“La Coeur de Bretagne” at Malestriot – 3rd July 2011 - (130kms)

A slightly long blog this time, but then, so was the race!

08:40: To tell you the truth I was just a little nervous as I lined up for the start of another broiling hot day in the rolling hills of the Morbihan. I felt decidedly under prepared for this race.

Since completing winter training my rides this season have largely been limited to the 70-to-90 kilometer mark. Admittedly, my training and racing speeds have been higher, but as I waited at the starting line I didn’t know whether this would stand me in good stead for a 4-hour undulating ride; time would tell.  

About 150 riders lined up for the start, somewhat fewer than the 200-odd that started in 2011. Another change was the 20kph speed restriction that was put in place for the first 5 kms; a safety feature installed to protect us from all the street furniture that littered the roads throughout Malestroit. This suited me, and allowed me plenty of time to warm up properly before the start of the climbs on the first circuit.

Circuit 1 (48kms): A few long slow climbs, a couple of sharp bumps, fast descents but nothing too serious.

When the lead car and safety-motorbikes eventually pulled away to allow the real racing to begin I felt strong. The main group stayed together for about 20kms until a detachment of strong men (including my mate Andy Shaw) pulled away on one of the long uphill drags towards the brewery town of Le Roc St-André. I worked hard and, to my surprise, managed to remain in the middle of the second 30-strong group.

By the time we completed the first circuit and found ourselves back in Malestroit to start the second circuit our average speed had clicked up to over 34kph; not bad considering the earlier speed restriction. This shows the advantage of being able to stay with a pack. I was pleased at my progress and still felt quite. There were only two things of concern during Circuit 1.

The first was a couple on a tandem that kept being dropped on the climbs and then overtaking us on the flats and descents. That wasn’t too much of a problem, but they kept cutting me up as they overtook me. The ‘Captain’ (the guy on front, the one in control), obviously didn’t realized that he needed to give more room before cutting back onto his racing line. Unfortunately I don’t have enough French to get my point across without using hand signals (if you see what I mean), so I decided to keep my council, and my hands on the bars.   

The second thing was the sharp little climb into the village of Caro. I regularly train on this part of the course so I knew that the preceding descent was fast and a little technical (twisty). I managed to get to the front of the bunch and attack the hill to give myself the chance of staying with the group. I knew I’d be caught before the top and that’s exactly what happened.

However, as we swept through the village at the top of the climb I had managed to stay with the group; success. My quads were on fire as we sped through the villange and onwards into the countryside, but I recovered over the following few kilometers by staying at the back of the group and doing almost no work. I like it when a plan comes together, (I don’t know who said that first[1], but it’s true).

Circuit 2 (50kms): Gently undulating and quite fast.

This was the long, fast circuit, identical to the 2010 race. We motored along and our average speed ramped up above 36kph. Nothing of note happened until were caught by the leaders of the 98kms race a couple of kilometers before the race split onto the 130kms circuit. They had started about 15 minutes after us and were motoring.

Surprisingly, as they reached us, it gave me a real boost because I was able to measure my progress from last year. There were a couple of reasons for the uplift in my spirits.

Firstly, when they joined us our group doubled in size and our speed immediately increased. Secondly, in the 2010 race, I had been caught by the 98kms leaders a hell of a lot earlier than this, confirming that I was riding so much better, and what’s more, I still felt really strong. I was riding well within myself and felt confident of being able to put the hard miles in towards the end of the race.

All too soon though, the bifurcation of the route arrived and the 98kms riders turned off to the left while my group turned right onto the final loop of the course.

Circuit 3 (32kms): Fast, undulating and, the return of an old ‘friend’. 

This is where the organizers changed the route from 2010. They more or less reversed the loop from last year and added a nice little surprise 15kms from the finish.

We rode through the pretty villages of Treal and Reminia and I was able to keep towards the head of the group, covering any potential breaks and looking forward to the sprint finish. How’s that for optimism, eh? Then the course took a sharp left up a hill and a road sign told me we were 5kms from, yes, you guessed it, Caro.

We were on our way back to bloody Caro again!

The race organizers, acting out of a particular form of sadism had included a second bite of the Caro cherry; the ‘friend’ mentioned in the section heading! I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach.

As we approached the descent before the climb I tried to attack again as I had on the first Circuit, but this time I simply didn’t have the strength to break to the front of the group. I tried, but there was just no real strength left in my legs and by the time I crested the hill into the village I was well off the back of the bunch. My hopes of a grand sprint finish were shattered, as were my poor old quads; on fire again. With fifteen kilometers to go I was on my own; just like old times really.

This year though, I am stronger so I buckled down and punched the pedals. Before long I actually had a couple of stragglers from my splintered group in my sights. This spurred me to make a greater effort and I actually managed to pass half a dozen riders on my way to the finish. I can take some solace in that, but I am still disappointed in failing to keep with the group.

Falling back like that probably cost me about 20 places and about 5 minutes. Such is the help you get when riding with a bunch. Hey ho!

Round up: Position: 107^th (out of 134 finishers) - Time: 3:43:32 - Average speed: 34.9kph (official).

Compared with last year’s race this was a real success for me despite the hill-climbing blunder. I was faster, placed higher and if you do a little bit of ‘Top Gear Maths’ (the winner’s time was 9 minutes slower than 2010), I was some 18 minutes faster than last year, and the weather conditions were about the same!

Reasons to be cheerful then!    

No race next weekend, but the dreaded sportive, ‘La Ange Roussell’ in Remungol is coming up on the 24^th July – my nemisis! (See last year’s blog for reference).

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[1] Hannibal from the ‘A’ Team – Ah, the memories of a misspent youth - Ed 

Chateaugiron – ‘La Marc Gomez’– 14th May 2011 – 100kms Cyclo-Sportive

Chateaugiron is another pretty place southeast of Rennes. Club-mates, Daniel Dunot, Yves Oger, Ian Cushway and I arrived in plenty of time for the 09:15hrs start. I’d had to set the alarm for 05:30 in order to meet the team car – yuck! A moderate easterly wind lowered the temperature considerably and I shivered a little in the weak morning sun.

Start:  Interestingly, there was a speed restriction of 30kph imposed for the first 30 kms of the course. This safety feature created a few problems as the 300 or so riders remained tightly bunched together on narrow roads that wound through small towns and villages. Every so often the group had to split quickly to avoid an island or roundabout. We had to brake hard every few minutes as the bunch concertinaed together, then sprint hard after the obstacles were passed. It was quite scary at times, and I could see a number of riders shaking and flexing their hands to ward off the cramp caused by the constant braking.

Released:  At 30 kms the lead car finally pulled far enough away for the racing to begin.  There was one benefit of the speed restriction tough - we were all well warmed up by this stage and the speed ramped up quickly.

We rolled along on lovely country roads winding through woods and villages at a good speed. I had to work hard, but by 55 kms I was still with the main bunch and feeling pretty strong. I could see the damnable orange flash on Ian’s bike helmet just ahead of me; I was determined to stay in contact with him for as long as I could.

I was finally dropped on a long drag at about 65kms. I tried my best, but my quads were on fire by the top of the climb and I simply had to ease off. I found myself in the second group of twenty or so riders, including Yves. We worked hard for the next few kilometres trying to reattach to the leaders, each taking turns on the front, but we were just not strong enough to catch them.

Yves and I took our turns at the head of the group and our average speed crept up as we tried to maintain the pressure. In a worrying moment I fell back on a hill at 85 kms, but Yves passed me and called for me to follow him. I managed to catch his wheel and he dragged me back the group. It was touch and go though, and I only just made it in time for a long recuperative descent.

I don’t quite know where it happened, but after 95 kms Yves was no longer with us, somewhere along the run in to home he had dropped off the group; fatigue and the lack of training miles had taken its toll. Yves is a busy man these days; a young family and running a large business enterprise leaves him very little time to train.

Wrap-up: I managed to attack and pass a few riders on the uphill sprint into finish which pleased me no end. As ‘La Marc Gomez’ is a charity sportive and not an actual race, the organisers haven't published the results so I don’t know my actual finishing position. As for our team times:

Ian Cushway - 3:01:30 (34kph) – Finished with the leaders and was almost certainly inside the top twenty – an excellent result from this strong-man (who cut his cycling teeth on Time-Trials in the UK).

Old Fart – 3:08:00 (33kph) – Quite happy with this result. The course was undulating and predominantly flat, no monster hills, but the wind was tricky in places. I probably finished in the top fifty.

Yves Oger : 3:12:30 – a good effort but his lack of training showed during the latter stages.

Daniel Dunot: He came in some time after us – he deserves an honourable mention for cheerfully driving us there and back in the club car. Merci Daniel.