Race 2. Grand prix round 1 Saint cyr.....and the rain 12th May 2009

This was without a doubt the coldest race I have ever had the pleasure of participating in. The water was 16 degrees. Not too bad, and after a few minutes of warm-up it felt fine. It actually was not the lake that made me feel like I was in Antarctica. It was the constant rain and chilly wind, coupled with the obligation to ride in 1 layer of soaking wet lycra, and propel yourself down hills, while the riders wheels in front sprayed a pleasant mix of puddles and mud in your face, that sent me to near hypothermia. After having a fairly clean swim (for grand prix standards) and getting out of transition quick enough to see the lead group forming at a very attainable distance, I climbed the first hill content with how my race was unfolding. This was the last time I would be happy about any facet of this race.

I had noticed it being cold when I was getting my shoes on for the bike, but thought little of it. We had around 700m of straight road before a sharp turn left and the start of the hill. Plenty of time to slip on shoes, yet I still found myself at the lower part of the slope, fumbling with my feat. Towards the top of the climb I could see the pack with Nick (my UK teammate) in it but Max Toin just hanging off the back. When I got to him I started to push him, thinking if I can get him in there it will be 3 Cesson in the front pack, and that is the perfect race situation. Well the intention was good but my legs were not coming to the party and I had to stop pushing. I rode hard for a little then waited a little for Max to get on my wheel, but he was still hurting too much, and I was now 50 or more meters behind the front group on the flat. Things were going bad. I spent 2 or 3 kilometers on my own tantalizingly close to the bunch, but without the legs to get there. I decided to save some energy and wait for the second pack, that would have lots of strong guys, and would probably get to the leaders anyway. With the pace slowed and by myself in the French country side I soon felt just how cold I was. The second bunch caught me around a minute later and by the end of the first lap had tacked onto the front group. I was not going great at all. I didn’t feel like I had any strength to pass anyone and improve my position and with every kilometer slipped further towards the back of the pack, that contained around 50 riders. The hills were fine and the corners at low speed were appreciated, but the descents were hurting me.

Not only was there a horrible mix of riders taking big risks and others over braking but the freezing wind was really starting to get to me. It was at the bottom of the last technical descent that I found myself off the back of the bunch, dropped. Shit. I was with a few other guys that I know fairly well and, although nothing was said (my jaw was not functioning anyway) we all had the look of frost bitten bewilderment. We kept the bunch well within sight and if anything or last 5 km little chase got some blood moving in my legs. We rode into transition about 10 seconds down and racked our bikes as the last guys from the front group that had been whittled down to 35 ran out. My feet were white and functionless, and felt too big for my shoes. It took for what seemed 75 minutes to get just two shoes on and then I started to run, with the sensation of golf balls at the end of my legs. The run course was all on dirt roads that, with the constant rain resembled the swim course. I stupidly spent a good part of the first kilometer dodging the puddles, but gave up this fruitless exercise when I realized in some parts the mud on the edge of the puddles was deeper than the puddles. It was for me like a war. I was frozen, not able to focus or see straight and totally energy less, just staggering to get home. If I was not in the first 3 of the team and counting for points, I would have surely stopped. I finished in 27th. Antoine was not far behind me but in the same state and Rod was just in front of me. To add insult to injury Pierre (our U23 athlete that cant count for points) had a great race and was the first of the team home, but with his points taken away the team slipped from 6th to 9th.