Keir Plaice Checks In From Belgium

Keir Plaice is currently living in Tielt-Winge, Belgium as part of the U23 Spring Canadian National Team project. Other team members include: Antoine Duchesne, Michael Joanisse, Owen Harrison, Spencer Smitheman, and Jamie Riggs.

Plaice, sent us this race report from the team’s recent kermesse in Vilvoorde.

Yesterday we raced a big kermesses in the town of Vilvoorde. Sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-twenties gave a summery feel to the day and added to the festival atmosphere around the event. As usual the race was central to a larger fair being held in the city and there were plenty of meri-making people paying witness to our spectacle. We did 22 laps of a 6.5 km city circuit with a few corners but no major obstacles. The kermesse are chaotic and rarely controlled making for some very fast racing yesterday without anything on the course to really force a selection. The attacks came thick and fast and never let up all day, it truly was 143 km at full gas.

The team raced at the front all day, consistently covering any dangerous moves. With 40 km to go however, we missed the key attack and 15 riders or so went clear. Amongst all of the immediate counterattacking we weren’t organized enough to shut the gap down but did put Mike and Antoine into a second chase. Mike stayed the haul with this group, while the rest of us rolled in with a sprinting peloton. Not a perfect day, but certainly some speed in the legs with the race finishing in a hair over 3 hours.