More hard yards

Rond de Jura, Prix de Chatelneuf.

Coming into this race i was 7th in the series and really wanted to get up for a good result so i could move up as far as possible in the series. But this wasn't going to work out. I tried hard for an early break as it is easier to go with the eb than to go with the moves on the hill.

That didnt work so i sat back and let the race drift along playing it safe in the bunch, there where a few moves i had to bridge across to. Team Morteau rode the front a bit to bring in the break and once the break was caught more moves went and eventually two guys slipped off and no one was keen to chase so they got away and managed to just stay clear of the front bunch. I made it over the final climb and was in the group sprinting for 3rd. I went early in the sprint because it was a really dodgy finish and i thought if i could just get to the town first then no one would be able to get around me. That plan failed and i got swamped by the whole group to place 15th. Bit gutted not to pice up many points so im still sitting 7th in the series.

Sunday 22nd of August,

Along drive in the van of about 3 hours before we got to the race venue. The weather had turned a bit wet but still pretty hot so amazing racing conditions. Oh i almost forgot the wind!!

We rode the lap of just under 10km was a decent little course with some sizeable rollers and false flat kind of terrain. I was feeling average at the start as wasnt up to much but when i decent size group was off the front i went across with another group and Sam came across a bit later and Clement was already up there. The group had 15 or so but a few guys weren't up to much so someone split it up. So down to 10 everyone is still not rolling to hard and sizing each other up. I went with a attack and got a gap and bridged to one other to make 3. Then on the main climb Sam and the other strong guy Josh Hunt bridged so we lapped for a bit then another attack. By this point i was pretty smashed and we had one guy sitting on. Sam rolled off and then another jumped across, i then got dropped by the guy who had been sitting on and he bridged to Sam and the lead break away guy. I rode solo for 2 laps in the head wind and held of the next little group from the initial break to get 5th.

A bit gutted about the Saturday race but just need to get a bit more smart and lucky and things will turn my way.

That is about it for today, got a couple of Crits next weekend so should be swell.

Some fun in the hills!!

So after a fairly easy week on the bike, Team Morteau got stuck into a couple of decent races.

Saturday.

Prix de Plaimbois du Miroir.

This was a race organised by our club so it was going to be a hard course. Sure enough on the way to the start line we drove up the main climb which was 3km long to the finish (i would say the climb was steep if that if you stopped pedalling you would probably fall off)

So the race was 7 laps of a 15km lap. I got in the early move by bridging to 2 up the road. We where driving hard but got time taken out of us on the main climb then at the top attacks went from the pelo which was good as the front group was now formed with myself in there.

Not much happened through the rest of the race. The hill ridden at tempo. With two laps to go things started to heat up, i threw in some attacks because didnt want to hit the hill with the climbers. I got away for a lap but my break away partner wasnt contributing much so was frustrating.

Final lap heaps more attacks and nothing sticking then Sam got away slightly on the last little decent and managed to hold off the rest of the break up the hill. I got swamped in the final kick and got 7th.

Sunday

Valfin (rond de Jura round)

Another hilly race so didnt rate my chance to much. Up the second main climb of the day the pedal was pushed flat to the floor by someone up front this splintered the group with 3 slipping away. I was in front group happy to sit as Sam got in front 3.

Thats how the race finished up. I messed up the final corner which was a 180 turn into a little up hill then 50m to finish line managed 9th in the end so at least bagged more points in the series.

Thats about it, Thanks for reading.

Kieran

Tour de la Drome

The big event had finally come around. So early friday morning everything was packed up into the van ready for the long journey into the rhone alpes region. After the 5 hour or so drive we, got straight out of the van kitted up and rode 20km to the start of the 11km TT course then rode that twice with a few efforts thrown in to awaken the legs.

The TT course was pretty decent with a 4km climb. then 1km down and 6km flat.

Stage 1,

Had an amazingly hard profile with the initial climb gaining 1000m in hight. I managed to survive the first climb and the second but was dropped on the final climb and lost the front group, but fortunately for me I crested the top and rode really hard to get back into the convoy and then by the bottom got back into the lead group 20. After this i drove hard to keep the momentum going, this turned out to be not such a great idea because there was still 30km to go which included hard cross wind sections.

It ended up coming to the line in a small bunch kick, i had good positioning just before the final corner then got swamped before the corner so had to do a bit of work on the final straight but managed 2nd so was pretty pleased how the stage played out.

Stage 2, TT

What can i say.

It was a TT it was hard, i was second to last to leave and wanted to lay down a good time to stay high on gc. With no tt bike though it wasnt going to be great. I came in 22nd and was now sitting in 11th on GC.

Stage 3.

Lights out.

Didn't manage to stay with the front bunch. got dropped with 2 kom mountains to go and couldnt regain the pelo, pretty disappointed that i couldn't hold on to my GC position but the climbs where constant and steep and ridden at a decent pace and. All i can say is luckily I packed the 27 otherwise i would have been in trouble.

That is about it,

KH

Update

Over the last couple of weeks i have had my fair share of bad luck with a puncture or 2. So no updates.

Last weekend i managed to win a race with a false flat sprint.

This weekend was the 7th round of the credit mutel series. It was a 6km course with one little hill in it. I was feeling tired right from the start but was sitting in fine.

Some how the break went with out any of my team mates in it. So we chased it back. But when we caught another group slipped off, and again no one in there. By this stage i was feeling it and was pleased to get to the finish. still finished up 20th so not to bad.

Next week is pretty big tour, so hope to have good news coming soon.

kieran