Euro HC
Fourmies, FRA- Grand Prix de Fourmies La Voix de Nord… 1.HC
Sunday, September 10, 2006
We flew into the Borvaix airport near Paris on Saturday from Girona. Kevin and the bikes had been held up on the road over so we ended up riding later that day around 5pm. The food was great but the housing was the fairly simple bed and bathroom that we’ve come to expect in France. The strange thing was that we we’re in the same hotel complex that last year’s former winning team was at… Lotto and Robbie Mc Ewen. The food was good for a change though, so we were satisfied at the end.
This was my first euro HC race, so I was a bit nervous coming into it. But it turned out to be quite similar to the 1.1/2.1 races, there are just a lot more of the big pro tour guys here. The attacks are significantly harder than what I’m used to then its full throttle from there. So you’ve got to be careful about which ones you follow, otherwise you blow too quickly. In the end Frank and Cozza got in the early break, then that group got caught and Frank attacked and went away with another guy. Together they were able to claim the KOM jersey and the sprint jersey, Frank the KOM one. Everyone sat up when they went and Lotto and Unibet chased them down. They were finally caught on the last finishing circuit lap. I tried desperately to get in a break on the second to last lap, but it was totally nuts. The selection group stayed together for the final lap and I was left with no choice but to not contest the sprint. There was a mass swarming and the current swiftly placed me in the back… Not that it would have made much of a difference ‘cause my sprint legs aren’t up to the task of sprinting against the likes of these guys, or anyone else for that matter… Anyway, I finished up in 37th again… If you recall that was also my finish in Georgia and California…
Sunday, September 10, 2006
We flew into the Borvaix airport near Paris on Saturday from Girona. Kevin and the bikes had been held up on the road over so we ended up riding later that day around 5pm. The food was great but the housing was the fairly simple bed and bathroom that we’ve come to expect in France. The strange thing was that we we’re in the same hotel complex that last year’s former winning team was at… Lotto and Robbie Mc Ewen. The food was good for a change though, so we were satisfied at the end.
This was my first euro HC race, so I was a bit nervous coming into it. But it turned out to be quite similar to the 1.1/2.1 races, there are just a lot more of the big pro tour guys here. The attacks are significantly harder than what I’m used to then its full throttle from there. So you’ve got to be careful about which ones you follow, otherwise you blow too quickly. In the end Frank and Cozza got in the early break, then that group got caught and Frank attacked and went away with another guy. Together they were able to claim the KOM jersey and the sprint jersey, Frank the KOM one. Everyone sat up when they went and Lotto and Unibet chased them down. They were finally caught on the last finishing circuit lap. I tried desperately to get in a break on the second to last lap, but it was totally nuts. The selection group stayed together for the final lap and I was left with no choice but to not contest the sprint. There was a mass swarming and the current swiftly placed me in the back… Not that it would have made much of a difference ‘cause my sprint legs aren’t up to the task of sprinting against the likes of these guys, or anyone else for that matter… Anyway, I finished up in 37th again… If you recall that was also my finish in Georgia and California…
posted by Tom Peterson @ 5:06 AM
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