Fieldy has been sticking in some more top performances in the biggest 'cross races out there. We've got his latest report from the Superpretiege/Euro Champs and will be catching up with the man himself when he visits the UK for round four of the National Trophy. That means by the time we run the next diary there will be a new shot of Ian on the site!
The Koppenberg cross(GVA) is a legendary 'cross that is claimed to be the hardest of them all on the internationl calendar. This would be my second year riding the event, last years event turned into an epic with torrential rain and high winds all day making the course very technical and really tough just to complete the race on the same lap as the leaders.
Thankfully this year was very much a different kettle of fish, blue skies and light winds made for a great but very different race. My legs had felt good all week but on the day decided to abandon me in my time of need and I just had no real 'zip'. I plodded round into a 25th place, disappointed. I really thought I would be able to pull out a real good ride here and break into the top 15 again this season. It was not to be.
After a disappointing weekend I got on with what was going to be quite a hard weeks training. A couple of good endurance rides with some motor pacing thrown in for good measure(however it was cut short due to the boys in blue patrolling the course we use). Wednesday was a visit to the weekends Superprestige course at Hoogstraten. It was an hour and half in the car but well worth the effort as the couple of hours on the course really helped on Sunday. Tom Van Den Bosch an AA drinks Belgian rider was also there so I tagged along with him, we took it in turns to do laps on the front progressively getting faster and faster, a really good workout.
Come Sunday, Hoogstraten (Superprestige), I was looking forward to the race and felt good on the course in the morning. Around an hour before the start the heavens opened and the course turned into a slick affair making some sections very tricky. I like it when it's tricky as my bike handling skills seem to be up to speed at the moment and I am finding it easy to drop others on technical sections.
After a poor start, not down to me but the rider directly ahead of me on the grid pulling his foot out of the pedal within the first few metres, he shall remain anonymous but if he does it again this season I will have to name and shame him...with no where to go I was stuck behind him until he was clipped back in. I remained calm and worked my way through over the first few laps settling into a good group of riders. I felt good with the pace and mid race I went to the front and manage to split the group, from then on it was just the simple task of pushing on to the finish. Come the final lap it was me and Tom Van Den Bosch the only difference from Wednesday being we were going for a top 20 at a Superprestige and he didn't want to do a turn. I just managed to hold his wheel come the last half a lap when he attacked me and managed to get the better of him in one of the most tactical sprint finishes I have ever experienced in any discipline of the sport, Sir Chris Hoy would have been proud. I finished in 18th another top 20 placing in Belgium for the season and my first top 20 at a Superprestige event, another goal ticked off the huge list I had for this season.
I am writing this the next day but still the combination of mud, sand and a shed load of water is still playing havoc with my eye sight, hopefully I will be able to see come next weekend as its another World cup round this time in Nommay. Apparently it's a really tough proper 'cross course which I am looking forward to.
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