Racing Roundup

The week is over and after 4 races it has been a long one, but it should have been longer...
Thursday I went to the Ninove pro race to see what I could do with the big boys. With this race also serving as the pro provincial championships the big guns were out and blazing. The usual suspects of Chocolade-Jacques, Jartazi, Quickstep, Unibet.com and Predictor-Lotto were there Landbouwcredit and to add some international flair Skil-Shimano (Netherlands), Weisenhof-Felt (Germany), Murphy-Gunn (Ireland), Francais Des Jeux and Agritubel (France) rounded out the field. The course in Ninove is renowned for being incredibly fast and dangerous. Last year Mathew Gilmore effectively put and end to his career after running into a pole ripping through the technical section in town. With a couple of rollers, one climb and lots of corners in the city center per lap the race is hot from the gun and with 170 km of it the winner in Ninove is the ultimate combination of smarts and strongman. All was well for me in the first 50 km. I was on the rivet constantly through the chicanes and on the long cross wind section, but the climb was good and I felt that if I could survive the first 2 hours I just might be able to bring this one home. After about 65 km a break went clear and some of the teams were not having it so they started turning the screws and the field began to splinter. Gaps were flying open everywhere in the wind and through the turns and I was getting flashbacks from Puivelde and Gullegem. And then after 75km I was in the cars fighting like a madman to get back in, only to get back in have another gap open a few riders up, watch 25 guys fly past 10km/hr faster than me, fight to jump in a wheel, lose that wheel and be back in the cars. I was in the cars three times before I finally had to call it quits. I definitely noticed the difference in speed racing with the pros. I race elite races 3 times a week and they average 45 km/hr and I suffer like crazy, but with the pros here you are not just riding with 3 of 4 strong teams, but with 10 teams who all want the win. No one can control anything and thus the racing is relentless and the speed never slows. From km 0 to km 170 its full gas. Its a harsh reality.
After my misadventure with the big boys I went back to my own league and raced with the elites yesterday in Merchtem. The course was a relatively short closed loop with fast corners and good pavement. Only about 60 riders started and at least 10 of them must have been Irish with their national team here for the Ronde Van Vlaams Brabant next week and Murphy-Gunn. I started really well getting in the break immediately, but that didn't last long as we were caught after one lap and the counters started. After 5 laps everything came back together aside from 6 riders with a big gap and I sensed that the peleton was in the hurtbox with the break having worked hard and the chase being so intense so I lauched up the right side and opened a solid gap. To make a long story short that attack resulted in a group of about 12 going clear, which became 20 with some additions and once we caught the front group. Unfortunately with about 6 laps to go our group started playing games and we were caught by what was left of the peleton. I must have been in 75% of the moves that tried to go and despite going clear several times we never succeeded. In the end small groups up the road saw about 12 riders clear. In the final 1500m I went clear trying to bridge to two riders just off the front. I ended up in no mans land and knowing that I have no sprint I went for it, but that would have been too good to be true and i was caught with the bunch in full sprint with 150 m to go and ended in 36th...
Then we all went to Gent and witnessed the entire center packed with tens of thousands of people for Gentsefeesten, enjoyed some bevys and brought back the good times. Perhaps I will elaborate on that phenomenon later. It is a true wonder and makes Stampede look like a tea party for 8 year olds...
Today I received 100% confirmation for Vlaams Brabant so on Wednesday I start a 5 day stage race and then on Monday I do one of the biggest post Tour crits in Europe with DiLuca and friends. Over 700km in 6 days. Life is Beautiful.