Pre Ras & Nation's Cups...

Wow. May already!? Just over a week or so until the An Post Ras. Where has the time gone? Since my last update I’ve had some more bad luck, mishaps & even managed to sit on the tarmac again! However, shit happens - you live, you learn & you move on...

Being honest my season so far hasn’t been as good as I would have liked or wanted it to be & it’s really gutting after putting in so much hard graft this winter - however I still have shown a lot of positives, I’m feeling a lot stronger & I’m determined to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. My best is still far away...

Firstly, the Nations Cups! I was very happy and excited to get the call up for the u23 Irish national team for 3 u23 UCI Nations Cups events which between the 6th & 13th of April. We did the Ronde van Vlaanderen in Belgium, then La Cote Picardie in France & finally we travelled to Holland for the ZLM Tour. To prepare I did some kermesse’s just for race kilometres. No better way to build form in my opinion! As soon as I was called I made that period my big early season goal & worked towards that period fully.

I was pretty happy with how Flanders went for me - I wasn’t on a good day at all & although the race didn’t really get going until after 100km, I was still suffering. 

There was a bout of illness getting passed around our Terra team house in Zottegem a few days before I left & I am certain I had caught it, but only mildly. It was fantastic to use my local knowledge to negotiate my way through the peleton, to know most of the roads & bergs made things a lot easier. It was an advantage that eliminated a lot of stress.

Giving Conor a hand in u23 Flanders. Far left!

I did my best for our leader on the day, Conor Dunne, & helped keep him out of trouble before the Molenberg which was the crucial part of the race. That came after 109km & I then made it to the finishing circuits with the smaller front group of 50-60 guys from 140 starters, before getting dropped with 15-20km to go in the 170km race - on the monumental climb of the Eikenberg. I then decided to call it a day instead of riding the last lap solo, to try and limit my losses & recover properly for Picardie which started a few days later. In hindsight I would have ridden the last lap! Bloody hindsight...

Flanders Bentjes! 

De Ronde!

Not much to report on Picardie. I was super motivated & was given the protected rider role along with strong man Ryan Mullen. All I had to do was try and conserve as much energy as possible until the finishing circuits & do my best to be involved when the real race kicked off. 5km into the race, I was slightly concussed & sitting in the van. I had my second crash of the year. Still a bit of a mystery to me about how it actually happened - but it got really cosy in the middle of the peleton and after a the squeeze & sound of brakes screeching I suddenly felt a big push on my back, then I smashed into the kerb & face-planted into some gravel. Wouldn’t fancy it again. Race over. I was gutted! 

After a few days of stiffness & light training rides - I still wasn’t feeling the best. Crashing definitely does take it out of you both physically and mentally. Unfortuntely I then had to sit out of the ZLM Tour while the others tackled the race. I was so upset with how my campaign had went but it was time to move on. I had a great 10 days with a fantastic bunch of guys. Thanks again to Brian, Dave & Adrian for looking after us so well - also a big thanks to my team-mates Ryan, Conor, Conor, Jack, Cormac & Daniel. I had a fantastic time!

A few days after the Nations Cups, I went home for a few days to see family and have a mental break before coming back to my base in Belgium. It's always great to get home but I was also eager to get back & get racing again. Since then I have ridden 4 kermesse races & done some top quality training. I have no real results to brag about as of yet, unfortunately. In almost all of my races I have been between 30th-40th place on average. I still can’t quite crack the kermesse racing style. I am strong enough to be in the top end of the results but mostly it’s just a matter of luck. Something that hasn’t really been on my side this year. It’s a massive gamble in every race! Sometimes I feel as if I'd have a better chance at winning the lottery!
This year, however, I feel I am a lot stronger & more active so I’m sure it will all come good - still a long way to go. 

Next I plan to do my own mini-stage tour of kermesses to put the finishing touches on my An Post Ras preparations. It’s hard to tell how the form will be - but I won’t ever be fully satisfied either way! 

The weather in Belgium has been immense in the past weeks so let’s hope that hangs around until next Wednesday the 15th before I fly back home. I am over the moon to be finally lining up in the Ras. Growing up I always followed the race and now I finally get to be a part of it. 
Really looking forward to getting racing on Irish roads again and this time with the Visit Nenagh-DMG team. I am very grateful to be given the chance to ride for such a good group of guys & want to thank Rene van Dam for making it possible. Fingers crossed for good weather & a great 8 days of racing! 

Stay tuned!

Eoin

P.s. Think I may have jinxed the weather. It's now pissing it down with thunder & lightning. Oh well.