The race was on a small circuit of 2.5km that we did 40 times, and had a 500m hill that snaked through some forest.
It didnt seem like so much when you rode around it but after 40 times up it definitely took its toll, adding up to just under 1000m total elevation by the end. The race had about 60 odd starters so not a huge field but had some half decent riders there with one guy who has just got a stagiaire with AG2R.
For the first 10 laps I honestly felt like I wanted to pull out, the pace was really fast and I was feeling awful. I think it was because the race started quite late at 4pm and I wasnt warmed up properly. After the first 10 laps I started coming right and could lay down a few attacks. On the 16th lap I managed to get into a break away of 8 with 3 riders of the same team and I was the only one from my team. So this meant I was able to sit back a little and not do so much work. We managed to keep the gap to the peloton at about 40 seconds for most the race. At 10 laps to go the gap shot out as the peloton split up behind.
With 4 laps to go 1 guy from the break attacked on the hill and got away by himself, which was a good situation for me as it forced the team with 3 riders to do the work to bring him back. The next time up the hill when we were just about to catch the front guy I followed an attack of another rider and we bridged across to the front with one other, so we were 4 in the front. It stayed like this until the last time up the hill and one guy attacked right at the bottom which was easy to follow and about 100m from the top I launched my attack and managed to get away by myself. I pushed on to the end to win by a handful of seconds!
here are some articles on the race also
http://www.lejsl.com/sport-local/2011/08/10/un-kiwi-gagne-a-st-sernin
http://www.creusot-infos.com/article.php?sid=29609&mode=&order=0
http://www.creusot-infos.com/article.php?sid=29610&mode=&order=0
I havnt just been doing nothing the last month I have actually been quite busy so I havnt had the chance to write on here. Basically I think I will just try sum up what I have done.
I have had Brad Tilby practically living with me. He came down for the Tour de France then went to Italy for a few weeks. Its good to have someone to train with and I think for him it was a good chance to get away from the rain that Holland has been having. We have done some epic rides in the mountains around Lyon.
I have also done 10 other days of racing so a quick summary......
On Thursday the 21st I had Nocturne d’Albertville a night time criterium, where our team dominated. We had 4 of us in the break and we took 1st 2nd 3rd and 6th(I was 6th) and we also won almost every sprint preme so we ended up with about 300 euro each by the end of the night.
After that I had my parents arrive on the 24th of July and they stayed with me for 2 days before coming to watch me do a 5 day tour(I will write more about this in a later blog I dont wanna make this one to long). I was 28th in this tour.
I had another race 2 days after the tour where I pulled out....still a bit tired from the tour.
I had a race on the 7th that Brad also came to watch, and I was 12th in this race and I won heaps of wine, 5 bottles. Unfortunately I don't like wine.
And yea I think thats about it for me. Form is good
Thanks for reading
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