Wednesday 6 April 2016

The Tour Of Flanders

I had been looking forward to this day for a long time. It was the day of riding the sportive of the tour of Flanders. We had done lots of hilly team rides leading up to this but I was still nervous of not making it up all of them. Especially, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg (the two last climbs of the tour and some of the hardest). 

As we started our ride everyone was buzzing to get to the first climb Koppenberg. As we approached I felt scared and nervous but excited. Hitting the cobbles I had a good tempo and I was smashing it! Up ahead I could see a wall of stopped riders, well walkers, no one could get by. Walking up was attually really hard because the cobbles were wet and it was steep. Luckily, as it flattened a little I could get back on and ride up th climb at a fast pace until I realised that the top was further away then I thought!

53k in to the ride we had gone flying down the descent and reached Oude Kwaremont. I felt better about this long one then all of the others because I had ridden it before. I started with a steady tempo and kept it going. Unfortunately, my waffle I had been saving (from the feed stop) fell out my pocket, so when I came to finish eating it I couldn't 😜. 
Paterberg as my legs were started to burn. I kept a tempo and tried to do everything I've been taught. As it kicked up, I stood up, my legs burning. I made it, I climbed the Paterberg! I was so happy!
 
      Me fighting to get to the top of Paterberg
                         The MI Racing Academy with Lizzie Armested 

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