Northern Races

On this first weekend in September, John and I drove up to northern France for 2 TTs and a road race. We drove over 5 hours on Sat to a TT. The TTs were what I was most interested in. On Sat I was 12th on the 22k TT. It was very very hot, and on a hilly course. The TV was out there filming, so that was interesting. I averaged 43kph and put in a reasonable time. We then got back in the car and drove another 3 hours to spend the night with some friends of ours near the Nantes area.
Next morning we were up very early to drive about 1.5 hours to a stage race in Cholet. We did a TT in the morning, once again this was my main aim for the day, I didn’t really care much about the road race. I put in a fairly good time, and average 44kph on the 9k TT, however the time gaps were very tight, and it was only good enough for 31st place. I guess it was in the top 3rd of the peleton, but I was quite disappointed. Then we had some food and got on the bikes for the second stage of the race; a 112 km road race. Things started off fairly well, John and I seemed to ride quite well, and we both stayed near the front. I was pretty tired after my two TTs, and luckily for me (I thought) those northern boys don’t climb quite as fast as our Pyrenean riders. Still we hit a hill at the half-way point of the race, the race got strung out and that was the end of the race for me. John was just able to hang on long enough for the pace to settle down a bit, and then he rode a great race. He was in a group of about 7 or so, he looked strong and had a good ride to finish somewhere in the top 40.
Then it was back into the car to drive back to our friends’ place, spend the night, then have to most boring drive ever all the way back home in the driving rain.

BY JOHN PARKS

I hope things are going good, and that everyone at the shop is doing well. As I had expected, this trip has turned out to be anything but a vacation. It is very clear however that coming will be worth every penny both in experience and in fitness training. Sim and I are living a cyclist life in its truest form by training every day, eating lots of pasta, and driving all over the country to race on the weekends. Last weekend we drove seven hours up to northern France for a 22k TT on Saturday and a two stage race on Sunday which included an 8k TT in the morning, a 112 road race in the afternoon, and two speeding tickets. Unlike Sim, I was not extremely interested in the time trials, but focused more on doing well in the road race.
Things operate quite a bit different over here when it comes to races in many ways. One example of this is that categories really don?t mean a whole lot over here. In many of the races, riders are simply grouped together so beginners can be racing against riders who were pro the previous year as well as juniors. This however does not make the race any slower or any less aggressive.
The Saturday TT was impressive in that it had the full production to include a covered start house and ramp, an announcer that introduced each rider and called out times as they crossed the finish line, and team cars to follow each rider on the course. A TV crew was also on hand to film a few of the starts including mine for local broadcast. The officials asked me questions while I was waiting in the start house but after I told them I didn?t speak French, all they did was make gestures and laugh. What are the odds they were saying something derogatory. The Sunday TT was not quite as elaborate but was still beyond what we are used to in the states. I didn’t give great performances in either event nor was I trying to so I couldn’t really judge my fitness with the other riders, but Sim seemed to do fairly well. The road race was another story.
Those boys were fast!
After we rolled out of the town and crossed the official start line, several riders attacked and from that point on, there was either someone attacking, or group of people off the front. Halfway through, the race got strung out over the top of a small climb and for many riders including Sim that was all it took to put them off the back. At some point during the race I looked down at my flight deck and saw that I was going twenty-five mph, up a hill, and it was still below the average speed for the race. I can?t recall the last time I had to work so hard just to stay in a race. I cannot stress enough how fast and aggressive these guys are. The racecourse had us come back into town, then make eight loops around the town. The weather was hot and I was running out of water, so luckily as we came back through town, Sim was there to hand me a couple bottles or I would not have finished for sure. In true form, I felt better as the race went on and by the end felt quite strong but by then the race had already been won by two team mates who crossed the line hand in hand, several minutes before my group reached the finish. Eighty some riders started the race, about fifty finished and I crossed the line somewhere in the mid thirties felling quite pleased with my performance given the sircumstances.
Another hard weekend starts tomorrow with a 90k road race in the Pyrenees that includes two col?s, and a 20k mass start hill climb on Sunday. Other than that, everything else has been great. We went over to a town close to use today and saw a stage finish of the Tour de Lavenier, which was impressive. Americans are representing pretty well this year.