The truth!

Training

Exercises - 1 hour core / weights - push

Training

Cycle in - 17kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 17kms, 40mins

Exercises - 1 hour core / weights - pull

Training

Cycle - 26kms, 0:57hr - Active recovery

Training

Cycle in - 17kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 17kms, 40mins

Exercises - 1 hour core / weights - push

Training

Exercises - 1 hour core / weights - pull

Training

Cycle - 31kms, 1:00hr - bit of TT (hailstone showers)

Training

Cycle in - 17kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 17kms, 40mins

Race - Charleville 2 Day

Saturday - Stage 1

Road Stage - 77kms, 2:07

Sunday - Stage 2 and 3

TT - 6.43kms - 9.39

Road Stage - 73kms, 2:09 (including warmdown)

Overall GC - 14th, at 48"

Day 1:

Race was very slow for first 20, the next 40 included a few drags and that split the field down from 70+ to maybe 25. Not severe climbs at all, but enough to 'force a selection'. Phillipe and myself were staying around the front, Jamie was dropped unfortunately.

The last 20 the pace went up a lot in parts, but no real attacks, the usual. Was tough in parts, but not too savage.

6kms to go then it slowed down, everyone waiting for the sprint. Decided at that moment not to just wait, to pick the right corner to attack, didn't want it to come down to a bunch sprint and roll over outside the points. We'd recce'd the finish and so I knew there were some bends about 2kms out, then a long stretch of 1.5kms to the line. About 3.5kms we hit a T-junction and were turning right, I thought now or never, so I put the foot down. I didn't look back, just drilled it to get away and then steadied up to TT pace, although the heart rate was 95%+. Managed to get a good gap up over that initial kilometre, and coming out of the bends I didn't see them behind for a long time, thought I had them. By that stage though, I was burping up vomit, but still drilling it. Sadly that long stretch of 1.5kms was too much, once they could see me I was doomed. Got caught with around 400 to go, maybe less. But hey - had to give it a try, at least it felt like I was in a race! Phillipe was around 8th in the sprint, we'll both be on the same GC time I think in the top bunch.

Day 2:

It started early with the TT, I was up at 7 to get some breakfast - my start time was 10.43 (it went from race number starting with No. 1 at 8am), stage 2 then was at 12.15 so I knew I had to get up early to get a good breakfast in as there wasn't going to be time after the time trial to eat and digest. I'd organised the loan of a TT helmet (I'd also gotten the option of a full TT bike, but it was an hour and a half drive away and I wasn't up to going getting it on Saturday night, would have taken too much time out of much needed recovery). The loan of the helmet was coming from Pat O'Brien - one of the club's A2 riders, very good - rode the Ras this year, and finished 4th on yesterday's stage in the A2/A3 race taking the highest Orwell place, so was riding for the GC. He was off before me and did a time of 9.40 he said (later turning out to be 9.37 by the Commisaire's watch), said there was a bit of a headwind.

So off I went down to the course - legs felt good on the warm-up, had the aero bars on, TT helmet, shoe covers - and was feeling good about it after opening the legs and airways up. Started probably a little too quick, suffered in the middle section for it - and went full tilt at the end. Kept the heart rate up at well over 90% for the most part, maxing out sprinting for the line, and came in at 9.39 - was happy enough to have gotten around the same time as Pat. Felt probably if I'd eased the start a bit and had a bit more for the middle section, I could have shaved off a good few seconds. When I got back though and later found out the winner had done it in 8.57 I was a little disappointed - that was my GC ambitions gone. I was down in 16th or 17th I think starting stage 3 - with the leader 46 seconds ahead. It would have taken either a long solo effort, or a strong breakaway with no guys above me on GC to win the thing. The TT is a huge deciding factor on the 2 or 3 day stage races, it's something I'll definitely have to work on over the winter.

A bit of rest then, and onto stage 3 this afternoon. This was reported to have some hills, and with the TT and the previous day's stage in the legs, it was looking like it could be attritional. It started out grand, first few kms just rolling along, pace going up here and there as a couple of guys pinged off the front in kamikaze early break attempts (not a chance of staying away from a bunch like that at this level on your own, you wouldn't be in A4 very long if you had that talent!). There were 2 hills coming up, but I wasn't quite sure when as there were 2 or 3 different versions of the route floating around beforehand, and I didn't go double check at the sign on - but reckoned it wouldn't matter too much - when the hill starts you kind of know it's there... ha. So on the first one up we went and I thought it was a bit too sedate for my liking, not putting enough people under pressure. I'd worked my way up to the front fairly easily, just riding tempo, so when I hit the front I just kept riding, maybe up'd the pace a bit, and opened a gap pretty quickly. I was surprised that the bunch didn't jump, maybe people were tired, maybe they knew I'd come back, maybe it was to do with how the fight for the yellow was going on - anyway - I rode most of the climb on my own until I eased a bit and rejoined the front. The yellow jersey was doing the work - he was probably doing a bit too much. There was still 35kms to go, and another hill - and we'd been warned there were a couple of dodgy corners on the descent so I made sure I was up at the front couple of riders going down - the last thing you want is to be in a bunch with a corner and through no fault of your own some guy ploughing into you or the guys in front misjudging. Got down the descent ok, put the foot down a bit and there were a few more bodies around than I would have liked - really thought that the climb would have split things a bit more but probably the pace wasn't fast enough to really do damage. Kind of annoying as that was the time to split the race, but the yellow had no interest in doing it, the guy's around him on GC probably didn't either as they could wait till later to attack, and the rest - I dunno, there were a few guys in yesterday's break that disappeared today so maybe they just didn't have the legs on the day.

At the start of the second climb I felt like I might be in trouble, went from maybe 3rd down to 10th very quickly, got out of the saddle and got the legs going, sat back down and found the rhythm - by that stage everyone else was going backwards on their limit and I was able to get up behind the two guys in front that were pushing it. As we crested that one they then sat up - as if that was it - the hard work was done, I went round them and said that now is the time to attack, and pushed on down the far side hoping to take a small group with me to get a break going, again though just didn't happen, people got a chance to catch back on, and it all came together. One of the two lads came up to me afterwards and agreed that was the time, but the two of them were spent.

It was still 15-20kms to go to the finish, would probably have needed a large enough group to stay away from there - 6 or more guys all working together, didn't happen. There was some half-hearted attacking for a while, then it just settled down a bit. A young guy from Killarney was trying to attack a few times, he tried twice and was pulled back - on his third attempt he got clear and got a few seconds gap. Then - the stage winner from yesterday - a guy from Kanturk, who finished 3rd on the TT and was only 7 seconds behind the yellow jersey attacked to join him. That was maybe 7kms to go - I thought it was a bit too far out, and the group would really up the pace (as A4 always does), to bring it back.The yellow jersey was up the front for the last few kms desperately trying to drag them back, a couple of guys helping here and there. With hindsight, I should have tried to ping off myself and join the 2 leaders, but hey - hindsight is 20/20. I didn't, instead thinking they'd get caught and I'd take my chance today with the sprint, wrong move. They ended up staying away - the Kanturk guy gifting the stage to the young guy from Killarney, and taking the yellow jersey for himself. The bunch sprint then and I came home 7th or 8th for the stage (waiting on results). The usual....

Probably should have done this, could have done that, but hey - overall happy enough that I know I can be competitive in these types of races, if I can get the TT sorted out...

Training

Astro football - 1 hour, 3 against 4

Training

Cycle - 30kms, 1:09

Training

Cycle - 48kms, 1:44 - Saturday spin - hot

Training

Cycle - 45kms, 1:38 - Strength Endurance - Embankment / Seskin x 2

Training

Cycle in - 17kms, 40mins

Cycle home - 17kms, 40mins

Training

Cycle - 49kms, 2:00hrs

Sunday spin with Owen, fairly horrible crosswinds up at the featherbeds. Good to make a start on the winter training though

Training

Cycle - 23kms, 0:48hrs

First night in the thermals