Build-Up to the race:
Ronde Van Oost Vlaanderen was my second 5-day stage race, bringing the total up to 10 days of racing within a 14-day time period. I had experienced a similar event structure before during my 1st junior year in 2018. I competed in the Assen Youth Tour – with VCL – and Vuelta Pamplona – with HMT Cycling. These two events took place in the same, equivalent, week in 2018. I was receiving daily ‘memories’ from the two respective races offering me inspiration and confidence that the form I wanted was possible to achieve.
More recently, I could draw some experience from my 2021 endeavour to complete both the Tour de Namur and Ronde Van Oost Vlaanderen back to back. Although I didn’t complete the Tour de Namur in its entirety in 2021; it was still valuable learning experience that came so early into my u23 cycling career. Due to the race following on 3-days after the Tour de Namur, I could carry the confidence that my power and form were in a good place. I could have trust in the fact that my form would continue to grow into this second week of racing, like it would in any grand tour. Not that this is comparable to a Grand Tour, but it is the closest thing we have as amateur, aspiring professional riders. I knew there was a high chance that I could begin to fly as the form grows. Additionally, that same confidence could be found in my weight and the work I had done with Charlie to set up my race routine nutritionally, and race routine psychologically with the help of Paul Burden.
New for the 2022 Ronde Van Oost Vlaanderen were Bonus Sprints which offered three, two and one seconds on lap 3, 6 and lap 9. If anyone has seen the Baloise Belgium Tour of 2022 where Quickstep bullied Tim Wellens in the Golden Kilometre. Yeah. Things got tasty here too. Not to the same degree thankfully. It was sure to produce some classy and aggressive racing as the GC stayed tight at the top. Talking of GC, having just achieved 9th on General Classification the week prior I was aiming for another solid outing across the 5 days. This would start with being attentive and on form from the off despite the potential fatigue and intense heat that was certainly in store during the entire race.
Stage 1
I achieved 9th in the sprint. I was content with this performance after being in the break of the day for over 100 kilometres and said break achieving a maximum time gap of 3m19s ahead of the trailing and fatiguing peloton. I did too much work during the day in an attempt to prevent my legs from seizing up in the intense heat. Each to their own in these conditions, some riders might tie up when the temperatures fall below seven Celsius. I ensured I took on a bottle a lap from Zeno’s grandpa, who passed them up cleanly every time. Is there anything better than a clean bottle take? This was in order to combat that 34+ degree heat I mentioned we were experiencing out on course. Other than cutting my losses, the only other thing to mentioned was Michiel Coppens became a track rider for 30km, after he took a flier following the final Bonus Sprint just like one would in the Points race on la piste. This is important for the next blog/podcast of Bjorg Lambrecht.
Stage 2
I achieved 27th in a fractured finale, as riders crashed within the final 3km of the race. Likely due to the fatigue everyone was experiencing with the relentless heat. The split created an 11 second gap by the finish line on the majority of the peloton. Unfortunately, I found myself on the wrong side of this split chasing frantically into the final few turns whilst Jarne Van de Paar, and Lotto Soudal, was launching his bid to win the sprint and the stage. The second stage was, again, all about managing my losses as I allowed my body to adapt in its own time to the temperatures. Thankfully, having taken my body to the extreme today – and on the brink of tears – I was feeling like the next day would be a better situation as I began to grasp the required techniques in order to battle with the soaring temperatures in these seemingly endless heatwaves. A key point of note was that the organisers shortened the race by 2 laps, I believe, due to some riders, apparently, being sent to the hospital due to what I presume was hyperthermia due to the heat exhaustion.
Stage 3
Almost a carbon copy of 2021’s edition of Stage 4, this day would certainly end in a sprint. Everyone expected an easy bunch sprint which was controlled by Lotto Soudal who wanted to win two days on the trot. The conditions remained hot, but had a considerably cooler breeze taking the edge of the beaming sun. I had learnt and adapted to the mistakes and conditions of the previous two days putting together a strategy and hypothesis to combat my reactions to the temperature. The organiser had again shortened the race, by a solitary lap this time. As mentioned the stage was remarkably similar to the previous year which featured an average power of less than 200 watts and average heart rate of 130bpm. A lot of riders were hoping for the same in 2022. Though, the race is rarely the same two years on the trot. Some turns were added to the minorly altered course which strung the peloton out, and elevated the nerves felt within the peloton. The way the race played out would be considerably different to that I, and most of the peloton had experienced the year before. The stage started out well by winning the first of the three Bonus Sprints, solidifying that I had my good sprinting legs on today.
Beside some futile attempts at a breakaway from Lotto’s GC man, the stage would inevitably finish in a mass sprint with the entire peloton intact. It would be a classic sprint lead out for the final straight which was 2.5 kilometres, on a wide, and open road. During my fight for position on the left-hand side of the peloton I got a kind push from an unidentified soul. The fight for position could be on either side of the peloton today as there was barely an hint of wind. I couldn’t find my teammate, Zeno, despite looking around and over my shoulder several times. I would be fighting for myself in the sprint. I found myself bumping elbows with Luca de Meester who is an aggressive rider, and one I want to learn from. Eventually I yielded, because I wanted to stay upright for two potentially exciting days around the corner. I remained in a high and very competitive position. Importantly, too, I found myself out of the wind and within the belly of the peloton. I was well positioned out of the washing machine section and remained in the top 10 behind the well-drilled lead-out of Lotto Soudal and the Norwegian team.
Out of nowhere, Zeno comes flying up the apex on the, rideable curb into the final chicane at 400m from the finish line. He slots immediately in front of me. I had split seconds to process this, and re-evaluate my plan and thinking before launching my sprint a mere 2 seconds later. Due to these mistakes were made in the communication. In ideal circumstances a very beautiful result was entirely possible with us two right in the mix for the sprint. I launched from 350m out and came around everyone bar Gianluca Pollefliet who was just too optimally positioned for me to beat on that day. I had a freaking good sprint though. We talked out what happened within the team post stage, and just wait to see what happened on the final stage.
Stage 4
The Stage. Stage 4. Just like the previous day, the fourth day was almost a carbon copy of the previous year. And we all know how that went. Don’t we? Well it was my first podium in Belgium in the u23 ranks. It was a big watershed moment and dispatched of the peloton pretty swiftly into the final lap, only to be beaten by a rider I didn’t recognise at the time. I know now don’t worry. The riders and teams had certainly done their homework, as everyone in the top 10 on GC were weary of the possible destructivity that could occur on an aggressive course like this. Unfortunately, with the slight changes of the course, the road surface wasn’t as fatiguing as the year before, so saw the peloton largely come over the climbs all in one piece. Each GC rider marked their rider they needed to watch out for. In the end a small break of 4 clipped clear of the main peloton. It was in the balance to see if a GC battle would ensue. It did not. In the end, Lotto shut down the peloton and everyone rolled in together. Except Roy Hoogendoorn. He escaped the clutches into the final metres to gain 5 seconds on the peloton.
The biggest success to come from stage 4 was that I gained a measly second on GC. However, small that might seem. When I say how close the final General Classification result was. It’ll all make sense. Therefore the scene going into the final stage, from my perspective: I was 13 seconds down on GC in 8th* the front 5 or so were incrementally a second behind the rider in front of them, guaranteeing an aggressive, explosive and enjoyable final day of racing at this captivating edition of the Ronde Van Oost Vlaanderen.
Stage 5
Stage 5 is the proudest I’ve been of how I’ve handled myself in a race. The course profile was a punchy, grippy stage and relatively technical stage… for the first half of the tour. The final 10km was a long way from being ideal for a breakaway success due to those final 10 kilometres equalling a net downhill on a wide, open and peloton friendly roads. Someone definitely shouldn’t try a breakaway in the final part of the race down there. Guaranteed to fail. OHHH. I decided the only way to win the GC of the 2022 Ronde Van Oost Vlaanderen was to attempt an endeavour so courageous I could lose everything I had gained in the race up to this point. It gave me Goosebumps to think about it. I had such belief in the upcoming excursion I had no doubt in my mind it could potentially fail. I only saw the win of the stage alongside the General Classification Green Jersey.
The decision for the breakaway came after the opening bonus sprint where the race leader Ben Squire nearly crashed in the apex of the final corner, sending me out on the outside into the pavement where we went for the pre-race piss stop. I was so far out of position following this incident I sacked off the bonus sprints and calculated I needed a mere 3 seconds on the peloton and to win the stage & to win the overall classification. There was a one and half minute berg dropped right in the middle of the 16km tour. This was the launchpad. Any rider would be thinking. Every rider tried an attack on the climb. I knew where I would place the attack that would finish all other attacks.
I had hoped to bring a lotto rider with me to discourage the peloton from chasing me. In the final I learned that Lotto Soudal and the Norwegian team were the primary chasers. To my misfortune the rider I had approached with the offer, was part of the number of unfortunate souls who punctured that day. He was out of the question. I still did the attack though. The breakaway was just on the horizon. I launched it full gas, à bloc. No one came with me. Two guys on GC were up the road Robbe Claeys and Roy Hoogendoorn. The Silent assailant. They decided to not join me. Instead voting for waiting for the peloton they had just gained a 10 second advantage on. I continued on to join, and ride straight past, the breakaway. In my passage through the fatiguing breakaway, Thomas de Pestel launched his final do or die attempt with me in tow. He rode with me, pulled some turns which were just long enough for me to breath and regather myself before the next burst of power needed to put 20 seconds into the chasing peloton with the Norwegian team and Lotto chasing.
With 3km to go the peloton was bearing down on the lonesome two-up breakaway. I was in communication with my escapee companion who was filling me with confidence in his spluttered words. Two more looks just to see them, like in the rear-view mirror of the car. I was thinking just hang onto 1km to go and then sprint as hard as you can for a minute. The fact I had a secondary rider there with me encouraged me to sprint on in the final 400m and after the feeling the line closing in was the incentive. Closer. Closer. Closer. Closer.
F&%*. The peloton comes around me. Oh wait it’s Zeno. Shit Zeno Won. Fuck. I said that word 7 times. I don’t usually swear in public but I swore 7x. I wanted it. I was happy for Zeno, and that it was him that came around me. He asked me immediately after the line, “Did I win?” “Yes you won mate!”
I apologised after for not being more encouraging but what can one do when they attack with 9.5 kilometres to go in an all-out attempt to selfishly take all the goods. It was disappointing but nowhere near as disappointing as Memorial Van Coningsloo in June. I was happy with the valiant, courageous attack I put in to show my strength. And the big win is there is a photo of me in the final straight in the lead. Sure, it looks like I lead out Zeno for the win. Partly true in a very indirect way. But I attacked 9.5km out on a finish that was not designed for a breakaway. I put time into the peloton. Want to see my powers. Tough, that is a no go. I’m sorry.
You know the silent assailant I mentioned before. He came second on the day and won the overall on countback because the first 3 were joined evenly on time. After 5 days of racing. 3 riders drew on time. Tell me that bonus sprints don’t improve the racing quality?
I finished 7th on GC 13” down. I achieved a 2nd, 6th and 9th placings on Stage three, five and one.
What inspired me the most about this race? Well, it was Mini Discar Cycling Team performed an outrageous team strategy for the second week in succession. When you have a team atmosphere like this one, there is no stopping the riders. We showed that by getting by getting our first win and, shortly after at the very next race on the calendar, a second win.
Thanks for reading my race debrief of Ronde Van Oost Vlaanderen. There is also a podcast version of this piece on The Chopper House. If you’re short of time and can’t sit down to read a long piece of writing, please go listen to the podcast. I promise it will be a good listen.
Upcoming on Tom Portsmouth website:
Race Debrief – Bjorg Lambrecht Memorial | Couch Surfin’
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With Thanks to:
Charlie Mitten | Pedal Potential | Paul Burden | OneLifeID | Mini Discar Cycling Team | Team Surrey
