After my crash in the Triptyque Ardennais stage race, i had a week off the bike to recover and give my body chance to heal up ready for the next set of races. My first race back was on the 4th of June in Booischot. Before the race i wasn't really expecting to get a result from this race as i didn't know where my fitness levels were at and if my body and fully recovered from the crash or not. A break of 7 riders got away in the early stages of the race and the gap was around 30 seconds so they never really got out of sight and the main bunch managed to pull them back in the closing few laps of the race. When the early break got pulled back with 4 laps to go, the group started to spilt i managed to make the spilt into the front group but because it was such a big group no one really wanted to contribute 100% and so the race came all back together. With 2 laps to 4 riders got away but bunch never really slowed up so they only managed to get 15 seconds, coming into the final lap, the 4 riders were still away but the gap was closing, as we entered the finishing straight the group were brought back and it ended in a bunch sprint where i managed to get 10th. As this was my first race back i was pretty pleased with the result.
I raced again on the 9th of june in Averbode (Interclub 155km). I had been looking foward to this interclub for some time as the course was on my training roads so i knew the roads well. I knew before the race that i had to be towards the front at all times as the winning move could have got away at any point of the circuit. A move went 3 laps into the race which had 12 riders and this move ended up being the winning one but i had two teammates in the move so there was no pressure on me to chase so i positioned myself towards the front of the bunch to go with any other dangerous moves. As the laps went by the leaders built up a good gap but i knew coming into the last couple of laps that another group may get away on the short steep climb, and with 3 laps thats what happened i managed to get into a group with 10 other riders and we was working well together. On the last lap the leaders came back into sight after the climb and they only had about 30 seconds on us but by that point there was only 2km left to go and i finished in the second group coming across the line in 22nd and the team getting 2nd place. It was a very hard day out on the bike but i was with pleased with how i rode as i was up against some very strong riders.
I recently raced in Lubbeek on the 23rd, this was yet another tough race as the lap included 2 climbs so i knew i was in for a tough day out before the race even started. As the first few laps went by the front main group was getting smaller and smaller each lap but it was a very hard race to read as each lap a different break would be in the lead. so i had to make sure that i was in the first few riders each lap so i was able to go with any moves. About half way through the race i managed to get away with 7 others but this only lasted half lap as a group of 20 riders managed to jump across to us. Then my teammate attacked with 2 other riders and this was the winning move, 1 lap after the winning move went another small group of 4 riders went and i missed this move so this left me in the 3rd group on the road with 4 others, i stayed with them until the last lap on the climb where i attacked and got away and came across the line to finish in 11th.
I achieved my second podium of the season in Tienen on the 27th. I was very active during the race making breaks and jumping across to moves, 5 laps into the race a group of 15 riders got away which i wasn't in so i attacked from the main bunch and made the gap across to the leaders. A few other riders managed to get across and by that point the group was too big for us to work well together so the race came all back together with 4 laps to go and then 2 riders got away and i attacked with 6 others to try and get across to the leaders but we didn't quite make it but one of the riders from the 2 out front dropped back to us and i sprint in for 3rd place.
Looking foward to some more kermesse racing and a couple interclubs before i head back to the Uk for a week. Then it will be time for a stage race at the end of july! Would like to thank everyone that has helped support me and also the The Lewis Balyckyi Trust Fund because none of this would be possible without them!