jacobsraceblog

Ster Van Zuid Limburg (UCI 2.1) 🇧🇪

This was my first UCI race of the season, and I was buzzing to finally get things started on an international level. The competition blew me away straight away. On paper, the rolling terrain in Limburg, Belgium really suited me — but the number one piece of advice I’d been given about racing at this level stuck in my head: stay near the front if you want to avoid trouble.

Stage 1 was epic. I found myself right up at the sharp end in the closing kilometres and somehow pulled off 17th. A result I was more than happy with for a debut.

Stage 2 was a different story — narrower lanes, technical corners, endless road furniture. Positioning was everything, and my inexperience showed when I drifted back in the final kilometre, crossing the line 26th.

Stage 3 brought the time trial. I quickly realised junior TTs are a bit of an equipment arms race, but I still gave it everything and landed somewhere in the top two-thirds. Not the flashiest result, but it was a solid effort.

I went into Stage 4 fired up, hoping to get back to the feeling of Stage 1. But just 10 km in, disaster struck — a nasty crash sent me into a house, snapped my bike, and left me in hospital. That was the end of my race. I was gutted not to finish my first UCI, but if anything, it lit an even bigger fire for the next ones.

Côte D'or Classic (UCI 2.1) 🇫🇷

This was a race I’d been looking forward to for a while. Back when I lived in Jersey, every summer we’d head over to France to race, so it felt a bit like coming full circle.

Stage 1 — wow, this was tough! Every climb was flat out, and the peloton shrank quickly as riders were shelled off the back. With 20 km to go, a break slipped away with my teammate in it, so I could ease up and focus on the bunch sprint. Things didn’t quite go to plan — I had a bump with another rider and clipped the pavement — but I still rolled in 20th. Not exactly what I wanted, but nothing to be upset about either.

Stage 2 was the team time trial. Straight into a climb, then a fast descent. We only needed three riders to finish, and one of our guys on a road bike smashed the climb to set us up perfectly. For a team with no practice together, we gelled surprisingly well and came away 14th out of 29. We were happy with that one.

Stage 3 had the most climbing of the weekend — and we felt every metre of it. The finishing circuit, tackled three times, was brutal. By the last lap it was just me and a teammate left in the front group. He gave me a great lead-out, and although I launched a little too early, I still bagged another top 20.

Acht Van Bladel (UCI 2.1) 🇳🇱

The Acht Van Bladel was a weird one. Pan-flat doesn’t even cover it — 120 km with just 4 metres of elevation! It made for super-fast racing, usually ending in a sprint from a breakaway or a huge bunch. I came away a bit disappointed, but it reminded me the potential’s there — sometimes it’s just about rolling the dice.

Stage 1 felt like a kermesse, with constant corner-sprinting and chaos everywhere. The first half was riddled with crashes (thankfully I stayed clear), and after 100+ km of hectic racing, I rolled in safely with the bunch.

Stage 2 was… honestly, a bit dull. The Netherlands roads all start to look the same after a while . I tried hard to make a breakaway stick, but nothing went, so again, bunch finish.

By Stage 3 I decided it was all or nothing. I sat tight, waited, then hit the gas when the bunch slowed on a cobbled sector. I carried my speed up the left, opened a gap, and three others came with me. We clicked instantly, working together as the kilometres ticked down. From 40 km out we held strong, and with 5 km to go we still had 40 seconds. Agonisingly, the bunch caught us with just 2 km left. No result on paper, but I was buzzing with how I raced.

Stage 4 was the time trial. The course was fast, with a technical cobbled town section. I gave it everything I had — but after the morning’s efforts, the tank was well and truly empty.

Watersley Junior Challenge (UCI 2.1) 🇳🇱

This race was just across the border in the Netherlands, not far from Ster Van Limburg. When my team manager reminded me of some unfinished business here, I knew I couldn’t say no.

Stage 1 kicked off with a time trial. I stuck with my road bike for a various reasons. The course started with a mellow climb before flattening out, then hit one last kicker to the line. I emptied the tank and managed a solid average power. Top half of the field — not spectacular, but honestly something I was proud of given the setup.

Stage 2 was three laps of a long circuit, each finishing with a brutal little climb. The pace was hot from the start, but with about 40 km to go I suddenly felt the best I’ve ever felt on a bike. So, I had to do something! A break was already up the road, so I picked my moment, went all-in, and somehow bridged across solo. Once I got there, a few weren’t really pulling their weight, so we ramped it up on the next climb and spat them out the back. We held it all the way to the finish, and I grabbed my first UCI top 10 (8th!) and the Youth jersey.

Starting the next day actually wearing a jersey? Honestly, nothing beats that feeling. Stage 3 rolled around and I had my little notes on who to watch so I could defend it. But with 10 km to go… disaster. I went to shift my front derailleur and realised the battery had died. Rookie error. As my coach said, I’ll never forget to charge it again! I still came away 11th on GC and 2nd in the Youth — not quite the fairytale ending, but still something to smile about.

La Ronde Des Vallées (UCI 2.1) 🇫🇷

My final UCI race of the season, and it was a scorcher! After an agonising drive from Calais, we were rewarded with some amazing accommodation on the edge of a lake. Honestly, this one was up there for fun off the bike too.

Stage 1 had a plan. The twisty roads of Brittany suited a breakaway, and an early move from a teammate set the tone. Around 40 km in, they were brought back and it was my turn to counter. For about 20 km, it was just me and another rider working together, building over a minute on the bunch. Then two more joined us, helping keep the gap alive. Eventually, we were caught on the finishing circuits. I’d had my TV time and taken some pressure off the team — job done! The heat and effort caught up with me though, and I cramped, finishing just over a minute down on the lead group.

Stage 2 was the time trial. A climb right from the start, then a long rolling section, finishing with a descent. I loved it — another one done on my road bike — and probably one of my favourite TTs of the season.

Stage 3 mirrored Stage 1 in toughness. The main split came on a 3 km climb halfway through, and luckily I made it into the front group of about 40. From there, the rest of the riders just kept getting dropped. After 1,500+ metres of climbing, I managed to cling on and take 14th. Brutal, but felt great to finish strong.