Knesselare Kermesse, 104km’s.
Uphill false flat, 120degree corner, broken roads, 120degree corner, broken roads, corner, corner,
narrow service road, crosswind….. This little circuit had everything in it as well as 100+ eager bike riders!
The nature of this race was attrition. If you were further then 20th wheel back, the amount of power you
had to put through the cranks in order to stay with the front aspect of the peloton was huge, probably
an additional 20%.
As the front riders get to coast through the corner, the riders behind have to exponentially brake harder
in order to allow enough room from the rider braking in front of them. This creates a ‘bottleneck’
whereby the last riders are almost walking around the corner and then accelerating with peak power
that is akin to an all out sprint. Position has never been so important then in these instances.
With the race underway getting to front meant everything. We found each other as best we could and
pushed forward when the peloton was in a single file line on the straighter aspects of the course. This
made for hard going as a single file peloton is indicative of a high pace. Still we eventually placed
ourselves at the front and noticed the difference in output required once there.
At this race we had three Belgium support crew as well as a Plan B Racing Team board member and our
team Physiotherapist in Matt and Adrian respectively. The team’s status has grown considerably since
our arrival due to our results and ability to coordinate our efforts as a single unit. People asking us to
have photos with them are always a good sign and one that the team embraces whole-heartedly.
We even had several riders come in as near-on favorites with the bookies; at around 8/1 odds for a win
and 8/1 for the place as the picture displays below for the rider 'Hall'.
This all adds to the spectacle that is cycling in Europe. However our focus was out on the road. The
nature of this circuit was incredibly draining. The field was consistently being culled, as move and
counter-move went clear of the single file line that resembled a peloton. Plan B were in everything
initially, with Sam Davis beginning to come into some real form. Andrew and Mike were also riding great
position with many proactive efforts reflective of their determination.
Eventually a move rode clear, with no Plan B riders in it. This ‘move’ was more akin to a peloton as there
were over 15 riders in it with 3 of the favorites well placed there. Not good enough. Without any
communication or effort, 4 of the 5 PBRT riders descended on the pointy end of the second peloton.
Due to the tight nature of the intricate circuit and the fact that 16 men rolling turns resembles a race
horse bolting from the paddock, we had to act fast. This is exactly what each member resorted to.
Mike V drove the four of us toward the crest of a false flat where there were several intricate corners,
here I stepped off his wheel and drove hard into the corners with our riders attached. A corner in
Belgium is a hill in France as it provides an obstacle of other riders to negotiate in their own right
without the benefits of a draft. We smashed into the corner and come out of it at full noise.
Sam and Andrew totally emptied themselves out as I took up the reins again after my earlier turn. We
were bringing back a break of around 16+ men, the four of us. A half a lap of 4km’s is what it took to
bridge to these front markers. Once this was completed we had lost Mike and Andrew due to their
extensive efforts and were left with Chris, Sam and I to consolidate their generosity.
Chris acknowledged this generosity and covered several moves over the remainder of the course; Sam
too was instrumental in making sure that a similar mistake did not occur again.
As the race drew on the field further dwindled in size. Eventually the final would be contested in a sprint
for the line. Here the finish had a 90degree corner 250m from the line, so placing oneself into this apex
was key to having a shot at victory. I was well placed with 500m to go, but was caught out by a small
train surging for the corner. Eventually I ran 12th, with our other riders in Sam and Chris finishing in the
field.
A really hard day out! For the 2hours and twenty minutes I had spent half of it at or above threshold HR.
Now we have 3 days off, which has been well deserved. Recovery is equally important to intensity as we
prepare ourselves not only for the remainder of this Belgium campaign but for the team’s primary goal
relating to the National Road Series back home from August through to October. Still plenty of racing
and opportunity for me to engage in excessive monologue as exemplified by these 3 pages! Thanks
again for taking an interest. Brad.