First French experience

Right, I needed a break after my last essay so here is an update covering everything over the last few weeks.

Once I have arrived home from Italy - after a very rushed drive to the airport, leaving about an hour after the RR!! - I was wrecked for the majority of the week. I had a few easy spins thrown in mid week, but that was it. 

I needed as much rest as possible before jetting off to Nantes, France on the Thursday.

I was met at the airport by EC Mayenne manager Serge Pineau. We drove the 200km trip up to Mayenne the following morning where I met my team/house mates for the next month. We are a mixed bunch of different ages and nationalities, with riders from Estonia, Lithuania and Finland.

My first weekend was to contain two 2eme division races. I didn't know what to expect from the racing but once into the first 20km of the race on Saturday I knew what the French like to do... ATTACK! and attack and attack and attack...

At first I was finding the racing quite comfortable so started attacking and following moves and I soon ended up on my own out front. The races here seem to be lots of short laps. The short laps give the impression of a short race when you're in the zone racing... so it is easy to get carried away! This said, I was out on my own after 4 laps of a 7km circuit with 12 to go! I regretted this later on in the race and once the race was back together I had very tired legs! The winning move went with 1 to go, and I just about managed to haul myself over the climb with 3km to go to take 5th place about 20 seconds in front of the bunch.

Happy enough with my first result I headed to my second race. A very similar set up of short, hilly laps and once again I got carried away and ended up off the front very early... I still had tired legs from the day before so my chosen tactic was not ideal. I managed to scrape round, once again missing the move and just being pipped to 4th by the French Junior Champion from last year, I was once again 5th!

My first impressions tell me I should be capable of getting a win out here before I head home on the 10th and that the racing style will be sure to make you strong! I am also enjoying living with the team at the apartment in Mayenne. I like being left to my own devices so I can chose what I eat, when I train and just generally relax and look after myself properly!

Tomorrow's race is a night criterium, which will be my first 1eme division race. So it'll be sure to have a strong field and the hopefully the potential to pick up a good result!

I'll update when I can,

Merci!

Felix

Attack attack attack!