How Bloch bounced back after early season blow
Bloch earned his best placing so far in a European U23 tour race, coming third in a one-day Summer Challenge Series race in Torrent, “which got me feeling super motivated”.
This time last year, 2023 Maccabi NSW Junior Sportsman of the Year, Brayden Bloch, returned home wide-eyed and satisfied from completing his first U23 men’s European road cycling season with Spanish club Equipo Oleka.
A fortnight ago, the 20-year-old Moriah graduate returned home with similar feelings, but for different reasons after finishing his second season in Europe, for another Spanish club, Brocar-Ale.
In February, just a week after arriving at the team’s base in Alacante, near Valencia, Bloch was diagnosed with glandular fever.
Shattered, he returned home to recover for two months and then focused on strength and fitness training upon rejoining the team.
“At that point I was feeling back to where I used to be, physically, and I competed in a 3-stage tour in Portugal, only to then test positive to COVID,” he told The AJN last Friday.
It took three weeks after that to overcome fatigue, but Bloch never gave up hope of still achieving something in the last two months of the season – and he did.
Bloch earned his best placing so far in a European U23 tour race, coming third in a one-day Summer Challenge Series race in Torrent, “which got me feeling super motivated”.
Then, in the Vuelta Salamanca on September 9, Bloch came sixth in the 134km long stage two, and third in a final bunch sprint having kept pace with the lead group in several category 3 climbs.
“I was very happy to finish well, and the club has been great in providing me with what I needed.” he said.
“My teammates are really nice, and the manager said to them before the last race, that everyone would work for me that day – which was very special.”
Bloch has a three-week rest before competing in the Tour of Bright in December and the road cycling nationals in Perth in January.
He has the opportunity to stay with Brocar-Ale in 2025, but in any case plans to head to Europe again in February.
“In every race I do, I learn new things, whether it be about positioning, when to be in the bunch or lead group, or which guys to follow – and that’s helped me.
“Compared to last year, just knowing that I’m capable of top five results, and striving for them, has made a real difference.”.
comments