Dejá Vu

Well, sort of. I'm going to keep this kind of brief since I got home at 10PM from a race that started at 5. A lot of miscommunication occurred after the race. My drivers, Joseph and Robert, thought I had gotten a ride home after not seeing me. I searched for 20 minutes for their car after collecting my prize money. Some french and english profanity was probably exchanged. Luckily, I met someone who called Robert, who at that point, was already half way home, to say they forgot me. In the end, everyone made it home in one piece so it's all good.

I raced two races this week, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. Little did I know that not only were these two races in an omnium format but they were run on the exact same course. Same direction, same number of laps, same time. I got a ride to the race with Robert and Joseph, the former team president. My initial reaction after meeting Joseph must have been somewhat similar to that of when a family member meets the Godfather. Only, in this instance, Joseph was the Belgium version. A very nice guy, we managed to exchange a few words in French.

Joseph and me after the race

Tuesday, the break got off in the first 2 laps and stayed away for the entire race. I got into a 6 man chase group with about 5 laps to go and we got within 20 seconds but couldn't close the gap. We got so close that they had the official follow vehicle and ambulance, who usually follow the pelaton, drive right behind us. At that point, I thought they had pulled the rest of the field and just left the 15 of us in the race. Unfortunately, it didn't really work out that way. With about 1.5 laps to go, somehow the pelaton caught our group. I tried my luck in a group sprint and actually fared alright. I finished in the money and was feeling good so I was pretty happy.

One funny moment of the race occurred during the first couple of laps through the start/finish area. Robert was there in the team jersey to give me water bottles every time I would ride by. Every lap, he would stand there with the bottles. And almost every lap in the first half of the race, I would shake my head and not grab a bottle, either because I didn't need one or we were going too fast. And then finally around the 5th lap, I desperately need water. Thank God Robert is there. We came around the turn and I veered off to the right to where I expected Robert to be standing there as he usually is.

Where is he? Bright yellow kit, red hat? No Robert, no Robert...Robert?!?!!!
After drifting back for almost 200 meters looking for Robert, I pass the start/finish line and catch a glimpse of Robert eating a hot dog. We have a moment of connection; I am waving my hand in the air, and he is sort of looking on in disbelief and a bit startled, all with a hot dog in one hand and a beer in the other. We see each other and stare into each other's eyes for 2 seconds, and then part ways. But we exchanged the message. Robert was there in the feed zone, with the bottles, attentive and ready for the rest of the race.


Tuesday, the break went in the first two laps. Today, the break didn't go until the last lap. I felt really good and went with every every every single move. Of course, it's the 1001st move that goes and eventually wins. At one point during the race, I made the selection of 20 riders off the front with 5 laps to go. It was hard but I honestly thought we had a good chance to make it to the finish. Then, people stopped cooperating. Riders wouldn't pull through, gaps would open and a lot of screaming and yelling in French, Flemish and a bit of my English ensued.

I wish I had a tape recorder. I can't recall the number of times I got yelled at or I yelled at someone in a foreign dialect. But, it was a lot; too much to count.

So, the winning moved formed with 2 laps to go. I wasn't in the right position but managed to get second in our field sprint after attacking with 3km to go. I figured I had a better chance doing that than trying my luck with the group. I'm not sure what place I got but I got 22nd overall after 2 days and 100+ riders. Today was frustrating to say the least but I felt good and know that I can make the moves off the front. I just need a bit of luck getting in the right one.

The team is going to Provence to do a 4 day stage race starting next Thursday. I'm pretty bummed I'm not going as I'm starting to feel really good; it features a lot of climbing as well. But, what can you do? All I can focus on is my riding and as long as that is where it should be and getting better. , the rest will take care of itself.