I have difficulty keeping track of days at the best of times, one of the benefits of being retired, every day is a holiday! While I'm here its even worse I think, I'm just planning from one race day to the next and since I can race most days if I chose to its very difficult to keep the week in sequence! Today is Sunday.
I know that because breakfast is later and on my ride today I saw loads of club groups out on their Sunday rides, they all wear full club/team colours and many have following cars as well, they love to emulate the pro's. I must admit that they always look impressive groups of 20 to 40 I think I saw today and the fact that they are diving in and out of the narrow winding farm lanes makes me envious. My map isn't really good enough to take me 'cross country' easily, the lanes wind so much that I'd be lost in no time, I know I've tried it, or else I'd be stopping at every junction and even then I'd need a detailed knowledge of how each every village and hamlet lies in context with the others. That's otherwise known as local knowledge and I don't have it, so I stick to the (slightly) more important roads which tend to be straighter and the signage to be more consistent.
Today I elected to ride down towards Geraardsbergen it gets a bit lumpy the nearer you get to the town and whilst earlier I had harboured thoughts of racing again today, the way my legs felt pushing up and into the wind proved to me that I made the right decision.
Best thing I saw today was a chap taking his Donkey for a walk, yes a donkey, he had it on a lead, or would it be called a halter? and was strolling along the bike path! Cute little dude, the donkey that is! I also came up behind a chap who sawing back and forth across the bike path, on his bike, making it impossible to pass due to the parked cars. I gave him a 'hop hop' as a warning and when he looked round I realised he was autistic (I think) and had a big smile on his face, so I waited and passed him a bit further, saying hello as I passed and was rewarded with a huge smile and was struck with the thought that everybody can enjoy riding a bike and this chap was having a whale of a time and was pretty safe on the bike path.
Again the weather forecast called for rain all day and whilst there were showers about, I was lucky and didn't get rained on and this afternoon it is sunny again.
Going to clean my bike this afternoon and there are some minor adjustments I need to make to the gears then I am going to chill and watch some TV. This afternoon I'm spoilt for choice, the Tour obviously but also the final day of the British Open golf and the GP bikes as well, I have to say with the way the tour has been boring me this week I may just watch one of the others and check the result later.
Tomorrow I was going to take the day off the bike completely and race again on Tuesday, however I think I will go and check out the championship course and ride a couple of laps to start to get the feel of it, I know that race will start fast so knowing what's coming will be important.
Whilst I was riding today I was thinking that it would be pretty easy to get complacent about the WC 60+ race but I have the feeling I haven't seen the best over 60's, plus of course there are other nationalities involved and the Dutch in particular will be there in force, there were a lot of Brit's last year including former pro super sprinter Sid Barass, while I sprint OK I'm not in his class.
It also occurred to me if the 'rules' are being applied evenly then the best local over 60's must also be riding in the 50+ races so its a good thing for me to be put in there too, I will be better prepared to race them, I hope.
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