The author, Eoin McCarthy (leading) will be heading back to Belgium in 2014 after an enjoyable 2013 season during which he feels he has gotten a lot stronger.
The season just ending in Belgium has brought trials and tribulations for Eoin McCarthy, with the low point occurring at home when he was forced out of the An Post Rás with illness. But he says the year abroad has made him much stronger and that his legs and tactics were greatly improved in the latter part of the season. Convinced the best is yet to come and in search of a place on more Irish U23 teams, he'll winter at home in Cork before seeting off for the Continent again next year.
That's it. The season of 2013 has come to an end. Obviously as an athlete, you're always going to want more from a season but I’m proud of the progress I've made and lessons I've learnt.
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Looking back at the year, I have to take the positives and use them for the future. I still don't feel as if I had a clear run.
I hit the deck a few times too many and came down with illness at the worst possible time which was heartbreaking. All in all, I am now twice the rider I was at the beginning of the year and to me that is the most important thing. Never a failure; always a lesson.
Around the time I last wrote in mid August, my condition was already on the rise and Ronde van Oost Vlaanderen was a perfect race for form building.
It was a brand new tour for the top U23s in Belgium and was five days in length. It wasn't a tour that particularly suited me as pretty much ever stage finished in a bunch sprint and that in itself meant there was a fair bit of carnage!
It was by far the most stressful tour I've taken part in. We were constantly riding around at over 50km/h as it was so flat. And through the whole week there were hardly any breakaways but a lot of crashes.
Luckily I escaped those pile ups, but judging how many times I've crashed this year I'm amazed as to how I managed to stay upright.
The peloton always carried too much momentum and speed so that really discouraged people from attacking. So, for me it was like a big motor pacing session every stage; a very nice five days with the team.
The days following that tour we had two more team races. One was a 1.12B very close to home in Balegem. The other was the Interclub Omloop Van de Grensstreek Wervik, a 172km amateur semi classic in which we did two laps which including the Kemmelberg and Monteberg.
It was hard going after six days of racing in the legs, especially racing with fresh guys. Somehow I managed to suffer like never before and made it over all of the climbs to finish in the front group of 70 or so. I was completely dead, so couldn't even attempt a sprint or attack.
After that seven-day block of racing I had an easy week before I jumped back into the deep end.
I came out of my week off with some great legs which helped me in all of my races in the latter part of the season. Nine times out of 10 I was in the breakaway and I was highly involved in the thick of the action. I was riding the best I've ever been, both physically and tactically.
I was reading the races very well and learned a lot of lessons. One being, I am definitely not a sprinter.
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It can be frustrating when you put yourself in the position to win time after time but come up against faster finishers. That’s something to work on for 2014; there’s lots of fast guys in Belgium!
We also rode some of pro races since my last blog; in Izegem, Muelbeke and Viane-Geraardsbergen. Muelbeke was a complete write off. Izegem was enjoyable and Viane was arguably one of my favourite races and best days on the bike ever.
It wasn't like your normal kermesse course. It had some cobbled sections, punchy climbs and longer rolling ones. And with the course being 16km long it suited me a lot more.
Around 50-60km or so into the 161km race, a front group of 40 or so came together. I had originally missed it but I attacked and after a 20km chase coming from 1.30mins behind, six of us eventually got to the front again.
It was like a TTT with pros; one from Vacansoleil another with IAM Pro Cycling, and some Norwegians. I was feeling great.
As soon as we got across it split at the front again on the next climb. I was in the front, luckily, with only one other amateur rider.
I went on to finish in this group, I really suffered but still felt great. Something like 150 guys lined up and out of the 38 finishers I was 35th; not the best result but I was happy to one of the two amateurs finishing.
After Viane, I only did one more race; two days later. I still hadn't recovered from such a strenuous effort I made in the pro race so just cruised around in the bunch.
After that I decided to wrap up the season. I racked up 65 race days in 2013 and my body was feeling it. I picked up some nice results but probably deserved more. I can pay for being an honest rider sometimes.
But the year was full of experiences in which I am learning from however and I’m very confident I can use these lessons in 2014.
As I mention 2014, I am pleased to say I have re-signed and will spend the season in Zottegem with my current team Terra Footwear-Bicycle Line, although the team name may change.
After many disappointments this season past, I hope to make up for them in 2014 and will be praying for a clear run.
My best is still to come and I know it. I am yet to sit down with my coach and properly discuss my goals and hopes for 2014. But I’ll be looking again at the UCI U23 Nations Cups - If I'm selected - and the An Post Rás.
My team provide me with some great opportunities to ride some of the top competition 1.2 ranked races and I hope to make an impact on some of those races. I’m really grateful to my family and everyone who helped me in Belgium and Ireland this year; it means a lot to me and I don’t take it for granted.
That's it now. I am near the end of my break. I will start training again slowly next week. Stay tuned over the next few months to see what I am up to. Thank you for reading!
Eoin
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