My couple of weeks in Girona went pretty well.
I got all the training done that I had planned and finished the block ready to curl up in a ball and go home and do nothing for a few days. I rode for 38 hours in just 10 days including one full rest day and one day where I rode for just 1.5 hours, so as you can imagine I was pretty happy with the work I had done. The next goal was to freshen up, soak up the training and, of course, stay healthy.
On returning home from my last day on the bike, I noticed a few missed calls from my sports director. Normally this means only one thing: something has changed with my program. I quickly had a think what races where coming up and what could have changed and I soon realised it could only be one race. My worst nightmare had happened again – I had to ride Liege!
I travelled back from Spain on Friday, spent a couple of hours at home and then set off to my race hotel for Sundays race. After a short ride on Saturday, the mandatory team presentations, massages etc., it was soon enough time to go. It seemed like just a few hours ago I was rolling up the hill after my final push in Girona sighing relief and looking forward to a rest, and here I was on the start line of my worst nightmare. I say this not because I dislike the race for any type of negative reason, just as I class it as the hardest one day race of the year and one that doesn’t quite suit me to say the least. Anyway, as always I was on the start line ready to race, be professional and do my job. I started well and helped cover all of the major breakaways as asked. After around 30kms of full gas chaotic racing through wind hail and rain we ended up in the perfect position. A six-rider breakaway with one rider from OPQS (Dario Cataldo) in front. Now we could sit back, relax and get ready for the battle into Cote De Wanne.
I had never experienced the fight into De Wanne as I didn’t get as far last year, but it’s not too dissimilar to the fight into the Arenberg Forest. I did all I could to position Chava [Matt’s teammate andFrench national road race champion, Sylvain Chavenel] as best as I could, and then pulled the pin. I was cooked. I couldn’t ride any more and dragged my sorry ass to the feed zone. After 180kms, my race was done. With such a long time away from racing and the fact, I had just come from a heavy training block with no intensity into a race such as Liege, I was happy enough with my day’s work. Unfortunately we finished the race empty handed but without a real Ardennes contender it was always going to be an uphill battle (excuse the pun).
Straight after the race, I headed to the airport on the way to my next race – the Tour de Romandie.
I’m now sat on my bed after the second stage and I’m already feeling pretty dead. This is turning out to be one hard bike race. Originally it was only in my plans as a preparation race for a possible slot in the Giro. I must say, I’ve pretty much realised how much I have underestimated this race. Naive as I am, in only my second year pro, I thought I could just rock up after a few weeks hard training in the hills and ride round with these guys without any major bother. How wrong I was. I didn’t include much intensity at all over the past weeks and am now feeling the wrath of it.
I gave it my all in the 3.3km Prologue TT only to finish just outside of the top 50 – pretty disappointing for a national TT champion. Yesterday, I was dropped on the final climb before the finish and finished seven minutes behind the winner and today was pretty much the same. Early on, I did what I could to help our GC riders and keep them out of the wind and then tried to survive as best as I could to the finish.
I’m not feeling too dead in the evenings which shows my condition is ok and I have good endurance but my top end just isn’t quite there yet. I’m confident this week’s racing will do my the world of good and I will come out of it in top shape but in hindsight, I wish I had done that little bit more specific work coming into this race.
Fingers crossed, I will come round and get better each day but one thing is for sure, I will never make this mistake again.
So another few days of suffering are to come, as I always say: ‘It’s a good job, I love it!’
Until next time,
Ciao
Matt
