Z-G report

OK, here are the details of my previous post. Zellik- Galmaarden is the second race of the Top Competition series, a number of one-day races here in Belgium for continental and amateur teams. They are some of the most prestigious events for amateurs and attract some of the highest quality fields in Europe. Needless to say, it was a race I was happy to do. Being my first long race of the year, my duty for the day was to land in an early break and represent the team for the first part of the day. A good finish would be a bonus but not a necessity today. So I raced hard in the first 2 hours of the race, going with attacks and spending small chunks of time up the road. No escape was given much time and the wide roads in the beginning of the race kept the speeds high and the attacks controlled. On the menu was 2 servings of the Muur and 5 servings of the Bosberg, among other lesser climbs, so the peloton was not eager to expend energy.

Because of a new rule here in Belgium amateur races no longer permit riders to wear radios. So yesterday was the first time in 4 years I've raced a UCI in Europe without my beloved earpiece. I realized yesterday how much I depended on it. I was forced to pay close attention to the race, remind myself to eat and drink, and ride in close proximity to my teammates. Radio-free bike racing is most certainly different and raises the stock of the intelligent bike racer. No longer can a "dumb-as-a-nail-powerhouse" follow mindlessly the commands of his director. As much as I liked having Bernard in my ear, it was sort of nice having to rely on intelligence and instinct.

It was difficult to keep track of attacks and breakaways but every racer was in the same boat. I think that was the main reason no escapes were given huge amounts of time. It was a race of selection and the peloton was whittled to half its original size. Over the many climbs the peloton would shatter, and some groups would eventually come back together. It wasn't until the final ascent of the Bosberg that the winning move stuck, of which Steven was a part. My position was good on that climb, but not good enough (by 2 places to be exact...in order to be in the chase). Funny how those small details can affect the final result. I was pleased by the way I raced, how I felt, and by getting the full 170 k's in my legs. I really feel that good stuff in coming. To echo Bernard's sentiments about the race: It was without a doubt a good day, but in the end we did not get what we deserved.