After a week off missing a big Junior Tour i really wanted to do well in i was pretty guttered which meant i was super motivated to do well this weekend in another important junior race called "Prix Des Vins Henry Valloton".
The race started really early at 8 15 am and was about a 3 hour drive away, which meant for an early 4 00 am wake up!! Fair to say was a bit of a shock to the system but after a few coffees i was bouncing off the walls! Chad and i brought a nespresso machine so its even i nice coffee!
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| Team Before the start, super cold! |
We were told the course was hard with steep climbs of cobbles and gravel and it was super windy so i thought this would be a course that suited me perfect. The race started off pretty slow which i thought was weird until i looked up the road and saw a 4 km climb, by the time we hit the climb it was then full gas.
I was in the select group over the top and after about 10 km of block headwind we went through a town and ended up riding through a narrow road through a vineyard and up a steep climb that was either cobbles or gravel (climb hit a max of about 20%!!) So naturally in the first two laps i went full gas up it thinking i was Fabian Cancellara!! After this it was following some sketchy down hills going 70+km/h on roads barely wider than a single bed, almost stacked it a few times with some close calls with the back wheel skipping out but luckily kept it up. Then was back on a wide straight road with some more headwind and cross winds.
We did this loop 3 times with a total of 100 km of racing with a lazy 2000m of climbing chucked in. After the 3rd time up the big climb a group of about 8 were left out front with myself included. I then just lapped it out and followed through the vineyard and wasn't in any difficulty up the rest of the climbs. With 7 km remaining which was all flat with a dirty cross/head wind i attacked the group with a guy on my wheel, we eventually got a 30 second gap, about 1 km remaining he dropped and i rolled in for the win! Was real happy a relieved to get my first European win under the belt and especially coming down the straight posting is an amazing feeling that i hope is not to far away again!
Got to say a big thanks to coach GMC and our team director for giving me race tactic advice as its a lot different racing here than back home! For once saved my self instead of going nuts the whole race and blowing my tit by the finish!
Back to training this week for another Junior race this weekend which i'm super pumped for!
Big thanks to CRAFT Sportswear with their awesome winter kit which is keeping me super warm in racing and training. Get onto the undershirts they are by far the best i have ever ridden!
Cheers
Scotty
