Tour de la Creuse & Challenge D^Or & Centre Presse and other stuff going down

So time for a little up date and a bit of news.

After returning from Belgium I was starting to feel my form slipping away. So i wasn't to surprised when I had no really get up and go at GP Charvieu and I even managed to cramp in the bunch kick.

After this there was little time to rest the legs up. I was off doing a gruelling 2day tour (of the creuse region)
To sum it up. Hard and never really saw an inch of flat road. I was in the box big time on day 1 but came right on the last stage and just protected our Gc guys and tried to hang on in the finishing circuits....

After this it was back to Saint Etienne for a weee bit of rest and light training sessions. And then up to the centre of France for 2 1day classics. To cut the story short on these. They were both 200km's and in the first day I was in the game 160km plus but slowly guys were slipping up the road and by the time my group was on the finishing circuits it was all over for my group.

And then the day after on the Monday I was completely rubbish after going really hard in the sun the day before.

In other news I got 3rd in a Nocturne Crit and took out the best Sprinter prize and a good amount of cash to go with it. At the same time it was really cool  to finally have my bro Sean down here training and just catching up. He also raced and was in pretty good form himself after being struck by a nasty virus of some sort (7th).

In other news I have just secured a Trainee position with well known Continental squad Marco Polo.
I am super excited to spend the rest of the season (August/Sept) based in Belgium. Racing as many Pro Kermesses and what ever other uci races pop up. Its an awesome opportunity and one that I wanted to make the most of.

Cheers
Kieran 

  

Belgium, trains, and everything in between...

So im shuddering along on the trusty TGV through french countryside at maybe 200kmph writing this.

After an amazing time down in Girona training and learning the ropes with George & Nate it was time to hit the road. 

Knocking out a few belgie kermesse's or 5.  

I really felt the form come up after the big miles in  the saddle in G town and so I hit the ground running in my first race. I made a select split of 25 guys or so with 2 laps to go and it was all on being 170 in the race. I didnt have the best position in the last corner but hit it for 10th. 

After this it was training and a few long 4hr Cobbled rides (with the cobbled climbs always being raced full gas) and then more racing and 2 hr kind of reco rides 

In my second race (Kruishoutem) I managed to get up for 5th. I was feeling pretty good all day and just kept going up the road and also following a few moves. In the end the race got so blown apart that there was only 7 guys left in the front group. Unfortunately for me there was 2 guys from Terra Footwear (good team) and I knew that they would try and get 1 guy away solo. I followed 1 big move then couldnt follow a good counter. So those guys ended up 1 and 2. 

Also this trip included cool stuff like meeting new people (aussies, belgies, english), and a rock concert (insane), and a trip to Brussels. and lets not forget a TdF stage finish....!!!

1 other kermesse of note was when I wasnt allowed to start because i dindt have my passport for ID.

Luckily my host family wernt to far away and kindly bought it out to confirm myself.

I was so pissed off I just attacked from the 1st lap and bridged to 2 others and went on the hunt for primes and maybe at 1 point thought we could stay away. Ended up getting caught but hung in for 12th !!

This is getting out of hand so, Big race tomorrow Charveiu GP 

'keen as mustard' 

KH

Also huge shout out to De Kegel family for letting me bunk down.
&  Alex and Ryan for the cobbled climbs and coffee