Annemasse-Bellegarde

I was really hoping to have a good result in this race I had some really good weeks training leading up to this and the team also did a course recon the Wednesday before, and after also racing it last year I knew the course really well, its 180km long with the first 50km undulating and the last 130 has 4 main climbs with the last one being the hardest at about 6 or7 km long but the top is 25km from the finish. Also this race is one of the oldest ameture races in France so its a pretty big thing for the frenchies, there were 160starters.
For the first 50km I made sure I was at the front as there was a bit of wind and I wanted to stay out of trouble. The peloton pretty much stayed together most of the time but I was always following attacks on all the climbs and feeling good, but I think there was a slight headwind most of the time which made it hard for any groups to stay away. On one of the hardest climbs at 100km I got away 3 other guys and we were all pulling really hard but we got pulled back just after the decent. The group then stayed together till the final climb which was pretty bizarre for an ameture race in France for no group to get away earlier especially on a hard course.
Up the final climb I was starting to feel it a bit, I had no problem staying at the front but when 2 guys got away I wasn't quite good enough to go with them so over the top I was with a group of 15-20just behind the 2 in front. On the decent a few people managed to make it back to our group but we never managed to catch the 2 out front and they stayed away till the end. I finished in the group behind of about 40. I finished 33rd.
Pretty guttered the race wasnt harder during the middle section where i thought a group would get away so I spent a lot of energy attacking and following all the best guys.. didnt quite go to plan but owell thats racing and on the bright side I was feeling really strong.