The Team California / Tête de la Course Cycling juniors are now in Belgium following the Junior Tour of Ireland. I asked Nate Meister to keep a blog about his time in Ireland covering not only the racing itself but also some other observations. Enjoy.
On our second day of riding in Clare County, we set out to ride Stage 1. It is exciting to finally be riding the course and seeing what I am going to be up against. Stage 1 is a shorter stage of only 64 kilometers with a few narrow roads and 1 KOM. Throughout all of our rides, we were lucky enough to have James show us around. During our ride, we took notes of key details on the course such as pinch points and the location of both the KOM finish and the stage finish. After seeing the course I was more nervous as I knew it was going to be fast and a lot of riders would struggle their first time on the narrow roads. After our ride, we made the brief walk into Ennis to visit some shops and stock up on food for the next few days.
For our third ride on my fourth day being in Ireland, we again had the privilege of riding with James who took us on a loop that Irish cyclists in the area use for Thursday night group rides. On this loop, we were able to stop at several churches and castles to learn about some of Ireland’s history. Coming from America where ancient stone structures are few and far between, it’s an interesting sight to see. Lastly, we stopped at a cafe for some post-ride refreshments of coffee and chocolate filled croissants. This ride was nice as it took my mind off the race and let us all enjoy the scenery and some more of the touristy side of Ireland.
On the final day before Stage 1, we loaded up the cars to head to Kilfenora, the finish of Stage 3. From Kilfenora we rode about 10 km’s to get onto the course and from there we followed it along the coast with gorgeous views throughout. Being back on the course felt good and it helped me focus on the task that would come tomorrow, Stage 1. Finally, we went up Castle Hill, which is a short punchy climb close to the finish of Stage 3. After following the course back to Kilfenora, the boys loaded back up in the car and returned to the Treacys Hotel in Ennis. Soon after we made the short walk to DayBreak with James who showed us his goto lunch choice, a chicken cheese roll. To end the day off we spent some time relaxing and stretching as a team, then dinner and to bed early with 6 days of racing to come. As I laid in bed that night, I was still unsure as to how Stage 1 would play out. Although I have done many races over the course of my time as a cyclist, very few have been in fields of over 100 riders, and none have been on roads this narrow.
Waking up on the morning of Stage 1, my nerves were high. Stage 1 started in the evening so we had the whole day to relax and prepare. While this was a good thing and it gave me time to make sure all of my kit and fueling was in order, it was also a bad thing. Having the whole day to sit and prepare gave me a lot of time to get in my head and worry about the race to come. I knew that I needed to focus on doing the best I possibly could and just ride my own race. Although I was in a different country and a new environment, leading up to the race I did my best to stick to my normal pre race routine. Once the race was off, it was quite different from any race I had done before. The sheer amount of people on such narrow roads made the racing very physical. On top of this, I was constantly on the lookout for people crossing wheels and crashes. Throughout the stage, I avoided several crashes and remained calm while I chased back on to the lead group. Once we were on the final straight, the pace picked up and I struggled to get into a good position. I ended up finishing mid pack in the lead group with the same time for the general classification. After the race, I was disappointed with my mid pack finish but I did my best to look at the positives. I was able to avoid 3 crashes and keep all of my skin, always a plus after any race. Also after just a short stage, I learned a ton about racing in a new country and positioning in such a large pack. After the race, we had a team meeting, dinner, and then off to bed to prepare for tomorrow.
For stage 2, the start was in the morning, similar to what I am used to. Going into the stage, I was much less nervous as I knew what to expect and my goals for the day had changed. I wanted to stay with the front group and improve my general classification as I knew I was strong enough, I just needed to work on my positioning. Shortly after the stage started, a large group went off the front and I was not in position to go with it. Throughout the day, I felt much more comfortable on the narrow roads and in the group as a whole. As I was in the peloton, I knew that I needed to make a move towards the breakaway to be able to improve my GC and cut down on the amount of time I would lose. Close to the end of the stage, a chase group went off the front and I was in a position to be able to bridge up to them. I stayed with the chase group for the last 20 kilometers and was able to finish 26th that day and only 2 minutes and 40 seconds back on general classification. Overall, I was happy with my results and the fact that I was confident when I made a move and how it worked out. It’s a bit crazy to me how much experience I have gained and how much more confident I feel after only 2 days of racing, but in the end, that was the reason for this trip and I have been loving it. After the race, we loaded up into cars to make the short trip back to Ennis. Once we were at the hotel, I had a late lunch then off to bed to rest before dinner and Stage 3 in the morning.
On the morning of the 3rd stage, I began my routine as normal with breakfast around 3 hours before the race started, then back to my room to get my gels and kit together. As someone who has never been to Europe before, it is interesting to see all the different foods they offer, and even if they have the same food, how drastically different it can taste. For example, ham or “bacon” as they call it in Ireland is much higher in sodium and has a very different taste compared to in the United States.
Going into Stage 3, I was much less nervous. However, as with any time you step onto a starting line, the anticipation and nerves always creep back. Today was the Queen Stage, both the longest and hilliest of them all, so I knew it was unlikely a break would go until later on in the race. Throughout the majority of the stage, I stayed near the front and focused on conserving energy in the crosswinds by staying on the downwind side of the Peloton. As we neared the end of the stage, I began to struggle to stay with the lead group, but I knew I needed to bear down and stay confident. I managed to stay with the lead group of almost 40 riders as we shot up the steep section of Castle Hill, but a small group of just 5 riders managed to get off the front of that group. For the last 30 kilometers I focused on sitting in and conserving as much energy as I could in order to finish with the group I was with. I ended up 26th for Stage 3 and moved up a few places on the General Classification to 22nd. Overall, I was happy with my race as I finished close to the front and am still in the top 25 for GC. However, I can’t help but be disappointed that I didn’t have the legs to hold on to the front of my group for the sprint. After I got back to the hotel, I had some time to reflect and I realized one of my favorite things about doing a stage race is that no matter how the day before went you get to try again and improve the next day.
With each stage, the environment on the start line became progressively lighter as we now knew each other and the nerves were not as high. That being said, although lighter, pressure still remained, even as the days went on. Personally, every day I wanted to perform better than the days prior. From the start of Stage 4, it was evident that the group was beginning to feel weaker in their legs, from mumbles between teammates of sore legs to the slower pace of this stage. Stage 4 took us west to the stunning coast, then north past the Cliffs of Moher, and finally back to Ennis. On the way to the coast, we had a headwind which forced me to focus on staying out of the wind, a common theme for the day. When we turned north at the coast, the headwind quickly became a strong crosswind causing the peloton to echelon across the narrow roads. I did my best to stay on the downwind side of the pack and close to the front. As we turned back towards Ennis and headed past the Cliffs of Moher, up the only hill of the day, the pace began to pick up. As we crested the hill, I was feeling my legs and knew I needed to stay out of the wind for the last stretch back to Ennis. As the peloton approached, the final teams began fighting for position as the finish was just over 500 meters after the final turn. Coming from Pennsylvania, larger races like this, especially those that end in a bunch sprint, are a new challenge to me. The excitement and feeling of sketchiness as riders spread across the road fighting for wheels is unlike anything I have felt before. I ended up finishing 18th and my general classification remained 22nd place. Overall, I was happy with my finish as I was able to conserve my legs for the days of racing to come and I gained experience in a bunch sprint. Following the race, the team had an easy spin back to the Treacys Hotel and then relaxed and stretched for the rest of the evening.
During my time racing in Ireland so far, I have learned that the steps that go into preparing to compete in a stage race, such as what you eat and how much sleep you get, are just as important, if not more so, than what you do during the race itself.
Waking up on the morning of Stage 5, my legs felt better than they had the previous day. Stage 4 was a shorter and easier day and prepared everyone for the long day ahead with the challenge of Stage 5. With 6 KOMs and 112 kilometers of racing, it was going to be a long day. From the start, the first 30 kilometers of racing were flat and riders were jostling for position before the hills began. One after another, there were two long and shallow hills followed quickly by three shorter, steeper hills. On the hills, it was shocking to see the amount of people that were giving up both physically and mentally. It seemed like people were flying backward as the peloton swarmed around them up the climbs. As we crested the final categorized climb, I breathed a sigh of relief as I was still with the front group. I thought I was done climbing for the day, but boy was I wrong. As we headed into the last 15 kilometers of the race, we were met by narrow rolling roads with sharp turns and steep climbs. This made it more critical than ever to stay near the front, as I wanted to avoid the rubber band effect of the pack. As we came out of the woods and now had the town of Gort and the finish line in sight, I knew it was going to be another bunch sprint. Rounding the final left-hander, I knew I wanted to be on the outside to set myself up for the gradual right turn into the finish line. As I came out of the right turn, the finish line was just 200 meters away and everyone began to sprint. I got out of my saddle and began to sprint, but my legs weren’t there and I was unable to hold the wheel I was on. I ended up finishing 19th and although my general classification improved from 22nd to 21st, I was a bit disappointed with myself. I felt conflicted as 19th was still a good placing, but I had set my sights higher than that. Every day I competed in Ireland, I aimed to improve from the days prior. Again, I knew I would have one last chance during Stage 6 to see the results I had hoped for. As this stage finished in Gort, we changed and piled into cars for the short drive back to Ennis. At the hotel, I made sure to stick to my routine and get to bed early knowing that the morning of Stage 6 would come fast.
Waking up on the morning of the 6th stage was a bit surreal. It felt like just a few short days ago I arrived in Ennis and was pre-riding this course. As the start neared, I found myself a bit disheartened that the race would soon be over. Like any other race, I made sure I was ready both physically with all of my equipment and mentally with a plan for the race. Off the start, the race was very fast for the first 20 kilometers out and back until we arrived at the start of the Ennis Circuit. Coming into the circuit, we made a sharp right and then a kilometer later a left turn and up the hill. As soon as the race turned up the hill, a group of five riders went off the front. I had not been able to move up enough between the two turns to go with them. This was discouraging as my plan for the day was to attempt to make it into a breakaway to improve my general classification. I knew I had to keep at it and not let this moment determine the outcome of my race. As we went around the circuit, it became clear that neither of the large teams would attempt to chase the breakaway, as they both had teammates in it. This meant that the pace was erratic as smaller teams attacked, attempting to bridge to the breakaway. I sat around the 25th wheel because I did not want to waste my energy chasing the countless attacks. While this allowed me to conserve energy, I also missed the few singles and pairs of riders that did make it up to the breakaway. As we were coming into the final 3 kilometers of the race, I chose to follow a strong wheel that had done well in the bunch sprints in the previous day. As we rounded the outside of the final turn, we gained several positions and began the short climb to the finish line. Unlike previous days, the uphill finish kept the speed a bit slower and gave me more time to better position myself. In the end, I finished 8th in the bunch I was in and 24th for the day. My position in general classification stayed at 21st. At the end of the day, I improved my placing in a bunch sprint and was very close to being in the top 20 for GC. I was sad that the racing was over but at the same time, I felt relieved. I still had all of my skin and was pleased with the results of my first time racing in Europe. As we spun back to the hotel for the last time, everyone was joking around and happy. That evening we headed out to dinner as a team and spent some time in Ennis. Over the next two days, bikes would be packed and many of us would be off to Belgium for the next block of racing.
The next morning, for the first time in 6 days, we were able to sleep in and relax in the morning. As I went down to the ballroom to begin packing my bike, it was amazing how many teams had already left. Just under 24 hours ago, the ballroom was filled with bikes stacked everywhere, now only a few teams remained. After packing my bike, I headed to the presentation banquet where we had lunch, and the top individuals and teams were congratulated on placing. The next morning, we loaded our bikes into the van which James would use to transport them to our hotel in Dublin. We then made the short walk into Ennis to catch a bus to the hotel in Dublin where we would meet James later that day. After we were settled into the hotel, we caught another bus into downtown Dublin. There we finally had some time to see the sights as opposed to flying past them as we were racing. We headed back to the hotel pretty early as we had a very early flight to Brussels the next morning. I was glad I got to see some of the sights of Ireland and spend the evening as a tourist and not a cyclist, however, I was even more excited that I still had three weeks of racing ahead of me in Belgium.
