Friday, July 06, 2007
Juni - Eerst overwinning dit jaar!!
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June has been quite a busy month for me as far as racing goes. A pretty heavy month of 11 races and a few good sessions on the bike in preparation for the race that wasn’t too be. Unfortunately the road nationals in Beverley were cancelled with all this rain we’ve been getting lately.
Well the old weather hasn’t been to kind to us in Belgium but ive still managed to get some good work done and come into a bit of form.
Off the bike I’ve had a pretty steady month. Not really had much chance to get up to anything really, any spare time ive had was spent sleeping or lying in bed!
My first race was a local one for the team in Ruisbroek so good show was necessary. I was given orders to get up the road in the first group. I’d just come back from my break and was unsure of how id feel so it was me who had to go on the kamikaze mission and get the jersey on TV. Anyway, cut a long story short I got myself in the front and was out there for 80ks with 8 others. We were reeled in on the finish circuit and that was my work done for the day and I rolled in in the peleton pretty shattered.
2 days later and I was on the grid again in a Pro Kermess race in Gullegem. This race was by far the hardest ive tried all year. My legs weren’t great and man was it fast. It was a circuit of about 12ks we covered enough times to clock 170ks at 44kph. At sign on I was amazed at the number I was given 260!! There was Just under 300 starters that day including no less than 13 Lotto rider (with McEwen) 16 Quickstep (with boonen, van petegem) and nearly every top Belgie you can think of. I had a bash at the start and tried to get in the move. I followed an attack by a lotto rider and got away in a group of 5, after doing a few turns I was struggling to get past these guys to do a turn, it was then I noticed I was with Boonen, Leif Hoste and Nick Nuyens !! My god those guys are not human. This group wasn’t too being anyway and I suffered in the wheels, dodged the crashes and made it to the finish. A good day in the saddle and time for a rest!
Next came the UCI 1.2 ranked Wavre Rijnem race on a rolling circuit finishing with 4 local laps round a savage finish circuit with a few cobbles thrown in there for good measure. I was pretty up for this race, I was 18th last year and hoped to go a few better and get on the podium. I rode a pretty bad race, I played my cards too early and tried to force an early break after 60ks. By the time I got to the finish I was nailed and didn’t have the legs on the pave. I finished in the 2nd group somewhere in the top 30.
My next few races where purely for training so any results where pretty much thrown out of the window after a solid 3 hr rr in the morning before each race. 3 days of 200ks with at least 120ks of racing each day. Each day was pretty hard, feeling good in the races but didn’t have anything at the end of each one. But I soldiered round to finish each one and got the k`s in the race for the big day that never happened on the 1st July.
The next “course” was the Romsee – Stavalot – Romsee in the Liege area of Belgium. The hills today were pretty savage but my legs were good and I was up for the challenge. The weather today was crazy; we went from 12 degrees and rain to 28 degrees and blistering sun! I was right up at the front as soon as the flag went down determined to be in the front from the off. The tactic was today to follow everything but not touch the front until the finale. 2nd climb and the peleton were in one line, lucky me snapped a spoke and has to stop for a change. By the time I battered back through the cars a group of 20ish had gone. So I stayed relaxed and waited for the next climb. Made a massive effort on the “berg” and managed to bridge a 1min gap with 2 others up the climb of Stavalot which features in Liege Bastogne Liege. But once again it wasn’t to be when I punctured on the decent at 65kph on a hairpin bend. Nether the less I came out ok when some bushes saved me from a tumble down a mountain. I stayed upright and rejoined the peleton. My chances of getting back to the “kop” were over and the peleton which was now down to about 30 riders were pulled out after 120ks. Bit of a bummer but c` est la vie hey !!
Next was yet another Pro Kermess at Lede. Last year I really struggled in these races and lacked a bit of confidence so I thought it was about time I stuck my neck out and tried to do something. I tried like hell to get in the break and I nearly just made it. 11 guys went away and I was 50 meters behind with one other, I went full gas to get them but failed and ended up suffering in the peleton for another 150ks. Another race another bunch finish!
2 Days later I was on the grid again in The Rudervorde Pro Kermess in western Flanders. For those of you that know how windy it is over there and know how fast Philip Gilbert can ride you can imagine what I was in for. I still wasn’t recovered from my last race at Lede but battered round suffering like hell just thinking of getting some condition for next week. I finished just outside the top 20 and in the money which wasn’t a bad one I suppose.
12 hrs later and I was back pinning my numbers on with bags under my eyes and some sore legs from yesterday. I was at the UCI 1.1 ranked 200km Halle Ingooigem and the pros were there in form ready for there championships on Sunday. I pretty much knew I couldn’t ride a result today with the guys that were there so I tried my best to get in the “kop” at the start. My director told me there was no pressure today and to just enjoy it! He pulled a face and laughed when I told him I didn’t just want to make up the numbers today. I don’t see the point in just riding round and waiting to be shelled at the end. We were having a joke in the neutral zone of the “low standard” of riders in the bunch. Boonen was to my left and Nick Nuyens to the right. Haha. Anyway I thought id try something and attacked as hard as I could after 2ks! Crazy I know but it worked! I was on my own for 5ks then 8 more came across with some big guys like Steph De Jonge of quickstep who has just started the TDF!! We stayed away for 150ks and were on TV for a good 3hrs. When the group caught us there were 9 lotto’s on the front riding far too fast in the crosswinds for me to do anything about getting on. I had a crack and lasted 2ks before I called it a day and got off. My work was done for the day! A pat on the back from the team and a good day at the office for me!
After I finished the race I found out the news of the National being cancelled. Obviously I was really frustrated and disappointed, mainly because id spent a whole month racing tired and forgetting about the end result just thinking about my condition, but what could be done. Half the country was under water so it was to be expected really.
So instead of getting down and getting annoyed I stayed focused and tried to use my form, which was starting to come really good. I headed to Bladel in Holland where I got my Eerst overwinning dit jaar (first win of the year) My legs felt awesome and I knew after 2 laps that I was in with a good chance. There were guys attacking in the wind and I could ride across comfortably. I waited as long as I could help and rode flat out across to a group of 10 that had just broken away. I went straight to the front and drove it hard far a good few k`s to make sure it had a good chance of going. Lucky for me the peleton didn’t react and we quickly gained a minute. I was feeling good so sprinted for a few primes to see who was sprinting well. It turned out to be me as I won every prime by a fair margin. So the last lap came and I was hungry to get my hands in the air for the first time in a long time. So I followed everything and gambled for the sprint. I hit it flat out with 25o to go out of the last corner, took a quick look under my arms and got them up in the air to take my first win this year.
Im told once you win once you win a lot. So im hoping this saying is true! I missed the feeling of winning, but now its back and im hungry as ever!!
Ps. All rosters and selections for races in July are Posted on my teams website
Chow
Matt
Well the old weather hasn’t been to kind to us in Belgium but ive still managed to get some good work done and come into a bit of form.
Off the bike I’ve had a pretty steady month. Not really had much chance to get up to anything really, any spare time ive had was spent sleeping or lying in bed!
My first race was a local one for the team in Ruisbroek so good show was necessary. I was given orders to get up the road in the first group. I’d just come back from my break and was unsure of how id feel so it was me who had to go on the kamikaze mission and get the jersey on TV. Anyway, cut a long story short I got myself in the front and was out there for 80ks with 8 others. We were reeled in on the finish circuit and that was my work done for the day and I rolled in in the peleton pretty shattered.
2 days later and I was on the grid again in a Pro Kermess race in Gullegem. This race was by far the hardest ive tried all year. My legs weren’t great and man was it fast. It was a circuit of about 12ks we covered enough times to clock 170ks at 44kph. At sign on I was amazed at the number I was given 260!! There was Just under 300 starters that day including no less than 13 Lotto rider (with McEwen) 16 Quickstep (with boonen, van petegem) and nearly every top Belgie you can think of. I had a bash at the start and tried to get in the move. I followed an attack by a lotto rider and got away in a group of 5, after doing a few turns I was struggling to get past these guys to do a turn, it was then I noticed I was with Boonen, Leif Hoste and Nick Nuyens !! My god those guys are not human. This group wasn’t too being anyway and I suffered in the wheels, dodged the crashes and made it to the finish. A good day in the saddle and time for a rest!
Next came the UCI 1.2 ranked Wavre Rijnem race on a rolling circuit finishing with 4 local laps round a savage finish circuit with a few cobbles thrown in there for good measure. I was pretty up for this race, I was 18th last year and hoped to go a few better and get on the podium. I rode a pretty bad race, I played my cards too early and tried to force an early break after 60ks. By the time I got to the finish I was nailed and didn’t have the legs on the pave. I finished in the 2nd group somewhere in the top 30.
My next few races where purely for training so any results where pretty much thrown out of the window after a solid 3 hr rr in the morning before each race. 3 days of 200ks with at least 120ks of racing each day. Each day was pretty hard, feeling good in the races but didn’t have anything at the end of each one. But I soldiered round to finish each one and got the k`s in the race for the big day that never happened on the 1st July.
The next “course” was the Romsee – Stavalot – Romsee in the Liege area of Belgium. The hills today were pretty savage but my legs were good and I was up for the challenge. The weather today was crazy; we went from 12 degrees and rain to 28 degrees and blistering sun! I was right up at the front as soon as the flag went down determined to be in the front from the off. The tactic was today to follow everything but not touch the front until the finale. 2nd climb and the peleton were in one line, lucky me snapped a spoke and has to stop for a change. By the time I battered back through the cars a group of 20ish had gone. So I stayed relaxed and waited for the next climb. Made a massive effort on the “berg” and managed to bridge a 1min gap with 2 others up the climb of Stavalot which features in Liege Bastogne Liege. But once again it wasn’t to be when I punctured on the decent at 65kph on a hairpin bend. Nether the less I came out ok when some bushes saved me from a tumble down a mountain. I stayed upright and rejoined the peleton. My chances of getting back to the “kop” were over and the peleton which was now down to about 30 riders were pulled out after 120ks. Bit of a bummer but c` est la vie hey !!
Next was yet another Pro Kermess at Lede. Last year I really struggled in these races and lacked a bit of confidence so I thought it was about time I stuck my neck out and tried to do something. I tried like hell to get in the break and I nearly just made it. 11 guys went away and I was 50 meters behind with one other, I went full gas to get them but failed and ended up suffering in the peleton for another 150ks. Another race another bunch finish!
2 Days later I was on the grid again in The Rudervorde Pro Kermess in western Flanders. For those of you that know how windy it is over there and know how fast Philip Gilbert can ride you can imagine what I was in for. I still wasn’t recovered from my last race at Lede but battered round suffering like hell just thinking of getting some condition for next week. I finished just outside the top 20 and in the money which wasn’t a bad one I suppose.
12 hrs later and I was back pinning my numbers on with bags under my eyes and some sore legs from yesterday. I was at the UCI 1.1 ranked 200km Halle Ingooigem and the pros were there in form ready for there championships on Sunday. I pretty much knew I couldn’t ride a result today with the guys that were there so I tried my best to get in the “kop” at the start. My director told me there was no pressure today and to just enjoy it! He pulled a face and laughed when I told him I didn’t just want to make up the numbers today. I don’t see the point in just riding round and waiting to be shelled at the end. We were having a joke in the neutral zone of the “low standard” of riders in the bunch. Boonen was to my left and Nick Nuyens to the right. Haha. Anyway I thought id try something and attacked as hard as I could after 2ks! Crazy I know but it worked! I was on my own for 5ks then 8 more came across with some big guys like Steph De Jonge of quickstep who has just started the TDF!! We stayed away for 150ks and were on TV for a good 3hrs. When the group caught us there were 9 lotto’s on the front riding far too fast in the crosswinds for me to do anything about getting on. I had a crack and lasted 2ks before I called it a day and got off. My work was done for the day! A pat on the back from the team and a good day at the office for me!
After I finished the race I found out the news of the National being cancelled. Obviously I was really frustrated and disappointed, mainly because id spent a whole month racing tired and forgetting about the end result just thinking about my condition, but what could be done. Half the country was under water so it was to be expected really.
So instead of getting down and getting annoyed I stayed focused and tried to use my form, which was starting to come really good. I headed to Bladel in Holland where I got my Eerst overwinning dit jaar (first win of the year) My legs felt awesome and I knew after 2 laps that I was in with a good chance. There were guys attacking in the wind and I could ride across comfortably. I waited as long as I could help and rode flat out across to a group of 10 that had just broken away. I went straight to the front and drove it hard far a good few k`s to make sure it had a good chance of going. Lucky for me the peleton didn’t react and we quickly gained a minute. I was feeling good so sprinted for a few primes to see who was sprinting well. It turned out to be me as I won every prime by a fair margin. So the last lap came and I was hungry to get my hands in the air for the first time in a long time. So I followed everything and gambled for the sprint. I hit it flat out with 25o to go out of the last corner, took a quick look under my arms and got them up in the air to take my first win this year.
Im told once you win once you win a lot. So im hoping this saying is true! I missed the feeling of winning, but now its back and im hungry as ever!!
Ps. All rosters and selections for races in July are Posted on my teams website
Chow
Matt
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# posted by matt8195 @ Friday, July 06, 2007
