|
|
Superprestige
Hamme-Zogge
in
Zogge, Belgium.
|
|
 |
| Bedankt to the photographers and supporters who brave the early morning racing! |
|
 |
| The Belgians never cease to amaze me with what they do with just a flat field - great circuit. |
|
 |
| It is always more fun in the middle. |
|
|
|
|
| I came out to play...me, myself and my legs. The plan was a peak for the Czech World Cups which was a massive fail because the sickness threw a Royal wrench onto any legs I had. Reassessment with my coach Russ meant that it was time to really go to work. That work began through Koppenberg and Zonhoven and with the pain in my arse from Zonhoven I was able to take a bit of mind off the pain we were wreaking in my legs.
There were 2 races on the calendar this weekend, Niel on Saturday and Hamme-Zogge Superprestige on Sunday. Admittedly I should have chosen the race in Niel because the organizers show the women more respect with start time and telly coverage, but one thing I learned last year is not to overlook the overall plan. Last year I probably would have been gung-ho to race both but I am learning I need to be more selective, I need to stick with the master plan and I need to remember there are times when training needs to take priority over racing. So I had another early morning race in Zogge with only the truest & dearest of supporters watching, cheering and photographing because the men did not put on their show until hours later.
My race got off to a bad start. The start straight isn't very long before it turns hard left into a narrowing passage between two buildings. I was boxed in so when the snake of riders starting weaving through the course and the speeds grew faster, I was caught behind some slow cornering and gaps began to open. My fault though - through less than stellar World Cups at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, my points are in shambles and no longer do I enjoy front row call-ups...which doesn't help with my start woes! Hey-ho, it meant I was moving forward the entire race which is much better than moving backwards.
Considering the difficult week I had leading into Sunday I took to the start line without expectations and pleasantly surprised myself. Maybe I was just happy to not be simply and somewhat mindlessly staring with bleeding eyes at numbers on my SRM box and battering myself into oblivion. (Bless the SRM) After all I am always happier flogging myself with the aid of other people and with people watching than all by my lonesome. Either way, although an 8th place result is not fantastic, I had a solid race and I can tell the form is getting better. And that feeling - the feeling of progress, growing stronger, faster, fitter is one of the greatest feelings in the world. It is absolutely a welcome reward to the hours we as cyclists log in through all sorts of inclement weather. Keep the form coming please.
|
|
|
|
