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Assen European Youth Tour-Race report
I'm now by the sea, relaxing, but I thought that I should give a full race report.
Prologue.
I did a 1 minute 24 second kilometre prologue. It was a quick out and back with a u turn halfway, that I managed to muck up.
Stage one Crit 39.6km
This started so fast that i was blown out of the back race after 10 of the 22 laps . I managed to form up a group of around 15 riders who suprisingly held the same speed as the bunch but a minute down. It formed into my own little race and I enjoyed the 12 laps that i had left because with the gap so big on a crit circuit there was no chance of me reconnecting with the bunch.
Stage 2 Classica 70km
This started quite slow although I had a nightmare start where I managed to unclip both feet and go the wrong way around the roundabout against the parked up traffic. It continued quite nicely at an alright pace (24mph). At one point we had to avoid a tractor intent on plowing the 140 of us down which did not help me to move up. Moving up was essential because I knew that within a few kilometres we would hit the cobbles. I hit the cobbles (unfortunately) at the back of the bunch and spent a lot of energy getting past people. i came unstuck after the mile long section of cobbles when we turned right into a headwind on pave. The group accerlerated and with dad watching i lost contact with the group was left to finish the race only 2 minutes down with a group of four riders i was not swept by the broom wagon.
Prologue.
I did a 1 minute 24 second kilometre prologue. It was a quick out and back with a u turn halfway, that I managed to muck up.
Stage one Crit 39.6km
This started so fast that i was blown out of the back race after 10 of the 22 laps . I managed to form up a group of around 15 riders who suprisingly held the same speed as the bunch but a minute down. It formed into my own little race and I enjoyed the 12 laps that i had left because with the gap so big on a crit circuit there was no chance of me reconnecting with the bunch.
Stage 2 Classica 70km
This started quite slow although I had a nightmare start where I managed to unclip both feet and go the wrong way around the roundabout against the parked up traffic. It continued quite nicely at an alright pace (24mph). At one point we had to avoid a tractor intent on plowing the 140 of us down which did not help me to move up. Moving up was essential because I knew that within a few kilometres we would hit the cobbles. I hit the cobbles (unfortunately) at the back of the bunch and spent a lot of energy getting past people. i came unstuck after the mile long section of cobbles when we turned right into a headwind on pave. The group accerlerated and with dad watching i lost contact with the group was left to finish the race only 2 minutes down with a group of four riders i was not swept by the broom wagon.
Comments
I started quite late in the day at 17:52:30. They have a professional starting ramp and as you roll of this you can see the man in front of you switchback across the course. I caught this man after 4km as we came off the pave onto the motorracing course. The wide expanses of tarmac were very exposed and i was glad to have tribars to use into the wind. in the end i did a respectable time of 13:23 which placed me around 70th on the stage
Stage 4 Gaselte 45km
this course compromised of two rectangles that touched in one corner at a sort of cross roads. The smaller rectangle had a 150metre section of cobbles and there was a small amount of bricked roads on the course before this. On each of the five laps the pace increased dramatically just before these points as people fought to get to the front for the pave and the cobbles. This caused a crash on the first lap which happened just to my left, the rider next to me making an excellent attempt of bringing me down with him, but his gloved hand just falling short of my bars. I finished in the bunch in this race with an average speed of 41kmph.
Stage 5 Wielerbahn Crit. 35km
Just fast. The first lap was ok but after that for the next 8 laps it was ballistic. Evreyone was going everywhere on the corners especially the one coming into the finishing straight and the pave did not help either. I managed to finish in the bunch again. I was very happy because of this as this is generally the fastest race of the week because it is the last chance to raise your GC standings.
The best prologue time was a 1:15
The average speed of the crit was over 40kmph because it was almost 40km and it lasted just under an hour
the average speed of the classica for my group was 26.25 mph 42kmph
the time trial average speed was just about 26mph average and the best time was a very short 11
The gaselte average is already stated
the last stage I have no idea, but let me tell you it was very fast and a lot of swearing was happening on the corners, if it was m y fault i just said rather truthfully that regretably i did not speak dutch and that i was very sorry, but they still had to remain behind me
The fact of which i am most proud is that I was not swept up by the broom wagon in the entire race, which for my first time in assen is pretty good
Racing is about 100% faster all the time with no let ups. with 140 people there is always someone fresh enough to attack the peleton, so there is never any respite.
I enjoyed my race and hope to go again next year
Josh Maynard
In the Classica & the 1st Crit there were only 80 plus finishers of the original 140 & in the Gaselte & 2nd Crit 100 or so finished.
The category was won by British rider Jonathon Dibben.
11 Welwyn Wheeler riders attended the event well supported by parents/ coaches.
The event as a whole was extremly well organised & a wonderful experience for all the riders, parents & sibblings .
Alison