Geel Kermis

Another nice day and the near opposite of yesterday's parcours, flat, dead flat. Not so many corners and lots of wind was really discouraging all the breaks. Then for a few minutes about 50km into the race the pace dropped so I thought it would be a good time to try again. I was soon joined by a rider from the very strong 8 rider Balens team and he seemed very fresh. We worked hard and our gap hovered around 45 seconds after a few laps of killing it. We split the premes which were for 5 euros each lap. I knew from his big team and having not raced the day before he certainly had less stress in his legs than I did, which was an odd feeling and a real bummer. My pulls were a little shorter and slower and I was pedaling squares with 8km to go. I knew my best chance would be to "Vino" him and go for a longer sprint because the sharp intensity of a 15 second effort would be too much for me and my play doh legs. I jumped hard just as he was looking to see the peleton 100m back with 300m to go, even with his slow reaction he was back in my wheel with >200m remaining. I rode steady, trying to lull the effort of the intial burst and right againt the right hand side of the road. I was hoping for either him to jump first and myself to hold it off starting in the pole position, or that I could surprise him if he looked back again. He looked back and I jumped way left across the road hoping he would think to follow my draft rather than go straight to the line... thus giving me less road to go head to head with him on. Nej he was too smart for that and probably dude to the "feeble ness ity" of my attack 15 seconds earlier he knew better. I rolled in a few lengths back utterly cracked. Not so bad though, 200$ canadian for the weekend in winnings and made some new friends in the process, a 1e and 2e plaats isn't so bad either!

http://www.kempenactueel.be/wielrennen/dennis-van-leeuwen-en-mathias-van-gompel-winnen-in-geel-stelen-foto-s

On a cool side note.. I was pretty flattered yet embaressed to hear people saying that I had definetly sold the race, of course this is not the case. Thanks again to SpinSanity and Team CHCH for all the support! and mommy and daddy. grandma and grampa, family. every body.