June...

Its been awhile since the last blog post. Reason being i haven't had any good news to bring in. 

I still have no good news really. Last Saturday I crashed hard on a typical training ride with the 2 Tom's. We were pushing the pace a little (single file) and an old man's car pulled out of a Give Way on a side road. I was 3rd wheel and couldn't  get round like the other 2. I had hit the deck nearly without blinking just before ploughing the car at 50kph. 

I was pretty shaken, couldn't breath for a good 10seconds, then all these muppets crowded around. I went to hospital in the ambulance and had X-rays on the elbow because there was a deep hole etc etc and it looked to be cracked. After a bit more waiting around. The Doc came back in and worked his magic with the needle and thread(fishing line stitches). 

*Both Tom's were awesome at scrapping me off the pavement. 

For the moment I am recovering and finishing off the cycle of Antibiotics and a few other painkillers. Just finished building up my new bike because the other one was a bit of a write off. The frame is a little smaller so i should be able to get a bit more of an aggressive position on the bike. 

I have had to sit out yesterdays I.W.T Oetingen (1.2) and Saturdays Omloop Het Neusbald Zottegem (1.2). Which are both cobbled classics that I had been targeting and building up for. 

Im now looking ahead to July's racing and taking this forced break as my mid-season break.

Also looking forward to heading down to Rennes to catch up with the Bro, and Mum & Dad.

Many thanks to everyone thats helped me get through this little rough patch. 

I am also buzzing for Jack Bauer on his first Tour de France, I know how hard he's been working to get himself there. Im sure he's going to lay down his fair share of Curry during July…..

Thanks for Tuning in…

K-rex

Olympias Tour Wrap.

Olympias Tour

Just back from a testing week riding around The Netherlands. 

I came into the New Zealand team with short notice after a number of riders felt sick or injured.

I was excited and amping to be racing such a well known & prestigious tour. 

After waiting around all morning talking smack and drinking weak coffees....

The Race started on Monday evening. with a 3,2 km prologue on the coast near Amsterdam ! 

*The team consisted of a mix of 'road to Rio u23 trackies' (Cam,Hayden,Hamish,Mike)

and 4 european based roadies (Clinton,Alex,Gatey,Myself) we also had the privilege of local & ex tour director Robert Slippens as our D.S (his advice during the week was bloody good).

So the track guys had the prologue in their sights. 

Cam Karwowski had a really strong ride to take 5th on the stage, I did what I could on the road bike (with the clip-on slingshot bars) and even held the hot seat for a while having been one of the early starters. 

Stage 1: 180km with 3x50km circuit to finish with, this stage was always going to be pretty windy as discussed the night before and on the last 50km lap a group slipped away in the X wind and that was race over. I wasn't feeling great all day and was happy to cross the line. 

Stage 2: 

Looking at the map and wind direction this stage was always going to be tough as well. 

I was feeling a lot better in this stage but wasn't in the right place when the hammer went down at the 90km mark, and the split went away. I rolled in with a big group to the finish. 

Stage 3: Was a really wet with a heap of small country roads near the end. I had a couple of digs off the front to try and break the strangle hold that the leaders team had on the bunch. Once onto the finishing circuit Clinton bridged over to a group of 3 and they had a decent gap, but with 2 teams putting in the hard yards at the front of the bunch they were caught with 1 lap to go. In the last lap it was pretty sketchy with a lot of fighting for position in the slippery roads. I tried to help position our sprinters but it was so crazy. 

Stage4: 192km in the hills of the limburg region. The rain started coming down in the neutral section and by this point i knew it was going to be a long day. It was all on right from the start. with the first KoM climb coming after 4.4km I sat in the bunch the best i could and tried not to look down at the computer to often. In the end the pelo kept getting smaller and smaller as the steep hills and rain took its toll. 

Stage 5 ITT: I was pretty smashed from the day before but still wanted to do an ok TT, I was lucky enough to use Clintons TT bike. even though i only set it up just before the start it felt ok and i was keen to lay down a time.

I a bit pissed off i didn't pace myself so well and should have posted a better time, but was looking forward to the last stage. 

Stage 6: The last stage was only 80km and on a 8.3km circuit. Virtually from the start Rabobank u23 team went to the front with all 6 or 7 riders and started lapping out to keep the pace steady as to stop other teams from attacking and disrupting. I was keen to attack, but when the bunch is doing well over 45kph its nearly impossible to get away. In the last lap, the 5 of use found each other and tried to lead out Gatey for for the bunch sprint but we lost each other with 2.5km to go. I ended up being in an awesome spot going under the 1km banner but got caught behind a few guys at 500m from the line. 

So I'm taking a few days rest now after a pretty hectic few weeks. Cheers to everyone that made Olympias such a good tour. 

Kieran

Last weeks race action

Im sitting inside as a tropical rain storm comes down, watching the start of a grueling Giro d'Italia. 

Go the kiwis ! 

Yesterdays stage was pretty impressive with Ryder and Paolini giving it some real gas on the DH to try and distance wiggins and a few other GC contenders in the final run into the finish. 

Any way back on track, it has been awhile since the last blog update and 2 race reports need doing. Also a little bit of drama thrown in the mix for good measure. 

1.2 Hoboken 1st of May

This race was 170km on a really boring circuit (including 4xbigish laps & 6x10km laps), dead flat and a decent amount of road furniture. From the beginning of the race i was having some issues with my chain. The chain was skipping around like a hyperactive kangaroo. I couldn't give it any power out of the corners. So I was forced to just cruise around in the bunch, but that worked out ok because nothing seemed to be getting off the front. 

At the end I found a gear that was trustable and moved up inside the last 2kms. The sprint wasn't dangerous for a change just strung out so i had no chance to really move up enough. 

Ronde van Overjisel (in Holland)

This is the race that had a few problems, on the long 2.5 hour journey to the race i started to feel really bloated and sick. The problem never eased up the whole day and it maybe even got worse in the race. I got 80kms in and then just pulled over. Its never nice to have shitty days like that but you have to deal with it. 

I have put the problem down to a little coffee shot that I had in the activation sesh the day before that may have given me a stomach ulcer. Im not getting too worried & all sorted now so just have to stay away from the real strong brews (for awhile). 

All is looking good for the upcoming weeks. Cheers 

Bit of action and detour in Maschrit(holland)

Add caption: Team before Hoboken (Antwerpen)

Video Blog (vlog) from Paris-Mantes (1.2)

Quick update from yesterdays race. Have a look...

ZLM Tour / a windy day at the office.

ZLM Tour:

This race after a promising Flanders promised to be a really good day out for the u23 NZ team. Everyone went in with an exact plan. But as bike racing goes sometimes things don't play out how you imagine them to. 

From the time the commissare dropped the flag to signal the start of the race, it was more or less strung out in the gutter. I tried to stay calm and form an echelon, but no one seemed interested and this soon put me back in the convoy ! I had a quick flashing look down at my computer and saw less than 10mins of racing….. 

I made it back to the main bunch and there was still a group of around 20 guys about 20/30 seconds off the front. I was still suffering like a dog, but made the effort to group the boys together and position ourselves on the front where it was going to be safer. We got organised quickly and had the break under control, but other countries were starting to stress out as well which meant that guys taking flyers off the front of the group. This would lead to the Peloton being slammed back in the 'gutter' 

Elastic Snaps 

Soon the race was strung out single file and another turn this time onto a roundabout and up an overpass bridge. This split the bunch into 3 groups. I was in the 2nd Group with Vink. but i was getting hammered with more 'gutter time' as I was right at the back.

Soon after the race came back together with just the front group still dangling out front with a 50sec lead, I knew it wasn't my day and did all I could to move the other boys into good posy in the group. 

I pulled the pin at the feed zone at the 94km mark, I hate pulling out of races. but when its not your day there is not much you can do. 

Our two youngest guys, Hayden McCormick & Hamish 'Panda' Schreurs got into the finishing circuits and were mixing it up finishing just behind the front group.

A huge thanks to all the support staff at BikeNZ: 

Steve, Chris, Bex, and our on the days D.S's Dirk and Marc Ryan. (it makes a huge difference to have all the little things taken care of)

My next race is next weekend in France, 

Paris-Mantes (1.2) 

The sun is out now and the form is still coming up so stay tuned..

KH

u23 Flanders & Triptyque des Monts Chateaux.

A lot has been happening in the last few weeks since my last update.

After GP Nogent. I was training well to prepare for Triptyque and then ramping up the following weekend in Oudenaarde for the first Nations Cup which is u23 Flanders.

Triptyque was a real good Tour for me 3 hard days racing and time in the bunch to get familiarised with bunch aggression.

I am not going to lie I spent most of the tour sitting right at the back. Just because there were so many guys that wanted to die to be at the front of the bunch. When the pace went in the gutter it was hard but i just moved up, and made it hard for myself.

I had no major results to write in about, just top 50 finishes and some good race K's in the legs.

u23 Flanders

This was the big one that I have been looking forward to ever since I got the tick against my name around a month ago.

I came straight into the BikeNZ accom after Triptyque, which is the old Drapac team base in Oudenaarde. It was good to see some familiar faces. The week leading in consisted of recon missions of the local finishing circuits and also the 120km big lap.
*The Big lap had a lot of hard pinchy climbs but nothing to serious only a couple of cobbled sections. So basically the hard racing would start on the 25km local lap which was to be completed twice (including the 3 cobbled climbs per lap including the taainberg, and Eikenberg) (Totaling 170km)

After a lot of sitting around spinning yarns and talking a bit of smack in the last few days leading in. It was finally time to 'kit up' and head down to the centrum for a quick team preso and team brief and then     into it....

The race started rather nervously as they do, I stayed near the front and out of trouble, some how a frenchman slipped clear, and then all the other major country looked at each other. The time gap blew out to nearly 7mins.

The Belgies didn't seemed worried, so we just sat there and waited for the first major hurdle in the parcour which was the Valkenberg followed by the the short and nasty Molenberg.(90km mark)

The lead into the Molenberg was super dodgy, guys were bombing in from all over the show. I hit the bottom in 30th wheel or something and luckily there wasn't any crashes or unclipping in front of me.

So from there it was still a pretty big group that entered the finish circuit. I was feeling really good at this point and decided to have a bit of a nudge off the front. It was covered by a few other guys but then bought back fairly quickly. The counter attack over the top of this move went clear and that had Vink in there so the rest of us could chill in the group. As we hit the first cobbled sector though everything kicked into life again and the break was soon bought back in.

Over a few more cobbled bergs and onto the bell lap....

The last lap nothing much happened a few guys tried to get off the front but nothing was sticking. Myself and Josh got caught behind a US guy that rear ended another guy up the smooth edge of the Taainenberg. I had to dig pretty deep to get back in contact on the next climb.

With 2km out, I felt a drop in the speed and momentum of the group. So I hit it, knowing that I am not a good enough sprinter to finish on the podium. I was soon joined by Jasper Stuyven who is 1 of the strong guys for Belgium thats when I thought we could be going to the line. But with 500m from the line we got reeled in. I tucked back into the line and tried to hold a place as best I could. 21st

So thats it, really amazing experience racing on such famous roads and such a prestigious race with good teammates. I have no regrets, or what ifs with how i rode. Just looking forward to next weekend at ZLM Tour (13th April Nations Cup).

Cheers
Kieran

* I would also like to take the time to thank Sports nelson tasman trust for helping me out this season. It really does make life a lot less stressful

Grand Prix de Nogent-sur-Oise (1.2)

This was my first major race of the european season and I was really excited to finally back racing, after what has seemed like forever just training in the cold icy conditions.

The race itself was 165.7km starting at 12.30...The first 100km or so were pretty uneventful apart from the torrential icy cold rain. There were a few big splits in the X-wind sections but I was riding well & in good position and found myself in the front in all the major splits. I was riding within myself. Not knowing how I would pull up not having raced in a month.

My game plan was to wait until the last 40km, because I knew it would start to get hard with the x-wind and distance factor coming into play.

I was playing all my cards right until suddenly the heavens decided to opened up more than usual. With 30km still left on the table. It was basically a full on thunder storm with lightning and hail, just nuts !

Thats when a group of 8 had just slipped off the front, I didn't panic knowing that there was still fire power felt in the pelo, but with the hail and everything considered the chase never came, I started to go into survival mode, and nearing the last 2nd to last Gpm climb I lost sensation in my hands....

Then riding up through slushy snow some spectator on the side of the road is yelling stuff like caution on the decent, very dangerous. Guys are still racing full gas, along the plateau of the climb then into the decent even more sketchy....

I kept trucking with this insane fuzzing vision, but lost contact with the remains of the pelo with 25km to go and rode with 1 other dude the rest of the way. I had tunnel vision and couldn't really think properly. (possible mild hypothermia !!)

Went back to the hotel was allowed the first shower and slowly pulled myself together.

Defiantly the coldest I've ever been..but stoked to finish (ended up 35th)

I will live to fight another day and build form for:
  Triptyque des Monts et Chateaux (uci 2.2 (29-30-31 March))

Cheers
K.H

First impressions: from a chilly start to Spring

Last time I put pen to paper I was typing away from Hong Kong. Now I have started to find my feet and acclimatise to the conditions, Im ready to fill you all in on whats been going on. 

So I arrived on the 28th of Feb, in Paris CdG....

It was 1 degree and really a big shock to the System. 

It took me a few days just to adapt then start to think about riding, It turned out that my second day of riding I decided to go and race a local Kermis. I was on my housemate's (Tom David, NZer) seasoned cervelo, it has had a hard life to say the least. I wasn't to motivated for this race but thought it would be a good idea to open the legs up by rollin in the bunch.....

I got in the early break after the first lap and bounced and shuddered my way around for 80 odd K's with 5 others. We got caught in the end but 1 guy stayed clear with 3 new guys bridging over to him. 

Thats really all the race news for the moment. But the exciting news is that I just finished building my team bike for this year.. Which is a Pinarello Paris, with Campgnolo grupo, It was a bit frustrating not having her sorted out directly upon arrival but it was worth the wait. 

Im really looking forward to testing my legs on the 17th at GP Nogent (uci 1.2) in northern France. 

Hopefully I will have the new bike dialed in by then. 

Living situation is really awesome, Tom and Myself live with an awesome host family about 3km out of a town called Hoeselt. Its a nice rural setting with heaps of apples, pears and cherries to be found in the summer months.  

Hoeselt: What would a small Belgium village be without 2 Kebab joints, 2 Bakeries, 2 or 3 Pubs. a Nacht Winkel and a few cobbles. 

Thats about all for the moment, wish me luck for snow week coming up! 

K.H

Bon Voyage: direction Europe

So its that time of year again, when your on a long haul flight and you have a 4 hour stop over in Hong Kong or where ever it maybe. 

I have been putting off writing a blog for a little while thinking that Mum and Dad are the only ones that read them. 

But before leaving a lot of people keep saying 'make sure you keep us up to date' and 'Im always looking on your blog' 

So now its time to reminisce on an amazing NZ summer. Lots of good times and lots of 'chilling time' 

Before I start to get into all the details of this Season, I would like to thank all the people in Nelson who help me out in one way or another. Special mention to my number 1 sponsors, Mum & Dad. 

AvantiPlus Richmond: Mike & Jo Anderson, running an awesome new shop, and experienced mechanic Felix. 

Viridian Glass-Nelson Motor Group Cycling: Aaron Fitzgerald & Scott Dayman 

Just love riding and racing there bikes and also really look after me and Sean thru the NZ summer (including finding part time work for us both !) 

Also to Training buddies (GB, Sean, Tom Ash, Lami, Robin)

With out all these people I wouldn't be able to function properly. 

Belgium 2013

This year I have made the move to the French part of Belgium with Continental team, T.Palm Wallon. 

It seems like the right move for me having raced the last 2 months of 2012 at Marco Polo and really loving the racing in this part of the world. 

I am suited to flat, windy, rough roaded, rainy races, and I don't know why I haven't made the move to Belgium a bit earlier on.  

The race Program looks really solid, with a lot of good top level amateur racing (like Liege-Bastogne-Liege u23) mixed in with uci 1.1s and 1.2s and a few short stage races. 

Im really looking forward to what lies ahead having laid some pretty good foundations back home for the season.

*The only concern being snow canceling the races and the -1 and below temps

Will post again when I spread my roots and have a few more tales to tell.....

Cheers

Kieran