David Maher told me he was doing the full distance of the Ronde with Orwell Ivan Daly and I thought to myself it was about time I stepped up to the full distance. I got the 6am train on Saturday morning which was full of Brits with bikes from Ghent to Brugge and made my way into the tourist town of Brugge looking for their bed and breakfast. With no luck finding their street, I went to the finish and sheltered in a shop entrance watching riders arrive and roll out until I sighted a St. Tiernan’s Cycling Club jersey and approached him.

It was a huge relief when he said he was staying with David and that they were on their way. David and Ivan arrived shortly after along with Bray Wheelers Eddie and Colm. We rolled out into the brisk Flemish lands.

Ivan, Eugene, Brian (St. Tiernans), Colm (Bray), Eddie (Bray) and David Maher (photograph with thanks to David Maher)

There was so many people riding it, there was one continuous line of riders. Yet David often pushed the pace and went to the front of the groups. We crossed lands, villages, junctions and had bottlenecks through the scenic towns as we made our way. There was a driver getting out and shouting his head off at two riders on the ground at his van at a roundabout and another rider hit the deck at another town but we were well versed in group cycling after the winter spins with the club and got through fine. Although Ivan’s squeaking brakes scared the life out of me a few times.

Le plats pays (photograph with thanks to David Maher)

Early on, we spotted a few St Tiernans boys cycling the opposite way and I think that was when our St Tiernans rider left us. David, Ivan and I didn't stop at the first feed stop and that was when we lost the Bray Banter. The three of us hovered around together with David taking the initiative to jump up to a group a head, shouting "Op, op, op" as he flew past to get in his wheel. There was one ambitious attempt to bridge to a particularly fast group. We tried in vain to bring the Orwell group to it but the elastic broke over a bridge with a bit of wind. The effort brought us clear of the groups behind and for some time we were all alone.

Ivan and Eugene at a feedstop

After the first 100km my fingers started to feel better, they oozed with pain initially but by the time we crossed over the familiar Schelde river, they were back to normal. The ‘heuvelzone’ was ahead of us now. The beauty of the Ronde van Vlaanderen is experiencing the flat Flemish countryside and those punishing short sharp bursts up the Flemish Ardennes.

On the Molenberg, I climbed in the thick of a group and I needed to be patient. I didn’t want to get boxed in again like that though. On the Paddestraat I felt great. Passing riders on the cobbles I still took the reprieve when I had the chance on the narrow concrete paving to the right hand side. We next had the paved climb Berendries followed by Valkenberg and Eikenberg. At the feed zone the three of us joked about and enjoyed the day. The Koppenberg loomed ahead of us but as far as I reasoned it would be a lottery to get up it without putting the foot down with the crowds.

I always feel in the shadow of the Koppenberg when I'm on that side of Oudenaarde whenever I am there. The first time I climbed it was in 2009. I was quite run down after being sick; I was probably my lowest weight for years (57kg) and the cumulative effect of the cobbles were really bad for my immune system. On that very day, Philip Deignan won a stage in the Vuelta a Espana so I thought of it as a good day overall. The hill, despite being small and in the distance, still imposes itself on me. Much like the darkening colour of the trees around Arenberg. So here in 2016 Ronde van Vlaanderen, before I knew it we turned left with the road stretching upwards, and I was going to climb it on my fourth Ronde.

I choose the left, seeing any moment or fluttering movement in those ahead as weakness that could impact my passage. I shouted my head off when I saw a rider remount in my way. Eventually I got to the top and felt the relief of making it up. David and Ivan were not further back, briefly impacted by riders. We descended to the main road. Some eager lads overtook and entered the Mariaborrestraat ahead of me, getting in my way as they slowed on the cobbles and I wanted to take off. The Steenbeekdries followed and the descent into the town where the three Orwell regrouped again. I was thoroughly enjoying it at this stage and particularly the company. It was Ivan's first experience of cobbles but he got on well, enjoying the hills over the flatter sections. I myself was enjoying the flatter sections more, but that could be a completely different story next week in Roubaix.

Eugene and David climbing the Paterberg

David started "opening up the lungs" with a few efforts where I was just happy to be able to hold his wheel. That was on climbs like the Kruisberg and the Karnemelkbeekstraat. His form coming out of the Gorey Three Day could be seen. We entered the Oude Kwaremont together and I climbed with David. Holding his wheel on the flatter section by Kwaremontplain. The run in to the Paterberg is exciting because you know every corner, the switch from one road to another, all from TV. David overtook loads of riders on the bends here and I had to bridge up to him. On the final bends I changed gear and curled to the abrupt right hand turn onto the Paterberg where David was being held up by a pair of Brits who were stopped still at the incline. I was able to keep my momentum and continue up the left hand side. The climb started taking something out of me and then that straight stretch that is steep presented itself. I chipped away at it, afraid of the people around me more than anything else. One rider darted across in front and annoyed me just at the end of the steep section. The three of us descended and David stretched his legs again.

I was having a great banter with Ivan on a cycle lane when Ivan pointed out that David was taking off again. I crossed the stones from the cycle lane to the road and started overtaking groups to keep him in my view. Behind Ivan was impeded from taking the same line due to the sheer numbers of riders now eagerly rolling toward the finish. David was pulling away further. I knew we would cross the Schelde river and then there was a run in of about six kilometres into Oudenaarde. I put in an effort to reduce the gap before he swung onto the bridge. Over the bridge it looked like I was no longer making progress but on the other side, approaching a roundabout David literally sat up and I managed to catch him. On the road that leads to Oudenaarde, David re-engaged the Gorey form and I clamped on to his wheel. He overtook a huge group of strong enough looking riders.

I was stuck on his wheel and a huge line of riders strung out behind me. When I mentioned that Ivan was boxed in and couldn’t follow initially, David eased up. The group all overtook us but only a minute later we were overtaken by Ivan’s group. David put in a sprint to get back to them and the three Scott-Orwell Wheelers rode to the finish. David keeping the pace high on the finishing straight to the finish.

Ya it was a great buzz and I hope to be back next year, ideally with the guys again!

Ivan, David and Eugene at the finish