Marathon world championships – Verviers Belgium August 12, 2007

The forecast was for 25 degrees, but Belgium has had so much rain I put the crud catcher on expecting a wet race. I was feeling fit and ready to race.

Thanks to the last round in Bourg D’Oisans I had ranking 26. We were staying some 70 km from the race site and as the course only opened Friday but Rego wasn’t until Saturday I had not seen any of it.

The race started up a steep road climb, this is where the bunches formed, I was leading the second bunch and thought I would get across to the first, then within about 10 metres was wobbling off the back of the second, a position that I should have tried harder to hold as it seems I was just behind a large bunch alone for most of the day.

The course was actually really good (until extreme fatigue set) lots of single track, and a surprisingly small amount of Bitumen. It had a total of 3,300 metres of climbing and 105 kms, not to my liking most of these climbs were rocky, short and very hard. At one point I looked at my speed – 2 ks per hour! I must have spent a large part of the race with the seat right up you know where! I rode about 40 PSI more than usual, good for asphalt but terrible for rocks. I chose the wrong lenses, despite the sun the single track in the forrest was dark – so I took my glasses off for better vision in the dark and I was glad I had the crud catcher on.

At the first feed Dave 15 ks Dave told me I was 6 mins down – not too bad I thought, he also said there was a bunch just ahead. I dug deeper, I caught a South African girl and we rode together a bit. She attempted to get rid of me, I suggested we could catch the bunch in-front. She asked me how far have we come – I looked at my Garmin 47 ks – ‘to go?” she asked – ‘no that we’ve done’ I replied. Now I was feeling like this race was taking forever but that little bit of info cracked her and I never saw her again.

So I spent a lot of the race alone, until the guys who started 30 minutes behind us passed, they just stomped past, I suppose it’s the only time Ill be able to say Gilberto Simone passed me in a race. At least at times I then had a wheel to see ahead as the course arrows were at times difficult to see and I often hesitated with deciphering direction.

Around the 84 km mark a spectator told me we had a long descent – the first of the day. Thank God, as up until now it was work every pedal stroke, up and down, or otherwise it was full on concentration rocky, wet muddy tree root descents. After 3 ks down this road the course suddenly shot right up another killer steep single track climb (thank god I saw the arrow – I bet others didn’t I thought). I was told I was in 28 th place – I knew I had to work as it might be possible to catch those fading from the group just ahead. The descent off this climb I was hanging out to see Dave at the 90 k feedzone, really needing something to eat or drink, as I shot down the descent, I came to a split in the rocky road, I hesitated, and looked at the two tracks, the one on the left had tyre marks so I took it, as I continued though I was unsure – maybe there was another road there? As I continued I reached a main road with no officials – I have made an error for sure. I wondered what to do – ‘go back’ I guess. In total it cost me a only a couple of ks but certainly any chance of catching any fatigued riders ahead. When I arrived at the spot I turned wrong I noticed there was another track – a switch back up that was marker with an arrow once you turned the corner! At that point a German Girl I had passed early on and appropriately named ‘Kunz’ was climbing, I swiftly overtook her, but she tried to cling to me like mud (that I was covered in at the time). I was dropping her every climb but she was gaining on me on the flatter sections. Eventually I broke free of her for the last time – and one of the last climbs. Just as I was thinking how well my bike was going I hit s really steep climb and ‘crunch’ – the pedals stopped going – the sort of feeling you can’t push though. I got off and looked at the drive, mud had caught under the front derailleur, preventing it move across and jamming the chain, so I cleaned it and clicked the gear in. A spectator pushed me going on the steep section and Kunz had another go at catching me – she was right on me with 5 ks to go and not much climbing left. I broke free again I hoped for the last time.

I won’t say much more but she snuck upon me at 500 to go from nowhere, took the lead, I overshot the last corner trying to pass her, had to brake and she out-sprinted me for 28 th place – I hope she felt good about it – she saw I took a wrong turn!

So 29 th 1 hour 12 behind the leader. (6 hrs 20ish 154 av HR) Disappointed – yes I was expecting a top 20. I went in feeling good and fit but for whatever reason I didn’t race well and the race just got away from me. Being ‘fit’ is different to being ‘race fit’ and I haven’t done a race for some time now, racing clients up the climbs doesn’t count!

To put it in perspective, the winner Petra Henzi Swiss 38 years old would have placed around 60 th in the men’s field. In-fact the first 8 women would have placed ahead of the final male to complete the race. It is frustrating to see someone like Evelyn Staffler – an Italian rider whom I was riding right beside for most of the first race I did in Europe, placed 7 th this race – 15 mins down – nearly a full hour ahead of me. Just how can she improve that much or is it me who is getting slower?

So learn from bad races – yes - dwell on them – no - c’est La Vie. Now we are back to France and Dave (who has clocked up 1000s of Ks in the car in Europe so far) will race masters MTB world in Pra-Loup next weekend, it will be me in the feedzone for a change.

 

MTB XC World cup marathon – Bourg D’Oisans

It was fortunate for me that our 10 day ‘Tour de France Alps’ tour just happened to finish the day prior to a world cup marathon being held right in our town.

The event started at les Duex Alps and finished 90 ks, 2900 climbing and 3,500 descending later in Bourg D’Oisans. I had ridden many of the tracks last year with Dave so it was 50% familiar territory (the length of a marathon makes it prohibitive to pre ride the course).

The previous Sunday I had ‘raced’ the Marmotte, and the previous week I had ridden about 20 hours (mostly uphill or down - as is unavoidable in the French Alps).

As my first marathon, I was unranked at world level, so was given number 54, however, there were only about 15 girls on the start line, the front grid ranked and the back grid unranked – a very unusual feeling as we lined up at 11am in the heat of the day. I started with a camel back and biddon as the first feed was not until the end of the first long climb. All the girls on the front grid only had one bottle. I found out later there were lots of unauthorized feeding going on via motor bikes.

The first climb was murderous up a fire trail that was one of those short, steep and loose climbs you feel like you are going nowhere. I watched the leaders edge ahead and string out as my legs burnt and I wondered where those girls come from. I was struggling to not unclip. The front grid got ahead, and near the end of the climb two other girls passed me, one I caught on the first gnarly, steep, scary descent as we dropped off Les Duex Alps back to the valley floor.

I looked at my profile map, the next climb was the majority for the race, it was about 15 ks long and went up to around 2000 m vertical (we were at around 900). So I dug in and tried to use fast cadence to keep my legs fresh for later in the day, making sure my heart rate kept around 167 and above (an E3 zone for me).

As I worked I overtook one rider and got sight of another. She was about 3 mins up on me and I was closing, if I kept working I should be able to catch her.

The climb took 1hr 23 min and arrived at Plateau Emparis, just short of the snow line. We literally then dropped off the plateau into the steep descent. The descent was fast and there were plenty of choices of lines, gnarly switchbacks or straight off the edges, take your pick, meaning full on concentration, a crash on this would have meant a long tumble into the gulley below. After about 10 minutes of it I heard a loud bang of my rear tire. Damn, I guess I haven’t had many mechanicals during racing and I was about due. I hit the timer to see how long it would take me to change a flat …………

My CO2 cannister screw on adapter split as it seemed incompatible with my ‘big air’ gas cartridge, so I had a tube but no inflation, I looked at the map and figured tech zone was a runable distance.

To cut a long story short, 1 hour and 20 mintues later after I had to get both a new tire (thanks Shimano tech) and new tube, I was on my way! I pondered what to do as my race was over but I knew that Diane and Dave were at the top of the next climb waiting and also that I would probably will pick up UCI points for marathon worlds. So I continued on with a little less ambition and rode out the course.

I got my feed from Diane and Dave and put them on holidays as I figured there was no point sending them to the next feed now that I could afford the time to stop and refill bottles etc.

The descent off the top of Alp D’Huez is one of the steepest I have done, it took me 27 minutes to ride about 10 ks, this descent was mostly right on a sheer edge, like the stuff we ride on the Yarra but with dire consequences if you mucked up. The switchbacks were tight and there were plenty of rolling rocks on route. I rarely let go of the brakes fully and was increasingly frustrated with my front forks that were bottoming out, making it feel like I was riding the front rim with no tire.

Finally I arrived, I did grab back a couple of positions along the way and possibly made the top 10, so all in all, a good experience.

The next day Dave and I headed out of the French Alps for Provence, where we shall catch up with the last part of the TDF

 

The rest of Belgium

The rest of our time in Belgium (which for some reason I want to call Belgiumy) was spent sussing things out for next year’s Topbike spring classics tour. Belgium I have summarised is basically to France what NZ is to Australia, less people, same language and architecture, quieter roads, a little cheaper, friendlier locals (although I have always found the French friendly, they are just that little more reserved than the Belgiums who are your best mate at the first beer and even better at the last). As for the cycling, if you like gently undulating roads through green scenic country side interrupted by very small rural (and very agricultural) towns every 10 ks or so then Belgium is for you.

And so we visited a little local beer manufacturer – La Chouffe Beer, just near Houffalize (it exports all around the world despite the fact that the town has only 1400 people). We also visited the many Second World War sites of historic interest. Basically it all happened in Belgium it seems, it’s hard to comprehend the atrocities that occurred in that region. Now I’m not into war history but as we rode around looking at tanks, graves and memorials to the Belgium resistance and US army, I wondered if its possible that the next generation could be cycling the roads of Iraq . Belgium had an active resistance it seems, the town of Houffalize lost about 400 citizens (pop at the time was around 1400). It must really take some generations to become mates with the Germans again. Joseph’s father was a POW for 5 years. Our French language skills now extend beyond cycling and restaurants to encompass many of the words of war.

We took Joseph to a local ‘Plat de Jour’ restaurant. Only open Fri and Sat night and seats about 12 people, all the food cooked on a combination of hot plates and open inside fire. The most superb sal mon I have ever had. The owner said he would open any night for us next year so long as we had a group of at least 8. Joseph obviously doesn’t eat out much and was very excited to come and thought the food was superb.

Friday we drove to Netherlands to pick up our brand new 18 bike trailer, a purchase we will store in our garage in France . This will make bike handling easier for the larger tours and also less paint damage to the bikes as they are not exposed to bugs, are held stable by the wheels rather than the frame and most of all will not get taken out under a low bridge!

Sunday we went on the hill just out of Houffalize and watched the male pros in L-B-L race up the same hill I had just one week previously. The scene was like a mini tour de France, the usual suspects lining the hill for hours before, but unlike the Tour de France, turning up at the last minute still gave you a great view of the action. After that it was straight in the car and 850 ks later we are in Italy for my next race ‘Nalles Internationale’.

Nalles Internazionale  

After Houffalize I felt more tired than ever following a race, each day I woke and wondered when I was going to feel recovered, despite easy rides and lots of sleep. Saturday (6 days following Houffalize), I did a motor pacing session and the indicators were looking good for Tuesdays Nalles race. Sunday we travelled then Sunday night I woke in a coughing fit in the middle of the night, with that feeling of getting a cold. A lap on the course Monday and my lungs felt bad, heavy and my asthma was not under control. Damn, we’ve travelled 800ks to get here and now I feel crap! Still one day to go, maybe I’ll come good! This is the part I hate about racing, fitness is always right on the edge of a big crash (be it illness, injury, random motor bikes etc), and staying on the edge is hard to do.