My Racing in July started on the 6th with the Rik Van Looy interclub. I was looking forward to this interclub as it was a challenging course with multiple cobbled sectors. The race started of with small local laps, the speed never really dropped below 50kph so a break never really established its self. As we approached the first cobbled sector after 60km of racing, the pace increased once again with riders going onto bike paths trying to get into the best position possible for the first time over the cobbles. I managed to make the front group over the cobbles the first time and did so up until the last time over the cobbles where i got caught up in a crash but i chased on with 2 other riders from lotto-Soudal we made it back to the reduced front group of about 50 riders. As we approached the last local lap there was a group of 15 riders away, i could see small groups going away trying to get across but i was unable to go with them due to the effort i had to put in after getting caught behind the crash so i finished with 3rd group on the road with about 20 riders up the road.
After this race i decided to go back home for a week from the 9th of July until the 16th, whilst i was home i had chance to participate in the Ride for Joe event that takes place every year, raising money for the West Midlands Air Ambulance charity. It Was a great event with over 500 riders turning out for the event, i will certainly be back to it again next year!
After returning to Belgium on the 16th, i was straight back to racing in Geel on the 19th for a kermesse. The lap was only 3km so i knew that i needed to be at the front all the time to go with any breaks after 3 laps a dangerous break went up the road, i managed to get across with another rider and we made the lead group of 10 riders and that turned out to be the winning move, coming into the last lap we built up a gap over 2 minutes to the peleton. I tried an attack with 2km to go but was chased down. Going into the sprint i wasn't best placed so i only came away with 7th place. I was a little disappointed by that but i have learnt from the mistake i made.
On the 21st of July, i had the chance to race in my first pro kermesse, i was really looking forward to this race. I wasn't really expecting to get a result from this but more of an experience and get a tasty for what the racing may be like in a few years time. The race consisted of 12 laps of a rolling course and also a 10% climb up to the finish each time (160km total distance). A big group of 15 riders got away in the early laps, their gap reached about 2 minutes but going into the last 5 laps the peleton increased the pace and each time up the finish climb riders were being dropped, i managed to stay in the main group up until the last 2 laps where the group spilt big time, and i wasn't able to go with lead group over the climb, i found myself in the 3rd group on the road and finished 70th at the end. But i was happy with the race as its the first time ive experienced a race at this level, it can only get better from here!
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Ronde Van Vlaams Brabant
The end of July saw me take part in the 5 day stage race which is Ronde Van Vlaams Brabant. Going into this stage race i was really excited to see what i could do after the disappointment of crashing out of a stage race earlier in the year. Stage 1 was shortened down to 100km because of 40 degrees heat. I've never experienced racing in that heat before it was horrible but i got through the stage without any problems finishing within the middle of the main group only losing 15 seconds to the 4 leaders that got away on the last lap.
Going into stage 2 i felt motivated and ready, yet again it was a really hot day, hotter than yesterdays stage so the stage shortened was shortened down to 100km. The course was fairly rolling with a short cobbled climb, the first time through the cobbled climb i was well positioned and stayed towards the front, over the top of the climb i attacked with a few others but the peleton wasn't letting anyone get away. The second time over the climb i was once again well positioned towards the front but going down the descent there was a touch of wheels in front of me bringing me and 20 other riders down, i felt down pretty hard, once i got back up the peleton was at least 2 minutes up the road, i managed to finish the stage but this meant i was no longer in for a chance of GC result. I'd hit my knee pretty hard during the crash not being able to put down full pressure for the rest of the stages i wasn't able to get any results but i was able to get to the end of the stage race. But i look forward to my next chance in a stage race which will start on the 7th of August at the Ronde Van Namur.
