Wednesday, February 11, 2015

www.anpostchainreaction.com
Eoin McCarthy about his first races:


To say my first races with "An Post-Chain Reaction" have been "eventful" would be a huge understatement. They have been quite a shock to the system! Every year it has taken me the first few races to fine-tune my condition and this year is no different. I've had a good winter of training preparing for the season, but you can never compare training to racing!

GP Marseille kicked off my 2015 campaign. It was full gas right from the beginning with an 8km climb starting at kilometre 0. I was pretty quick to realise that I am no longer in the Elites and u23's - ouch! After about 30 or 40 minutes there was a stall in the peleton, and unsure that we had anyone representing us in the breakaway I just rolled off the front. At the beginning it was unintentional. I was just eating a HIGH5 gel at the front, I went around a corner and had a gap. I just rode steady and didn't make any crazy efforts. I hoped someone might join me and when I got the first time check and realised Conor had made the breakaway - I didn't know what to do! I never knew he was in front. I didn't really want to sit up and go back to the peloton, it would have been embarrassing so I kept riding and got over some of the harder climbs at my own pace. I spent about one to one and a half hours on my own. When I got caught we started another hard climb within a few kilometres and about halfway up I blew my lights. Maybe I had ridden harder than I thought. Lesson learned for the future, but hey - nothing ventured, nothing gained. I had nothing to lose. I got my name on the radio and some publicity for the team, if nothing else. I'll always have a story to tell about my first race at this level!
After GP Marseille we then had a few days to prepare for Etoille de Besseges which started today, Wednesday. For the first time in a long time I am sitting in my hotel room typing a blog, and finding it difficult. My brain is fried after a hectic first stage! The wind was the major decider in todays race, splitting the race to pieces from kilometre zero. Freezing temperatures, snow and crashes helped animate things equally! Immediately from the flag drop a front group had formed, from then on it was full gas and very nervous, everyone wanted to be in the front at all times. I am still amazed how I didn't crash today, I was agonisingly close on many occasions. Just before the second GPM (KOM) my race was decided. There was a crash right in front of me which caused a split in the peleton. I tried my hardest to come back but with the wind being so strong it was impossible, I went as hard as I could but couldn't close the gap! I finished in a big group roughly 13 minutes behind winner Kris Boeckmans from Lotto-Soudal. I have a lot to learn at this level, GP Marseille and today's stage show that, but I am optimistic that I can make improvements once I get the hang of the style of racing. It's funny because when I went to Belgium first, I found the local kermess races really hard and a year later I was contesting for wins. It's the same principle here, only harder. A lot harder! Tomorrow is another day. To try again and learn more...
Eoin

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