Anthony Walsh - pictured here centre; tallest rider (in blue, red and white gear) - in action for Apoge Super U in France early season
Following a better than expected season in 2011, UCD CC’s Anthony Walsh decided to put his career as a barrister on hold to give at least one season over to full time racing in France. The 28-year-old was hoping to improve on his 23rd GC result in the An Post Ras and push towards a top ten this time around. In this dispatch he talks us through his early weeks with his Apoge Super U French team and outlines his disappointment when disaster strikes.
It’s early season and I’m beginning to settle into life in France and adapt to being a full time bike rider based in the small medieval town of Pons, near Cognac.
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I’ve developed an extraordinary ability to waste time. The secret is re-labelling this activity; it’s not ‘time wasting’ it’s ‘recovering’. My days are simple: train, eat and recover. I was previously so accustomed to balancing cycling with other life commitments that it’s an odd feeling having a sole focus.
My new routine is slowly being instilled by management. We rise early, disappearing into the French countryside. My daily ride differs from what I had become accustomed too – car horns have been replaced by cries of ‘allez’ and suburbia has been exchanged for an expanding vista.
I’m training hard, hitting the numbers and making sacrifices. The sacrifices are worth it because I’m making those gains. My form is as good as it’s ever been and I’ve overcome the language barrier.
It’s the opening stage race of the season (Bassor de Basque) and the months ahead are filled with possibilities. Targets which seemed implausible are beginning to seem realistic and distant dreams and aspirations are coming into focus. A winter of hard training and clean living is paying off.
The course today is hilly. Everyone knows the importance of good position into the major climb of the day. The race can be won or lost at this point. Many scenarios play in my head as we approach the climb but I never consider the twist of fate that awaits.
I am nestled onto my team-mates wheel as we jostle for position when my senses are overloaded with the unmistakable sounds and smells of an impending crash. I reach for the brakes but it’s too late. Boom! Head over heels I go. My landing is inauspicious – upside down and on my back. Instinct tells me to get back up and get into the race. I try to move but something is different this time. The diagnosis later confirms my worst fears; broken scapula, collarbone and two ribs.
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The aftermath
It’s hard to know what to feel when you crash. You hear so many well-wishing clichés – it’s part of the game, it happens, bones will heal, etc. Initially there is an outpouring of sympathy from family, friends and well wishers.
The first few weeks after the crash were very painful. I had limited mobility, poor morale and an unspecified period of convalescence.
Once the initial pain subsided and the prognosis was clearer, what was harder to deal with than the legacy of injuries was the thought of regaining fitness that took months to build, only for it all to be destroyed in an instant. But as the cliché goes – ‘rebuild we must’.
The recovery period, thus far, has been extremely tedious. My first sessions back were with one arm in a sling - in an adapted upright position - indoors and less than thirty minutes in duration. Each day I’ve progressed and I hope to resume full road training in the next couple of weeks.
The enforced layoff has meant I need to re-evaluate my goals for the season. The Ras was a major target for me; I had hoped to improve on last years GC placing and push towards a top 10. At the moment I’m unsure whether I’ll ride it at all. I will either skip it completely or ride it as preparation for races later in the season.
The French season runs for longer than the domestic one so I have plenty of time to rebuild fitness. I have one further scan a week from now to ensure everything is healing as planned and then I’ll ride a couple of races at home before heading back to France.
My first races in May will likely be Elite Nationale races like Boucles Nationales du Printemps, GP de Montamisé and Grand Prix Cyclisme de la Gerbe Savoyarde.
The National Championships will likely be another big target – although I’ve haven’t ridden the course to see how suitable it is for me yet. But for the moment, those goals are up the road.
Cheers
Anthony
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