REACT check
The trip I am returning from is my second of the year. The team took me up to race a few of the French one-days. The term "one-days" means that each race only consists of an individual day of racing. This contrasts with the stage race format where a race is held over several stages and therefore normally lasts a few days. The two races we started in this block were La Roue Tourangelle and La Route Adélie de Vitré. Both were in the western portion of France and the gap in between the two left us some time to get some training done in the beautiful region of Bretagne.
On this trip, we flew from Barcelona to Paris Orly which is a new airport for me. From there it was a couple hours commute to the hotel in Tours France. On the day before the race, we had the opportunity to pre-ride the final fifty kilometers of the race. The towns we rode through were incredible. One had a fairly sizable castle in the middle. On the way to the finish, the course climbed multiple small hills. Normally this would not be a huge worry based on their small size, but because many started with a hard corner at the bottom and took place on small narrow roads, they were decisive in the outcome of the race. It was very important to know when to try to move to the front of the group to avoid the elastic effect that these tight roads would have on the group.
Unfortunately, the team had a bit of bad luck with a virus going into the block and we had to start with a small team. For these races, most teams started with seven riders but for Tourangelle, we only started with five. At this level, having more riders is a big advantage. It allows the team the ability to move around more freely within the group because they can afford to sacrifice a few riders jumping out into the wind while the rest stay sheltered. Also, having a rider in the break can create a change in responsibilities for the team within the group, but also tends to leave that rider somewhat incapacitated towards the end of the race. All this to say, having more riders makes the race a bit easier for the team.
The day started easy, a small breakaway rolled away within the first few kilometers and the big teams took control and kept the group at a slow pace for the first two hours. As we neared the pace of the climb we slowly began rolling up as teams began to try to keep control of the gap between the main peloton and the small group up the road.
On long races like this, which last upwards of five hours, we often end up having to either stop to pee or find a way to do it while still rolling. A few of us on the team realized that the window of opportunity was closing when this would be an option at about seventy kilometers remaining. Normally when we stop, the support cars that follow the field (the caravan) continue at the speed of the race behind the peloton. This string of cars lasts long enough for a shortstop. Once back rolling again, we are normally able to jump in behind a car and leapfrog our way back up to the group. During a steady time in the race, this requires very little effort as the cars give a strong draft. In this case, the pack began to step up the pace due to the wind picking up slightly and the impending hilly finishing kilometers which meant the caravan passed us more quickly and resulted in us having to chase on at a very brisk pace. Luckily, we got back into the race with enough time to prepare for the final kilometers, but it was not the ideal way to spend our energy.
My job in this race was to aid the guys on the team that we felt had a pretty good shot at being good at the finish with positioning in the group so that they would not have to waste their own energy. At first, we did a good job of grouping together, but as the first major climb grew closer, I lost contact with the team and was not able to help with that much. I was disappointed in this.
In the midst of these final climbs, lay a sector of cobblestones that lasted for about 700 meters. This is always exciting for me because I tend to feel a bit stronger on these types of surfaces. I am not sure whether it's my background in Cyclo-cross or the way I set up my tire pressure, but I have found that these sections have been a good place for me to re-focus and grab a few positions in the group. This sector was rough. A lot of gravel had been pushed up onto the surface and the cobblestones were very round and irregular. In this section, I was able to find myself back among my teammates again.
However, not long after this, because of being positioned a little further back in the group going up the climbs, I ran out of matches and could no longer hang with the pace of the group. From there, I rode in eventually finding myself in a group with a teammate that had some bad luck.
After a night's rest, we drove from the town of Tours to the house the team had booked for us near Denan, France. While Wi-Fi in rural Europe is not always the most reliable, for the most part the house was nice otherwise. The house was constructed mostly of stone and was probably a century or two old but had recently been remodeled. The surrounding area was quiet which made riding and recovery very pleasant.
On one of our days of training, Pier and I decided to use our three hours of riding to go to Mont Saint-Michel. I remember first hearing about this place while watching some of my dad's old Tour de France tapes from an edition that occurred in the early 2000's so it was pretty that we were within riding distance of the place. Originally, Mont Saint-Michel was a tidal island meaning that it was only accessible during low tide when the road was exposed. When the high tide would return, it would cover the road in seawater and isolate the small landmass. In years since a bridge has been constructed out to the island so that it remains accessible. Much of the land along the coast in that area is flat and, on the day, we made the trip, a low layer of haze was stagnating on the plane. This made approaching the island spectacular as when we drew near to it, the clump of land topped by a large cathedral slowly emerged. At first, all that was visible was the silhouette. It was not until we were within a few miles that we could begin to make out the details of the buildings. This outing is one that reminds me to consider one of the things I love most about this sport. It has the ability to allow those who participate to explore the world around them more freely.
The second race, Vitré, will be one of the few courses that I have had poor success in, but really enjoyed the race overall. The course was a 20km lap and an 8km lap. Both laps took us out of town and up a gradual incline, then across a large open area and back down into town again. For the final 500 meters, the lap twisted its way through the tight beautiful old streets of the town.
Because of the threat of snow, the race was shortened by one of the large laps. The idea of snow also seemed to make the group a little slow to start racing. Within the first 5km the initial breakaway had gone, and no one really cared to chase it. While it never really was blizzard conditions, throughout the day the weather was constantly switching between sleet and sunshine. Eventually, AG2R decided to try to use some of the wind that had brought the weather in to mix up the race. It set off a series of attacks. Thinking another break could slip away quickly, I tried to move fast to cover some of the attacks. Nothing went quickly. I ended up blowing up with about 3 of the smaller circuits remaining.
I finished the lap in one of the small snow showers and climbed on the bus after having pulled out of the race. I was the first one there. Normally this ability to have the primary access to showers and food would be a reason to be happy, but in this scenario, I was not feeling that emotion. Knowing that the rest of the team was still out completing the race was frustrating. Luckily, one of the team staff members, Perique kept me company as I dried off and got on warm clothes.
I was hard on myself here at this race. Recently, it seems like so many things in my life point to the fact that I find difficulty being graceful with myself. Most people I talked to after the race were very supportive and gave me a good reason to be
content. After all, I had only been a little less than a month into racing again, I had climbed to a new level of the sport this year, and I was seeing a lot of this style of racing for the first time. So now, moving forward, I want to continue to try to spend a little bit more time forgiving the side of me that is human. In the end, I can give no better than my best effort. Expecting that effort to be perfection is completely unreasonable.
My next race coming up is the Giro di Sicilia. It will be my first stage race of the year and I am really looking forward to this style of racing returning.
Great account of your life racing in Europe. With every down, there’s an up! Praying for your success and strength when you need it. Great photos too! Blessings, Rich & Maurine
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