Whats up all,

Yesterday (Saturday) I raced another UCI 1.2 (Erprijs Victor De Bruyne – Hoboken) where I had a ride I was not expecting. It took me 2 days to recover after the race a couple of weeks ago in Zellik-Garlmaarden and I again I wasn’t recovered on Thursday after last Sundays victory. I knew it was getting to the time where I needed a small break. On the Thursday I called my team director asking if it was possible to withdrawal from yesterdays race due to being a little too tired. I also wanted the required time with no races to freshen up again. But I was told I had to race this weekend, I didn’t have the choice. Today (Sunday) is the Regional championships and the team didn’t want the first years racing 2 days in a row. And with the lack of older riders I had to race.

I wasn’t happy about the call but I thought I would just get on with it. I knew being a 1.2 the race was likely to be more controlled and the chances of it coming to a bunch kick was extremely high. I thought I will just sit in the back and roll around. Then maybe if I was still there at the finish I would give it a nudge, or at least help set my team mate up for the sprint. After 65km of the 180km the break finally went. About 25 riders. At that point I was at the front from bringing one of my team mates forward. I watched the break go and thought to myself, normally I’d be in that. Then it got the better of me and I tried to get across. By the time I got out of the pelaton on the narrow streets it was to far and moving to fast for me to get there alone. And the legs weren’t feeling great. I went straight back to the back of the pelaton.

Sitting there I had a friend from lambouwkredit say to me, “Clinton, I am very disappointed in you. I was expecting you to close that gap!” An ex team mate also from Lambouwkredit said, “The race isn’t over yet, he’s going to wait till the gap gets to 4 minutes then he will go across”. I couldn’t help but laugh.
Ironicallythats how it happened. After 120km the legs came around and I was feeling good.

Just before the local laps I realised how un organised the pelaton was and the chances of the break sticking was high. So I launched a couple of solid attacks and got away solo. It took me 9km to close the 1min gap (not quite 4 mins). The look on some of the guys faces was priceless when i arrived at the break. Unfortunately for me there was a few strong teams with more then 2 rides in the break. I had 2 team mates there and they did what they could but it wasn’t enough and I couldn’t cover all the attacks. Finally a rider from Qin Cycling got away, stayed away and won by 8 seconds. In the sprint with the rest of us I knew who I should follow and I was right. The problem was I couldn’t get all the way around him. He was quicker then I thought, but I still managed to secure another podium finish with a 3rd.

Pretty good considering I didn’t want to race at all and was trying to get out of it.

Clinton