July 2024 🇧🇪

It was only a short trip to Belgium but it was great fun. I couldn’t get the Sunday off work so we didn’t arrive till late Sunday evening and then I was home again Tuesday evening, but it worked out really well and I’m hoping to do this again soon 

Monday 1.12b ZOTTEGEM-STRIJPEN

Tuesday 1.12b WESTKAPELLE

Mondays race had a great start list for a Monday 120 riders started ! It’s been a while since I’d raced in Belgium so wasn’t sure what to expect.  Not knowing any of the riders &  who to follow I went in the first attack of the day and stayed off the front with  different riders through out the whole race.

It was hotter than I expected & the course wasn’t flat and I was a bit unprepared with the amount of bottles needed, thankfully UK team Project 1 were also racing and really helped me out with some extra bottles which were really appreciated 🥵 🙏 

the breakaway front group I was in split up quite a bit on the last couple laps, but we had quite a gap to the peloton so I kept pushing to the finish and held them off.

Crossed the line 11th and 5th U23

I was pleased with that and enjoyed it so much

Tuesday was a very different race, flat, open and exposed so plenty of cross winds. I thought I was prepared with loads of bottles, only to arrived early to pre ride and it started raining and the temperature dropped. 

I didn’t bring my jacket so we opted to drive the course (in the wrong direction 😂) and then warm up on the rollers. 

A team with numbers attacked from the gun and I got caught in between the slit, the cross winds were strong, thinking it probably wouldn’t stay away and trying not to waste energy I regrouped with main peloton. I  actually felt better this day than than the first day even though the result doesn’t show it.  I pulled hard and worked well with a few to pull back time on the break, we got so close several times to bringing them back but there wasn’t enough riders willing to do this.  It was a bit frustrating but made it good training, several heavy downpours also made the racing tough but also fun, riders were dropping off the main group each lap. 

We were also catching riders that were dropping from the breakaway each lap and they were even all in sight a few times, it wasn’t to be and we didn’t quite make the catch, 15 seconds to the breakaway, finished 20th and 5th under 23 

It stopped raining and nearly dried up for the finish, typical.  Despite the expression ( 💤 ) I loved it 

can’t wait to go back soon