After yesterday's debacle of not being able to find the venue (and missing out on what turned out to be a bit of a soft race in terms of field size) I had no problem with todays HQ having been there before, albeit in 2009 I think.
No question I was very strong in 2009, I won three races in Belgium, but when I turned up to this race in 2009 and tried to sign on in the correct race, I was told that I had been 'promoted' to the 50 year race, which was obviously beyond me, having said that I still finished in the 'money'' and had gone particularly well up the climb.
The course was fairly straight forward the start/finish straight rises steadily from Wulvergem on a concrete surfaced road, turns right across 50m of cobbles to get on to the climb, which has a reasonable hot mix surface, if a little broken in places, with decent hot mix all the way up and around to the finish. The climb itself is the back side of the infamous Koppenburg climb, famous in various of the Belgian spring classics and the tour of West Flanders amongst others. The Koppenburg is a steep cobbled brute, fortunately no cobbles today. Having got to the top of the climb, the course turned right across the top of the ridge which had a nasty crosswind before another turn took us downhill back into the village, the down hill was unfortunately head wind so not an easy bit of the course. Back through the village was a 90 degree right, a left, another right, a bit of a dogleg right which bought us back onto the home straight with 200m to the finish line.
Having had a day off yesterday I opted to do two laps before the seven lap race, first one I just rode, second one I booted it up a bit thinking my legs are not usually so good initially after a no ride day, I'm consistent there, my legs felt distinctly 'blocked'.
Back to normal size field today around 40, maybe 40+, lead car goes off and of course there's an attack straight away but only one guy on his own, fortunately the field ignores him until we hit the hill for the first time when the pace picked up and he was dangling about 50m off the front, the climb is narrow and twists and turns a bit so the race is pretty much lined out, there's not a lot of room to bunch. About half way up I'm thinking that I was really easy and others look like they were laboring quite a lot, so with a rush of blood (obviously in my subconscious I must have been thinking how well I was climbing the last time on the course), I powered it up, not savagely just lifting it incrementally, I rode clear passed the early breakaway and shot around the right hander clear, hoping that there would be group coming across. No such luck, a single rider came across and having got to me, he then wanted me to tow him down the hill, I did keep going because I could see a group of 5 also coming across too, however by the time they got to us the majority of the bunch had also closed the gap to them. Break over and I'm already thinking that maybe I should have waited a lap or two before committing.
The race went on like that, I was in every split that looked like it had a chance until one six man group slipped off the front after the two to go board had been shown. For some reason I couldn't fathom I was having more trouble with the lesser incline of the concrete surfaced road up to the climb proper, which is where they went. They were only ever about 200m clear and as we hit the hill for the last time I went on my own about half way up, I was joined by 3 others who arrived one at a time, so we hit the right hander to cross the ridge closing on the front group clear of what's left of the bunch which has dwindled to about 15 due to attrition of the constant attacks. Unfortunately the bunch caught our little group before we caught the leading group which effectively stopped our momentum.
So the leading group got to sprint for the win, we were sprinting for 6th, I got into a good position through the beginning of the corner sequence, got a bit shuffled when a rider who was never going to make it stick (he's been yoyoing on and off the back for the whole last lap), went going into the last right hander with about 500m to go. I was happy enough with that, it was an uphill, headwind sprint so followed wheels around the corner and into the dogleg, jumping out of that I felt a bit like Peter Sagan bouncing off of a couple of riders who were doing there best to fall off I think. Went hard up the right hand gutter passing riders all the way but didn't quite get to the front but was really happy with the race and result.
After collecting my money I visited two of the three WW1 cemeteries that were on the circuit. The area has literally hundreds of these small cemetery's and memorials as well as the bigger more well known ones. Both of the ones I visited where British and as I walk along the headstones, it has to be wondered what the world might have been like if these mostly very young men hadn't been there when they were needed. I've been in a lot of them over the years, they still make me very emotional but when you see the care and attention with which they are maintained you can sense the respect that is given to these brave souls.
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