Champion of The Vaucluse - who me???

Yes you're as surprised as me. After 5 weeks doing hardly any km and any top end training, suffering from various ailments including tummy bugs and bad colds, today I won the Senior B (U 40's) Championship of the Department of The Vaucluse.

I woke up knowing the méteo was going to be crap and it was. Pouring with rain and blustery, I didn't even want to go after the lst two DNF's. Anyway the least I could do was turn up and help Bruno for a few laps before I climbed off. (Not trying to be negative here!!)

Here's how it panned out. 45 starters in the Senior B category (U 40's), 7 laps of a 13km loop. Each lap has a twisty descent from the start, 4km flat, 3km false flat up into a headwind, 5km flat with crosswind then 2km drag at about 3% up to the finish.

José, a good Cat 1 who won at Montsegur two weeks ago, was as usual very pro active and to my delight a counter attack by me after an attack by José on the second lap dragged 5 away. Then we worked hard together hoping the elastic will snap somewhere behind you. It did!! 5 of us away, in the rain, windy, we had to stay away. Flat out for 2 laps - merde!! 3 more joined us dragged up by an elite rider called Deshamps. At least the bunch was dead and buried somewhere behind. And then there were 8 arguing like mad! with 2 laps left no one wanted to graft so I put a dig in off the front and gained 100m straight away, then 200m then 300m. At the foot of the 2km drag I buried my self - 4 minutes of complete agony. I had decided that this was all or nothing. I was going to win or come 8th. The top of the climb was flat, past the finish, the bell, 13km to go. I'm a good descender so threw caution to the wind and went down the other side far too fast for the slippery conditions. Out of the bend at the bottom of the hill I was on the drops but standing up, 53-12, 60kmh, tailwind.

At the end of the 4km flat I chanced a look behind. They were gone but it was to early to smile. Up the 3km false flat, don't panic - pace yourself. 5km flat, no one behind me. At the bottom of the climb I looked over my shoulder and smiled. 53-21 turning nicely, legs good, 200m to go. Now I'm not smiling I'm laughing - delighted. Crossed the line, arms in the air with a 1m 30s lead. Shocked and amazed. Clubmate Patrick tells me I'm the first ever Brit to win the departmental Champs!!!!

Time for a rest??

1st round of the Tropheé de Provence yesterday with the Cezanne Ste. Victoire down near Aix en Provence. 158km, 2500m of ascent on the same roads as my best result ever in Pourrieres only 6 weeks ago.

So, preparations going well, feeling good after a steady week (I did a sub 1h30m on Mont Ventoux this week) I ate well Saturday night, woke to a magnificent sunrise over Mont Ste. Victoire, good brecky Sunday morning, rode down to the start at the Stade George Carcasonne in Aix - everything perfect.
I had a good dossard number too - number 22 - on the front row. Many familiar faces, mainly from the front bunch in the Monts du Vaucles 3 weeks ago.
So off we went, a nice steady 9km out of Aix then the first easy climb up to St Antonin in the shadow of the Ste Victore.
After 500m I was out the back like a Champagne cork. Over the top I managed to get in with the a second bunch which had formed. We chased back on then up through the village of Pourrieres. Then on the Puits du Rians I'm out the back again. Chased back on then approaching the Grand Sambuc - out again. I Jumped on the back of the 3rd peleton and even that was too fast so I rode steadily back to Aix with my tail between my legs. What a horrible day to spend in such beautiful scenic counrtyside!!
Back to the drawing board with 2 weeks steady riding. Less than a month from La Ventoux Beaumes de Venise.

What a difference a week makes!

So after the Monts du Vaucluse sportive at Villars, one week with a dodgy tummy, then another week with only 5 hours on the bike it was time for the next road race.
7 laps of an 11km circuit, vallonée, which means undulating, 25 2nd Cats lumped together with about 30 1st Cats.
As usual things went hard from the gun. I knew that to be in with a shout you'd need to be up the road with some 1st Cats so I buried myself for 3 laps trying to get in every break going. Then on the 5 lap at the top of a short climb, trying to get across to a group only about 15s up the road, I blew dramatically.
The next lap was hell, almost dropped on the false flat up to the village of Collonzelle, then I was sick which sprayed over the guy on my wheel, then I climbed off.
Not all was lost though, a great second place for Bruno and a first win in the 1st cats for my mate José from VC Isle sur La Sorgue.

Monts du Vaucluse - Cyclosportive

First sportive of the season and my best ever sportive finish, 14th out of 350.
These things really are harder than road races. The reason is that you have the French equivalent of Elites, Cat 1's, 2's, 3's, 4's and everyone else all lumped into one big group of anything from 200 - 9000 riders.
Anyway, the weather forecast was atrocious and on arrival at the HQ in Villars near Apt we found the route had been cut short from 140km to 125km and the biggest climb of the day had been taken out. Nevertheless, 2200m of climbing and a very very strong SE wind made for a hard day.
Once again the Scott/Velo 101 team went off strong sending riders up the road almost immediately. They were pushing about 2-3kmh above everyone else's comfort zone so by the time we reached the foot of the Col de Murs many were blowing just to keep with the front group. About 6 got away, I was dropped and managed to hang on to the second peleton of about 20 riders.
The next big climb, the 9km Cote St Hubert near Sault was a struggle, any gradients over 7% and I was the one at the back on the elastic! Not nice. The long descent to Sault came and 4 of us got a 20s gap but into the wind up to St Christol we were clawed back.
Then a long descent to Apt then the sign arriveé 5km. I decided I didn't fancy the bunch sprint through the narrow streets of Villars so launched myself off the front. Unfortunately, after riding most of the last 5km alone with a gap of about 10s, I died near the line and lost 6 places and a top 10 placement! Finished 14th, not sure about time but close to 3.5 hours.

More Race Action

Last week saw the next round in our series. It was my club's home event (USC Vaison) in a lovely village called Villedieu about 6km from Vaison.

Well, I have to say we probably rode the perfect race. The race was 14 laps of a 6km long circuit which had a descent into a headwind then a nasty little climb every lap.

The first attacks came on lap 2 and after a strong attack by clubmate Bruno, I managed to jump on the wheel and cover a strong guy called Alain from Isle sur la Sorgue. Suddenly there were 4 of us working well with a gap that went from 20s to 3 minutes over the next 9 laps.

With 3 to go we dropped the 4th chap on the climb then Bruno and me did the classic 1-2 on Alain. I rode on the front for the whole of the last lap, led Bruno up the false flat to the finish and just managed to get 2nd place behind Bruno! (see the pic)

The perfect result followed by a fantastic barbeque in the vllage square.

4 more USCV podiums in the other categories meant it was a super day for the club.

Club des Cent Cols

Last week over a bottle of Cotes du Rhone I started logging my cols and mountain passes. Anyway, after an evening of browsing maps I found I'd done about 120 named passes and cols in SE France. So, I sent the info off to the Club des Cent Cols (100 Cols Club) and they sent me back a membership number, medal and certificate. I've done 114 in total including 5 over 2000m. I know it's a bit geeky but who cares. What I need to do now is do the remaing 20 in the Drome department so I'll have done the 100 in the Drome.

I was feeling quite pleased with myself then I looked at the list of over 6000 members and found a chap at the top of the list called Michel Verhaeghe - he's done 9100 cols and passes!!!!!!

Tour de Ouest Varois - Best day ever!!!

Well almost. Apart from the wedding day and the birth of Elula and passing my driving test I think Saturday the 8th March was the best day of my life!

I raced down in Aix en Provence. A bigger event than usual, the Tour de Ouest Varois. Only 80km, undulating but not very hilly, but with 75 starters I knew that it would be fast.

I came 3rd last week in Cavaillon and I was in a break for over 30km with a chap from Arles called Bruno. Yesterday Bruno attacked after just 2.5km and I knew how strong he was so I thought what the hell and jumped on his wheel!
4 of us managed to create a small gap then the terrain changed to suit a good break building move. We soon got the bunch out of sight. After 40km there was a climb of 3km at a 5% gradient. I led our bunch over the top, feeling strong, and we went like the clappers for the next 20km. The last 10km was a false flat up-hill to the finish. We were still working well and the others still looked strong. I didn't fancy a sprint.
At about 5km to go I came from the back of the bunch as hard as I could and didn't look back for a few minutes. I had about 300m on them when I did look back. When I saw the 1km flag I knew I had it as I was about 400m in front. I had time to zip up and throw my arms in the air - absolutely delighted!!