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Inside the 2006 Tour of EGAT (Energy Generating Authority of Thailand) Bike Race
by Joel Gironella
April 30 - May 3, 2006
4 day stage race, 475 kms Bangkok - Bhumipol Dam A stage race is truly an experience that every aspiring bike racer has to try at least once in his "racing career". It is a 5 to 6 month commitment of training your aerobic and anaerobic zones, of putting yourself close to complete exhaustion and of still pushing those pedals even if it hurts. Having done the same stage race last year, I decided to go back for more. It's like an addiction that you just have to experience one more time. To prepare for this, my program started as early as December 2005 when most of my cyclist friends were either on holiday breaks or have already decided to hang up their cleats till middle of January. I followed a rigid training program, devised from the Cycling Training Bible by Joe "the God" Friel. I have used this program with great success in my previous build to peak sessions and was confident that it will give me the fitness I needed to be competitive. Unfortunately, having a family and a full time job, it didn't all fall into place. Less than half way through, I experienced setbacks in my training program. My work hours became longer while my training hours became shorter. I could not quite put in the quality work outs needed because I was either too tired from work or could only do a shorter ride due to work. Yes, that's the word most hated by cyclists….WORK, WORK, WORK. Worst, I got sick 2 weeks before EGAT and even had to sit out an important POWERBAR race the week before. In all honesty, having come 2nd overall last year, I was not entirely sure how I would fare for this year. But I thought that at the end of the day, it really did'nt matter much because all I really wanted to do was have fun and savor the experience…one more time. Stage 2
150 kms Chainat to Kam Phaeng Phet Although this stage was officially noted as 140kms in the race program, we all somehow registered 150kms in our cyclo computers after the race. Being another flat stage, I thought this would play to my advantage and had high hopes of winning this one. But as my teammate Eric Carandang would say...winning races is 51% ability and 49% luck, this stage proved to be my unlucky day. At km 40, I got a flat from a nail stuck on my brand new Hutchinson tubulars. Fortunately my team car was only a few meters behind and so was able to administer a wheel change in a matter of minutes. I chase the pack and make contact within a few kilometers. The problem was that my spare wheel only had a 12 sprocket which was undergeared for a sprint finish when paired with the 50T chainring I have on my compact cranks. Since I felt good thru out the stage, I tried to attack in the hopes of winning with a small group (I felt I had more chances of winning a sprint against 3-4 guys than in a bunch sprint). But everytime I went, a Rama9/Sawasdee will chase and end my futile attempt. Finally, with a bunch sprint inevitable, I decided to try my luck. At 500 meters to go, I latch on to my teammate (alex billan) who was being led out by his domestique (overall winner ruel gendrano). At 250 meters, I start my sprint and immediately get a gap on the field. I tried dropping the chain down one more time but had no luck; I was already full throttle with my 50x12. Darn, I was willing to forever give up chocolates just to have my 11 sprocket at that moment. Having reached the top rpm I could on my 12, I finally get passed by Tony Harvey of Team Malaysia in the last 20 meters, good enough to win by half a bike length with me ending up in 3rd. I now know how it feels when Mc Ewen blew past pettachi at todays stage (stage 2) of the Giro. Stage 3
95 kms Kam Phaeng Phet to Mae Sot For the mountain climbers and GC riders, this is officially the start of their race, and this stage did not disappoint. My legs still felt quite okay and I even had plans of risking an attack in the hopes of gaining some time and not fall too behind on GC on the climbs. Again, every move I made was checked by a Rama 9 guy. It seems that through out this race I will never have a chance to get away from the peloton. As soon as we made a left at KM 75 near the Burmese border, we hit the major climb of the day. Immediately I was greeted by perhaps the steepest ascent I have seen in a long time. The climbers looked so comfortable and positioned themselves in the front while the sprinters and the heavier guys like me do our sluggish pace at the back. 3 kms into the climb and I was in serious trouble. The ascent was so steep that I could not even spin my 34x25T sitting on the saddle. I had to literally grind it out of the saddle just to move up a few meters of asphalt. You can smell the burnt engines along the way and see cars stalled by the wayside. This climb was no joke and it was definitely deciding the outcome of the race. I finally crest the climb, sweat covered all over my shorts and jersey and go cautious on the downhill. Unlike my teammate, Robin, who hit a top speed of 80kph on the descent, I took my time but still registered a fast 69.5kph on my computer. I finished with a Cannondale and a Rama 9 rider who graciously worked with me in the flatter sections to reduce our lost time. Although this stage was short, it definitely took more out of me than the previous 2 longer flat stages. Stage 4
95 kms Mae Sot to Bhumipol Dam If the climb of stage 3 was Alpe d'Huez, then stage 4 had the Col d'Galibier. I was told that this is the jewel in the crown. The climb up Ban Timu will separate the men from the boys. I was beginning to feel the fatigue on this day. My legs were heavy as I suffered too much from the previous days killer climb. Taking chances was my personal slogan for this year's race and as soon as the stage started, I latched on a break with 4 other guys to gain some time before the climb. I fell back a couple of times in our breakaway group but luckily the friends I have gained in the peloton have helped me to stay with the group even if I could'nt help much for the common cause. Our group was hauling much needed time and by the time we reached the foot of the climb, we already had a comfortable margin of close to 4 minutes…which for me, was only good enough advantage for a few a kilometers as riders immediately passed me one by one in the climb. The first ascent was steep, and I mean really steep. I had serious thoughts of dismounting and walking up this damn hill but common sense would tell me that I would never be able to mount my pedals should I unclip. I labored up that steep hill for 6 kilometers, passing thru some valleys then climbing a few kilometers again. This went for almost 50 kilometers. Upon seeing the last 5 km sign, I breath a sigh of relief with the though that all those months of training and sacrifice will finally end, only to realize that the last 5km is all uphill. Masochist is the word I would describe the person who though of this course : Finally after 3 hours 36 minutes in the saddle, I cross the line, having climbed a total of 1,635 meters. Wow, that was a feat! Riders like me are not made for stages like this and just to finish is an accomplishment in itself. I clean up, have lunch at the awards ceremony and proceed to Bangkok to have a bottle of Cabernet, a Cuban cigar and some great conversations with my great teammates…something I always look forward after a hard fought race, and which makes all these sacrifices so worthwhile. |
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