you can see in the photo below!!
It jumped out of its field as we were passing by and did the folling 5 or 6 kms in amongst the riders! It was pretty mad but some crazy riders didnt seem to realise that there was an f'ing big horse racing with us now as the rode up and down past it like it wasnt there! After causing a few splits in the peloton and nearly taking the King of the Mountains points, out unwelcome friend turned off and let us get on with our race.
About 10km before the finish circuits we headed up a stinger of a hill which ripped up the peloton, or what was left of it. A small group clipped off and i was in the 2nd chase group with Vincent and Gwen. Gwen was racing for the 1st time the weekend so had fresh legs and was feeling strong so i took some big pulls on the front and brought bridged us up to the front group. This made a group of about 30 with us 3 included as we hit the finish circuits (3 short but hard laps). After a lap or so another group behind with Laurent in came across and this is how we finished. There were 3 riders just off the front and our top finisher was Vincent in 12th, with myself coming in near the back of the sprint, pretty nailed to be honest! Racing against fresh legs with 3races already in mine made for a hard day but i was quite pleased with how i went.
Monday night me and matthieu stayed in a Campanile hotel (aka french travel lodge) with very good food in the form of a eat as much as you like starter and desert buffet which we obliterated! Then tuesday morning, Vincent, Clement, Ferjeux Beauny, Yvon (DS), George (mechano) and Ludo (masseur) joined to make up the dream team for the tour of brittany. (laurent would have been there but couldnt make it).
Tuesday we rode the 140km en ligne section for stage 4 which is going to be HARD! A constantly rolling parcours with a few big or steep hills with make for a hard day with the expected field of riders.
Then wednesday we headed out for a split training day with 2hrs in the morning and just over 2hrs in the avo ... in heavy cold rain for the 3rd stage. The atmosphere in the team is really upbeat and we have a really good group so all in all its looking really good for the tour and now its just a case of ticking over until we head down to Nantes next friday. I cant wait!
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