Jim on a Bike: Racing and Spectating

Being a tad cooked from the stage race last w/e it was decided that I would have an easy w/e and do a 120km u23 Kermese on the saturday, instead of the 170km Uci 1.12 Top comp race on the sunday. Which was nice for a change, as instead of working for others I would have a chance to race for myself. with 14 Laps of an 8.8km course with one fairly short but steep climb, several open sections and 3x 1 and 1/2 foot deep car sized holes in the road and perfect weather conditions 20+ degrees and minimal wind it was bound to be an agressive race.

Our team manager has the philosiphy that it is better to race agressively at the front and blow up than sit at the back of the bunch and survive but do nothing special, because all you can learn sitting in is how to survive survive, but if you are having a crack at the front you learn what it takes to win. so that is what i did. for the first of the three laps i was at the front but quickly realised that it could be done more efficiently and the rest was spent at the front but with my nose out of the wind conserving energy. when the pace lessened with 5 laps to go i took the chance to slip back in the pack and see how the other boys from my team were coping.

Addison the yank had been an early victom of the two massive holes being taken out by a falling rider on lap 2. But Jannes the Canadian was sitting comfotrably near the 2nd half of the field so we let each other know how we were travelling and then worked our way to the front togeather, where Jannes decided it was time to attack, so we were coming to the front with speed from moving up the bunch. I initialy hesitated with my instinct telling me it was too early but ignoring this i attacked off the front with my team mate on my wheel. we opened ap a gap quickly and picked up 2 groups of 2 riders which had been dangling off the front before hitting the climb atop which sat our team manager.

the group of 6 then settled into a nice rythm down the other side but it was short lived, as a lap later our lead was gone and so were my legs, meaning my race was over with 4 laps to go.

Id have to say i was happy with the race as I am improving both my skills at riding in the right position in the bunch as well as my form, id done everything i needed to but had fired my last bullet 2 laps too early, as the winning move went 2 laps later, but bear in mind this was only my 2nd kermese with all my other races being UCI races and a stage race.

Sunday was a chance to relax and it was decided that Jannes, Teemu (who is off the bike with a kee problem) and I would head out the the famous Muur to watch the team race the UCI race. Thankfully it was another perfect day and we got some great pics and even an ice cream at one of the feed zones.

"The Muur, Probably the most Famous Camera Angle/Photo spot in all of Cycling"