With Abergavenny coming up and yet another uphill finish, my aim was to race a more active race. I knew that my chances were good as long as I could keep in contact with the front. There were several lone attacks early on, including Eve who got away in the first lap, but all attacks were brought back by the bunch. A few laps later there was a big attack, I tried to go with it and in doing so almost dropped off the back of the back of the bunch! The break did not get away, although Sarah Byrne did, gaining over 2 minutes on the bunch at one point. It all came back together again and on the final lap I could sit on the front no problem and I was feeling really good. By the time we got near the bottom of the finishing climb, I had managed to end up at the back again. I spotted one of the other girls riding up the bunch to the front and followed. With 1km to go I was on the front, this was my chance....All too soon reality struck. I was lying in the middle of the road on my back holding my shoulder. There had been a crash and I had broken my collarbone. Gutted.
I had looked round (as much as my injured body would allow) to see what had happened. Most of the bunch were also on the floor. I could see my bike in the verge in the distance with the front wheel bent in two.
The couch potato did a really good job organising everything including getting my parents to travel down from Manchester to come and pick my car up from South Wales. I think he was a little gutted that he didn’t get to go in the helicopter, but relived I wasn’t badly injured.
After speaking to other riders at the Preston National Crit Championships the following week (in which Eve got 10th!!!!) we learned a rider on the left of the road hooked handle bars with another rider which sent them crashing across the road flinging me over the handlebars. The rest of the girls had nowhere to go and had run into the back of us.
I’m really grateful to all the help from everyone at the race who helped from the NEG riders, commissares, the Dixon’s, The Weaver’s, The Shenton’s along with the paramedics and medical staff at the Hospital in Abergavenny. Sorry if I’ve forgotten you but I am thankful for your help.
I’m really grateful to all the help from everyone at the race who helped from the NEG riders, commissares, the Dixon’s, The Weaver’s, The Shenton’s along with the paramedics and medical staff at the Hospital in Abergavenny. Sorry if I’ve forgotten you but I am thankful for your help.
Total races for the year: 11
Races completed in top 20: 2
Total races completed in the bunch: 5
DNFs: 1
Broken bones: 1
Frames written off: 1
Total races completed by the couch potato: 2 (he’s happy)
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