Clinton Avery Cyclist

Hey everyone.
This is going to be a race report for two races, but I promise you today that it is not going to be a novel this time. I’ll give you all a break from reading.

The first race was Circuit De Pavele on Saturday. Ten laps of 16.5km totaling about 170km. Each lap consisted of two sections of cobbles, both of which we will be riding in Paris - Roubaix. The race started in the rain which was going to make riding the cobbles muddy and interesting. If you think riding on ice would be slippery, try riding on wet muddy cobbles.

After three laps the bunch had been split in three with only about 30 left in the front. I was one of the 30. On the 4th lap I punctured but not on the cobbles, it was from glass. When I got to the back of the group I noticed there were no cars behind us. I rode the flat tire on the back of the group until we got to a 90 degree corner that I couldnt go around fast enough with the flat front tire. I lost contact with them. I got caught by the second group and noticed there was no cars behind them either. I thought, “you have got to be joking”. I rode with them as long as i could, which was to a section of cobbles. It wasnt happening, riding the cobbles with a flat front tire. I stopped and stood there for at least a minute while the last group rode past, then probably a good 30 seconds for the car to come. They gave me a new wheel but I was only motopaced to the last group on the road. Long story short…. My race was over! I rode about 110km for training then pulled the pin before I broke something on my bike from the mud and cobbles. And so I wasnt going to be tired for the race on Monday for nothing.

Race 2. Forgive me I dont know the name but it was a Criterium (Douchy-les-Mines). A normal criterium for me is about an hour long, 45min plus 5 laps totaling about 45-50km. This Crit was 110km long but a slightly longer lap of about 4.5km apposed to 2km. Just to make the race harder again (the french love it) there were 150 starters, alot of wind, a climb and strong teams. With 1200euro $2500nz up for grabs for the winner and 50euro each sprint, which was 2 sprints every lap we decided to have the team work for our best sprinter.

But I was also on a mission today to make up for Saturday. On the second lap a group of about 15 got away and I thought well thats probably the race gone. Fortunatly we had 3 riders with it. After about 10 laps the break had been brought back to within bridging distance so riders were trying to get across. It was really working, it was just bringing the break closer to the peloton. The climb was to long to gas all the way to the top, but not long enough to ride tempo to the top. Perfect for doing damage to the peloton. And just to inflict more damage to the peloton it was a strong head/cross wind on a straight flat road at the top.

I went and found our sprinter, plus anouther team member to ride the climb for us. At the top I threw it in the gutter and gassed it. What was left was 15 guys going across to the 15 up the road. We had 3 with the front and 3 with the chasing to make 6/8 from our team in the front when it came together. Slowly as the race went on the front group got smaller and smaller untill ther were 10 left with 2 laps to go, 3 from our team, me being one of them.

On the last lap my job was to shut down the attacks and keep it together for the sprint, then do what I could in the sprint. Kim’s job was to lead Jorei out for the sprint. Jorei job was to win the sprint. Everything went acording to plan….. Jorei wins the race, I rolled 3rd and kim was spent and rolled in 9th. So if you ask me it was a good day for the the team and myself.

Now I just have to keep this form for another week and a half and i will be a very happy chappy!
that all from me
Clinton

Well finally things have changed and hopefully the bad luck period is over! Over the last 4 days I have been partisipating in the Tour de la Manche in Normandie, France.

The 5 stage tour was tough as there were a number of good quality teams as well as two professional teams.

The first stage for me didnt have a good result and I was thinking the the bad luck was continuing, but now I look at the stage and think what happened was for the best. Ill explain in a little more detail later in the email. Everything else went surpurbly I must say.

Stage 1. 160km on a rather flat coarse, but very exposed to the wind. Just lucky there wasnt much wind considering we were on the coast. The stage started incredably fast… I think for the first hour we had an average speed of 49kmh and attacks were going left, right and center. It wasnt until about 55km where the first break went, which I happened to be apart of. The four of us rode quite well together for about 30km then no-one wanted to work anymore. While I was in the break away I took a few KOM (king of mountain) sprints and a couple of sprint ace sprints, so that way what ever happened during the tour I would have options. During the final sprint I contested, my gears all of a sudden stopped meshing, I wasnt sure what it was so I just rode it. Anyway were we were caught and a couple more attacks were launched. When things calmed down a little I went back to the car for some drinks. Before I could move back up the bunch we turned on to a small, very windy road where it just so happened the a group of 42 riders rolled away and stayed away till the finish. I lost 11 minutes in the stage but was 2nd in KOM and 2nd in sprint ace.

What I mean by the bad luck with missing the lead group being good is, in the final sprint ace sprint I broke my chain, not completely snapped but one side of the link had popped out. With no spare bike, not being in the lead group meant I got to the finish. I think if I was in the lead group I would have tried attacking etc and snapped it completely meaning my tour would be over.

Stage 2. 155km and again flat but finishing in quite rolling country. For me not much happened in the stage, I took more sprint points as that was what I decided to focus on but at the end of the stage I was still second, 4 points behind and only 2 points infront of 3rd. Today I got to the stage finish with the leaders and crossed the line in about 14th which I was rather happy with.

Stage 3. 14km Time Trial which I was really looking foward too. Infact I was kinda doing the tour so I could do the Time Trial, Stupid huh! Anyway I wasnt expecting to do to well as I havent ridden my time trail bike since Nationals in January, but I obviously had strong legs because I had a pretty good ride. The only order I got from the team director for the time trail was to ‘catch the guy I was chasing, and if I wanted to I could catch the guy in front of him I was most welcome too.

Well I caught my minute man after 5km and the the second at 11km. I could see the 3rd but 14km wasnt quite enough. I posted a time of 19.28 which was 4th fastest. A few split seconds faster and it would have been 3rd. 14 seconds faster and I would have won, so I was over the moon with that ride.

That afternoon was stage 4 but lucky for us it was only 103km. We finally got a short stage. Because the tour leader lost his jersey in the time trail I had to give him the points one back. I was determined to make it offically mine. My team was bringing back breakaways so I could take the sprint points, but unfortunatly at the end of the stage it wasnt enough I was still second. They worked for me during the stage so I worked for them with a lead out for the final sprint. The sprint went good… the team finished 4th and 5th and I rolled in 11th. My legs were getting better and better each day.

Stage 5. 145km and again started with the first hour having an average speed of 48kmh. With out the jersey I thought that maybe I could sneak up the road and take the first few sprints. Even though I was still second I only had to win two sprints and the jersey was mine. It didnt work! they were not letting me go anywhere…. anyone from our team for that matter. At about 70km it got really hard. The leaders were trying to get a small group away so the pace was hot, but it also got hilly. My legs were feeling great though, so they were not going anywhere with out me. When things were not going anywhere they sat up, and as soon as they sat up I hit it as hard as I could…

There were sprints at 98km, 128km, and 135km. If I could get to 128km I didnt care what happened to me for the rest of the stage. Not long after my attack and an attemp at going lone wolf I got my first time check…50sec, not long after I got a second time check 2min 10. Because I was solo I just kept my head down and keep thinking ‘its only a 40km tt and the jersey is yours’. I took the sprint at 98km, then I got to 128km, the jersey was mine. I thought ‘now go to the finish!’ I got the 135km sprint and I was still alone, but I had 35 seconds on 2 riders and 50sec on 13 riders. I kept chugging away but I was starting to feel the 50km solo.

I got caught by the 2 with 6km to go, then we got caught by the 13 with 2.5km to go. As soon as we were caught by the 13, three guys attacked and held off to the finish by about 10 seconds. I gave what I had left in the sprint but only managed 4th out of our group. 7th in the stage, I was fizzing! I had my sprint ace jersey also. The tour for me went awsomely and I am very happy. Just a pitty about the first day.

Well thats my tour, sorry about the novel. 1 day races are so much shorter explaining.

My next race is Saturday, sort of a trail run for Paris-Roubaix, so with my form I hoping for another good race. Talk to you then

Clinton

Bad racing continues……. Well everyone what can I say? This email is only going to say pretty much what all the others over the few weeks have said. I will let you know how the race went anyway but I do really hope I snap out of this, what ever you want to call it soon.
Thats my little moan for the day so lets get to the race.

The Giro delle Regioni is an U23 six day tour in Italy, starting just north of Roam. It consists of alot of mountains and very good riders, so I would class it one of the harder tours I have done in my life. It makes the tour of southland seem like a fun ride. I did go there with good legs though I thought I could be the race to start a run of good luck.

Stage 1. 135km around a 13.5km circuit. I was a stage I could have a chance at winning as it had only small climbs so it was nothing I couldnt handle. The weather was finally good and we only had to wear shorts and jersey so I was fizzing on that alone. For me nothing special happened. An early break went up the road and the bunch was pretty controlled. Until the break came back, then all hell broke lose. Mainly becuase there was only 6 km to go I think…actually I know! It was very crazy, infact insainly crazy! Bunch Sprint and evryone is there trying to prove a point. I gave the sprint a go but was boxed in and couldnt get out. I think I rolled in about 26th.

Stage 2 was different. 155km, point to point, and over mountains. I went into the stage in survival mode. I had good legs but I dont think Im quite cut out for MOUNTAINS. lol I got in a breakaway on the first mountain which surprised me. It made me think I was probably riding better then I thought. We didnt stay away for too long though, maybe 30km. But it did give me time to contest some sprints, which I won both. I thought I would look good for me for the sprint jersey, but i found out later that those 2 sprints were for prizes not points. I think for later in the stage it cost me cause I got dropped on the last climb which was 10km long, 30km from the finish. I think our group lost 5 minutes so it wasnt to bad. I was happy with how I was riding.

Stage 3 was insane! I was thininking during the stage, you have to be literally insane to be able to enjoy this! So I guess I must be insane. Anyway 150km over mountainous terrain, and starting to feel the effects of the previous stages. Im sure you can imagine. I got over the first few climbs which was hard but they were quite minor in the stage. Then at 70km we arrived at the mother of all climbs! 18km up to a ski field. I dont know how long we were climbing and frankly I dont want to know but it was a long time. I got dropped maybe a third the way up. I just kept trucking my way up, and even though i was dropped from the peloton I caught a large group that had been dropped a while after I had. Apparently there were about 20 guys of 130 left at the top. With all the climbs after that one we lost more time and ended up finishing 20 mins behind the winner.

Stage 4. 140km and was no different, still mountains but today was raining. About 15km into the stage I had to stop to pull my speed sensor out of my front wheel, so I lost contact with the pelaton. I chased and with a rather large amount of close calls for chashes I made it back to the peloton. But now the road had turned really greasey! and the wheels we were riding (Mavic Ultimates) did not like it. Around nearly every corner someone ended up off the road, or lying on it, one or the other. You get out of the seat and you do wheel spins as if you were mountain bikeing in the mud. To be honest with you all we may as well of been riding on ice! It wasnt long, maybe 35km into the stage i lost my nearve and in a big way. I remembered I was there for training, I was already 25 mins down on GC, I thought about what I had coming up, so I dropped out of the back of the peloton. They were too crazy for my liking. At about 80km into the stage I stopped and hopped ing the team van as the temperature had dropped and I was wet and cold. And at the time I thought it wasnt worth the risk. Crashing, getting sick to finish 100th on gc. All of it was running through my head. So I pulled the pin.

That is it my tour over. I help feed the 3 guys of 6 still racing the next day and then came back to swiss on the thursday morning.

For me now, I go to my team in Belgium on Monday, where hopefully I finish some races and get some results.
 
From me thats all
Clinton Avery