Hi there, this post is pretty ordinary but it is what has been going so......(2 brief race reports)
I have been a little bit sick with some of this cold weather we've been having here. But I have still been knocking out some decent training and this weekends races went Ok
Varennes St Sauveur
Saturday. 130km on a 10km lap.
The main break occurred on the first or second lap. I am not exactly sure because I was off the front for the first 2 laps and then the break bridged up to me and that was the race winning move.
I was really feeling good and also riding with some confidence. But this was probably my main problem because no 1 else was willing to show themselves to far out from the finish.
Cutting down the story, nearing 2 laps to go a flurry of attacks started coming I just sat back and waited for it to cool down then I was going to rip a big counter attack. I did just that but was also followed. Not long after this 2 guys got away and then the rest of us started playing Cat and Mouse.
I was starting to feel pretty Average so wasnt to concerned if we made the catch or not because I knew my legs wouldnt have the juice for the little up hill sprint finish......
I took 8th in the end which was a little disappointing but I defiantly should have ridden smarter
Pont de Vaux
I had a pretty good ride here at this race last year so was motivated to be in the mix again.
From the gun I followed an attack, and we had a decent little gap. But it seemed to be a little bit different to the previous year for some reason with the main drag of a climb being a dead slash a bit of crosswind.
So this made it really hard to get a gap with an attack.
After a few laps I was able to realise the style of race that it was turning into. It was a really stop start kind of attacking race. My legs were not liking the consistent efforts of sprinting 1 or 2mins, stop then GO.
In the end I decided to ride on the front a bit to try and nullify the stop start nature of the race. (to help my team mates)
It worked out but when finally the race winning split went we only had 1 guy up there. Who got 5th
Thats about all, just about to head into a big patch of training to build up for an U23 Tour coming up in June....
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Essor Breton & whatever else is been going on..
So just got back from the lovely region of Bretagne (ie. hotels and a bit of Beach scenery), it was a 1000km bon voyage and mainly just of auto routes with tele payages.
I had been looking forward to this tour for a we while knowing that the conditions up that way should suit me fairly well.
On the Tuesday before a few of us riders voyaged for a Criteruim. I was riding a wave of hard training (with old team mate Sam Lindsay)
followed by rest and I felt really strong. I kept moving forward with break aways all race and so never missed 1 single good move all day..
Coming into the last lap it had all bunched up a little bit but I was still confident in the sprint.
But then came a front deralier problem with just 150m to go (dismount the bike even).....Gutted
After this I switched focus and rested a bit for heading up north:
Stage 1
Rain and a good amount of wind 155km
My type of race, unfortunately I crashed inside the first 5km and that stressed out my whole race. After a difficult chase i was back in the main group. but just after this another cross wind and someone drops the wheel. I used myself to chase for the team but this turned out to be a bad idea because it just burned me down for the tough finishing circuit. (put this stage out of the mind)
Stage 2
The mountains day. Luckily for most it was controlled up front by Etupes and Efc Quickstep, meaning it was a steady tempo for all but the last 30km on the finishing circuit which was brutal. The lap was only 9km but it had some nasty climbs and super fast descents so no reco time......(finished just behind front group)
Day 3 lead to a TTT
We were told to keep us all together. This meant pretty steady on the climbs and then the strong guys drive on the flats. I punctured on a decent with 5km to go so after trying to get back in just sat up.
Stage 4
Probably my biggest result in France so far, took 3rd on the 97km afternoon stage.
It all kicked off from the very start, really fast first 10km and then i jumped across solo to the break of 8.
After this with all the big teams represented it was all on. Once the gap got out to over 1.30 guys were already trying to hide at the back......(not like typical NZ racing where breakaways all lap 100%)
any way with 30km still to go the time gap started tumbling with a serious amount of guys not wanting to work. Attacks came and I was scrambling a we bit. But i just kept trying to stay really relaxed and not panic.
Coming into the last 7km the time gap was under 1min and we had just turned onto a road running adjacent to the beach front with a good amount of X wind (still there was a lot of foxing about). I just sat near the back pretty much in the gutter and moved with the attacks as the others tried to put each other in the gutter. Coming into the final 1000m it had all regrouped. With 300m to go there was a little road furniture that nearly caused a crash. I jumped from the back and took 3rd. Pretty happy but kind of think if i had been slightly better placed i could have had a better run at it.
Stage 5
145km more wind.
I was feeling a little under the weather so just sat back like i was told and didn't really have to put out to much energy apart from 1 section of coast line. Onto the finish circuit it was all on. I had a look for a good place to attack but there was a massive section on the lap with an insane head wind so i thought just to wait for the Sprint, I took 14th which gave me a top 10 in the bunch kick....
Cheers
KH
I had been looking forward to this tour for a we while knowing that the conditions up that way should suit me fairly well.
On the Tuesday before a few of us riders voyaged for a Criteruim. I was riding a wave of hard training (with old team mate Sam Lindsay)
followed by rest and I felt really strong. I kept moving forward with break aways all race and so never missed 1 single good move all day..
Coming into the last lap it had all bunched up a little bit but I was still confident in the sprint.
But then came a front deralier problem with just 150m to go (dismount the bike even).....Gutted
After this I switched focus and rested a bit for heading up north:
Stage 1
Rain and a good amount of wind 155km
My type of race, unfortunately I crashed inside the first 5km and that stressed out my whole race. After a difficult chase i was back in the main group. but just after this another cross wind and someone drops the wheel. I used myself to chase for the team but this turned out to be a bad idea because it just burned me down for the tough finishing circuit. (put this stage out of the mind)
Stage 2
The mountains day. Luckily for most it was controlled up front by Etupes and Efc Quickstep, meaning it was a steady tempo for all but the last 30km on the finishing circuit which was brutal. The lap was only 9km but it had some nasty climbs and super fast descents so no reco time......(finished just behind front group)
Day 3 lead to a TTT
We were told to keep us all together. This meant pretty steady on the climbs and then the strong guys drive on the flats. I punctured on a decent with 5km to go so after trying to get back in just sat up.
Stage 4
Probably my biggest result in France so far, took 3rd on the 97km afternoon stage.
It all kicked off from the very start, really fast first 10km and then i jumped across solo to the break of 8.
After this with all the big teams represented it was all on. Once the gap got out to over 1.30 guys were already trying to hide at the back......(not like typical NZ racing where breakaways all lap 100%)
any way with 30km still to go the time gap started tumbling with a serious amount of guys not wanting to work. Attacks came and I was scrambling a we bit. But i just kept trying to stay really relaxed and not panic.
Coming into the last 7km the time gap was under 1min and we had just turned onto a road running adjacent to the beach front with a good amount of X wind (still there was a lot of foxing about). I just sat near the back pretty much in the gutter and moved with the attacks as the others tried to put each other in the gutter. Coming into the final 1000m it had all regrouped. With 300m to go there was a little road furniture that nearly caused a crash. I jumped from the back and took 3rd. Pretty happy but kind of think if i had been slightly better placed i could have had a better run at it.
Stage 5
145km more wind.
I was feeling a little under the weather so just sat back like i was told and didn't really have to put out to much energy apart from 1 section of coast line. Onto the finish circuit it was all on. I had a look for a good place to attack but there was a massive section on the lap with an insane head wind so i thought just to wait for the Sprint, I took 14th which gave me a top 10 in the bunch kick....
Cheers
KH
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| Chilled |
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| EFC Quick Step guy rolls the breakway... |
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