It’s June and to most cyclists in the sport that means the 2nd half of the season. It’s getting hot and the summer races are well under way!
This month sees me concentrate on some real results and using what I have learnt over the past few months to my advantage and get some results that will stand out.
Schellebelle Kermesse 90km, 2nd June:
Today was a short race compared to the previous days of racing I have been doing. After the block of racing in France the legs are feeling very good atm so I wanted to take full advantage of this and push for a result!
Even though it was a short race of 2 hours it was very intense and full of attacks and breakaways. It was a tactical race and if you have the ability to attack then recover and attack again then you could do well as attacks were constantly going up the road.
I was in 3 very promising moves that I beloved could stay away but people not committing fully to the move would leave the group lacking in momentum.
Sadly after all of the attempts the race came to a bunch kick and I was still in the mix but didn’t have the powerful sprint to finish of the day. I crossed the home 19th but was happy with the performance and effort put in for the day.
Sunday 3rd, Gits Kermesse 140km:
After a good outing yesterday in Schellebelle I was feeling good for another strong outing today. The race had a very good turn out and also many pro conti riders which added to the prestige and how hard the day was going to be.
The course consisted of 22 laps over 140km. The usual start had the attacks shooting off and I followed trying to bring more wise and conserve my energy for a smarter move.
Roughly 12km in I saw 2 riders go up the road by a few seconds so I decided now was my time to test the legs and go in deep. I put my head down and drilled it to catch them and keep going. After a minute we looked back and we had a clear gap that was promising. We kept going and a few minutes after that 9more riders joined us making a solid break of 11. This would be the winning move of the day and only 125+km to go! A long day out and we averaged 45kmh for the duration of the race.
We all worked well together and the gap only went out, by the end it was over 2minutes.
With 2 laps to go we were joined by 9more riders who had managed to bridge the gap. This group consisted of a few pro riders so we all knew it was about to get very hard for the finish kick!
By the last lap there was allot of cat and mousing and I was cooked, I done the best I could to stay well positioned and up there in the end but after a long day out the legs went to sleep! I crossed the line 16th. A tad disappointing but the way I was racing only shows I’m getting stronger and smarter in the races. A positive step forward to my second half to the season!
This month sees me concentrate on some real results and using what I have learnt over the past few months to my advantage and get some results that will stand out.
Schellebelle Kermesse 90km, 2nd June:
Today was a short race compared to the previous days of racing I have been doing. After the block of racing in France the legs are feeling very good atm so I wanted to take full advantage of this and push for a result!
Even though it was a short race of 2 hours it was very intense and full of attacks and breakaways. It was a tactical race and if you have the ability to attack then recover and attack again then you could do well as attacks were constantly going up the road.
I was in 3 very promising moves that I beloved could stay away but people not committing fully to the move would leave the group lacking in momentum.
Sadly after all of the attempts the race came to a bunch kick and I was still in the mix but didn’t have the powerful sprint to finish of the day. I crossed the home 19th but was happy with the performance and effort put in for the day.
Sunday 3rd, Gits Kermesse 140km:
After a good outing yesterday in Schellebelle I was feeling good for another strong outing today. The race had a very good turn out and also many pro conti riders which added to the prestige and how hard the day was going to be.
The course consisted of 22 laps over 140km. The usual start had the attacks shooting off and I followed trying to bring more wise and conserve my energy for a smarter move.
Roughly 12km in I saw 2 riders go up the road by a few seconds so I decided now was my time to test the legs and go in deep. I put my head down and drilled it to catch them and keep going. After a minute we looked back and we had a clear gap that was promising. We kept going and a few minutes after that 9more riders joined us making a solid break of 11. This would be the winning move of the day and only 125+km to go! A long day out and we averaged 45kmh for the duration of the race.
We all worked well together and the gap only went out, by the end it was over 2minutes.
With 2 laps to go we were joined by 9more riders who had managed to bridge the gap. This group consisted of a few pro riders so we all knew it was about to get very hard for the finish kick!
By the last lap there was allot of cat and mousing and I was cooked, I done the best I could to stay well positioned and up there in the end but after a long day out the legs went to sleep! I crossed the line 16th. A tad disappointing but the way I was racing only shows I’m getting stronger and smarter in the races. A positive step forward to my second half to the season!
Unexpected mid season break:
I always knew a little break was going to happen after a busy first half of the season that started back in Late February. The mental and physical toll of structured training and racing 3 times a week adds up and its extremely healthy to take a week off from any structure and just have a little R and R with yourself.
It’s also a great time to reflect on the season and give thought to what has worked and what hasn’t worked in racing and training.
A close friend who lives close to me back in the U.K. was going home in a days time and by luck had room in the car so I jumped at the opportunity to go with him and spend some much needed time with friends and family back home.
Over a week you will lose no base fitness but maybe a slight decrease in top end anerobic fitness. This is perfectly normal But after a few weeks of being back to racing and training you will get to where you left off and actually improve, resulting in you getting stronger. Before my break I noticed a few signs of Platoing in max powers, heart rate and just general power. It’s a sign all to common to endurance athletes and one you need to be honest with. Just taking some time off will allow your body to play catch up and like I said earlier eventually lead to improvements after just a few weeks.
Not only the mental and physical side to this time off and reviewing what has worked and what hasn’t worked for me so far this season but also the nutrition approach I have been taking. I have learnt an awful lot about correlations of a good meal and going well and not such a good meal and feeling sluggish and tired. It’s a fantastic learning curve for myself and cooking all my own meals and really planning what I need to be doing a few days before an event has made me more intune with what works for me and I believe making me stronger and race better.
First race back after time out:
The first race back was exciting as I felt fresh mentally and physically. I knew it would hurt a bit more due to a slight loss in top end fitness but that’s ok when your hungry to be back racing.
The race was full gas from the start and I told myself to just follow and go when needed but the excitement got to me and I ended up animating the race with attacks and eventually a race winning breakaway. It felt great and the circuit had a couple of nasty bergs in which played to my strengths.
It wasn’t meant to be though and with 2 laps to go 14km, a rider infront of fancied a lye down and little rest. I had no option but to join him due to the angle of the corner and speed we were traveling at there was no where to go and my wheels went from underneath me!
A really shame as I was set up for a minimum top 10result.
I took an awful lot of confidence from this though and felt strong tactically.
Next up:
On the calendar next is something a bit diffeent, a TTT INTERCLUB on Sunday 1st July so me and the the team members selected will be training together leading up to this and going for a strong result.
Then the day after the TT is another IC1 INTERCLUB of 160km.
Training will also be built up aiming for the end of July and the big stage race Ronde Van Vlaams being held on the 25th July to 29th July.
I always knew a little break was going to happen after a busy first half of the season that started back in Late February. The mental and physical toll of structured training and racing 3 times a week adds up and its extremely healthy to take a week off from any structure and just have a little R and R with yourself.
It’s also a great time to reflect on the season and give thought to what has worked and what hasn’t worked in racing and training.
A close friend who lives close to me back in the U.K. was going home in a days time and by luck had room in the car so I jumped at the opportunity to go with him and spend some much needed time with friends and family back home.
Over a week you will lose no base fitness but maybe a slight decrease in top end anerobic fitness. This is perfectly normal But after a few weeks of being back to racing and training you will get to where you left off and actually improve, resulting in you getting stronger. Before my break I noticed a few signs of Platoing in max powers, heart rate and just general power. It’s a sign all to common to endurance athletes and one you need to be honest with. Just taking some time off will allow your body to play catch up and like I said earlier eventually lead to improvements after just a few weeks.
Not only the mental and physical side to this time off and reviewing what has worked and what hasn’t worked for me so far this season but also the nutrition approach I have been taking. I have learnt an awful lot about correlations of a good meal and going well and not such a good meal and feeling sluggish and tired. It’s a fantastic learning curve for myself and cooking all my own meals and really planning what I need to be doing a few days before an event has made me more intune with what works for me and I believe making me stronger and race better.
First race back after time out:
The first race back was exciting as I felt fresh mentally and physically. I knew it would hurt a bit more due to a slight loss in top end fitness but that’s ok when your hungry to be back racing.
The race was full gas from the start and I told myself to just follow and go when needed but the excitement got to me and I ended up animating the race with attacks and eventually a race winning breakaway. It felt great and the circuit had a couple of nasty bergs in which played to my strengths.
It wasn’t meant to be though and with 2 laps to go 14km, a rider infront of fancied a lye down and little rest. I had no option but to join him due to the angle of the corner and speed we were traveling at there was no where to go and my wheels went from underneath me!
A really shame as I was set up for a minimum top 10result.
I took an awful lot of confidence from this though and felt strong tactically.
Next up:
On the calendar next is something a bit diffeent, a TTT INTERCLUB on Sunday 1st July so me and the the team members selected will be training together leading up to this and going for a strong result.
Then the day after the TT is another IC1 INTERCLUB of 160km.
Training will also be built up aiming for the end of July and the big stage race Ronde Van Vlaams being held on the 25th July to 29th July.