Kaden Hopkins Ready For Top French Race
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Bermuda cyclist Kaden Hopkins is fit and raring to go for the Circuit des Ardennes – the biggest race of his season – and believes he can excel in several stages.
Hopkins suffered a crash during the Boucle de l’Artois in France last week but said he has no injury issues heading into the four-stage race, which starts today [April 4] with a 165.1-kilometre ride from Juniville to Asfed.
He knows a strong showing at the Circuit des Ardennes, 2.2 race on the UCI Europe Tour, will garner plenty of interest.
“This race is held in high regard, so achieving a good result will get plenty of attention,” said Hopkins, who races for Vendée U, a French development team for TeamEnergies.
“Some stages suit my profile quite well, so I hope to do well. I feel I’m at a good level to do that.
“I want to race calmly and make good decisions. If I do that, I believe I have the level to do well at some stages.”
The 24-year-old said he has fully recovered from a “sore back and neck” following his crash and believes he has peaked at the right time for the Circuit des Ardennes.
“I’ve had several days to get over it,” Hopkins said. “I’ve done mobility work and had massages and felt good on my ride [on Tuesday].
“My crash from last weekend won’t affect me at all.”
Hopkins raced his first Circuit des Ardennes last year and believes he learned several vital lessons he expects to call upon over the next four days.
“I raced last year, and it was a hard race,” he said. “I expect this year to be as hard if not harder.
“I had a hard crash on the second stage, which wasn’t great for the rest of the race, but the first stage was quite good, and the final stage.
“I didn’t know what to expect last year, and although the courses are different every year, the race takes place in the same area, and I’m just hoping for no issues with crashes.
“You want to make your efforts count in this race and save as much energy for when it gets tough.”
With several encouraging displays under his belt this season, Hopkins is optimistic about what he can achieve this campaign.
“The season has started well, and I was consistent in my first four or five races,” he added.
“Unfortunately, I got sick a few weeks ago, which hit me hard. I returned to Spain to get over it to make sure I ready for this race.
“I feel I’m at a higher level than at the start of the season.”
