E3 Prijs Vlaanderen

Who's Got It????

Today's semi-Classic was the last one day hit out before the year's biggest one day race next week, Tour of Flanders. It was a time to see who is going well and who to look out for next week.

Unfortunately, I never got to the front of the race all day to see who was going well. I spent all day swinging off and on the back of the peloton, eventually getting dropped with 35km to go on the Oude Kwaremont - the Classic climb in all the Belgium races that always gets the better of me.

It was a pretty disappointing day for me. I really wanted to try and finish the race well as it would have given me the confidence that I badly need to go into next week with a positive attitude. As it is now, I?m very doubtful that I?ll find the form in the coming days, before I head back up here next weekend. I guess when you think about it, things haven?t been that smooth and I can't really expect too much. You just always hope that it will happen.

I wasn't really bad today. I?m just not at the level that I need to be at for this time of year. I think that the team is pretty disappointed because they expected me to be competitive at this time of year. What can you do though? I?ve tried my best and that?s all I can do. There have just been too many disruptions to my spring build-up which have been out of my control. It just makes me wonder what I have to do to be good in the Classics. For my entire pro-career, I have wanted to be good here but things have always gone pear-shaped at the most critical time which has stopped me from being at my peak. It?s really bizarre. Sometimes I wonder if this time of year in the season just isn?t for me.

I?m not sure if I?m not capable of riding well here or whether it?s because I just never get it right. I?m beginning to believe more and more that I?m just not capable of doing well here. I?ve tried every year but have never made a result here. It even makes me question my capacity as a pro. I don't know. Maybe it?s a mental block that stops me from shining here?.

As a consolation prize, I did get to enjoy some champagne and cake tonight. We celebrated Michael?s birthday, one of our massage therapists. Also got to sing ?Happy Birthday? in French ? well, hum it. It?s always good that the tune is the same in all languages so on these occasions you can join in with a hum. Nice.

Julian Dean,
Team Credit Agricole