For the first time in two months I’m back in the UK. Back to Essex. I’m back for this Sundays East Midlands Cicle Classic/Rutland Melton and with the form I’ve built over the last couple of months in Belgium I am going into the race with great optimism.
Having spent three years at Loughborough University (just down the road) and thrown myself into the break in what was my first attempt at doing the race in 2008, it’s a race I am looking to go well for this time around.
Two months of hard, fast Belgium Kermesse racing certainly isnt going to do any harm, as I look to pull something out of the bag in my first race in the UK in 2010. Today I hit some of my old running trails at a place called ‘One Tree Hill’ in preparation for the race. Nice to get back up there, albeit on two wheels now.
The last couple of weeks in Belgium have been as usual busy with races.
The weather’s been good too and extra kms have been put in riding to and/or from races.
Also a friend and fellow British rider Jon Mozley has been over (visiting his girlfriend I must add, who’s been staying in the same appartment) but it has also meant we have been able to have some fun in the races and training showing him some of the bergs.
The races have been full of attacking riding again, but some have also allowed me to try some different tactics out and work on different things. This was something I was told before coming out to Belgium as there are so many races use some of them for different purposes, for training, etc.
In Wevelgem – Wijnberg I took the bunch kick (although not for the win) but nevertheless it was good practice on getting the run-in right and finishing it off perfectly.
This was followed up most recently in Merelbeke hitting the front of the bunch over the couple of kms and providing a long lead out only to be passed 25 meters from the line – by Mr Mozley, and a few others. Good practice in both races!
Also of course I’ve been riding aggressively at the front end of the races from the off. Outer Kermesse was full of ups and downs.
I made the break and took a prime only to be pulled back after around 80kms. After missing out on the next splits I jumped away from the peleton on the final lap for 18th.
Then on the way home from the race the wheel rack on the van broke off, for us only to realise once we made it back to Oudenaarde.
Result; I lost my front Mavic Cosmic Carbone Sl front wheel. Damn!
As mentioned before the Belgians like to attack from the gun and in Bever I decided to join in with the fun again.
From that moment on I was in just about every move that went off the front and was to put the attack in that formed the final split.
Most tried their luck at going for solo glory – me included – but it would come back together by the line. I ended up 9th but had a strong showing at the front.
As I was riding with my Powertap Powermeter I thought you might be interested in seeing some figures from a kermesse where I had been attacking from the off.
The average speed of the 114km race was 43.02km/hr. My average power was 300w with a normalized power of 333w and an average heart rate of 174 bpm.
So many figures I could list but hopefully even these few give a picture of what its like when you are getting in the moves and going for the win in a Belgium Kermesse. In future blog posts I will be sure to publish more figures. Add a comment if there’s anything specific you’d like to know!
Until next time…
