Nobody is going anywhere without a St Junien rider. There’s at least six of ’em, and they ride like pro’s. It’s my first road race of the season, my first race as a UFOLEP second cat, we’re on lap 4 of 10, I’m sitting out of the wind in the middle of the bunch, and it’s gonna rain.

Every attack is chased down by the St Junien boys except when there’s an St Junien rider in it, then they block. The sky has gone very black, and thunderstorms are forecast. Right now two riders are away, one St Junien, and one from another club. But, there’s a couple of daft engines willing to tow the whole bunch along at quite a pace, and as the rain starts the two are in sight.

It’s light rain at first, just enough to make the road a little slippy. There’s some tight bends and a gusty wind. Not ideal conditions. The two are caught, and almost immediately another St Junien rider attacks. On the long drag of a climb around the back of the course the pressure is on, and gaps are starting to appear. Two go clear, another is trying to get across. It’s throwing it down now.

Along the narrower part of the circuit the St Junien have done a great job, and the three are out of sight. There’s a lull in the action. I’m getting cold. It crosses my mind to pull out. “Any fool can ride a bike when they’re feelin’ good”, and “what will you gain by pulling out?”…..jeeeessus, it’s my own words come back to haunt me!

Two laps to go, no chance of seeing the break again, and half the bunch pulled out, there’s 9 of us riding hard. Almost like we don’t want to pull out, and we’re going fast to get it over with as quck as possible. There’s no let up, and each man happy to give a good strong pull at the front. Over the climb on the back of the circuit for the last time. I’ll be glad to see the back of this one.

Into the town, I’m sitting 7th in line. I’m not interested in sprinting for 4th place, it’s too dangerous in these conditions. Into the finish straight, a block headwind, I stand up and make some effort. I finish on the wheel of Jean-Marc from the St Junien club about 5th in our group.

Back at the van I strip off and get into warm clothes as fast as I can. I don’t think I could have been wetter if I’d swam. I’m happy with my ride, my fitness was OK, and I had no trouble with the pace. The second cats ride a little harder, and a little closer, and a little smarter, but I still fancy my chances, when the summer comes. 🙂

Had a phone call the other night from Theo, president of the Beauvallet Club-Cyclo, with an invite for me to join a team for the Bonnac 24hr VTT race. The team is being put together by Jean-Phillipe and Lionel of the Nantiat club, the sole objective being to win! I was absolutely flattered. It will be an honour for me to race in a team containing at least two of the fastest senior VTT racers in the area.

Incidentally, looking through the list of teams already signed up I spotted the Culture Velo team containing my old friends Jean-Claude Sansonnet, and the Barborier brothers Charley and Davey. It’s gonna be a great race, I’m looking forward to it already. 😉

My Polar Sports Tester HRM has finally come to the end of the road. My wife bought it for me in 1993, and gave it me for my birthday when I went to the World MTB championships in Metabief.

We been through a lot together (yes, the wife and the Polar, but I’m talking about the Polar). I remember using it to win my first ever LVRC road race. I deliberatley wore my best mountainbike kit, and rode off the start line as if the finish was just around the next corner in the hope that the seasoned veteran roadies would think I was some idiot MTBer who didn’t know what he was doing. It worked, and once I was out of sight I settled down and used my Polar to guage my solo effort. In the end I won by just 20seconds. I was told, “Well done, but you won’t get away with that again!”. 🙂

Then there was the time I was racing in the MTB Nationals. I was being pressed hard by Dave McMullen, giving all I had, I glanced down at the Polar it showed 193bpm. I knew I was going well, riding close to my maximum. It was the hardest I’d ever tried in a bike race, I wanted to win so much.

It’s given great service, and it’s been hanging on ever since it’s last soaking in the London to Paris, but this time it’s a goner. I’ve had the back off, and dried it out like I have so many times before, but no sign of life. I’m a bit sad actually, it’s like an old friend. 🙁

I was gonna write a post about the one thing that’s stopped me training properly lately. It takes a lot to keep me off my bike, and like most compulsive exercisers, I trend towards exercising to the detriment of my health. Luckliy I have my wife to stop me from overdoing it…..

… and then, what’d’ya know there’s actually two things!

First, the first, is some nasty hateful bacteria type thing that has taken charge of my bowels thereby turning me into a prisoner in my own home, on a short leash from the toilet. Three days of flush gut! Then just when things were getting hard, I stole a recce of the departmentals circuit to be rewarded with a chest infection. Volcanic toilet action replaced with hacking up of frogs.

I’ve been trying to make the most of it, looking on it as an opportunity! Taking some much needed rest, and doing a little strength work with my Compex. Currently (geddit?) it involves strapping myself into a chair then putting as much current through my legs as I can bear while at the same time trying to flex my quads!

I went to watch some of my friends racing in the Veyrac Vétathlon yesterday. Looked like fun, wish I could’a been one of them. Took some pictures if you fancy seeing what it’s all about. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking towards the Regionals, and I’m getting twichy (might be the Compex). The only riding I’m allowing myself is a daily cruise around the manor on my jump bike.

You know I’m training hard to have a crack at a couple of French titles this year. Well here’s one of my main rivals. Jean-Claude Sansonnet, he rides for the Nantiat club. He’s 61 years old, and has been on the podium in the National VTT Championships no less than 9 times! 9 times I tell ya!

Don’t let his comic pose fool you, Jean-Claude may act the clown, but he takes his racing very seriously. That’s his new bike he’s got there. A Scott Spark Ltd. Around £5000 of featherlight racing machine. That’s a measure of his commitment, and determination.

Someone asked me where they could get the hot emrocation that I mentioned in my post about winter training. So I thought I’d do a bit of an update….
I recommended Muscolor and Equilibrium as good makes to use, as I had tried both. However, Muscolor isn’t avaliable any more, and Equilibrium has become Qoleum. They’re the same see…

My tin of Equilibrium lasted years. You use it sparingly/carefully…….. and now, I back the embrocation up with, */roll of drums/* ta daaaaaa!!!! My homemade kneewarmers!

Yes, laugh if you like, but for me, early season ‘toothache of the knee’ is a thing of the past. Oh, hang on, you don’t think I wear them like that do you? No, I just pinned ’em on the outside of my tights to show what they look like. Normally I just tuck them inside my tights, and the tights hold them in place. Simple! and they work brilliantly.

I made them from the hood of an old duvet jacket (you’d never guess would you), which means that they have a ‘hollofil’ insulating layer. What do you think of them?