My first block of racing and stint in France is coming to a end, it has been a busy block with 7 race days in 5 weeks. It has been a huge learning curve but I have absolutely loved it, My French has not improved as much as I had hoped but Google translate has come in handy and a few of my team mates speak English.
All the work from the winter seems to be settling in, I have been seeing some great improvements in all my numbers but my limited race experience has been holding me back in places, I have been making lots of silly mistakes but race by race I am getting better at reading the race and improving on my positioning.
We started off at the Mapei Classic, seeing 200 riders in the start line really put me out of my comfort zone and being gridded at the back made it even worse. Sadly I got taken down in a crash just before the first climb. That started my day on a bad note but I managed to chase back to the front however a break got up the road so I had to settle for 40th out of 200, but really enjoyed the nutritional style of racing.
Ronde de Bressiere was the next race on the calendar, another huge field but I was more confident after the day before’s performance. The front group got whittled down lap after lap but my bad positioning was making me have to close lots of gaps over the top of the climb which burnt lots of matches. I stayed in the front group until 4km to go when a gap opend up and I couldn’t close it, so I rode on solo to the finish for 33rd out of 170 and top 15th first year.
At the Classic Coeur de Brenne I spent the day trying to get up the road but nothing stuck, so rolled in with the main bench for 50th.
Gp Chatellerault was a long day out in torrential rain but I really enjoyed the climb and the nutritional style to the race. Sadly I messed up my positioning in the final few km’s and had to settle 37th and top 10th first year.
Val de Garonne has to be my favourite course so far and my aim was to get in a break away. I missed the 11 man move, so attacked and tried chasing them down, sadly no luck but managed to gain a healthy lead on the bunch and come away with 16th and 5th first year.
Bernaudeau 1.1 sadly crashing only 3km in set a tone for the day, I managed to get back to the peloton after a 30 minute chase but getting caught behind another crash opened another gap up that I couldn't close , so a long solo effort to the finish it was.
Route D’Eole a fast 100k road race and a 13k time trial, in the road race my plan was to try and conserve energy and get into a late break away on the finishing circuit Sadley everything was getting brough back so I rolled in with the front bunch, I was exited for the time trail as it is a discipline I enjoy, my position wasn’t perfect after some last minute changes I was forced to make and not spending enough time in the position but I came away with 35th in the tt and 31st in gc out off 160 starters.
I am now excited to get a block of traning in at home and start preparing for my next European block, thank you to all the sponsors for supporting me on my journey.