Left: Clement forcing the pace to get the break going.
Below: Voila! Break formed.
So on sunday i was down in a small town called Montamisé, near Poitiers, for the qualifying round of the Division 1 espoir + division 2 teams championship. The fact that it was a qualifying race made the tactics a little bizarre as the top 10 teams, on team classification of thier top 3 riders at the finish, go through to the final later on in the season. With saturday being a nice hot day we were hoping for similar conditions for race day and come the race it was nice, but too nice as the sun was the only thing in the sky and it proceeded at lunch time before the start the temperature guage in the car was already on 30degrees. We realised how hot it was when 2 inner-tubes burst as riders left their bikes in the sun for too long!
By the time the start came around i was happy to get rolling and get a breeze flowing by to cool me down a bit but things soon heated up again with the racing as i followed the first few attacks to make sure nothing went away from the gun. After sitting on a couple of moves it all came back together before the first of 11 times up the 3/400metre "wall" on the circuit, where over the top splits were already happening. The following lap a group of about 30 had formed off the front and we only had one rider represented so it was a case of jump on the front and tow it back. After 2laps of chasing we got them back in sight and after a long hard pull, i swung off at the bottom of the hill and braced myself for a bit of pain as i tried to hold onto the tail end of the bunch over the top. I realised that i was going backwards and eased up to go back to the car instead to get some bidons. After a cheeky bit of respite in the cars i got back through to the peloton a few kms later with out any problems. We had brought back the split and 14 had pulled away over the top of the hill with again 1 bic rider there so that was a better situation for us. They pulled out to 2mins30 after a few laps and it looked like a dangerous move as there were a lot of people suffering from the heat behind.
With about 5laps remaining and the gap sitting at 2mins 30 myself, clement and matthieu hammered it up and over the wall and found ourselvesaway with a fair gap. For company we had 2 other riders plus Ali Carr for a bit of english speaking company! However i think he was suffereing a bit as he imploded a few kms later! So then as 5 we put the hammer down and set about eating up their lead infront and in one lap took over a minute off their lead. However, the second time up the wall with them i was in some serious difficulty and they had to slow over the top so i could get back on. I decided i was only going to slow them down so took some big turns before pulling off and getting dropped on the finish hill. I rolled for a km or two before what was left of the peloton came across to me. From here there were 2laps to go and i knew that all goin well we were in a good position with 3 riders aiming for top 20 positions which would easily secure qualification for the final.
Come the finish, our rider in the break ended up in the back split and came 11th, clement 15th just behind their group then matthieu 24th in a group just behind clements. I rolled in with the peloton group i had sat in, which came in for about 35th place, where i came in near the back. All in all an ok day seeing as the legs were a lot better that last weekend so things are on the up, just suffered a bit in the heat as well and came away pretty red and burnt all over!
The winner was a certain ex-tour de france rider, Médéric Clain, previously with Cofidis having encountered a fair bit of "trouble" you could say along the way! I'll let you decide...
from cycling news in 2004:
Médéric Clain suspension lifted
The Disciplinary Commission of the French Cycling Federation FFC has lifted the suspension of ex-Cofidis rider Médéric Clain. The 27 year-old had been accused of doping infractions and suspended since April 1, 2004 after allegations from his then-teammates Philippe Gaumont and Robert Sassone. On November 3, before the FCC's commission, Clain maintained his claim that he had "bought and transported the products, but never used them.
"I was able to explain myself," the rider said about his meeting with the Commission. "I showed them my medical test results, spoke about the legal examination and about eight months of unemployment." Clain had been fired by his team Cofidis on May 4. "I am happy that my honesty has been recognised. If a team is looking for a clean rider, I am ready."
The other suspended Cofidis riders Philippe Gaumont and Robert Sassone, who said they had doped themselves with Clain during the 2003 season, still have to appear before the Disciplinary Commission.
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