For my first UCI race in Belgium it began with a long car trip down to the Chanel tunnel. With an early morning start of 7:30 on Friday we set off picking up Bex and Edita along the way. Arriving at the tunnel for 3pm. With the remainder of the team still stuck in traffic in London we carried on through the tunnel to the hotel. After finally arriving at the hotel for 7pm. We went out for a spin on the bikes. With the rest of the team arriving just as we returned from our ride, food and then to bed with an early rise in the morning ahead to get to the race.
Race day!
With the unfriendly sound of my alarm waking me at 6:15 I was reluctant to get out of bed. It was just under 2 hours to the race, we arrived around 8:40am. With normal race preparation being executed the team was ready and lined up for the start of the race at 10:45am. At 11:00am the race begin. The course being mostly flat, changing from wider main roads to narrower lanes with about 150 riders it was not a race that suited me. However I enjoyed the race and was pleased to say I finished my first UCI race.
All that was left was to get home.
We were scheduled to arrive home between 12pm and 1am Saturday evening/ Sunday morning. The car packed up we were on out way. After Stopping for food at a restaurant we were heading back for the tunnel. However after we’d been travelling for about an hour the car engine stopped and would not start. We were at the services and it didn’t look like we were moving anytime soon. The recovery truck arrived and we were taken to a garage where they said they wouldn’t look at the car till Monday! So a taxi was arranged to pick us up and take us to Calais where we would get a hire car to travel home in. We drove round in a few circles as the taxi driver couldn’t find where the car hire place was. Once in the hire car we went to the tunnel and the next boat wasn’t until 1:30am and it was 12pm so we had a little bit of a wait. Never the less we made it home for 7:30am Sunday morning! After a 4 hour sleep I went out for a ride as I was racing again on Tuesday in the first round of the Tour Series.
Overall an interesting trip, but good racing and all home in one piece eventually (apart from the car).
Onwards and upwards!