DYLAN TEUNS
BMC
It’s great to be back racing again after the winter lay-off. I split my winter between Belgium and Spain. I didn’t really have setbacks, illness or injurywise, so that meant I could keep training as I wanted through December and January. I usually ease myself into the winter with some mountain biking and the odd road ride at home in Belgium in November. Then, in December the team training camps start ramping up, so I spent plenty of time in Spain too – probably more there in December and January than at home. Also I think being a year older, and a year more experienced has made me stronger. I certainly feel stronger than I did this time last year.
Now, after a few days at the Dubai Tour, I feel that I’m where I need to be. It’s a mixture of nerves and eagerness to start racing again. After the routine of training, when you feel good all the time you want to see what your level is in the races. I can never go as deep for as long in training as I can when pinning on a number.
Dubai is not really the best race for me – it’s too flat –but actually it’s quite fun because you’re assured good weather and that make it easier to stay healthy. Plus you get a lot of speed in the legs, which you’re missing after a long time without racing.
Luckily I finished the Hatta Dam stage, the hardest of the race, in the front group, so I can be happy with that. The climb doesn’t really suit me that well though. It’s very fast and a bit too short for me, so there were way too many sprinters left at the end. Still, it was good to see roughly where I am and hopefully I can take that and build on it at the Volta ao Algarve and Paris-Nice, as I head towards my big goals in the hilly Classics.
At the Algarve I’m going to race alongside Simon Gerrans, who has joined BMC Racing this year. He has a lot of experience in the races I love and I’ve still got some things to learn. I think it’s his goal to give his experience to younger riders like me. I’ll definitely be listening to what he has to say.