A few races under the belt

After not having a hugely successful  start to the season, I’m pleased to say I’ve finished some road races, in the bunch with cranks and knees intact!
 

Oxford - 'The Corner'

It started with the first round of the Tour Series in Oxford. We travelled down in the morning to have a cycle round the city. It was the hottest day of the year so far, so brilliantly timed. We had a little cycle round, a look at the old university buildings and a picnic whilst watching the kids race, right by the tightest corner of the circuit – entertaining to say the least. Hayley arrived and we went to put on our lovely speedsuits and sign on. The Johnsons Health Tech Series Crits are always really exciting - the atmosphere with the large crowds and the tightly cornered city centre circuits, often cobbled are always great fun. I had absolutely no expectations as I had been ill in the run up to the race (and to be honest was still ill on the day), but I was there to have a good time – especially with the sun out!

Me and Hayley at the start line in
Oxford

We rolled up to the start line, somewhere near the back (doh) although by the time we had rolled forward it wasn’t too far from the front. We started the couple laps behind the bike and the girls were taking it cautiously round the set of triple hairpins, which were in a Y shape and each one got tighter. When the motorbike pulled away the race went BANG. The pace went right up and I got a little swamped on the first few corners. I managed to work my way up to the first chase group, where we tried to catch the main group in front. We were working well together, although eventually the illness caught up and I found myself struggling out of the final hairpin each time until I slowly lost contact with the group. I got lapped on the final lap, despite my best efforts to keep ahead. However, despite being ill this was still an achievement on the previous year when I had been lapped several times.  Hayley had done really well too and we’d both had a great time, although were so hot we went straight to find a shop and decided to buy a two litre bottle of water each! Our ‘race mechanics’ had wandered off so to get them back had to resort to stuffing them down the skinsuits – not a good look!

The next race on the calendar was the National Road Race Series Hillingdon GP. The weather was still glorious, although far too hot for a road race but I did have my bling Edco deep sections!! All the girls seemed pleased the race had been shortened by 10laps due to a big crash in the ¾ race earlier on. In the earlier stages of the race I managed to keep quite far forward, although when the decisive break went I found myself too far back to react. Unfortunately all the big teams were represented in the break so it was pretty much impossible to organise a constant chase. I decided to wait for the sprint finish as chasing was useless. I was on a good wheel until 2 to go when I got squeezed out and ended up at the back with no way through. I rolled in near the back of the bunch for 42^nd.

My next race in Banbury was practically the opposite of Hillingdon. It was around 14 degrees and pouring it down and I arrived to discover there was a 1 mile, 14% climb – good job I brought the light wheels!
Despite the poor weather, I was really up for the race as the course looked like it was going to be one of the most interesting I’d raced. It was 3 laps of a circuit that went up a ‘’Knowle’’ called Edge Hill. The climb is usually the sort my other half enjoys dragging me up, so I’d had plenty of practice! The race stayed pretty neutral until we started the climb. As expected, the race splintered.  I was a bit too far back, passing riders just to keep up the pace with the riders at the front, but they were too far away. I ended up in a chase group working hard with them to regain contact with the lead group on the run up to the climb for the second time. Unfortunately I’d spent a little too much energy to be able to hang on to the leaders and was dropped again. There were a group of four of us working together – two of which had been in the break at Hillingdon the previous week. The 4 became 10 as two groups merged towards the end of the race. The finish line was right at the top of a steep kick – just my kind of finish! I came 2^nd in our group, pipped by Louise Mahe who had finished 3^rd and won the sprint prize at Hillingdon. I was happy with my sprint, although slightly gutted I couldn’t have been up there on the main climb to be able to really see what I can do. Lessons to be learned, roll on Capernwray this weekend………..