Matt's cycling blog

The sun is out in belgium so I am not gonna do a full write up just listing some results.

57th stage one I finished in a group a few minutes back
47th stage two I finished in the 2nd group 1 minutes behind


Stage 3 the tt I rode like a motorbike to get 29th place.

1 TACIAK Mateusz (Pol) (CC Etupes Le Doubs) les 15,6 km en 19'58"67"
2 OFFREDO Yoann (CC Nogent-sur-Oise) à 0"36
3 SOKOLOV Evgeny (Rus) (Vendée U Pays de la Loire) à 19"
4 CUMONT Gaylord (USSA Pavilly-Barentin) à 33"
5 DERANGERE Jérémie (SCO Dijon) à 34"
6 ACKERMANN Silvère (Sui) (SCO Dijon) mt
7 CHEDHOMME Morgan (CM Aubervilliers 93) à 38"
8 GRAMMAIRE Olivier (SCO Dijon) à 46"
9 VANGADEREN Tejay (USA) (USA National Team) à 49"
10 HUET Tony (CAC Blois 41) à 56"
11 SIMON Mathieu (UV Aube) à 59"
12 LUBACH Frédéric (VC Rouen 76) à 1'00"
13 SMOLEN Tomasz (Pol) (CC Etupes Le Doubs) mt
14 SERGENT Jesse (Nzl) (Equipe Nationale Nouvelle-Zélande) à 1'01"
15 JEANNESSON Arnold (CM Aubervilliers 93) à 1'07"
16 CHARRIER Franck (CC Nogent-sur-Oise) à 1'10"
17 DRUJON Benoit (UV Aube) à 1'12"
18 HUREL Tony (CA Mantes-la-Ville) à 1'14"
19 HANSEEUW Jelle (Bel) (Team Lombarden New Heebra) à 1'15"
20 LECROSNIER Frédéric (AC Octeville) mt
21 DELROT Bastien (ESEG Douai) à 1'17"
22 EDET Nicolas (VS Chartrain) à 1'20"
23 MARIE Yannick (Entente Sud-Gascogne) mt
24 OLEJNIK Tomasz (Pol) (USSA Pavilly-Barentin) à 1'22"
25 GUAY Julien (Vendée U Pays de la Loire) mt
26 MESNIL Julien (VC Evreux) à 1'28"
27 VERMEULEN Franck (VC Rouen 76) à 1'29"
28 VAN DER GINST Dries (Bel) (Team Lombarden New Heebra) mt
29 BRANDT Matthew (USA) (USA National Team) à 1'34"
30 GIRARD Arnaud (CA Mantes-la-Ville) à 1'35"

Stage 4 I stayed with the main front split when the peleton. I stayed with the front group over the first 2 of the cat 1 climbs. Then I got dropped with 40k and 4 cat 1 climbs remaining. I rode with a small group until 30k to go then I rode the rest of the way by myself. Not sure where I finished somewhere around 50th.

I just thought i'd go a little more in depth about the last couple races.

We did 1 day races in Britannia, France. We were told going in these would be very aggressive and very fast races. The best finish last year was Nick Reistad in 30th last year. The first race of the 4 was pretty rolling 16 laps of 9k a break of 5 got off in the first lap then a group of 15 bridged to it. I got off in a chase group of 20 riders and we never really worked together we just attacked eachother trying to trim the group down. Finally with 4 laps to i got in a break of 3 and we rode so hard I was about to get popped so I handed them one of my cokes to get them to slow down for a second. I was able to stay with them but I couldn't make anything happen in the 3 up sprint. I ended up 27th a group of 24 stayed off the front.

Day 2

28 laps of 5k with a long cross wind section and 2 good uphill sections. It stayed together forever we were going hard but it never split up just 1 or 2 riders popping off now and then. with 8 laps to go. It split into 3 groups I made the seconds group and we eventually caught the front group and it all came back together, but the race was blown only 50 riders were left. It went hard again and it split I got kind of spit out and ended up in a small group racing for 30 something spot. One of the riders in our group kept riding at 550 watts up the hill every lap. So the groups split in half I ended up in a group of 3 and we suffered our way to the finish I ended up 44th.

I got sick the 3rd day was forced to dnf.



We have been on a week break right now. A week break doesn't mean completely off of racing. We went to a local kermess a circuit race 11 laps of 10.5k. Usually these are smaller local races but this ended up being a pretty big one with 121 starters. The entire Splendid team showed up, they've been dominating almost every race they've done. It was definatly going to be a fast one. We were going on our first loop and we turn a corner and we hit a 18% wall about half a kilometer long the we made a right turn along a false flat then it kicked up for about another k at 8-10%. By the end it was split up pretty good 9 riders in front with a few groups behind that I found myself in a group of 5 that got caught by the peleton 2k from the finish, what was left of it anyway the most it could of been was 25 riders. We ended up sprinting out of the group for 18th spot. It was a straight on 1k stretch slightly uphill and into the wind. I timed my sprint really well and came from 10th spot to came 2nd in the field sprint. Coming in 19th on the day. They are pretty cool about paying out here. The top 3 get big money and 4th place through 50th get 10 euro each and 3 euro entry fees so 1/3 of the field gets there money back and enough to grab some dinner.


Tommarow we start Port Ocean a Uci 2.12 stage race 4 stages 3 days. This will be my last big race here. So hopefully it will go well.

I got 27th and 44th in some big one day races in France.

I found some of the results online. I scored a 2nd in the field sprint to take 19th.




18/08/2007- LENNIK (VB)
1.12B - ind.reg.wedstr.(100-120 km) Elite z.c./U23
(114 km - 11 x 10.4 km)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.12B - ind.reg.wedstr.(100-120 km) Elite z.c./U23
Aantal deelnemers: 121
1. BAGDONAS Gediminas KLAIPEDA 02:49:00
2. PERSOON LUCAS
3. BEYER Chad USA U23 NATIONAL TEAM
4. DAELMANS Arne KLAIPEDA SPLENDID CYCLING TEAM
5. VERSCHRAEGEN Krijn AFDELING OOST-VLAANDEREN WBV
6. GUNS Jurgen WIMI-GAMES - ST MARTINUS CT - KERKSKEN
7. KONDROTAS SIMAS
8. VAN LANDEGHEM Kurt WSC VOORUIT - SINT-GILLIS-WAAS
9. KRUOPIS Aidis KLAIPEDA
10. DE DECKER Bjorn SCOTT USA CYCLING TEAM
11. KUKTA Marius
12. CRABBE Kevin DAVITAMON-WIN FOR LIFE-JONG VLAANDEREN
13. LELIVELD DENNIS UITHOORNSE WTC
14. MC MURDO HILTON NORTHERN
15. BURGER LEON UITHOORNSE WTC
16. BARTON CHRIS
17. MASSON Christophe CCI DIFFERDANGE
18. MOCKUS Algirdas KLAIPEDA-SPLENDID CYCLIN TEAM
19. BRANDT MATTHEW
20. VUYLSTEKE Pieter WC SOENENS-GERMOND INGELMUNSTER

Is by far the hardest race I've ever been in its mostly D-2 pro teams. Such as Rabbobank and Ag2r.

We took 13th in the team tt. Our lungs were burnt to a crisp after not warming up so didn't fare great but we notched a 13th place.

Stage 1 A pretty hilly course it was pretty drilled from the gun. We turned a corner and the road went straight up at 18. Our driver in the car said it was a small climb pshh guys were all over the place I got in a chase group with Bjorn and caught back on at the base of the next climb. I got in a rythem and stayed in the field till the finish. I tried to go for the field sprint but moving up into the wind left me gassed with 300 meters to go and I ended up 53.

Stage 2

30ks to a set of 7 circuits 18k per lap it was mostly uphill it was hard I got dropped with 3 laps to go. I finished in a 12 rider group 14 minutes off the back of the bunch. I made time cut its pretty touch and go if you get dropped the time cut is only 8% so if you lose more then 20 minutes which if you fall off by yourself that can be pretty easy in the last 40ks.

I started my first race here in Belgium with a 5 day 6 stage stage race around the province of liege. The first stage went very poorly I got dropped 90s into the 160k road race and rode the last 70ks in time trail mode to barely make time cut. The second stage I was determined to hang on to the front group, after literally feeling my calf muscle rip out of my leg. I made it to the line with the front bunch. Stage 3 a 7k time trail, I put in a decent effort not sure of my place. Stage 4 3 7-10k climbs over the first 40ks made this a tough one, but I managed to tag onto the front bunch again and got like 60th place. Stage 5 another 160k stage a 60 rider crash, and the officials put the entire race into time out for 45 minutes to sort things out. After we got going again the riders didn't want to race anymore, saying we cruise to the circuits that only lasted 20 till we hit the climbs then everything was game on. I can only remember throwing my bike side to side hanging on for dear life up the climbs then crossing the line last wheel of the front group completely exhausted. The final stage there was a climb every 10ks including a 2.3k climb reaching grades of 22 degrees. Ryan Baumann and I got dropped before 5ks before that climb and rode tempo together catching about a few riders here and there eventually forming a 20 rider group we made it to the circuits and got lapped by the leaders but we finished the race in 91st and 92nd overall there were 150 starters and 93 finishers. At least we finished.



We did a 180k circuit race today, and were pretty much told we were gonna get dropped. It was just a matter of how long we could hang on. With good reason though 15 out of the teams were Pro continental. The circuit ranged from to lane roads to roads as wide as bike paths that can only fit 2 riders at a time. Even in the netruel zone it was an all out fight for the top 20 spots like a cross race start I did well and stayed in the top 40 for the first 2 16k laps after that fatuage started to wear in from the all out sprint cross wind sections. I got dropped on lap 5 a good 80ks of all out riding.


Tuesday we start a stage race in France. I should be on good form for that and looking to take a crack at some decent results.

Sorry about the lack of posts, it was mostly due to frustration, lack of form, and getting Namoania. The night before the last stage of Nature Valley. I was very disappointed in dropping from 30th on GC to 40th on the last stage.

The last few weeks has been a big struggle of recovery and trying to get back on form. Finally over the past couple days my form has gotten back to 90% and I hope to be fully back up to racing speed before I fly to Belgium the 14th to finish off my season racing with the u-23 national team.

The Wall.


Stage 4 downtown criterium the streets were lined with people banging on the fences. that was super cool, nothing exciting happened I just sat in waiting for Saturday and Sunday's hard stages.

Stage 5 The winds were in my favor today, The crosswinds weren't strong enough to blow the race apart which left the race to be won or lost on the circuit with the wall on it. Lap 1 I'm in a top 40 spot riders start to get blown on the hill. I'm weaving in and out of them come over the in a top 30 spot. Lap 2 White jersey young rider is going backwards as his teammate tries to push him along up the hill. Lap 3 more riders popped the lead group is trimmed to less then 30. Lap 4 I got gapped off over the top of the climb, but I only ended up losing 28 seconds.


I will do my best to take over the young riders jersey or at least move into 2nd in the competition today.