16 Boucles de L'Artois, UCI 1.2, 3/2/05

Race Report #3:

16 Boucles de L’Artois, UCI 1.2, 3/2/05

As it was explained to me this was one of the bigger UCI amateur races of the month. I seemed to be a bigger production than the one I did earlier. By the way, this one was in northern France. It started at the center of town and had the riders “village” set up inside of a festival like atmosphere, pretty cool!
The course layout was a point to point with three 12 km finishing loops. It contained roughly two dozen or so hills/power climbs with about a handful of them steep enough to make your legs cry out as you crested the top and proceeded into the barren wind swept flats on the top. The finishing loops contained one steep cobbled climb out of town and then one fairly gradual, but ever increasing in gradient, longer climb. The cobbled climb could be compared to snake alley if you straightened it out, made it actual cobbles, made them about three times bigger in diameter, and made their condition worse…hmmm maybe not so comparable.
The start of the race had a 4 km neutral roll out. Lesson 1 for the day: the French riders are rather sneaky, etc., etc. So, one minute I am rolling through the city streets (with no sidewalks, just buildings to bounce off of) fairly close behind the lead car, and then all these frenchies come out of the wood work. Literally, coming out of back allies etc. making it damn near a dog fight to be near the front as we are funneling down ever smaller streets.
10 km to the first significant climb and I’m a hagin’ out fine but a bit on the rivet when we are strung out in the open, hmmm better keep riding smart, maybe smarter. Alright about 15 km in, the blood is starting to flow through the muscles, and it is time for me to stop riding like a little school girl. I work my way into the top 20-30 and start trying to do my job…which was to basically take the pressure off of Austin and Jason by getting in any breaks that looked halfway decent…meaning breaks containing more than just a couple a screwballs, and if I got myself in one that stuck...well obviously make the most of it. Also, I was to get them to the local laps in good condition.
At about 70 km or so was the feed zone. OK spread out a bit and get over to the right. Ann is second from the end…dodging a few rolling bottles on the way in for the mussette bag I must have made a slight miscalculation (yes, I’m a dork) and part of the bag hit the shifter and proceeded to impact the front wheel…essentially knocking it out from under me and sending me half rolling, half superman like into the ground. That stung a bit, not only physically, but a bit on the pride too…man I felt stupid! It resulted in NO broken bones, which is a good thing, but it took a bit of a toll on the trusty steed. So that was my race.
Jason, Austin, and Steve finished with what could be called the third group. Once things hit the local laps what was left of the field shattered. Roughly 60 of 190 finished. The rest worked hard to make sure that those guys were there at the local laps.
In my last race report there was some commentary on cornering in a kermis, well that still doesn’t make complete sense to me. But, the cornering in the UCI races does…at least somewhat. It is based on wind direction for the most part. For example if you turn right into a section that will have a cross headwind from the right, things will slow way down and everyone will shy to the outside…meaning no diving through the inside of the corner and getting blasted by the wind, unless you aren’t riding so smart or feel you have some superhuman strength..
Kind of a short race report…but hey what do you want, a detailed description of my road rash!

Bret Glembocki