Bike Alberta #8

This past weekend was planned as a selection for upcoming races. Therefore close to the entire Cat. 1 & 2 squad was at the start line on Saturday’s race in Dommartin. The teams were to be selected based roughly on the race for the Tour de Cote D’Or, Tour du Beaujolais and Tour de Pays de Savoie. I was hoping for a good performance to make the selection for the latter two. The team for the Tour du Beaujolais would be made up of 3 Cat. 1 riders and 3 Cat. 2 riders. This made it important for me to be one of the top Cat. 2 riders representing Creusot. The team for the Pays de Savoie would be harder to make as only the top 5 espoirs on Creusot would be able to race.

Dommartin is a small town in the South-East corner of the Saone et Loire. It is on the Bresse plain which despite having a reputation of being completely flat, still possesses hills which will be found for a race. On the drive to the course, the sky opened up and it rained quite heavily, but it let up as we neared Dommartin. After signing in, it was a scramble to find shelter as the storm moved in. The team changed in the dry warmth of various vehicles, which served us well as at one point it was raining exceptionally hard. As the start time neared, the rain slowed to a drizzle, and I went out to warm up. The race was a circuit race with 14 laps of a 9 km course. The terrain was a little hilly, but there was nothing serious.

As I came back to the van, we gathered for race instructions from Steve (our Director Sportif). We had the largest numbers of any team at the race and the field was rather small at around 65, so we were instructed simply to dominate the race. There were sprint points each time across the finish line which we were to take and it was expected that someone on the team win the race. Personal instructions to me were to be active and aggressive. With everyone knowing what to do, we lined up to race.
The race started and I immediately began to work my way to the front. It seemed easier than normal and I quickly arrived with many teammates around me. It was still raining and the roads felt a little sketchy. I decided to go off the front to test my legs and avoid any early-race mishaps on the wet roads. As I thought this, a few of my teammates went in a move and I lay just out of range to bridge without pulling the peloton. So I waited for someone else to jump and I would be the good teammate to hop on the wheel and I either prevent them from getting across, or better yet, let them tow me across. The gap was at a mere 10 seconds when sure enough, the rider I am following jumps. I am immediately on his wheel and he half-turns his head to see this. Seeing me, he puts on his brakes. Now, I don’t know if this slipped his mind at the time, but a rider accelerating right behind you probably won’t respond well if you slow down drastically. So, without time to react (or my brakes didn’t engage quickly due to the rain) I rode into his wheel at a speed and angle to launch me off my bike. I landed on my head/face and then rolled before having someone ride over my face. When I got up, the pack had passed and I was fairly delirious. I was dizzy and had a hard time standing up without falling over. My team saw this and helped me into the broom-wagon which took me to the fire station, the only first-aid equipped people around. They cleaned me up some, but did not know what else to do, so they waited for my team car to pick me up. After some time my dizziness went away, but it was replaced with a headache that progressed through the afternoon and evening. It was hard to watch my teammates race while I sat to the side. In the end, it was Cyril Lecler of Creusot who won in a breakaway of 20. We were well represented in the escape with 4 riders, the next best at the finish being Bartosz, my roommate, in 6th.

After the race I spent a few days taking it easy as the headache continued for a few more days. I was notified during the week that I would be racing the Tour du Beaujolais and was a replacement for the Pays de Savoie. I am recovered from the crash now and hope for a good-showing in the Beaujolais this weekend to bump me onto the team for Savoie.

Bike Alberta #7

The past weekend I competed in a stage race to the North-East of Dijon called the Tour du Mirabellois. This race really accentuated a big difference between racing in Canada and here. The tactics and racing style in France are something completely different than that of Alberta. Usually one would think of racing here as a higher pace with constant aggression, but apart from that I have found that so much can happen during the race, with so many people who can win, and that it adds a whole new tactical dimension.

Spencer in the break during the Bois de Verne crit

So, the first of three stages at the Tour du Mirabellois starts and before we are even out of town, the road turns unexpectedly up a short steep climb. This came as a shock and by the top a group of about 15 was off the front. Most of the key players had missed this move, but that made the chase easier. As we chased, the aggression diminished, but only slightly. The catch came just after the half-way point and this spurred more aggression although as the race progressed, the temperature as well as the two stages looming on Sunday induced more passivity. In approach to the finish, the focus was on the steep 600 m climb leading to the line. Within 5 km of the finish, the pace mellowed for a moment and approximately 10 riders were ahead. The dominant team which had the most riders, SCO Dijon, would not help in the chase, having two riders off the front. This meant I couldn’t bridge alone without being covered, a format that would frustrate me the following day. So, keeping my composure, I held back until the climb. The climb pretty much shattered the peloton and I found myself working through riders to get closer to the break. At the finish, Creusot took 11th, 13th, 14th and me in 16th. This put me 27 seconds behind the winner from VC La Pomme Marseille, Remi Pompanon.
Sunday morning’s Individual Time Trial was rather short at 11.5 km, but it had some hilly and technical sections to make it quite exciting. After a decent warm-up, I was ready for a good effort. On the course I was surprised to find myself with relatively fresh legs, but also found it very difficult to bring my heart rate up. I settled into a rhythm and pushed increasingly harder. As I neared the finish, however, I was unaware of the distance left (I recently switched my SRM from my TT bike to the road bike) and conserved too much. I made a quick turn and descended down to the line to take the second best time for the moment. I waited at the finish to see my final result which was 5th at 21 seconds. The winner again was Remi Pompanon of VC La Pomme. I was now in 5th place overall at 48 seconds.

The final stage in the afternoon was one that was rather exhausting tactically. From the start a break of 6 went away including my teammate Lionel Joblot, who had crashed in the ITT while holding the fastest split time. I therefore did not chase. SCO Dijon was also watching me as I lay in a position to overtake two of their riders and move onto the podium or be overtaken by another of their riders. The racer in 6th position overall, Jonathan Cessot, held the same time as me and obviously wanted to overtake my position. Just a side note; Cessot is a Junior, but was 6th at this year’s Junior Cyclo-Cross World Championships. It was easy to pick him out as he was wearing the white jersey for best Junior. Throughout the race I would follow him or a few other SCO riders around the peloton, and he watched me like a hawk in return. As this developed, I found it impossible to get off the front, being covered by SCO who would counter-attack each of my efforts. The race continued like this, with none of the top 5 able to move until a 1-2 punch by SCO put Geoffrey Febvray, who was in 3rd overall, up the road. A procession of small groups began to make moves and many of them were successful because they contained riders who were not necessarily dangerous in addition to the lack of a cohesive chase in the peloton. In one of these small groups was my teammate Romain Taricco who was 10th on the GC entering the stage. He was an immediate threat to the green jersey as he had taken sprint points in the first day, so this inspired the team of the green jersey to chase, although this too lacked cohesion. So, the peloton sat back as these groups went off the front and put time on the top GC contenders. The front groups soon joined to form a large group of around 20 and that made it much easier for them to stay away. Towards the end of the race, when it was very obvious we would our GC spots to the break, a handful of us began to put in a hard chase. Essentially, the chase was SCO Dijon and I, and we ramped up the pace within the last 10 km of the race. The finish was on a small descent right after a big bend in the road. It felt rather sketchy towards in the approach to the line, but the sprint itself was fine. My teammates Romain and Lionel finished respectfully 2nd and 4th in the stage when the break group blew apart. I finished safely in the middle of the peloton. The overall situation did change quite drastically, with Geoffrey Febvray winning, Romain 2nd and Lionel 3rd. I was the next Creusotin at 13th.
I once again tried a different approach to this weekly log. I chose to focus more on the tactics of the racing, but as it relates to my situation.

Bike Alberta #6

So I have had a recent suggestion to take my weekly posts in a new direction. Instead of focusing on solely on what I am doing, I will try to explore the more general features of the European peloton as it surrounds me. Feedback, however, would be greatly appreciated and would help me find a solid topic base.
In the past as I have been detailing my schedule and racing, I have neglected to mention much about my team. I talked about its situation as a Division Nationale 1 team and what this entails, but not much else. I will take the opportunity now, to go into much more detail about the team.
Creusot Cyclisme, located in Le Creusot, is the only high level team in the town. Situated in the Bourgogne (or Burgundy in English) region, it is one of two DN1 level teams in this area. The other team, Sprinter Club Olympique Dijon (commonly known as SCO Dijon) is one of the best in France with a few riders, such as Jeremie Derangere, competing for the top amateur spot. The history of Creusot Cyclisme dates back to 1922 with the formation of La Pédale Sportive Creusotin. The club rose to prominence over the next 83 years becoming the top club in Bourgogne. In 2005 La Pédale Sportive Creusotin became Creusot Cyclisme and restructured with a focus on competition, development and organisation. In the past 3 years the team has continued to progress, furthering its position in the Coupe de France Clubs team classification.
The team has varying levels as do many teams in France. At the top level is the Category 1 team which competes in primarily in Elite National races and high level regional races. The Category 2 team races mostly medium to high level regional races, with the occasional Elite National races. The junior team can compete along with the Cat. 1 or 2 riders in many regional races, but are barred from Elite National. There are also national junior races which they compete in. The team begins young where the “Ecole de Cyclisme” brings up young kids on the bike. They ride mostly for fun as a part of their schooling, but it helps in the development of athletes who may later ride for a higher level on the team.

The team at the higher levels consists of 12 Cat. 1 riders: Bartosz Banach (Poland), Stéphane Benetiere, Nicolas Bourdillat, Loïc Breugniot, Emilien Broe, Franck Brucci, Aymeric Brunet, David De Vecchi, Cyril Lecler, Yannick Martinez, Jean-Cristophe Peraud, and Anthony Tevenot. The 7 Cat. 2 riders are: Fabrice Bost, Cedric Charles, Jérémy Lourenco, Simon Raymond, Spencer Smitheman, Lionel Joblot, and Romain Taricco. Between these 19 riders, the selection for the bigger races is made.

On a personal note, I will mention a few things. Last weekend’s race, Le Boucle de Troncais, found me in an improved state, albeit, not my best form. I finished at the front of the peloton while three of my teammates broke away to fill the podium. The two days after the race, my coach Andy and I were training in the Alps. The riding, which included Lac Annecy and Mont Revard provided spectacular scenery despite the latter taking place in a cold rain. I raced again on Thursday, the 1st. It was a 90 km criterium and proved to be a good race for me as I broke away with a group of 9 other riders. I felt strong and finished 7th. This weekend I race the Tour du Mirebellois, a stage race near Dijon. I am excited for my first flat time-trial of the season.

Bike Alberta #5

After my last post, overtrained and fatigued, I had begun to focus on recovering both physically and mentally. This really did feel like a load had been lifted as I could relax and take a break from being as fanatical as I can get during the season. It was also good to forget about cycling for a bit, despite how hard that may seem at times.

Late in the week I found myself walking around town. I wanted to check out a few parts of town I hadn’t been to before. I walked up to the radio tower on the largest hill in town which offered a great view and some quiet roads. I had not been up there yet by bike as the climb is quite intimidating with a pitch of 20%. Another day saw me walk to the sports complex on an adjacent hill and down through the forest into town. Spring has really brightened up the town and with most trees in full bloom, I really enjoyed exploring it.

As the weekend arrived, I worked my way back onto the bike. Saturday was seemingly a test day to see where I was at. I did a recovery ride on my usual route by the canal, this time with my power meter on the bike. To put it short, I felt horrible for the duration of the ride. My heart rate was unmanageable, by body felt bad and my power was really low. Looking at this, I believed I was still fatigued from before. Nonetheless, I went out on the bike on Sunday as per the scheduled training.

With a bit more time on the bike, I decided to try a new direction. Initially I was trying to avoid hills, but this proved futile as I only found more climbing. This actually helped me though as I found it rather exciting to be on small, winding roads leading up and down steep slopes. This then gave way to attacking each “côte” with a great deal of enthusiasm. I was just riding for fun, not worried about my exact training, and this was what I needed. It re-sparked a deep-rooted passion that had seemed to fade earlier with my overtraining and the stress from my deteriorating condition. As I came home, it began to rain. I did not mind this much, as I was warm and I felt like my normal self.

Back on the bike Tuesday, after Monday’s rest day, I found some more new terrain to excite the senses. Not only did I have the enthusiasm, but a good deal of power to add to the ride. Despite being in France for three and a half months, I still get excited to ride a single lane road through the countryside. There is so much to see here and I keep finding myself surprised when I take a new road and see something totally unexpected.

Wednesday was a day I had been looking forward to for a while as my coach, former Alberta Bicycle Association Technical Director, Andy Holmwood, would be arriving to visit for a week. The day’s ride proved optimistic as well with a temperature of 23 degrees and some good riding. I rode a little harder than I maybe should have, but every time I came upon a rise in the road, I could not help but get out of the saddle and throw it into a harder gear. Adding to the optimism was the fact that I posted a personal best peak power in a sprint that was not a full effort. After the ride, I watched the Fleche Wallone live on TV and in the evening, Andy arrived.

This weekend I will race the Boucle de Pay de Troncais in the Auverne region with the remaining Category 1 riders who were not selected to the Circuit Saone et Loire. The Circuit is an exceptionally difficult stage race based out of Le Creusot and put on by our team. Each team can only enter 5 riders. Past riders include Alexandre Vinokourov, Mark Cavendish, Michael Barry, Cyril Dessel, Richard Virenque, and Clement Lhotellerie. For the Boucles de Troncais, I will be happy to race again, now with a renewed passion.

Bike Alberta #4

Finding Truth at the Tour du Jura
So, in last week’s post I focussed on learning from the little mistakes I was making with the goal of remaining optimistic and progressing in mind. I did not address, however, something larger holding me back, and it was visible in plain sight. I have been feeling as if I am trying to catch up on my recovery without being successful. As I have continued through training, I have found it harder and harder to do the same volume. This weekend, I finally recognized that I have been overtraining/under-recovered for some time.

Thursday began with rain once again, making it difficult to want to get out on the bike for a slow-paced recovery ride. The rain turned into a light drizzle and I decided to head out for a brief turn of the pedals around town. I didn’t stay out too long as it was cold and wet and I had felt like my past sickness was maybe returning.

Friday morning I woke up and got everything prepared as that night I would be racing. I met the team at 2 pm and we drove off to Voiteur for the first stage of the Tour du Jura, a 5-6 km uphill night prologue. It stopped raining in time for the team presentation, but substantial flooding was occurring and the river running through Voiteur was very close to overflowing. I began warming up and while a little rushed, made to the start, where they mounted two small LED lights on the bike. As I made my way up the mountain to Chateau-Chalon, I crossed streams flowing across the road, briefly distracting me from the pain of the race.

As I approached half-way I began to feel stomach acid burning my throat every time I pushed harder. This forced me out of the big chain ring which the team wished me to ride in, and I therefore rode slowly on the most important part of the climb. I crossed the line in pain as I should have been, but without having felt as if I made a huge effort. I was unable to push as hard as normal, but I attributed this to the stomach acid and just reminded myself to take an antacid before I race. I was 85th on the stage.

After a rather small amount of sleep, I awoke Saturday morning prepared to face the large amount of climbing ahead of me in the second stage. We rode to the start at Aire du Jura, a tourist attraction, and were soon lining up. I had changed wheels to race on my Mavic Kysriums, which were lighter than the team’s Aksiums. Being pressed for time once again, I neglected to check that the gears were aligned the same. Within the first kilometre I had problems with ghost-shifting in all but the hardest gears. So I rode with a slow cadence as we approached the start of the climbs. On the first GPM, the road kicks up well over 10 percent and the pack seemingly fell apart. I felt strong enough to stay at the front, but the gear I was in was much too hard for the grade and when I shifted down, my gears were ghost-shifting all over. I made it to the top with a group off the back and was within reach of another chase group. They were within sight and we put in a large initial effort to join them. As the race turned once again to the climbs, we lost sight of them. Much of this was due to the lack of cohesion in my group with the chase being sporadic and poorly organised. Late in the stage as we climbed into the snow and mist near Switzerland, I found myself too strong for the group I was in. I crossed the line at the front of the group, determined to be much higher up in the next stage. It turns out my teammate Nicolas Bourdillat won the stage with Emilien Broe 4th and both in a small breakaway group. This put Emilien in the best young rider jersey and gave Nicolas the most aggressive rider jersey for his attacking. I was now in 91st and thirteen minutes back from the leader.

The third stage on Saturday afternoon was supposed to be relatively easy as it was mostly descending down from the Alps at the border with Switzerland. For the entire neutral start I rode right at the front, drafting the press motorbike. As the ‘depart reel’ got underway, I was at the front and feeling alright. I looked to Nicolas, a few kilometres later, whom I wished to help improve his good position and he said “allez Spencer”, sending me up the road to take pressure off himself in the chase. The timing was poor and I should not have listened to him as Emilien had just attacked and as I tried to open my gap over 15 seconds, we turned onto the only GPM of the afternoon. I soon was back in the pack and sliding back. I pushed hard to stay with them, but all of a sudden I just blew up. This wasn’t a normal cracking like I have experienced before. This time I had nothing to push with. I couldn’t hold onto people I should have been able to drop and quickly fell out of the caravan with only the broom-wagon behind me. I tried to push myself harder, but could not push myself. I took risks on the potentially icy roads descending from the GPM and passed another rider, giving me motivation to work harder. Still, with this motivation, I could not get my legs moving faster. Later in the stage after overtaking another rider and being overtaken by the previous motivator, I found myself at a level where I could not push past a soft-pedal or raise my heart rate above 145, which is very low for me. At approximately 15 km from the finish, I was caught by the last rider and the broom-wagon. I pulled over and stepped off the bike, getting into the sweep vehicle, inadvertently coercing the other rider to do the same. My team held the best young rider jersey, the team classification and Nicolas was second on the stage.

Sunday morning I woke up with ease and tried to relax while everyone prepared to race. In Arbois, we ate our lunch and before the start, headed off with our mechanic to give our riders feeds later on the course. It was interesting to follow the race by trying to show up at each successive position before the riders, but it was not my preferred way of attending a race. That night we lost all of over classifications when a breakaway got away containing none of our riders.

This week has been rather relaxing, with me off the bike to recover from overtraining. I have been able to do many things I wanted to get done as well as spend time doing different activity. Today, for instance, I went for a long walk to the park in the center of Le Creusot, which with 20 degree weather and the season, was quite beautiful. I am not hiding anything from myself anymore. I have recognised that I am under-recovered and understand the reasons it has occurred. I will have to come back slowly, but I can come back to form and be much stronger than before.

Photo credits: Grégory Oudot

Bike Alberta #3

As I reflect on the past week, I am forced to recognise that many of the situations I find myself in while racing in France are different from anything I have experienced before. Sure, they may mirror past circumstances, but there are newer challenges to face, learn from and make me stronger. These obstacles may prove difficult for the moment, but they help build my experience for the future.

Last Thursday brought out the sun and it echoed my excitement to find some new roads. Riding with Bartosz, I was a little too enthusiastic at first, sprinting up each climb until I hit my heart rate ceiling. I was rather impressed with how I was riding, but I payed for it later. On our way back home I had little energy and came close to bonking at one point. Luckily I had a great deal of food on me and as I approached Le Creusot I began to feel much better.

Friday was a recovery ride and it was well needed after two longer days of climbing at high pace. This time the search new roads backfired as I turned towards what I thought would be flat and found some steep rolling hills. This proved difficult on my recovery ride as each road would challenge my heart rate ceiling. I made it back home without feeling bad, and so thought nothing of it. The next day I continued along a route I knew would be flat. In preparation for the next day’s race, I was not to ride too hard, but faced a little difficulty in the wind. I felt great though and had the power to ride into the wind without really feeling it.

Sunday I awoke and the sun had hidden again. This did not bother me though as I was in a good mental state and looking forward to the race with what felt like some decent form. On the drive to the course, thunderheads bearing walls of rain revealed themselves. Once again this actually excited me as I saw it as an advantage over the other riders. I thought to myself, “I want this race to be as hard as it possibly can”. We arrived at the course and soon it stopped raining, revealing the sun. We got everything organised with the time creeping ever closer to the start and as they were calling the riders to the start line, we were once again in the middle of a thunderstorm. The wind had picked up too, making the start corral unbearable for many.

Sitting at around four degrees with a strong rainy wind, I should have had a good warm up to get my legs going before the obvious flurry of attacks featured throughout almost any European race. This is where I ran out of time, finding myself still preparing my bottles with five minutes to the start. So, the race starts and I manoeuvre myself to the front during a brief neutral start. The car takes off and the pace picks up stringing the pack out. As we go over a little rise, my position at the front has me following the chase of some early attacks. This effort is not that difficult and is less than someone at the back would feel, but afterwards, in the approach of the lap’s real climb I had fallen back into the peloton. This climb is not long, at just under a kilometre, or really steep, but it is into a straight headwind and the road seems to stick to the wheels. Here the pack draws into a line with many breaks in it. I must pull back riders now with gaps in front of me as people are getting dropped everywhere. I chase back and the peloton re-groups a little on the little descent, but the effort really hurt. My legs were aching with pain that did not feel like I was fresh as I had been during the week. By the time we hit this climb the second time, I was in the middle of the pack, but this time when the splits occurred to a greater degree, I felt worse and could not hold the wheels. With legs aching, shortened and laboured breathing and being unable to really push myself, I now headed the first of many chase groups. At first we worked with cohesion, but ended up dropping people and after a couple more laps, it was only my teammate Romain Taricco and I putting in a real effort. As this came to be and it became apparent we would eventually be lapped by the breakaway, everyone seemed to give up. Maybe it was that we were now fully saturated, but it felt like the weather had worsened and the cold now became noticeable. With each of the previously mentioned factors having accumulated and not wanting to get sick again, I pulled out of the race. I felt horrible and uncharacteristic doing this, but in the end I watched 25 of over 80 starters finish. This weather and abandon pattern was seen in races across France with only 47 riders finishing the professional GP de la Ville Rennes.

Spencer’s teammate in the break

Monday was a rather easy day for me without a ride. The only thing I did of notice was clean my bike which, being white, needs it often. Tuesday morning I woke up early and walked to the Lab which is close by. I wanted to check my blood to make I was everything was running fine. Later in the day on my ride, I had some difficulty. After some intervals and just pedalling softly, my legs would contract hard as if they were almost cramping. I also noticed my heart rate was exceptionally high while riding easily. After another interval, which saw the shortened and laboured breathing return, I decided I needed to go home to recover from whatever was causing my body so much trouble. In the evening I picked up my blood results with everything in normal values, but a large number of white blood cells indicated my immune system may still be fighting something.

This morning I awoke with better heart rate numbers and feeling alright. I had planned to do the obligatory training with the under 26 team this afternoon. It was pouring through the day, but when it came time to train I threw on as much clothing as I could and headed to the club to meet the other riders. It was not too bad at the start. It was actually fun riding in the rain without being cold. We rode out to Chagny and turned to Mellecey to preview the end of the 3rd stage of the Circuit de Saone et Loire, a very high level Elite National race, and put on by our club. The ride from here featured a great deal of climbing with a few brutally steep sections. I was tired late in the ride and it was impossible to keep my heart rate under the ceiling on any one of the climbs.
As I keep experiencing these challenges, I have forced myself to look at them as a chance to learn and improve. I look forward to a 4 stage race, the Tour du Jura, starting this Friday. I know that obstacles may rise there as they have in the past, but I am prepared to face them and will do so with a desire to become that much stronger.

Bike Alberta Post #2

With the time about two weeks ago being plagued by bad luck, there was only room for improvement and that is what this past week felt like. Granted it was not fantastic for training and did not yield great race results, but it proved as a transition period.

Thursday started with optimism as I felt I was almost completely over my sickness. That optimism faltered a little when on my training ride, if the pace increased, I would seemingly choke on the air, experiencing coughing fits and nasal issues. I did a planned effort which was quite fast, but only aggravated my situation. So I turned around and came home to rest. Friday morning I woke up and to my surprise, I felt fantastic and not at all sick. I did the day’s training without difficulty and sensed a good vibe for the weekend. The next day was strictly race preparation as I have become fanatical about doing every little detail to improve my performance on the bike. A lot of the important things had already been covered, but this involves any little thing I can do to save energy or give myself a mental advantage. During the ride that day I did some efforts and noticed a great deal of power on the flats, but a little more difficulty climbing. This would play a role in the next day’s race.

Sunday’s race was a point-to-point race for Espoirs in the 2nd and 3rd category as well as a few juniors. It started in Dole and finished in Lons-le-Saulnier, both in the Jura region. Despite the category being lower, the race was exceptionally difficult at times with an incredibly strong head/crosswind as well as two climbs of around 6 km. The race started mostly flat and a little protected from the wind, causing the usual continual attacks to begin. About 15-20 km into the race that all changed however as the trees disappeared and a full crosswind hit the peloton. Immediately a single line of riders formed in staggered position down the road, leaving the rest of the peloton chasing in the gutter with little to no protection at all from the wind.

I was about 5 riders down from the protection of the half-echelon formation and it was difficult, but what was more difficult for me was the riders falling over each other to get a draft. Riders in front and behind me were riding on the dirt or grass off of the shoulder and others were overlapping wheels, coming very close to crashing. I persisted in my spot, overtaking riders who could not hold on and soon the road turned offering brief protection. As I turned around to see how many riders were there, I saw lines of suffering riders far behind trying to re-connect with the peloton. There were roughly 35 riders in the peloton with maybe 45 behind. Many reconnected as the roads turned into the hillier, forested area near the low Alps.

We soon came upon the first long climb and right from the start I was in substantial pain. It did not feel usual as I am normally comfortable climbing with the peloton for much longer. In my first race of the season, I was able to climb with much stronger riders without faltering. Sunday, however, saw me struggling to keep pace as I slowly slid off the back and formed a chase group. It was not too much of a problem because I was able to lead the chase on the flats and catch the peloton without excessive effort. On the second climb I lasted longer, but about half-way up, I found myself off the back again. This time there was no chase group as I had survived longer than my previous allies. It proved difficult riding into that headwind alone and soon I was caught by two others who helped with the chase. This chase took longer and we did receive some help from the Creusot team car, but eventually we caught a larger group and were within reach of the peloton.

At this point the chase turned up a level as we started an uphill false flat into the headwind. We were so close, but everyone who went to the front could not push faster than 18 km/h. So I put in an effort to finally close this gap and brought the pace up to 20 km/h. I dropped the others and after a few minutes in which I gained ground, I nearly blew up. Soon we did catch the peloton and I found myself looking for a chance to attack. There were already riders off the front, but I wanted to leave this group behind. Riders began attacking when the road turned up for a few kilometres but no one chased. A teammate, Romain Tarico, was the first to go and two others made it out without reaction before the chase started. As we approached 5 km to go I realised I did not have enough left in my legs to make the effort I wanted to. So I waited and tried to recover for the finish. The finish was rather sketchy, having a 400 m descent and then a right turn through a traffic circle at 200 m to the line. I was positioned well in 5th place, but carried more momentum into the traffic circle. The rider in front of me had misjudged the corner and almost rode me into the median as he slowed and our wheels overlapped. This forced me back and found myself finishing 23rd.

Recovery was welcomed Monday as I rode slow and enjoyed the rare sunny and windless day. I found some new single lane roads passing cows and creeks and realised for a moment where I was. That doesn’t happen as much anymore, but when it does it is usually the result of something spectacular.

Training started up again Wednesday with the Creusot group ride. The parcours was mountainous in preparation for the Tour du Jura in occurring in a week. The climbing started with la Coiffe au Diable towards Autun. I was setting the pace from the bottom and was really motivated to prove myself on a hill. I went pushed hard on the front until half-way where I blew up from my effort. The next climb was up le Haut Follin where we rode to Glux. This one I paced myself on and sprinted away at the top despite suffering considerably. We continued our mountain campaign to Uchon. This climb is both feared and loved by the locals. I believe the maximum grade is over 20%. The ride came to a close at a fitting time as the sky opened up on our descent from Uchon. The ride saw an improvement in my ability to go uphill and I plan on continuing to improve this. I have set my sights on the Tour du Jura and will make sure I can fly up the hills by the start.

-Spencer

Bike Alberta Weekly Diary – Post #1

So, I have agreed to do a weekly column for Bike Alberta, writing about racing and life in Europe. It is pretty much the same as my blog posts, but much more regular and frequent. Instead of writing the same information twice, I will add each diary to this web page. The first one is as follows (sorry for the ambiguity):

 Mar. 26th

Hello. This is the first in a series of weekly diaries I will be doing for Bike Alberta. My name is Spencer Smitheman and I am a first year espoir currently spending the season racing for a team in France. The team is Creusot Cyclisme and is one of 17 Division Nationale 1 (highest amateur level in France) teams.

I have been in France for about two and a half months now. I started the trip in Nice where I trained for a month before meeting up with the new team for a training camp (including races) in Frejus. I have now settled into the town of Le Creusot where the team is based, spending a large majority of my time training and racing.

I have been in France for about two and a half months now. I started the trip in Nice where I trained for a month before meeting up with the new team for a training camp (including races) in Frejus. I have now settled into the town of Le Creusot where the team is based, spending a large majority of my time training and racing.

This past week seemed to see a lack of luck for me. Having a race on the Sunday as opposed to both days of the weekend allowed me to do some more intense and structured training during the week. Wednesday was a group ride other Creusot riders and I also had some intervals which I added to the ride. My roommate, Bartosz Banach (a Polish rider and the only other foreigner on the team) joined me on the intervals, pushing me faster on each effort ahead of the peloton.

The next day was another longer ride with Bartosz to Mont Beauvray. I enjoyed the climbing and being allowed to do some minor efforts in the middle of the week, not to mention the scenery of the Morvan nature park. Friday was when luck slipped a little as I woke up at 4 AM unable to swallow with a painful throat. It rained throughout the day and I was unable to ride, feeling very sick. Saturday I felt a bit better after spending a day resting. It snowed in the morning, but it did not take and by the afternoon I wanted to be on my bike. I dressed with more clothes than necessary, unable to move once I set out riding, and headed off to check out Sunday’s course.

The race was a criterium here in Le Creusot, so I rode around the area where I thought it was to be held and then came back home. The next day I felt even better and thought maybe I could race well regardless of being sick. So, I headed over to the course rather optimistic. The start of the race was cold with the wind blowing in your face. Every Creusot rider was lined up at the front for the spectators and at this point I was freezing. All I could think about was throwing my foot onto the pedal and accelerating away to generate some heat. As the gun went off, four of the racers from Creusot, including me opened a gap on the peloton. It was not a move to get away, but it drew the pack into a line in pursuit at high speeds. We spent a lap and a half toying with the riders chasing before they pulled it fully back together. It did not seem like our strength that was keeping us out front, but more the lack of organisation of the other riders that early in the race. I slid back into the pack to recover from the effort and soon found myself in the last third.

The third lap came around and I was still trying to recover when a teammate a little further ahead fell over. I didn’t see it and I don’t know how he could have done it, especially on a wide and straight road as we were accelerating from a turn, but he just fell over. I slammed on the breaks and looked for an opening, but he slid on his side a full 90 degrees to the direction of the road. Then his bike slid away from him in a similar fashion. So I rode over him as slow as I could manage and then tipped over, sliding on my side. The crash included four riders and all of them were from our team. It was embarrassing and also finished the race for me.

I returned home after talking to the team directors and making a trip to the medical van. Monday was supposed to be a much bigger race for me, an Elite National level race in Vougy, near Roanne. I had to miss this race, however, as I determined I would continue to prolong a full recovery from my sickness if I kept on as usual. I took Tuesday off the bike as well to make sure 100% that I would not do any damage. Bartosz was 6th in the snowy race in Vougy, his best result in an Elite National race. I now prepare for the weekend where I am not quite sure what race I am doing. I felt good enough to ride today and felt fresh on the bike. Hopefully it is a good sign for what is to come.

Le Creusot

I moved into my apartment in Le Creusot on the 24^th after racing the GP Souvenir Jean Masse in Marseille. It was about a 5 ½ hour drive, made uncomfortable by the fact I was tired from my time on the bike the week before, the race and a lack of space in the team camion. Based on all of the factors just mentioned, I was a little less than enthused when I first entered the apartment that will be my home until September. I woke up the next morning with a different perspective and sunlight and began to warm to the place. I have been here in Le Creusot for over two weeks now and have settled in quite nicely. I have a roommate, Bartosz Banach. He is a Polish rider and the only other non-French cyclist on the team. He speaks English rather well, making it much easier for me, and knows quite a bit less French than I do. He is 22 and is a good person to have as a roommate, being kind, helpful and having a large amount of cooking knowledge. Despite this, the flat is pretty small. Don’t get me wrong, I like the place, but it can be challenging when you run out of room for food, have both bikes inside or have people visit. At first we lacked some basic necessities such as TV channels, two beds, a washing machine, and a lot of little things. Luckily, my parents came over to visit and help me get moved in and team has been very helpful as well. By the end of the week, we had most everything we needed, an internet connection being an exception. We are still working on the internet, but it is proving to be rather challenging. The surrounding town/city as well as the region is quite nice. It is located in the rather hilly Bourgogne region, one known for its wines (Beaujolais). I have also noticed that it tends to rain here often; the weather is usually an overcast sky although when it gets sunny, the landscape lights up and can be a beautiful sight. The roads can be nice for cycling, although it is difficult to find those which do not wind up the many hills and small mountains. One day Bartosz and I were on a 4 hour ride on which we went to the south. On our way back, less than 15 km from home (we were en route to a town almost connected to Le Creusot named Montcenis), I noticed the Francaise des Jeux flower painted on the road with the letters FDJ beside. Next there were the names of riders such as Merckx, Moreau, Kloden, and Landis. It turns out that in 2006, the finishing Individual Time Trial of the Tour de France started in Le Creusot and wound through the countryside to the finish in Montceau-les-Mines. I was ecstatic to see the names on the road right in front of me and received sufficient inspiration to accelerate up the proceeding climbs, something that would have been difficult before, considering the residual fatigue I was experiencing from the training camp in Frejus. I continue to enjoy my stay in France more and more. At first it seemed difficult and I must admit it was stressful, especially not knowing what the future had in store for me or how I would change before my return home in September. That has mostly passed, however, and I have been left with excitement, focus and a huge desire to learn and excel.

GP Souvenir Jean Masse

Creusot Cyclisme`s training camp came to a close on Sunday February 24^th with the last day featuring the GP Souvenir Jean Masse near Marseille. This race is once more an Elite National race and included not only a difficult course, but as always, very fast riders and teams. Before I get to the race, however, I should talk about the training camp in Frejus. The camp was probably the toughest block of training and racing I have ever done. Starting the 16^th and finishing the 24^th, I did two races, over 1000 km and 34 hours. The training days in between were not easy either. Almost every day was at exceptionally high pace on hilly if not mountainous terrain. This being the case, I was rather tired come the weekend. The Souvenir Jean Masse hit me a little hard. From the start I was suffering and feeling the effort everywhere. I made it to the first set of circuits near the end of a strung out peloton. There I settled and moved to a more comfortable position. For the first of two large circuits, I found my legs and maintained my position without too overstretched an effort. About the middle of the second circuit, a teammate told me to follow him to the front where we needed to push the pace to bring back a breakaway. I followed him to the front and soon the entire team was there. I did about three turns at a pace too high for me to sustain with my fatigue, and soon after blew up, sliding back in the peloton. I felt I wasn’t doing my job being at the back while my teammates were at the front, so I rode back to the front to help until I couldn’t. The effort to the front, however, proved to be too much and I blew up again, sliding back even further into the pack than the first time. I repeated this whole scenario again and found myself right at the back. I decided to just stay in the pack and soon the team had done enough to bring the break back to a manageable distance. The effort had done some serious damage to an already overdrawn body though. I managed the next GPM (Grand Prix of the Mountains competition) and the ride towards the three finishing circuits, but on the first of the small circuit GPM climbs, which finishes with grades making it feel like a wall, I got dropped. I fought back into pack through the race caravan, but it was short-lived and after 100 km with the peloton, I was on my own. I had 40-50 km left, but I wasn’t prepared to give up. I gave what I had on those climbs and descents and caught about 10-15 riders who were dropped after me. I finished alone, what I believe to be about 15 minutes behind the leaders. While that is not a result I am too thrilled about, I understand the reason behind it and accept it.