4th Cat
Yesterday's Race
All through last week the only thing I could think about was racing at the weekend.
My 5th place from the previous week had left me thinking and realising that I was capable of doing really well, and despite needing only 2 more points all my thoughts were of nothing less than the win. I knew I had it in me, and I knew it was all about my position on the last couple of bends - the whole week led up to making sure I was in the top 5 or 6 places coming into the final stretch...
So, much like last week the first 30 mins were pretty quiet, not a lot going on - the odd failed breakaway attempt but nothing that looked threatening. The 3rd Cat race passed us at about 28 mins gone, and we had to ease up to get a decent gap, or we'd have risked the issue of the first race of the series where our race finished in the back of theirs and a lot of sprints were ruined. Once the 3rds had got a decent gap a fellow Dynamo went on the pounce and got a decent gap.
At the 5-lap board, he was still away and it was looking like it might stay that way - as he was a 'Mo and I only needed 2 points I was fairly happy with that so just resolved to do my best to bag 2nd. As it was we eventually reeled him in (and man did he look tired!), but only with 2 laps to go if I remember rightly.
And then that noise again! Doesn't matter whether it's aluminium or carbon, it makes you cringe - a few unfortunates were caught up in another crash, but thankfully I was in front of it and safe from harm. The pictures show a rather unpleasantly shaped (and far from cheap) Fulcrum Racing Zero wheel and a badly scraped knee was being tended to by one of the organisers (again, we cannot thank you enough), but that is all I know of from the aftermath. I hope everyone involved is ok.
And so to the final lap.
I was turning myself inside out to stay near the front - part of the issue being that in order to stay in contention I was having to ride in the wind. I had no shelter, and it was really beginning to do me no favours! Thankfully at the top of the circuit I was able to take enough of a breather to get a bit of energy back and rest my legs for a valuable few seconds. If it weren't for that (and the energy gel I gulped down on 30 mins) I might not have finished quite so well...
The final stretch - I had rounded the last corner well in 3rd or 4th spot and much like last week was driving up the left side of the climb. I don't know where I started my sprint, but I do know that this week I went too early. Maybe last week was perfectly timed after all. The good news is I held my place and held my nerve, even when the guy next to me as we went through the kink was making sure in no uncertain terms that he wanted me to stay put and not cut across him! I did the same last week though, can't blame him for telling me not to cut him up.
Me 3rd from right - is that 3rd or 4th?! Thanks to Gavin Morton for the pic
1st and 2nd (who happened to be my good mate Mike) were out of reach. Would they have still been out of reach if I'd timed my sprint right? Who knows. Who knows also what might have been had I not had far too much to drink the night before, but that's my own stupid fault! As it was, results are yet to be confirmed but I think I got 4th. Would have liked to have ended my stint in 4th Cat with at least a top three finish, but I should just be glad that I got the points I needed and am now (along with Mike who in getting 2nd claimed the 8 points he needed) a 3rd Cat.
It felt good handing back that yellow number at the end of the race...
My 5th place from the previous week had left me thinking and realising that I was capable of doing really well, and despite needing only 2 more points all my thoughts were of nothing less than the win. I knew I had it in me, and I knew it was all about my position on the last couple of bends - the whole week led up to making sure I was in the top 5 or 6 places coming into the final stretch...
So, much like last week the first 30 mins were pretty quiet, not a lot going on - the odd failed breakaway attempt but nothing that looked threatening. The 3rd Cat race passed us at about 28 mins gone, and we had to ease up to get a decent gap, or we'd have risked the issue of the first race of the series where our race finished in the back of theirs and a lot of sprints were ruined. Once the 3rds had got a decent gap a fellow Dynamo went on the pounce and got a decent gap.
At the 5-lap board, he was still away and it was looking like it might stay that way - as he was a 'Mo and I only needed 2 points I was fairly happy with that so just resolved to do my best to bag 2nd. As it was we eventually reeled him in (and man did he look tired!), but only with 2 laps to go if I remember rightly.
And then that noise again! Doesn't matter whether it's aluminium or carbon, it makes you cringe - a few unfortunates were caught up in another crash, but thankfully I was in front of it and safe from harm. The pictures show a rather unpleasantly shaped (and far from cheap) Fulcrum Racing Zero wheel and a badly scraped knee was being tended to by one of the organisers (again, we cannot thank you enough), but that is all I know of from the aftermath. I hope everyone involved is ok.
And so to the final lap.
I was turning myself inside out to stay near the front - part of the issue being that in order to stay in contention I was having to ride in the wind. I had no shelter, and it was really beginning to do me no favours! Thankfully at the top of the circuit I was able to take enough of a breather to get a bit of energy back and rest my legs for a valuable few seconds. If it weren't for that (and the energy gel I gulped down on 30 mins) I might not have finished quite so well...
The final stretch - I had rounded the last corner well in 3rd or 4th spot and much like last week was driving up the left side of the climb. I don't know where I started my sprint, but I do know that this week I went too early. Maybe last week was perfectly timed after all. The good news is I held my place and held my nerve, even when the guy next to me as we went through the kink was making sure in no uncertain terms that he wanted me to stay put and not cut across him! I did the same last week though, can't blame him for telling me not to cut him up.
Me 3rd from right - is that 3rd or 4th?! Thanks to Gavin Morton for the pic
1st and 2nd (who happened to be my good mate Mike) were out of reach. Would they have still been out of reach if I'd timed my sprint right? Who knows. Who knows also what might have been had I not had far too much to drink the night before, but that's my own stupid fault! As it was, results are yet to be confirmed but I think I got 4th. Would have liked to have ended my stint in 4th Cat with at least a top three finish, but I should just be glad that I got the points I needed and am now (along with Mike who in getting 2nd claimed the 8 points he needed) a 3rd Cat.
It felt good handing back that yellow number at the end of the race...
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Yesterday's Race
As I sit typing this I am propped up in bed, thankfully for reasons of pure laziness rather than anything more serious. That said, in yesterday's race it was a close call as some guy just behind me was a little less fortunate, tangled with someone else and started heading towards the black-top - as he did so he clipped my back wheel. Any bigger contact and I'd have gone down with him, and then I might be propped up in bed for a very different reason.
Today I was also supposed to be riding the 'Hell of the Ashdown' sportive in and around the Kent countryside - fears over the conditions and ice that might be present put paid to my lift out to the start. I only mention this as riding that today was my driver to determine my race strategy yesterday as I wanted to remain fresh enough to get through the Hell in a decent (preferably Gold standard) time. This meant for almost all of the race yesterday I sat in and did nothing. A rarity for me as I usually do a fair amount on the front, and occasionally find myself having a pop at a (usually unsuccessful) break.
On that basis, for the first 30mins of the race there is basically nothing at all to report. The last 10 minutes or so were a little more interesting...
At 30 mins gone I decided it was time to work my way towards the front of the field - that 3-lap board always appears sooner than you think and if you're not near the front you're sure to panic and do yourself no favours. It was at about this time that a break got away, and in a very short space of time they'd amounted a decent gap. A couple of laps later and I could sense that it was looking like quite a decisive break and I was beginning to think I was watching my much-needed points ride off into the distance.
Time to switch on.
A few others clearly had the same thought as there was a concerted (and very well controlled) effort from the front of the field to reel them back in. About 8 of us were actually working quite well on the front, and in doing so had strung the field out quite nicely behind.
3-lap board. We were now catching the break and pulling them back in quite easily, but as we went up the hill heading towards the end of the lap there was a bit of shouting over my left shoulder - I didn't see what happened but my wheel got clipped and some rather unpleasant noises ensued. Not good.
At the end of the penultimate lap we had caught the break, but the work to do so had taken it's toll and I had to sit in and recover as much as possible for the two-thirds of the lap that were available to me prior to winding it up for my sprint. Down the back straight I had a mate in front who had also worked to pull the break back. I was shouting at him to keep his place and push on - we were both in a good position on the final two bends.
And then the final corner, all hell breaks loose...
Racing through my mind are thoughts of my current position: "I'm guaranteed a top ten placing here... don't wind it up for the sprint too early... but don't go too late... damn, those guys at the front might just be out of reach... I'm penned in, what can I do?!".
Today I was also supposed to be riding the 'Hell of the Ashdown' sportive in and around the Kent countryside - fears over the conditions and ice that might be present put paid to my lift out to the start. I only mention this as riding that today was my driver to determine my race strategy yesterday as I wanted to remain fresh enough to get through the Hell in a decent (preferably Gold standard) time. This meant for almost all of the race yesterday I sat in and did nothing. A rarity for me as I usually do a fair amount on the front, and occasionally find myself having a pop at a (usually unsuccessful) break.
On that basis, for the first 30mins of the race there is basically nothing at all to report. The last 10 minutes or so were a little more interesting...
At 30 mins gone I decided it was time to work my way towards the front of the field - that 3-lap board always appears sooner than you think and if you're not near the front you're sure to panic and do yourself no favours. It was at about this time that a break got away, and in a very short space of time they'd amounted a decent gap. A couple of laps later and I could sense that it was looking like quite a decisive break and I was beginning to think I was watching my much-needed points ride off into the distance.
Time to switch on.
A few others clearly had the same thought as there was a concerted (and very well controlled) effort from the front of the field to reel them back in. About 8 of us were actually working quite well on the front, and in doing so had strung the field out quite nicely behind.
3-lap board. We were now catching the break and pulling them back in quite easily, but as we went up the hill heading towards the end of the lap there was a bit of shouting over my left shoulder - I didn't see what happened but my wheel got clipped and some rather unpleasant noises ensued. Not good.
At the end of the penultimate lap we had caught the break, but the work to do so had taken it's toll and I had to sit in and recover as much as possible for the two-thirds of the lap that were available to me prior to winding it up for my sprint. Down the back straight I had a mate in front who had also worked to pull the break back. I was shouting at him to keep his place and push on - we were both in a good position on the final two bends.
And then the final corner, all hell breaks loose...
Racing through my mind are thoughts of my current position: "I'm guaranteed a top ten placing here... don't wind it up for the sprint too early... but don't go too late... damn, those guys at the front might just be out of reach... I'm penned in, what can I do?!".
Pic copyright of British Cycling - that's me second from the left (bizarrely everyone else is sprinting seated!)
We were driving up the left side of the climb when a gap opened up going through the kink. I crossed the track to the right side, shouted at a couple of others not to move off their line and promptly turned myself inside out trying to catch the top four.
I think I bagged fifth place but at the time of writing the Imperial website is yet to be updated, and I was too out of breath to speak to the guys in race control! I'll confirm back as soon as I know more...
Lucy Collins and the guys who run this Hillingdon series cannot get enough praise for their efforts and I'm sure I speak for everyone who has, does and will race here when I say a whole-hearted thank you to them for putting this on every week. It really is a fantastic introduction to racing for us lowly 4th Cats, and is a great early season warm-up and form guide for those in the higher categories. If you've ever thought about racing but haven't got around to it mark Hillingdon down as a start point. I believe they run a mid-week summer series on a Tuesday evening too.
I hope those who didn't survive the race unscathed are not too seriously injured, and wishing you a speedy recovery.