Penvins En Sarzeau - 1st May 2011

Penvins En Sarzeau – 1^st May 2011 – 13 x 4.3km Laps

This will surprise my regular readers – a short(ish) blog!  

Photo (Left to right): Cedric Brule; Jean Bernard Leblay; Old Fart

Start:  As promised this was a fast, fairly flat, anti-clockwise seaside course (a ‘Links’ even). A sharp left-hand turn near the start was a little tricky, and caught one rider out towards the end of the race. The middle bit was straight but the surface was lumpy and another left-hander took us onto a long, smooth uphill drag. At 3 kilometres a 270˚ turn at a roundabout pointed us towards a moderate uphill climb into the finish.  Mercifully, the coastal winds were light and only a single shower dampened our spirits during the race.

A bunch of six riders managed to break away from the pack and, despite the fast start, I managed to stay attached to the main chasing group. Our club secretary and former Morbihan sprint champion, Eric Coué, was also with us.

During the race Eric attacked from time to time. His sharp sprints were punishing, but he was never quite able to jump the gap to the leaders who remained resolutely 150 meters ahead.

Accident: Round about lap nine our group suddenly sped up; someone had decided to put the hammer down in a concerted effort to catch the leaders. I dug deep, desperate to stay with the group; I wasn’t going to be dropped this close to the end.

Up front, a couple of riders must have had a ‘coming together’ because two competitors took each other down in a flurry of arms and legs and shouts of warning and pain. I saw the debris late and only just managed to avoid the carnage. I actually rode over a jettisoned water bottle which was really scary!  

Eric skilfully avoided the fallen riders and encouraged me to latch onto his wheel; this way I managed to stay with the pack.

Finish: After the spill, my group settled down a little, and I found it quite easy to stay with the bunch until the end. I even took my regular turn at the front, not wanting to be accused of having a free ride.

On the last lap I even thought about attacking, but I bottled it. I had the chance after the final roundabout but as I considered my move I was swallowed up by the group and lost my opportunity. I regret not having a go now, but there's always next time. I did howeve manage to stick with the bunch in a sprint for the line. 


Positives:  We averaged 38.8 kph (my fastest average speed ever) and I contested the bunch sprint at the end to come 13th. I cannot tell you how pleased I was with my result. 

Wrap-up: “Merci Eric for taking care of me during the accident. Your experience was very helpful.”  
Honourable mentions must go to the other two Taupont Cyclisme riders who competed in the D1/D2 class: Cederic Brule (20th) and Jean Bernard LeBlay (24th). 

Results: The D3/D4 winner finished in a time of 1:26:05, Eric Coue finished at the head of our group in 7th place in a time of 1:26:35. As I finished with the main bunch I was given the same time as Eric.  

Race Stats:
Total distance: 56 kms
Average Speed: 38.8kph (24.3mph)
Time:  01:26:35

Finishing Position:  13^th (D3/D4), of 20 finishers

Next race: Lizio – 8^th May. 

Post Script: Congratulations go to Charlie Cuswhay for another excellent podium finish today (3^rd place). Max Cushway also maintained his fine form finishing 6^th. Both competed in big fields and on a tough course near Pontivy. 

Guilliers - Pass Cyclisme - 24th April 2011

Guilliers – 24^th April 2011 - 17x 3.6km Laps

Due to road works in the heart of our village the route had to be changed from last year. The course still passed by my house, but this time going downhill; a distinct preference of mine. The laps are shorter too, but there are more of them of course; seventeen this year as opposed to eight last time around.

Photo (Left to Right): Old Fart; club professional, Christphe Laborie; LoÏc Guimard, club-mate and main race sponsor, Yves Oger; (photo courtesy of Eric Coue). 


Pre-race: The only other Taupont Cyclisme rider to enter the Pass Cyclisme race was my friend and occasional training partner, LoÏc Guimard. Guilliers was LoÏc’s first race of the season.

LoÏc is a much younger and stronger rider than me, but he has a young family and a real job so cannot spare as much time to train as I can. Nonetheless, as we lined up together at the start I did not expect to see him again until the end of the race.

It was sunny and warm but a stiff headwind on the uphill leg of each lap significantly reduced our average speed and made the race tougher than it could have been.

Sstart: As only nine D3 and D4 riders had pre-booked their entry, the organisers eschewed the two race format and we all set off together at 14:15 sharp; and Ye Gods, the start was fast!

The D1s and D2s went off like frightened hares and I soon found myself hurting just to stay at the tail of the group.

The first 1.5 kms took in a short flat followed by a fast downhill. We passed my house and reached  a speed of over 50 kph before turning left into a quick ‘S’ shaped chicane. Truth be told it, was quite a technical turn and a bit scary that speed when you’re in a group and you are a bit of a novice. The course continued onto the undulating fast middle section. At 2.5 kms we turned left into a stiff northerly wind and continued on uphill before turning right for the 500 meter uphill drag to the finish line. ‘Strewth, it was tough!  

The early laps: To my great surprise I managed to stay in a group of six riders for the early laps. One of the riders was LoÏc!

During the first 6 laps I had to work like stink to stay with the group, especially on the uphill drag. However, the psychological lift I gained from being able to stick with LoÏc gave me the confidence I needed to tough it out through to the end of the race.

There was one scary moment at about lap eight.

My group had been whittled down to five, and including a young woman from the Malestroit Cycling Club. We had been working as a team for the previous couple of laps; taking turns at the front, (well, more-or-less). When we arrived at the chicane, going really fast, the woman changed her line and edged me towards the verge. I had to brake sharply to avoid a spill and quickly lost contact with the back of the group. Merde - (as they say in this neck of the woods).

Normally, I’d have struggled at this point, but I was so angry that I dug deep and sprinted to catch up. I think I actually growled aloud at one stage but it did the trick! Within about 500 metres I managed to reattach to the group. It really hurt and my quads were screaming by the time I regrouped, but I was able to recover during the next climb into the finish.

Middle bit: By lap 10 we were caught by the leaders. This was where LoÏc and I separated for the first time. He managed to jump into the middle of the pack on the fast downhill stage and I though de was away. The leaders began to edge away from my group.  I dug in again and, miraculously managed to catch up; the power of the mind eh?

By the time the leaders had dropped us half a lap later, LoÏc and I were back together again. This time though there were only the two of us left in our little posse; we had dropped the others during our short stint with the ‘big boys’.

Finish: The rest of the race is pretty unremarkable really. LoÏc and I worked together, taking turns at the lead until the final section when LoÏc beat me in a desultory sprint to the line. Truth be told I didn’t have the strength to do anything more than crawl over the finish line, exhausted.

Result: Out of 51 starters, LoÏc finished 33^rd overall. I was 34^th and 38 completed the course.

Positives: I didn’t finish last! I managed to stay with a group; I even managed to reattach when dropped almost like a real cyclist! I call that a success (at least in my pitiful terms).

Wrap-up: All I can say is, “Merci LoÏc! Without you to hang on to I would have really struggled.”

Race Stats:

Total distance: 72 kms 
Time: 02:15 (approx.)
Average speed: 32kph (20mph)

Next race: Penvins en Sarzeau – 1^st May. 

Post Script: A word of thanks to my good friends - the families Cushway and Shaw. They turned up after watching Charlie and Max Cushway race at St Maugan to cheer us on.

I would also like to congratulate Charlie on his 1^st place and Max on his 3^rd place. Both lads are excellent prospects for the future of our wonderful sport. 

Bignan - 17th April 2011

Bignan – 17^th April 2011 - 9x 7km Laps

Bignan is a small town about 30 minutes south of us. The race start line is half-way up a ruddy steep hill but the rest of the course is fairly flat with four sharp right-had turns. The road surface is pretty good but there is a short stretch at about 5 kms that is a little lumpy and badly patched.

(Picture courtesy of Eric Coué, Club Taupont Cyclisme)

Power to the people: There was a slight kerfuffle at the start; and a good indication of the "French Way". The organisers originally intended to start us all off together but an angry French voice at the rear of the awaiting pack (it wasn’t me, I swear), shouted out that the race had been advertised as a dual start. It was supposed to be the same setup as the Brandivy race (see earlier blog).  The race announcer gave the archetypical Gallic shoulder-shrug and said (something like), “If you want two races, that’s no problem!” 

I love the French; pragmatists to a man.

The reformatted race started bang on 14:30 with the D1/2 group away first. I went off a couple of minutes later with the rest of the D3/4s; including the powerful Englishman Bob Jones who had finished third at Brandivy.

The early laps: After the big climb at the start there was a wonderful non-technical downhill stretch through the town where we reached speeds in excess of 60 kph. The middle third of the course was gently undulating, a little uneven, and into a moderate headwind. At about 6 kms the route turned back towards Bignan and a sharp right turn pointed us to the foot of the horrible climb up to the finish.

I stayed with the group and managed to keep to the front of the pack when we reached the foot of the big climb as per the grand plan. Interestingly, the pack took it easy on the climb and I found no difficulty keeping with the group.

I managed to stay with them, but I was finding it a bit of a struggle at about the half way point after we turned sharply right and hit a long uphill stretch into the wind. It was at this place on lap three that the elastic snapped and I just lost contact. I tried damned hard and I dug deep but I could not stay in touch. I could feel the presence of some riders behind me and waited for them to overtake so I could use them to help pull me back to the fast-disappearing group. 

The trouble was they did not pass! They just hung on to my back wheel and let me do all the work until we were well and truly dropped. It turned out that there were just two of them sucking my wheel. 

Before the next monster climb one guy, whose name I later learned was Eric, pulled alongside and suggested we took it easy up the hill and then work together for the rest of the race. I quickly agreed to this. To be absolutely honest I was happy to have some company for the next 6 laps, as you know, I'm normally alone by this stage. 

Dropped: The three of us worked together as a team. Each taking short turns on front until we reached the bottom of the hill again. Even though we took it steady on the climb, Eric and I soon dropped the other guy. By the time we had crested the hill the other fellow was gone. Imagine that, I’d actually broken someone during a hill climb! Will wonders never cease?

Lapped: Eric and I continued to work together until lap 6 when we were overtaken by the leaders of the D1/2 race. We were then swallowed up by the main group of that race shortly afterwards and I found it quite easy to stay with them until the penultimate lap. They dropped Eric and me at the same stage as I’d been dropped by my race group. Damnit!

The next time we passed the line the race-timer rang a bell; we had started the final lap. I was on the final lap, and what's more, I had company!

Eric and I finished the lap working together. Towards the end Eric said he wouldn’t work on the finish climb; he'd give me the honour as thanks for my having done so much of the work. I accepted the offer, but still drove hard for the line,  in case he tried to beat me in – he didn’t.

Finished: I felt great; I had managed to stay away from my group and I had not finished last! 

Then the other shoe dropped.

A group came in at the gallop and finished with a big sprint to the line. Realisation dawned. It turned out that Eric was a category D2. He had caught me up after starting with the first race. I still had another lap to do! B*gger it!

Off again: I completed the second ‘final’ lap and won a sympathetic round of applause at the finish line. Evidently Eric had told some of his mates about my cock-up and some of the crown seemed to admired my honesty, if not my actual ability!

I really must learn to count my laps while I race. 

Positives: I wasn’t lapped by my group and I take some comfort in that fact. In fact I've just realised Goal 2 has already been reached. I managed to work hard with the help of Eric and the course was tougher than the one at Brandivy. I also met up with Bob Jones after the race and had a beer and a pleasant post-race chat. Bob managed a very impressive third place.

Wrap-up:

This was a longer course than Brandivy, so I had a much better chance of staying away from the pack. Despite everything I think I did quite well considering my perpetual handicap, (me).

Next week it’s my home race at Guilliers. Due to road works in the village, the organisers have had to shorten the route, which means 15 or 16 times up the long hill outside my house as opposed to the 8 times I climbed it last year! Oooo errr!

Race Stats:

Total distance: 65.5 kms (41 miles)

Time: 02:00:05

Average Speed: 32.99 kph (20.5 mph).

Next race: Guilliers 24th April. 

Brandivy - Post Script.....

Post-script to Brandivy: Following an in-depth discussion with my coaching team (Ian and Emma Cushway and Jan), on the Tuesday after the Brandivy race, I have changed my race plans. 

I have decided to enter a load more Pass Cyclisme races this year than originally planned. The aim is to use them as intensive training rides and see where that takes me. I have also reset my goals for the year: 

Goal 1: Stay with and finish with a group – any group.

Goal 2: Avoid being lapped during a race. 

Let's see what happens. 

During our meeting Emma mentioned something about, “The Law of averages....”, but I’ll gloss over that bit.....

First Race of 2011

Brandivy – 10^th April 2011 - 16 x 4.36km Laps

Brandivy is a tiny village about half an hour south-west of us. The course is fast but not too technical.

15:30 hrs - two races:

Pass’Cyclisme is divided into four groups D1 to D4 (D1 being strongest and D4 weakest). At Brandivy Groups D1 & D2 were sent off first to complete 17 laps. Groups D3 & D4 set off with its own race car a couple of minutes later and was slated to complete 16 laps of the same course. Ian and I, being beginners, are in Group D4.

D3 & D4 - the early laps:

A little over twenty of us gathered at the start.

The first kilometre is a fast downhill and we soon gathered speeds in excess of 40 kph. A sharp left-hander took us along a narrow, bumpy, undulating and twisty 2 kms stretch before the final kilometre up a moderately steep hill. After that came a short gentle uphill stretch to the Finish. My wife, Jan and the Cushways cheered us on from half-way up the final hill.

The first lap was at a rather modest pace and I felt pretty good but I know my limitations when it comes to hill climbing so I pushed to the front of the group as we arrived at the foot of the final climb of the lap. I was following the recommendation of my coach/mentor/mechanic/mate, Andy Shaw. He said that I should get to the front of the group before the hills. He argued that if I were overtaken I’d at least have a chance to remain in touch by the time I reached the top.

Well, it worked, at first.

I passed Jan and the Cushways in second position and could hear them cheering us along. Ian was right behind me and I was feeling really strong at that point. By the time we crested the top of the hill and rounded the corner to the Finish line I had dropped a few places but was still in the middle of the group.

The next two laps continued the much the same vein but I did find it slightly harder getting to the front before that final climb. My quads began to burn a little during each uphill section but I was able to relax during the downhill stretches and the flat bits so I could recover a little.

Then, at the end of the third lap something went wrong.

As we turned the sharp left-hander towards the finish line my breath caught in my chest. I can’t say exactly what happened, but it was like bile had risen in my throat. I might have missed a gear change or something but my quads started to burn and I found myself a couple of bike lengths adrift of the group as we passed the Finish line. It happened in a flash, a second of inattention and by the time I reached the downhill part of the course the group had pulled inexorably away from me.

Anybody who’s not been in a bike race cannot comprehend how hard it is to reattach to a group once you’ve been dropped. Even a small group of riders can generate 20-30% more speed than a singleton; it’s a physics thing to do with wind resistance, and a psychological thing to do with mood affect. That is why in professional road races the peloton almost always catches the breakaways.

I struggled gamely on, my speed dropping all the time. I was back to riding in my own individual Time-Trial and feeling bloody pissed off with it!

Pre-race plan:

Before the race, I had decided to ride as hard as I could and then call it a day if and when I was lapped. Yeah, I know all of you positive thinkers out there are saying I was setting myself up to fail. However, I am a realist. I know that being pretty much a couch potato between 1997 and 2008 had left me fat and unfit. The sedentary lifestyle had done its damage.

True, I have improved significantly in a year, but I still have a long way to go and I am now pushing 54, an old man by many standards. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to a competitive level, but I am going to bloody well keep trying - at least for a while.

On one bright note, I did manage to pass a couple of riders during the middle laps, one of them was from the D1/D2 race so I suppose I could argue that I wasn’t exactly the worst rider on show that day. The other victim was a young woman from my race. According to Jan, loads of riders had packed in before the finish; I could try to take comfort from that.

Lapped:

The D1/D2 racers caught me at the end of the 9^th lap. I knew it would happen, but it was still a punch in the gut. The irony was that I managed to latch on to the group and didn’t have to work too hard to stay with them for a lap and a half until I was dropped again on the same damned hill. By that time though, my heart really wasn’t in it anymore; working alone certainly takes it out of your legs - and you mindset.

Half a lap later I was overtaken by our race car. Seconds later, two cyclists, the race leaders, sped past me. One of them was the 60 year-old Englishman, Bob Jones, who eventually came second. But then again, Bob’s a former elite-level cyclist and has kept cycling more-or-less continuously – rather underlines my earlier point about the benefits of maintaining exercise levels throughout life.

I waited for the inevitable and, sure enough, a few hundred yards later the pack reached and then overtook me. Again, I slid onto the wheel of the last man. Ian, still with the group, dropped back to say hello. I think I just nodded or grunted at him, I can’t really remember.

I actually found it quite easily to stay with them; the drafting effects of riding in a group were really obvious. But as we passed the place where our families watched, I pulled to a stop.

I stood there straddling the bike totally spent. My head rested on the back of my hands and my forearms rested on the handlebars. When I eventually looked up, the expression on Jan’s face hit me like a second blow to the guts; a cross between disappointment and resignation.

She fired questions me: “If you’d stayed with them you’d only have been one lap behind so why did you stop? The Guilliers race is only a fortnight away, what are you going do then? What’s the point of all that training and the money wasted on the new bike.......?”

She didn’t really ask the last question, but I think you get the message.

Ian’s wife, Emma, Bless her, was much more supportive and actually told Jan off! “He can treat this race like a good training ride,” she said, “he’ll be better prepared next time,” she added.

Jan’s response was much more realistic and cutting, “Two weeks more training won’t make that much of a difference.”

Needless to say, my mood at this stage was not exactly positive. I don’t know how long I stopped for, but a few seconds, maybe a couple of minutes passed before a brace of cyclist went by, struggling up the hill behind me. I looked around to discover that they were the ones I had overtaken a few laps earlier.

I got really angry with myself then, bloody mad. I’d passed those two earlier on and they hadn’t given up. In a flash of stupidity and bravado, I clipped my feet back into the pedals and I ground off up the hill again.

Battling back:

Now, if this was a Hollywood movie I would have summoned the ‘Energy of the Gods’ and heroic music would have thundered around me. I would have flown past the two back markers, caught up my race group, sprinted by them and made up the whole lap I’d lost to win a fast sprint and cross the winning line in a blaze of glory (probably filmed in slow-motion).

Of course, this is real life and it didn’t happen that way.

I eventually managed to pass the two back markers and I did complete the race, but that’s about the sum of it really. No heroics, just a limp-flagged finish after everyone else had pretty much packed up and gone home.

Positives (and there are some):

My new bike performed really well - if not the rider. I actually managed to overtake some fellow competitors. I managed to stay with the pack for three laps and I am at least 10% faster than last year – a modest improvement but a move in the right direction.

Wrap-up:

Despite the improvement, I still need to progress by at least as much again! Is that possible? I don’t know really, but I am going to keep on training and working as hard as I can. We’ll see what happens.

Race Stats:

Total race distance 68.8 kms (43 miles)

Race Time: 02:10:00

Average Speed: 31.9 kph (19.9 mph).

Next race: Bignan 17^th April – Gulp, that’s next Sunday!

Epilogue:

Jan and I arrived in Brandivy at midday to cheer on Ian Cushway’s lads: Charlie (9) and Max (6). They were competing in their separate Ecoles du Velo - children’s training races.

Charlie finished a very creditable fourth, despite being baulked at the start and dropping back thirty meters or so (much to his mother’s chagrin – she can be a real vixen when it comes to protecting her family). Charlie has real potential and could do well in the future if he continues this season’s progress.

Max finished sixth, again hugely impressive. Max has been going really well this year but he is so young it is too early to tell just how good he could be. We’ll see.

The Cushway lads are really very good prospects – a triumph of genetics I’d say.

Winter Training and the Exercise Test - 24th Feb 2011

Winter Training and the Exercise Test - 24^th Feb 2011

Saturday training with the ‘big boys’:

Last Saturday’s training (19^th Feb), was the toughest yet.

It was mild for the time of year, dry, with a moderate westerly wind. Only four of us turned up. The first road race of the season, an inter-club Criterion, was taking place the next day and many of the regular Saturday trainers were taking part.

As it happens, my English mate Ian Cushway entered the ‘Crit’, after much prevarication and actually finished with the main bunch. He had been worried about his form but wanted to test his fitness. I am here to tell you that apart from one ride before Christmas when he really struggled, he’s been going like a train. He’s much stronger (and younger) than me and I was sure he was up to the event. He completed the course, staying with the main group all the way to the finish and averaging around 38kph for the 60-odd kilometre road race. I was very impressed, and not a little jealous.

But I digress, as usual - back to the training ride:

So, the four of us: me; Yves (big strong fellow – 35); Loic (ex-footballer, mid-30s); and Daniel (lightweight, good climber, 58); set off for points West.

We made our way to Malsetroit, a beautiful medieval town some 35kms from my house, riding at at a steady pace. Yves, the self-appointed route leader, explained his plans for the ride to me along the way. After a few false starts (my French still isn’t what one might call ‘fluent’), I gathered we were going to ride in a ‘chain’ along a circuit the other side of Malestroit. Yves explained that we were going to do three laps around part of the Malestroit Sportif course (see my blog for 4^th July 2010) and include some ‘chain’ work.

Those of you nice people who have been reading my blogs religiously will remember that I explained the concept of riding in a chain last year, so I won’t go through it all again.

Suffice to say that working in a chain of only four means that you are on the front, and therefore exposed to the headwind, for a relatively much longer time than if you are in a big group. I looked forward to it with some trepidation.

The Chain Session:

We reached Malestroit relatively fresh having done little more than a warm-up along the way (averaging about 24kph), and began to wind up the speed a little. We took it fairly easy through the town and then got down into the chain along a straight, flat stretch of smooth road between Malestroit and the little village of Saint Congard, a run of about 5 kms.

We reached an average speed of 38 kms, driving hard into a modest headwind before turning left towards the pretty village of Saint Laurent. We slowed a little to recover our strength and returned to Malestroit. Our average speed dropped to around 31kph during the return to Malestroit, but this leg was peppered with the occasional sprint to village signs; just to keep us honest as it were.

One thing to mention here is that Daniel really struggled to maintain his place in the chain and had to pull back and just draft at the back of the group. It meant that with only three of us in the chain (two strong relative ‘youngsters’ and an old fart), it was even tougher.

The lap was about 17kms long.

On the second lap the average speed of the chain fell to 36.5kph; not bad considering Daniel was unable to help. I actually found the technical side of this work to be really interesting, if tough. Very tough! I did manage to stay with the ‘big boys’ though, much to my surprise and delight. I even won the sprint into St Cognard at the end of the chain leg. I spotted the village sign, put my head down and blasted the 500m to the sign. I can’t tell you how gobsmacked I was win and to find that none of the others had even attempted to stay with me for the sprint. Am I stronger than I think?

Unsurprisingly, the average speed during chain of the third lap fell again (to 35kph), and this time I failed to win the St Cognard sprint. Apparently Yves and Loic had saved themselves for the end and really left me for dead. I kidded myself that I had let them have the final sprint as a goodwill gesture, but truth be told....

I did win one of the sprints on the return leg to Malestroit, but I don’t think the others were really trying – hey ho!

The full training ride was 128kms at an average speed of 27.5kph, (that’s over 17 mph) and that average includes a load of stop/start stuff when we met at the start point and during ride itself. So, although it’s nothing to write home about (ha, ha), we worked really hard at times and it was such good training.

The exercise test – Ploermel Hospital - 22^nd Feb:

In my last blog I promised to tell you about the cardiologist-enforced exercise test at the hospital. Well I turned up expecting to be ‘beasted’; my GP had told to prepare for the worst and that I would have to work far harder than I would ever do during a Sportif – yeah!

It turned out to be a simple incremental ( ‘step’) test. I was hooked up to an electrocardiogram (ECG) and a sphygmomanometer (blood-pressure cuff), sat on an ergo-cycle (static exercise bike) and told to spin at between 60-70 rpm. It was easy enough for a warm-up.

After about 5 minutes my blood-pressure was taken, the resistance on the trainer increased and I was instructed to increase the cadence to between 70-80rpm. The test continued in increments (80-85; 85-90; and finally 90-95). By the final level I have to admit I was blowing a bit but the intensity was still sub-maximal. My heart rate peaked at 158 bpm, about 90% of my max.

Then, to my surprise, the medic said to relax and the resistance came off the bike – the warm-down had started. There was another blood-pressure test before the Dr Genati pronounced my heart fit enough to receive my race licence.

He charged me 75€ for the privilege!

I popped in to my GP yesterday to get my race license signed. At least he didn’t charge me for that particular piece of French bureaucracy but what the hell, I’m in France and I need to do as the French do!

Club Dinner (25^th Feb):

Tonight is the pre-season club dinner. I’ll be handing in my race license application (plus the 50€ license fee!), to the club secretary and we will discuss the upcoming season. I’ll try to do most of the same races this year as last. I’ll then be able to compare times and will soon discover whether I’ve really improved or I’m just kidding myself.

I’ll be in touch.

First Blog of the Year

Winter Training and Yvonne - 10^th Feb 2011

Subtitle: She’s a beauty!

Hello there:

It’s been a while but how the devil are you all? Well, over the past few days I’ve been literally inundated with a request to start blogging again ... and here it is!

So, what’s been happening on this side of the Chanel? Not a lot actually, just mile after mile of training and little else apart from work, three (count them - three!) family weddings and a delightful new grandson - Elliott.

By the time the New Year came along I had cycled a total of 7,200 miles; that’s over 11,500kms in foreign.

Now, the last thing I posted was a description of the Wessex 100, a great ride in wonderful sunny English, autumn weather. Lordy, Lordy, how things change! The weather has closed in and the rides have been getting tougher, colder and wetter since then!

I have managed to keep the training up despite the end of the racing season and I hope to cover more miles this year than 2010. I’m certainly fitter now than I was at the start of last year, more miles in the legs, and a lower body weight.

The real news is that I’ve managed to save up enough money to buy myself another bike. It’s a carbon-fibre framed Raleigh - the exciting Yvonne; but more of her later.

It’s all about the weight:

In April 2010, I weighted 89kgs; as I type this blog, my weight stands at close to 82kgs. Not bad, but I hope to drop to 80kgs by the start of the season. I know it is really boring talking about bodyweight, but the extra kilograms count for so much in bike riding.

Medical Issues:

I don’t know if you recall, but in Feb 2010 I joined my first proper cycle club, ‘Taupont Cyclisme’, and I needed a medical certificate in order to get race licence.

I wanted to race and, no race licence = no racing, and no medical certificate = no race licence! It was as simple as that.

So I f visited my GP, who told me that my blood pressure was a little high (145/95). A blood test indicated that my cholesterol was high for a man of my age and high blood-pressure. He wanted to put me straight onto Beta-blockers or Statins, or some other such poison, but I declined. I don’t do drugs; I’m not keen on potential side-effects and in any event I'm a bit too mean to pay through the nose for drugs I may not actually need! But that’s me - Hey ho.

So, I made a deal with him. I’d improve my diet for 6 months, lose weight, and keep on training. Then we’d take another look at the blood dynamics before resorting to any medications. Reluctantly, he agreed – he is a French doctor after all and they are rarely questioned by their patients.

So I cut right back on the cheese, butter and charcouterie (sausages, pate etc.) and true, enough, not only did the weight fall off me, but also my blood pressure and other blood factors improved by the follow-up test. So no medications needed – who’s a clever boy then?

Next thing - I had to be assessed by a cardiologist to make sure that it was safe for me to race. So off I toddled to the next medic – you’d think I was preparing to do the bloody Tour de France! To be honest, I think the whole medical issue was a bit of a stitch-up (they are private practitioners over here and need to get their money from somewhere I suppose), but I wanted a race licence, so I had to jump through the French hoops. In fact, I am fully registered over here so most of the medical expenses can be claimed back.

Anyway, in the 4 weeks it took me to get to the appointment with the cardiologist, the new diet must have been really effective because my blood-pressure had fallen to normal for my age (135/85), and weight (89kgs)! The cardiologist then ran some tests on my heart and said it was OK but I still had one more assessment to do – a static bike test in the hospital gym – the following September! When I mentioned that I wanted to race that summer he said fine and wrote a note to Dr Menier allowing me to complete. My heart can't be too bad then can it?

So – to cut a long story short (a bit), I actually missed the damn September hospital appointment as it coincided with the week I was in England for the Wessex 100! Oooo errr!

Suffice it to say that the cardiologist was not amused; I had forgotten to cancel the appointment and he wrote me a ‘snotoletter’ which stated very clearly that if I didn’t turn up to the next appointment he wouldn’t let me race in 2011. The revised appointment was made for 25^th Feb 2011 – next week.

This is why I don’t currently have a licence to race in France, which is a pity because I was considering riding in an inter-club challenge next week-end! Hey ho! I’ll let you know the outcome of the exercise test in the next blog.

Just a thought though. If I fail the test and am refused a race licence, this could be a very short blogging season!

A new bike!

So, not being a rich man and not owning a bike shop, I had to save up over the past 6 months to buy myself a better bike. It’s not new, but has only had 6 months use last season by a guy who was sponsored (by my mate Andy Shaw), and who actually won a couple of cycle races on it!

Now that I have it though, it won’t be winning any more!

So, the details.

The bike and, by Jingo, I’ve finally taken receipt of the beautiful thing – see details below. In brief it has a full carbon-fibre frame, Shimano bits and wheels and she’s a real beauty (see the picture)!

For the techies!

The Raleigh Avanti Race:

Ccarbon frame and forkset combined with the new Ultegra 6700series equipment from Shimano and their proven RS20 wheel-set:

· Frame: 12K Full Carbon road frame with FSA Orbit IS-2 headset

· Forks: 12K carbon fork with carbon crown and steering stem

· Gearset: Full Ultegra 6700 series gear set. 53 x 39T chain-rings and 12-25T cassette

· (Crank length 52/54/56cm - 172.5mm, 58cm - 175mm) with Ultegra Sti levers

· Brakeset: Full Ultegra 6700 series brake-set with Ultegra Sti levers

· Wheelset: Shimano RS30 wheel-set and Michelin Lithion tyres

· Controls: FSA RD255 compact handle-bar on an FSA OS 150XT stem

· Finishing Kit: San Marco Ponza Power saddle on FSA SL-250 alloy seat-post

· Frame Size: 60cm

Weight Difference:

Using a very rough and ready measurement method - standing on bathroom scales and weighing myself alone and with each bike in turn - Yvonne is 8.6kgs, something like 1.7kgs lighter than Yvette. Now I know this doesn't sound a lot, but Yvonne has a larger frame - much better for my poor old back. It remains to be seen how much difference it makes in reality. As I said earlier, "it's all about the weight" - actually it's really about the power-to-weight ratio, and I'm quite weak on the power front. But that's getting far too technical for this here blog.

First ride 16/02/2011:

I received a phone call from Andy this afternoon who invited me out for a ride with him and Sylvan; the two best riders in the club. He promised it wouldn’t be too fast or too long (yeah!), and like a fool I agreed. I decided I needed to take the new bike ('Yvonne' – an upgrade on 'Yvette' – get it?) or I’d be in real trouble. I needed all the help I could get to live with those two, even for a short while.

I had originally planned for my first ride on Yvonne to be a solo shakedown trial to get used to the new lightweight frame, the slightly different setup and the new group-set – so much for those plans.

Slight mods: To protect them from the mucky roads I swapped the new Shimano wheels with the Mavics from my Bianchi which are good but not brilliant and are fitted with heavy-duty winter tyres. I then toddled along the 5 miles to out meeting place.

Wow! What a difference! She was significantly lighter, responsive steering and the group-set was very slick. This was a real relief, considering I had bought the bike the recommendation of Andy Shaw. For those of you who don’t remember, Andy owns a bike shop in the UK (Wheels of Gillingham) and I knew he wouldn't give me any bad skinny.

In the end Sylvan, Andy and I completed 70 kms on a very windy, but mild, February afternoon.

Suffice to say that despite the new machine I am still crap at climbing hills! However, I have to say that following an extra year’s training and with the new bike I am significantly less crap that I was this time last year, though still crap all the same. True to form they dropped me on every significant hill (I told you how good they are didn’t I?), but I was able to cling to their coattails for a little longer on the climbs than I would have done on Yvettte.

I was knackered by the end of the ride, but happy enough with Yvonne and my overall progress.

The verdict:

I’m not naive enough to have thought that a new, lighter bike would turn me into a competitive racer overnight. However, the Raleigh is an excellent machine and my race performance is bound to improve as a result of the better bike. How much of an improvement there will be remains to be seen.

So, was Yvonne worth the money? Too bloody true! She gorgeous!

First race of the season:

Dunno yet, I’m still waiting to see if I pass the physical. How ironic would it be if I failed the cardio test after buying a super-dooper new bike?

The first race is likely to be in April, the Guilliers Pass’ Cyclisme – you remember, it’s the one that passes right outside our front door – 8 times!

I'll keep you posted, as it were.