Race 1
The race on Saturday was in Wetteren, a 25km ride out and ride home. The circuit was 5.2km long, with a few technical corners. Somewhere around 130riders.
Got caught out by the old, we're going to start the race 100m away from the start, so ended up starting up near the back, starting on the back foot. A very fast pace from the start, moving up the peloton was a slow progress. Getting to about half way up the peloton, just after 30mins of racing, down the back straight there was a massive pile up just in front of me, with 15 plus riders going down, all scatter across the road, so bad you had to get off your bike and straddle your way through the carnage.
As a result of the crash, the peloton was instantly fractured. I instantly knew that the race was over for me and everyone caught behind the crash, but that didn't mean everyone didn't stop trying, personally I rode round, treating it as a training session, a very hard training session, doing plenty of work on the front emptying the tank, just waiting for the commissaries to call out LAATSLE RONDE! After the crash the group of about 30 that I was in last way over 1hour which I was very surprised about, especially with less the 10 riders working on the front. I don't think I got a placing.
Race 2
The race on Sunday was in Oedema, was driven out to the race which saved the legs. The circuit was 6.8km long, with one tight corner, not very technical, so you could predict that it was going to be a fast race. Somewhere around 70riders.
Josh Teasdale (EFC OMEGA QUICK STEP) was at the race, fellow CTT scholarship rider, finishing 3 places ahead of me. No silly mistakes at the start, got myself second row. At the start the announced the money for the Primes every-lap, 1st €25, 2nd €15, 3rd €10, so I decided to go from the gun and see if I could get away a bag myself some money. Got off the front with 3riders on the first lap only to be brought back just before end of the lap, after a few laps, it looked like it was going to all stay together, I think the main reason was due to the amount of money on the line each lap.
On the 5th lap, Mario Willems attack, a local star, who Josh told me to watch out for, and everybody followed him, due to trying hard in the first few laps a slipped back in the group, a lap after this the group split with around 25riders getting of the front, they got away just due to people letting wheels go.
The gap went up to 1min, a Belgium rider that I met and raced with last year, said if we get working we can bring it back, I was very doubtful but he had faith so I worked with him and got a few other guys working to, and we brought the gap back down to less than 20seconds, and with them insight, everyone who was helping with the chase back off, and the group a head soon re-established there lead.
After that there was a few attempts to get off the front of my group, but nobody got away, the gap to the front group got over 3mins so we were pulled out 3laps to go, ended put placed at 38th, which earned me €10 which covered the cost for my weekend of racing.
I have also been introduced to Strava, it is a bit like garmin connect but you can set personal records, and compare times over segments to other riders, with a leader board. Here is my profile http://app.strava.com/athletes/638048 follow me.
Next Race
• 19/06/2012 - Bassevelde - Start Time : 18:00