Joyeux Noël à tous 🎅🎉🍾🥂🥂

Training Ride 85 - 2025 - Early Birthday bike ride, as it was beautiful out there today- 17c☀️👌

Trainer 74 - 2025 - After a day's work, so it was ok

Trainer 73 - 2025 - That was a little better😁

Training Ride 83 - 2025 - To nice not too ☀️😁

Firstly a thank you to Laurence for coming out and shouting support this morning. And a massive thank to René and Monquie for coming out in the rain to pass me my bidons. Hugely appreciated. 

Weather wasn't great today, damp roads to start with then rain in the middle, but dried up at the end. The race started quite calmly, the first hour was just 32 avg. At 35km, I had my first little attack with another rider, but it didn't come to anything. Then a few km later I got away with couple of other riders, as there was a tricky descent coming up and I want to be on front for it. We stayed away for a while but then CHAVANEL's brother rode over to us and that caused a reaction and we got closed down. Then the pace started to pick up and a small group got a gap, but this time CHAVANEL did help me to close it. Then at about 85km, I got away again with about a group of 4. We were working really well together and got a good gap.This lasted for about 15km, when I looked back to see CHAVANEL closing the gap with about 25 riders in tow. So we sat up and couldn't believe it. He made a joke of it, and then just went to the front and started pull everyone along at 45khm and 30 odd on the climb. It was good fun, but it was strange as it just neturalized the race. This went on for about 40km. He even did a section in TT mode and we were doing 55- 60km. But this pace was shredding the group down. He then dropped to the back and had a word with his brother, I thought he was going to attack so I dropped behind them.Then they went full gas. I managed to stay on the wheel for about 600m with 1 other rider behind me, CHAVANEL looked round saw us there and backed off ( but he was puffing). But this had reduced the group to about 10. We then rode the last 10km at a pace, and we even dropped his brother  on the last climb. I made a small mistake at the end, as I thought I was the only F cat in the group, so didn't bother going with the group as it broke up in the last km. But when I got back I found out I had misread an E when it was an F. So 2nd in Cat and  15th stratch .But on the whole pleased with the day as a couple of things from my training are working well and legs are feeling good now. Next up in the mountains for the 2nd étape of the Trophee Passion. 


Top Sports

Barry Taylor

Race 15 - 2017 - La Limousine avec CHAVANEL - 2nd Cat

1 Photo

9 Comments

Segments

Sign up to view more activities from Barry Taylor

Joyeux Noël à tous 🎅🎉🍾🥂🥂

Training Ride 85 - 2025 - Early Birthday bike ride, as it was beautiful out there today- 17c☀️👌

Trainer 74 - 2025 - After a day's work, so it was ok

Trainer 73 - 2025 - That was a little better😁

Training Ride 83 - 2025 - To nice not too ☀️😁

Want to see more?

The #1 app for runners and cyclists

Sign Up for Free. Track your progress and reach goals. Join 100 million active people on Strava.

See More from Barry