Omloop Het Volk

Thursday I finished the Ruta del Sol. I placed myself two times and I rode a lot of kilometers. During the last stage it was raining once more and I wasn`t very brilliant: after realizing that I could hardly follow the best riders during the climbs, I worked for Bozic in order to reenter the peleton for the sprint. Unfortunately we didn`t manage to line up among the first and as a consequence we stopped working and arrived some minutes behind the winner.
After the Ruta del Sol I went directly to Belgium where I am taking part today in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad that is also known as Omloop Het Volk. It is the first of the Flemish classics and due to the climate in February it might be even more challenging. Today`s race will start and finish in Gent and the course includes 12 walls and several cobblestone sections. In summary Omloop Het Nieuwsblad can be equated with the more renowned classics and it is also is a test for them as it is ridden on the same roads and as it helps to adapt to the cobblestones.

TRAINING DAYS

The two weeks without races have passed by so fast. Tomorrow I will go to Spain to take part in the Ruta del Sol and afterwards I will compete in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and in Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne.

During the last days I was feeling better as my cold had gone so I rode many kilometers in order to improve the quality and quantity of the training. Last Friday I made the ascent to Campocroce that will be included in the Giro d`Italia this year, but due to the snow I had to turn back at the junction to the summit of Monte Grappa. While I was riding my bike I thought that it would be really nice to take part in my first Giro d`Italia. Let`s keep the fingers crossed.
During my longest training ride (200 km), I didn`t feel good but I think that was due to the hard training that I had already done the other days. Furthermore the weather didn`t have any positive effect on my mood as it was a grey day but at least the temperature was ok.

BIRTHDAY

Yesterday it was my birthday: I became 26. It was a real winter day and it seems that it should be like that to make me celebrate my birthday at my warm house in order to cure the cold that I had got in France.
Luckily the weather forecast had been wrong and the big amount of snow stayed away so that today I can ride my bike in order to burn off the cake :-)

HOME

Like I have expected, I adapt myself better to the rhythm of the peleton day by day. Even though it`s just the beginning of the new season, some riders are already in a very good shape.
Friday`s stage was a odyssey for me. The rain during the first 50 kilometers had boded ill and indeed a lot of unpleasant things accumulated: I broke my bike, the replacement took more time than expected, when re-entering the peleton it had split up and I found myself behind, and then, immediately after reaching the leading group I had another mechanic problem and as a consequence I had to stop again.
Despite of all these problems I was able to work for Bozic during the final. He finished second.
You can imagine that a stage like this is really exhausting from the mental point of view as well as from the physical one.

Now I'm at home and i will recover from these first race.

Photo: Régis GARNIER/www.velofotopro.com

BIS

Yesterday we won another victory thanks to Bozic; our team works really well. We were able to control the race and during the final Ongarato and I did a super job by leading out the sprint for Borut. I could have also placed myself considering that, although raising my arms in order to exult, I finished 11th.
Today we have to try to do the triple. The stage is suited for a mass sprint, so let`s hope that we can go on like this

FIRST WIN

I suppose you already know that Bozic won the first stage of the Étoile de Bessèges yesterday. It was his first race this year and at one fell swoop he managed to win the stage and to get the leaders jersey. Hoogerland`s second place really was a good omen :-)
Yesterday I worked for Borut leading out the sprint until the 300m mark. Our good teamwork that had already allowed us to achieve important results during the last season worked out right away. For sure it is also thanks to our new team member Alberto Ongarato that we are able to demonstrate our strength already at the first occasions.

FIRST RACE

The first race of the new season went well for our team: Hoogerland finished in the second place and Feillu won the sprint of the peleton. My personal trial was favourable, at my debut I couldn`t have asked for more. Rather, I was quite impressed by my shape during the last climb: I didn`t have any problems to stay with the peleton and I could have also tried to attack but my teammates were in the breakaway group, so consequently I awaited the movements of the adversaries. During the final I still had enough power to lead out the sprint for Feillu.

From today until Sunday I ride the stage race “Étoile de Bessèges”. Let`s hope that Hoogerland`s second place has been a good omen.