Belguim-Classic style August.

At this time of year you can race almost everyday of the week over here. Today I raced, and if I wanted to I could race again tomorrow, only I won't because I have an Osteo appointment tomorrow and it is usually best to rest after getting your back adjusted so as not pull everything back out of place right away.

So... It's August in Southern France, and continuing on from the worst summer we have EVER had here, we took the start of today's totally flat race under rainny conditions. Just to make things worse it was windy as heck too. Looked a lot more like a Belgian early season race than a soutern France August race I can tell you.

Race? in the rain, in August, you're having joke aren't you mate?
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I started the race with arm warmers, knee warners and a jacket. Within a few km I had taken off the rain jacket, and within about 25k I had taken off the knee warmers... Right around then it stopped raining and the wind was so strong that the road dries in no time at all, just in time for the heavens to open up again and soak us. :-(

Sim huffs and puffs at the bordom of going round in circles over an 8km loop in the rain and wind... "Is this thing over yet?"
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Anyway the race didn't go too badly, my plan had been to sit in and get in some training miles, which is exactly what I did. We had 2 guys in the 4 man break up the road and spent most of the time controling the field. Come the finish we put the whole team on the front and drilled it for the last 10km or so and lead out one of our sprinters for 5th place.

Sitting at the back spinning the legs. It was easier than I had anticipated.
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The guys in the break didn't win and so they got yelled at by some of our guys. We could have cought them if we had wanted and maybe had a sprinter win or sent someone else off the front for the win (me?) :-) I felt bad for them. They finished 3rd and 4th but they gave it their all, it's not like they TRIED not to win. Besides.. it was just a flippin' circuit race. Admitedly my team was the organizer so you always like to win your own race.

So there you go... what next? Well rain ALL week.. can you believe that? Crazzy!!!

Around very early september I should be going up north for a big TT. I did it a couple years ago and it was pretty hard. I'll make the most of it to get in a road race the next day as well. Then it will be back down here for a race up the Pic de Nore. Usually a 2 day stage race I'll only be able to do the first day as my team is organizing a 1 day (2 stage) stage race the next day, and I have to go to that, esspecailly as I am Pyrenees Champ. Bit of a shame really, I like the pic de Nore stage race, I won the 1st stage last year and finished 4th I think on stage 2, which put me in 1st or 2nd overall (I don't actually remember)... but I like that sort of race. Kind of like the 2 races I won this past week... Uphill mountain finishes seem to suit me this year.

Well, until next time...