Follow Mark's training and racing on Strava.
The Lion roars once again! After a couple of difficult weeks and major disappointments our man is back in the saddle. Can Macca bounce back from the early season set-backs? Don't bet against it...
Well it's been a while. As I'm writing this I'm laid on my bed in a Hotel in Overisje the night before my next race, which is a prelude to the Ardennes Classics: the Brabantse Pijl. It's a punchy 200km jaunt - up, down and round and round some of the finest cycling roads the province of Brabant has to offer.
The last few weeks have been at times a bit rough. I missed the cut for Flanders and Roubaix and instead took part in some smaller races, where the atmosphere somehow wasn't quite the same...as this shot of the crowd from the start of a stage of Circuit Cycliste Sarthe adequately demonstrates...
(c) velo-club.net
Missing out on the Monuments got me down for a while. Eventually I went for a stroll around the town which I now call home, to clear my head and get my mind straight for the next block of racing.
However, after watching Roubaix from a more comfortable seat than I had hoped, I got my mojo back. Sat there watching the race unfold I was torn between who to support; national pride (Ian Stannard) or childhood hero (Tom Boonen). In the end neither came out on top, instead the winner was the wise old man if the race - Matthew Hayman.
After watching the behind the scenes video and listening to what Hayman had to say about the race - the fact you always need to keep riding because in a bike race anything can happen - I had a mini epiphany. Even though I'm no longer a 'spring chicken', and I am still yet to make my Roubaix debut, according to this years winner I still have 11 more years to try.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that in cycling, just as in all other walks of life, there are setbacks, disappointments and hiccups. But no matter what happens, you got to keep the faith and keep plugging away. You just never know when the stars will align and you'll get your chance.
So after a week of sulking from race to race and feeling sorry for myself, I'm determined to keep on plugging away. I know when my chance comes I'll take it. Whether or not that is tomorrow, we'll just have to wait and see...
Also in Blog
Known Unknowns: Part 2
Racing during a pandemic has proved to be a very strange time for cycling. The 2020 season was affected in ways unseen since the two world wars. Shane Stokes looks at the prospects for the current year, which once again sees Covid-19 having a negative effect on the sporting calendar.
Most Liveable Place: Part 5 - Ghent
In part 5 of our Most 'Liveable Place blog', Alex Nurse takes a look at Ghent, which we visited just before lockdown at the end of February 2020 to see the result of their "Circulatieplan'.