Route de France: aim not achieved

I wanted to finish this race as a preparation for my personal highlight of the season, my «home-race» the Trophée d’Or, but unfortunately, it didn’t go according to plan...

Prologue: Lanvollon -- Plouah

Being a «diesel» and needing time to get into a race, I didn’t do so well in the short first stage, finishing one of the last, but I caught back the rider that started before me.

Guingamp -- Locminé

The 116,4km between Guingamp and Locminé were essentially marked by uphills and downhills. After some minor difficulties in a longer climb at about half distance of the stage, I worked a lot for my team and eventually dropped out of the bunch in the last five kilometres, arriving in a smaller group with 3’ backlog on the winner.

St Ford -- Lavaré

The longest stage of the race over 129km from St Ford to Lavaré had no real difficulties and a complete bunch entered the final lap in Lavaré. However narrow roads and a small climb caused several crashes in the last kilometres. I hung on in the cars and was on my way back into the bunch, but was blocked twice by the commissioners car, finishing at 1’ backlog.

Bonneval -- Cloyes sur le Loir

The third stage had strong resemblances with dutch races, it was rather flat and there was a lot of wind. The race started under a heavy downpour, and I decided to keep the rain-jacket on for the first few kilometres, which then turned out being a huge mistake.

Since the rain wasn’t really cold, I quickly started to suffocate in my vest and called my car to hand the vest to them. But the moment I was which the car, the hostilities started in front of the bunch and I had to struggle to get back into the bunch. The attacks went on endlessly, and, myself being in a rather bad position in the back of the bunch, I was dropped, hanging for some kilometres just behind the bunch. Eventually a group of about 20 riders who had been dropped came in sight behind, so I decided to wait for them, knowing full well that I had no chance of getting back into the bunch on my own.

Unfortunately, the group didn’t work all that well, the sidewind not helping things, we crossed the finish line with a backlog of nearly 20 minutes.

I hoped that we wouldn’t be out of time limit, but since we had the french champion as well as 4 of her teammates in the group, I didn’t think that they would take us out.

Chrono St Georges sur Baulche

After a good start in my least favourite discipline, I had some difficulties until km 10, where I finally found my rhythm and even caught back the italian rider who started 1’ before me. Maybe that I’ll be able to actually like time-trial one day....

Luxeuil les Bains -- St Dié des Vosges

The Côte de Plombières (km 20) caused me some pain and I hung on in the cars for some time before I got back into the bunch. We passed the second difficulty of the day without problems, but after an attack in the very steep uphill to the Col du Haut St Jacques, I was barely hanging on, suffering a lot and lost contact with the bunch. I reached the arrival in the last group.

St Dié des Vosges -- Vittel

As all the riders behind me in the classification had already abandoned the race, I went to the start of the last stage as the «laterne rouge». I have to admit that I was secretly hoping that the girls would wait some kilometres before attempting any attacks, since the first and only difficulty of the day started at kilometre 0.

But Team Columbia had a different view than the other Teams, and attacked immediately. This attack threw more than half of the riders out of the competition.

As the time-limit for the arrival in the final lap in Vittel was 10 minutes, I didn’t struggle long and got there in the car.

A decimated bunch got onto the final circuit in Vittel: We had started the race in Lanvollon with 89 riders, 79 were left at the start of the last stage and 39 riders actually finished the race.

Next race will be Plouay before attacking my 12th Trophée d’Or.