NICK MULDER RACING

I hate to describe my spring as roller coaster ride because its so cliche but like any cyclist Ive had my good races and bad races. Heres how it started...

After breaking my collarbone in late January and spending the majority of training in Mallorca in bed I knew I had some serious catching up to do. My first race was St Severin, a race in the Belgian Ardennes. I had no problem following everyone up the climbs but after 90km my legs were just empty and I was just hanging on as the cross winds punished my legs. I was happy to finish in the first group.

The week after was a 180km race on tiny roads called Houtse Linies. Nobody has mastered racing in the wind like the Dutch. The wind can be your friend but it can also be your enemy. That day, the wind was not my friend. I got to the start line a little late. Uh oh. I was just one of 200 that wanted to get to front during the hectic neutral section because after 5km we would turn onto a small farm road that divides the Dutch picturesque landscape. I was sitting around 50th as we turned, moving up by cutting off the turn through the grass out of desperation.

As everyone had expected into the gutter we went, unfortunately not everyone could hold the pace. All I could do was watch as 20 riders rolled off the front in the form of a double echelon. Damn. Another 5km later 100 riders were off the back and out of the race. Yep thats how it goes. Meanwhile I spent my time hanging onto the 2nd group of about 30. In the group a dutch continental team was well represented. Unfortunately a well oiled machine of about 4-6 riders can really put the hurt on the rest of the group on a road that only fits six riders. Yep again they threw us into the gutter. No problem for me, ive become quite good at hugging the edge of the road. Last year I was a mess now i can ride within a centimeter of the dirt. Some places its even better to just ride on the dirt if you have to. Well anyways, this went on for about 5km and I found myself a little too far back in our group. Our group split and I was now in the third group. 

Crap why cant these suckers just hang on...its only 450w were doing  Somehow the riders in the 2nd echelon tired and we could come back right before the next crosswind section. I quickly tapped my teammates on the hip and blew to the front. If your not in the first 10 your riding in the gutter. Luckily my teammates fit onto the road. But I didnt and my legs were starting to fill with lactic acid. In the distance I saw a small clump of trees which would provide some shelter from the wind. Its like my thoughts were being read but they accelerated 200m before the forest. Boom, yep those were my legs. Back into the third group I went. Recovered and went in pursuit of the second group again. More of the same, it was a painful race but I never caught the second group. I finished around 50th.

I had to learn the lesson the hard way but the week after in DorpenOmloop Ruchpen I had mastered it. With 4-5 continental teams at the start the field was pretty strong as was the wind, like usual. Not to be suprised like last week I made sure to get to the front. After what seemed like jumping 10 curbs, going off course, and weaving through spectators I made it to the front right as the peloton finished the neutral section and the beast was released. Basically when the beast is released its a full on sprint. Oh and sprint I can. Unlike last week, this week the wind was my friend. We rotated smoothly, using just half the road. And before long a big group of 40 riders broke free. Most of the continental teams were well represented so away we stayed, leaving small groups in our wake. After about an hour of hard racing we relaxed. Two hours later the racing started again. With about 40km to go a big group of 11 rolled off the front. Our team had nobody in it. This is usually a problem but sometimes it can draw the other teams out. We sat back, relaxed, and watched. We gambled that it would come back together. Yep we were right. With 10km to go everything came back together and it was one attack after the other. Part of that was my fault. I was seeing red and team director had ordered me to go with everything and we were counting on our other sprinter. I must have gone away 10 times but I just couldnt break their hold. It was a great feeling, smashing 450w like it was peanuts after 170km. Unfortunately Rabobank wanted a sprint, so sprint we did. I got boxed in, the pushed my way through then took the outside line in the sprint to finish 17th. I was happy with the feeling but I knew I could have snagged a better result. 

A week later my time lined up for the first u23 race in holland, a race over 170km. Again flat and rainy. But NO wind. When you are strong you hope for wind, that day I was hoping for wind. But it wasnt windy enough to break the race into pieces. After 140 boring kms I decided to just smash some gears through the feed zone maybe catch some people by suprise. That I did and immediately a flurry of attacks started. A group of 15 got off the front with two of my teammates so we were relatively well represented. The next 30km the four of us that were left controlled the front. They stayed away and we got 2nd, 6th, 14th, and I finished in 26th after breaking some spokes in the sprint. Happy with the form but the result wasnt satisfying. Our team did take the lead in the team classification. 

The wednesday after I lined up for the u23 dwars door vlaanderen. I was super excited to race here after racing the junior version of ronde van vlaanderen. Cycling doesnt live anywhere like it does in Belgium. At the start in Waregem it was like a huge party and we were the stars. 250 young guns lining up for the start hoping to become the next big thing. But there is only one winner.

What has become quite standard for me is coming to the start very late. Hiding behind a bush or in the crowd and then popping out right as the gun is shot off is a great positioning tactic. Again the first few kilometers were neutralized and my front wheel was a few centimeters behind the race org. bumper. He drops the flag and again we sprint. Belgian racing isnt quite as aggressive as Dutch racing since positioning isnt 100% of the race. Well i guess ive been bred to be aggressive and I pushed and shoved my way into the front. Before long the first climb was soon approaching. Yep, perfect time to pull a Tom Boonen and test my legs. Away I went, attacking through the gutter and taking the Finish national champion, and two belgian strong belgians with me. Normally Im scared when I ride towards a climb because I know its not my strength. But these climbs in Vlaanderen suit me well. I smashed the gears with the three others trailing. The gradient just kept climbing, looking down at my srm and seeing 500w just gave me an extra push. Guess my followers didnt have that push because they were yelling at me to slow down. After 3km we crested the top and it the peleton was already in a few pieces as I looked back. Hmm good legs today, I stopped and before long the front group caught me. 

Well in the end it was a waste of energy because in the long descent everyone stopped pedaling. Unfortunately this is where I lost the race. I drifted too far back snacking on some bars. Again like Boonen, in Paris Roubaix where Cancellara attacks....but a little different  Then on the next series of cobbled climbs a front group of about 10 rode away never to be seen again. Meanwhile I was further back and got held up behind some of the riders that walked up. My own fault but still disappointing. The rest of the race was quite hard, at one point I found myself in the third group and had to bridge to the second group. On the finishing circuits which we did several times there were cobbles and climbs. It looked like we were going to catch the front group but it wasnt to be. I tried to attack a few times but the wind was unfavorable and we would be sprinting for 11th. I was sitting perfect with 1km to go about 10th. But with 500m I got swarmed then as we went around a turn I hoped a curb to move up but I ended up behind the barriers somehow. That sucked and I finished 69th.

Well thats enough for now. The season gets better dont worry. No victory yet but I am feeling one coming along sooner or later!