The Race Reports Thread 2012

greeny12

Well, I reckon it's about time for this forum's annual race reports thread to be started!

I'll kick it off with one of my own, though as last year I'll just do a link to my blog to save space:

http://cyclingapprentice.com/2012/03/12 ... n-society/

C'mon folks, wade in with your own reports, and could one of the forum mods make this a sticky as usual?

okgo

Interesting situation you find yourself in, I ride with probably 3 or so guys that are great riders, and on paper, and in the hills are better than that vast majority in the 4ths, but due to the lack of road racing you can do as a 4th they become stuck in circuits that don't really suit them!

FWIW I did my first RR yesterday, and the standard, and the levels of safety, despite there being cars about was far higher than Hillingdon, that said there were a couple of moments where I was being pushed at 30+ mph down a hill, so its not like its without its peril! I and a couple of the other guys who got out of 4th quite quick were pleased to have done so as it opens up so much more and a high level of racing.

Anyway, I did write a report of that race so here it is -

"So it was fairly nicely paced for the first 5 laps or so, a few people went, and I wasn't well positioned to be honest, I couldn't see how many were up the road, or even who they were. I noticed a few attempts by riders to bridge, both from my club and others. It got to about 2.5 laps to go, or around 15 miles to go, we'd ben racing for just over and hour and a half and I caught the odd glimpse of the group up the road, it had gotten quite large. I was pretty sure non of my team were in it, and I've overheard a few riders say that we wouldn't catch them over the next half an hour, so that was it, I'd made my mind up that I was going to bridge the gap...

I went off the front hard not long before one of the slight downhill sections, I gained a gap straight away, then proceeded to go about getting over, now I knew this was going to be hard, but my HR data shows just how hard it was, I have a max of 194 according to my data, and for 7 minutes my HR was above 180, and for 6 of those it was above 185. So without using all these fancy online training tools, you can see that it was a BIG effort, and along the way I passed a few others, one of which got my wheel and I dragged him over too.

When I had got over to the bunch the bunch behind were out of sight most of the time, so I thought that most of the hard work had been done. I tried to work with some of the guys, and one of the La Fuga riders was helping out, but in the main I have to say I didn't think most riders were interested in helping. I sat on the front for a bit, waved through, and nobody came, so I carried on, looked round and the bunch were in sight. So I think we stayed away for a total of 20-25 minutes, I have no doubts that if we had worked better together, or at all, we would have been a lot harder to catch.

So when we were caught I was conscious to stay near the front as I think it was on the last lap with about 5 miles to go. Jason came through and I got his wheel, we were probably in the top 12-15. We rode fast, and there were moments when I thought it could all go wrong. I lent on a guy that came into me at probably nearly 40 mph, its not as easy as Cav makes it look. Still, we got through ok, came down the fast section toward the hill, flying at this point, well over 30 mph...

We hit the hill and all I had in my mind was not to go too hard, as there was 200 meters or so on the top after the hill, I was spinning away, and then got boxed in as there were two cars on the other side of the road (annoying), I got to the top of the hill in probably the high teens, realized I'd done a bit more than I should have as my HR was already nearing the 190 mark again, so started sprinting, went past a few people, and lunged for the line!

Jason had come 2nd, a massive coup for him, as he had been riding well most of the day position wise, and obviously had done the hill perfectly, I came 9th, which I'm happy with given my race efforts, and another wheeler also came in the top 5. So I think we did really well. I'm looking forward to the next one already, sadly its not quite as flat, but the slopes today felt fine, and I was spinning away nicely, so I am interested to do a hilly course, its a 2/3 though, so I might be riding on my own

Race stats -

51 miles - Avg HR of 165/ max 190 (shame I couldn't eek out the other 4/5) - avg sped 24 mph - max sped 41 mph"

CakeLovinBeast

Somerset Road Club Spring Circuit Races 1 - Ilton, Somerset.

My first-ever race! Or at least, my first ever race since racing mountain bikes as a 16 year old. 18 years later and I decided to dip my toe into the world of road circuit racing. Strava data can be found here, but as I didn't start it until into lap 3, I'm missing a few miles.

My first foray into racing was as interesting as it was exciting. On the one hand, my stomach was a big nervous ball of acid. On the other, I was practising positive mental visualisation of a strong finish! Wandering through the car park on my way to sign on and there's people warming up on rollers, other people standing round with serious faces and serious legs and then there's little-old me: Undertrained (probably) and pushing my trusty Cube (with a, shock-horror, triple chainset!) across the way. As I walk, my eyes are overtaken by the sheer volume of bike p*rn: Carbon wheels, carbon frames... And what looks to be a small child, pushing an S-Works Venge? Seriously, what am I doing here? Fortunately, I'm in good company, as MDCC has a good-sized contingent out today, including some other first-timers. There's a big field for the 4ths-only race - about 60 or 70 if the rumours around the airfield are accurate. Fortunately it's a wide, flat circuit that can easily accommodate that many riders.

On the line, we're told that the race is being reduced to 45 minutes plus 1. That suits me in terms of overall effort, but I worry that it might push the pace up. The women go off ahead of us and then it's our turn. I miss my pedal at the start and end up looking like a total newb from the off, sprinting to catch up with the back of the bunch when I do finally get clipped in. I catch back up, and settle myself in amongst the centre of the bunch. I look down at the Garmin: 25 mph - a decent clip, but doesn't feel like too much effort in a pack of this size.

Down the back of the circuit, the wind becomes more obvious. I'm conscious of being boxed-in, but can't find a way out in any direction. I concentrate on the wheel in front for the time being, surrounded by the thrum of carbon wheels on concrete. Ultimately I find a gap and look to move up the outside, my next newb' mistake... I hit the outside of the bunch, move forward and then find I can't move back in. I'm about 12 wheels back, on the outside and hideously exposed. At no time has the difference between bunch riding on a club run, and bunch riding as part of a race, ever become so horribly apparent. Ultimately some more people overlap me and I can tuck back in, safe in the centre once more. The horrible realisation hits me that whilst I might be competing, I'm certainly not going to be competitive today.

Based on that, I try to concentrate, I want to pick out the stronger riders and observe. If I can't be strong enough to ride on the front (for long) then I can at least try to get my brain around the tactical nuances of circuit racing. We pass the women on the finishing straight and into bend one, keen to see how the guys at the front respond, I take the corner wide and push for the front of the group. Henceforth, I shall refer to this as newb' mistake number 3. I'm so obviously clueless, nobody even bothered with a "break right" call as I came through, though in fairness it was never my intention to break! Once again, I can't force my way back in, and I find myself second wheel, just as the guy in front sits up to let me sail through. I find myself at 25mph, into the wind, with my heartrate trying to set a new PB for bursting out of my chest. I'm a little bit sick in my mouth as I sit up and pray to be caught. Shamefaced I return back to the middle of the bunch.

I settle back in, watching and trying to learn. The tactics intrigue me, but I figure that the only way to be sure of not being totally boxed in is to be near the front and the only way to be near the front is to be capable of taking a turn up there. The fitness definitely needs work. There are a few comings-together, but nothing serious and there are no crashes. Realising that I'm not in any kind of chance of placing, I try to enjoy myself, but also to work for my teammates - if I see a stronger rider exposed, then I try to come through and shield them a little. A few breaks go off, but nobody is organised enough to make one work - the breeze down the back straight sees to that. The bell goes, seemingly too early, and with it there's the inevitable kick in pace. The speed creeps up to mid-30's and stays there - I don't have any problems keeping up in the bunch, but it's clear that the stronger riders are better positioned and are starting to stretch out the bunch. I know in my head where I'd like to be into the final two bends, but maintaining a position in the bunch is a nightmare. My legs have got nothing left at the top end to push any harder: It's like the end of a 2x20 on the turbo, only more brutal and it's all I can do to not move backwards. Coming into the final 50 metres and my legs are on fire, all of my clubmates have passed me and I've finished in the bunch maybe 2/3's of the way back, if not further.

Best fun I've had in ages. I'm back again on Sunday for another go!

amaferanga

okgo wrote:

Interesting situation you find yourself in, I ride with probably 3 or so guys that are great riders, and on paper, and in the hills are better than that vast majority in the 4ths, but due to the lack of road racing you can do as a 4th they become stuck in circuits that don't really suit them!

Not meaning to derail the race reports thread, but as a 4th Cat there's nothing stopping you from racing Reg A races (2/3/4) or Reg B races (3/4) which may be on more interesting circuits and certainly will be better for learning race skills compared to racing against only 4th Cats.

greeny12

amaferanga wrote:

okgo wrote:

Interesting situation you find yourself in, I ride with probably 3 or so guys that are great riders, and on paper, and in the hills are better than that vast majority in the 4ths, but due to the lack of road racing you can do as a 4th they become stuck in circuits that don't really suit them!

Not meaning to derail the race reports thread, but as a 4th Cat there's nothing stopping you from racing Reg A races (2/3/4) or Reg B races (3/4) which may be on more interesting circuits and certainly will be better for learning race skills compared to racing against only 4th Cats.

Funnily enough, that (Reg A 2/3/4 race) is exactly what I'm going to do next!

jibberjim

There is if the organiser refuses the entry to all 4th cats (as is there right) and the Surrey League does, so for Surrey folk, it's either a long drive, or only circuit races. Whilst is it hard on 4th cats without a sprint, it's not that tough, and I'm quite supportive of the idea. The 3rds are badly enough behaved on the roads.

gattocattivo

my next newb' mistake... I hit the outside of the bunch, move forward and then find I can't move back in.

That's not really a mistake, just the way it is. The mistake would be to never move forwards, as sooner or later you'll end up right at the back. If you end up exposed, you'll get back in before too long - everything's always changing. If you have to ride at the front, nobody's forcing you to go as hard as you can.

oldwelshman

gattocattivo wrote:

my next newb' mistake... I hit the outside of the bunch, move forward and then find I can't move back in.

That's not really a mistake, just the way it is. The mistake would be to never move forwards, as sooner or later you'll end up right at the back. If you end up exposed, you'll get back in before too long - everything's always changing. If you have to ride at the front, nobody's forcing you to go as hard as you can.

Why would you expect to be let back in.
If you chose to ride down the outside of the bunch then you should ride to the front and do a turn. I have been in many races where loads of guys do this, even on wrong side of road then almost cause crashes trying to get back in before they find themselves on the front .
Someone has to be on the front, everyone cannot hide in the bunch for the whole race.
I hear loads of advice on here about conserving energy, which is fine,but if you dont attack and have a go you will never get fitter stronger or win races of any worth.

DHTT

My experience of the first two races of this year, plenty of bad luck and judgment. :?
http://duncanheywood.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... 2-dnf.html

colinsmith123

DHTT wrote

My experience of the first two races of this year, plenty of bad luck and judgment.
http://duncanheywood.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... 2-dnf.html

I read your blog with interest and I think you did really well in your first two races of the season. Why, because there is no mention of you not being fit or strong enough, you gave it your best shot in both races. Can I suggest your under-performance maybe due to you not having your head in the right place before the race. Read your blog again and notice how many negatives there are, 'I didn't do this, should've done that. No spare available when you punctured. All of these, you can influence and control.

f you don't already do this, create a ' race strategy plan'. Your race plan must not contain any negatives. Prepare your plan at least a week before your race and review it daily. Your race starts way before the start line.

Divide it in to three sections, pre-race, race and post race. Pre-race starts with, prepare / wash bike, pack race bag, through to what time you will arrive at Race HQ and sign on. Then move on yo your race plan, include things like your warm up, riders to follow, positioning in the race, when your going to drink, when you plan to attack and with whom etc. etc. Post race might include your recovery drink, getting home and writing up your blog at the end of the day. The plan can be as detailed as you feel necessary. It must contain positive statements like, I will give 100% effort.

One tip I've seen a few Vets do is to take time to mark out the 4-6 strong riders from the last race. If you don't know their faces, then take the time to write down their rider numbers from the start sheet at HQ on to a post-it note cut small and sellotape it to your cross tube. Now you have a point of reference during the race.

No doubt as the race unfolds you may need to adapt your race plan. How you ride the race is for you to decide based on your strengths. What are your strengths? For example, how many 'controlled' hard efforts can you do over that distance? If it is 6, then lmit yourself to six. Only carry the positives from your last race in to the next. Learn from your mistakes, but do not focus on the mistakes, you will repeat them.

Regardless of how you performed in the race, your post-race strategy might include thanking all those that have helped you; parents, race organiser, team mates etc. As an aside, Cav sometimes thanks his team mates with expensive watches. The reason he does this, is because his team's race plan has worked, it his way of saying thank you but more importantly, it makes him feel good = positive. Again only you know what to include.

So who am I to be offering you this advice? Nobody. As a junior I regularly used to beat myself up post race. I would be absolutely flying on the chain gang mid-week and then get battered in Sunday's race. I never understood why. I stopped riding when I was 19.

Now I am returning to racing after 32 years to put those bad memories to bed. I am totally focused in competing in the Vets track championships this year and doing my absolute best. I will do this by executing my training plan and having a race strategy for each event I enter and following the advice of my coach.

And the best advice from my coach is, face up to your fears (negative) and take control (positive). Focus on the process (as per your race strategy) which you can 'influence AND control.' Do not focus on the outcome which you CANNOT 'influence and control.'

DHTT

Hi Colin, Thanks for all your advice, your right I'm probably physically the best I've ever been over the past few seasons at this time I've taken time to asses the races and now have a couple of plans for the next race, I know the strong riders from the youth categories, but definitely need some more experience in the 3rds to find some good wheels to follow. I've had a talk with a couple of guys about using my efforts more effectively and have had to put in a rule that no initiating attacks till 3 laps to go. I make sure I do go round and thank the organization and my supporters etc.. Maybe when I turn pro I'll get some watches for team mates! Onto next weekend for another 2 races!

gattocattivo

First road race (or crit) of the season at Hillingdon today. Last time I was there was at the end of August and I was 18 miles into the race in the middle of the bunch when the two riders in front of me crashed and I was brought down and got my leg nastily cut up by a chain ring (still scarred). Today I felt psychologically blocked - I kept trying to ride on one side or the other so I had an escape route, which meant I was much less protected than I could have been in the middle. Also, apart from half a lap on the front, I spent most of the time lurking right near the back of the bunch. Physically I felt fine, but I couldn't shake off the fear of somebody swerving into my path and bringing me down. Lots of lapped riders and several in the bunch randomly switching, so this wasn't a completely baseless fear, but I've got to get over it. I rolled round near the back of the bunch and didn't contest the sprint.

simon t

gattocattivo wrote:

First road race (or crit) of the season at Hillingdon today. Last time I was there was at the end of August and I was 18 miles into the race in the middle of the bunch when the two riders in front of me crashed and I was brought down and got my leg nastily cut up by a chain ring (still scarred). Today I felt psychologically blocked - I kept trying to ride on one side or the other so I had an escape route, which meant I was much less protected than I could have been in the middle. Also, apart from half a lap on the front, I spent most of the time lurking right near the back of the bunch. Physically I felt fine, but I couldn't shake off the fear of somebody swerving into my path and bringing me down. Lots of lapped riders and several in the bunch randomly switching, so this wasn't a completely baseless fear, but I've got to get over it. I rolled round near the back of the bunch and didn't contest the sprint.

Maybe enter some road races rather than crits that are going to end up in sprints?

ozzzyosborn206

First trip to the UK this weekend, first up was Hillingdon on Saturday for the 2,3,4 race, having just watched my team mate James Roe win the 4ths we lined up for our race in good spirits hoping for a good result although with mountain bike Olympic hopeful Billy-Joe on the start line we knew it may not be so straight forward. With 5 Guernsey riders in the race we took it in turns to attack and go with other attacks, after a couple of laps i put in a dig and got away only to be brought back after about a lap, a few laps later having sat in the bunch for a while i punctured, luckily we had spare wheels so i took my lap out and rejoined the race, after a further few laps sat mid pack i moved forward and followed an attack this got away with a few others and the bunch seemed happy to let us go as there was still about 18 laps to go, after a couple of laps of working fairly well some of the riders dropped back into the bunch and we were joined by a few others who had bridged across. With these new fresher riders we kept riding well as a group of 5 while my team mates in the bunch marshalled well to make sure noone else broke away. with 8 laps to go my legs weren't feeling too great but with a little look at the other riders faces it confirmed that maybe i wasn't the only one feeling it a bit so i carried on pulling turns, coming up to the finish i had noticed a slight cross wind on the finish straight to i positioned myself 3rd wheel, then about 50-100m after the corner i kicked coming around the two riders in front of me, as i kicked the rider 2nd wheel also kicked so we basically had a drag race to the finish, i managed to take the win by about a bike length. Really happy with the 2nd win for the team in one day.

Johnpsanderson

All road racing so far, so here's my experience with the first 'race of truth' of the season. Have a laugh, i'm not there quite yet but should manage it oneday... : http://meandthemountain.wordpress.com/2 ... hingfield/

DHTT

This weekends racing, the results weren't brilliant but I learnt some more important things about racing!

http://duncanheywood.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... downs.html

Benjamin Hall

Howdi folks. Sorry for such a long post but I copied and pasted it straight from my blog. I'm racing a lot at the moment and trying to write something everytime, so...if you read the post and dont take an instant dislike to me/cycling then please check out http://www.ifonlyiwerebelgian.com There tends to be something new at least weekly.

Thanks


The Blackawton Road Race. So this is what it’s all about.

This is the Tour de France fantasy. It has everything, big bunches, climbs, descents, motorbikes, support cars (though thankfully none from a certain French TV network), and sunshine. This is the reason I trained all winter, for that moment when the race starts off behind the commisaires car and the bikes hurtle down the road…

As you might have guessed , I finally took part in my first proper road race…and I absolutely loved it!

The BRC were well represented, with four of us lined up at the start. As usual Myself, Matt and Stuart had come down from Bristol in Stu’s car. Race HQ was situated in the small and pretty Devonshire village of Blackawton, where we were joined Matt B.

The race itself was due to start at 10 am which made it a very early start considering it that it was a two hour drive and the clocks had gone forward overnight. Unsurprisingly there were a few blearly eyes wandering around race HQ (aka the local primary school). The car park was quickly filling up with serious looking riders on some very serious looking bikes, pre race nerves started to kick in. Although the race was for 3rd and 4th cat riders, it had a daunting feel about it, compounded by the race profile and the very hilly route into the village. I could feel my legs twitching in anticipation of what was to come.



The pre race briefing was fairly straight forward; a short description of the route and its hazards, as well as the sort of warnings you would expect… Don’t ride in the opposite lane, don’t swear, behave, don’t crash etc etc. However, it was during the briefing that I made my key mistake of the day. It didnt occur to me to ask where the finish line was. So I set off on a 2hour, 41 mile race with absolutely no idea where it ended.



We rolled out of the village, up a short climb and out onto the road where the race proper was due to start. A short delay and some nervous jokes later, off we went. I’ve left it a bit late to write up this race so to be honest most of it is already lost into the grey matter of my brain…Only a few segments remain, as they’ve been playing on a loop in my head ever since. As far as i can remember though, the race started at a reasonably high speed along a ridge, before dropping down a quickish descent and throwing us straight into the first hills of the race.

Apparently the 70-80 strong field started to thin out almost instantly, with some riders going out the back on the first hill. I had that horrible feeling that i might be one of them, but had positioned myself at the sharp end of the race and once my legs warmed up was feeling fine. Matt’s race was over before the frist climb as he’d lost his chain on the descent and was stuck chasing with little help from anyone else.



The race continued to roll on at a decent pace. I was comfortable on the climbs and staying out of harms way on the flats. The only parts of the course that gave me any trouble were the roundabouts at each end as I had to sprint a bit harder than i thought to stay well positioned in the bunch coming out of them.



As the race went on, a few guys tried to get away for varying lengths of time. Stuart was one of them, chasing a solo break and staying out with him for a decent period before seeing the hills looming and choosing discretion over valor. Whilst Stuart was off the front, I sat second wheel behind a Bristol South rider who despite turning round and gesturing for help could see that he was going to get very little from me. Matt B had shouted at me to go with Stuart but i knew I wouldnt have been able to hold a break out for the 30 miles of the race that remained, so i tried to slow down the race for Stuart instead. Once the Bristol South rider swung off I sat on the front turning a little gear until it was clear that Stuart want going to stay away, then me and Matt B moved back deeper into the bunch to wait for a better opportunity to try something.



The race was pretty uneventful from then on. With about 5 miles to go, a few riders had gained a good gap and were pushing hard, but it didnt last and they were brought back just before the final roundabout and U turn. At this point you could hear a lot of guys in the bunch asking where the finish was. We knew it was somewhere along that straight, but weren’t sure exactly where. I thought it must be soon.

I was sitting maybe a third of the way down the bunch at this point, with Matt B and Stuart maybe 5-6 riders ahead of me. It was clear that if I wanted to get anything out of the race I needed to be further up the bunch so I moved up behind Matt. He turned around slightly, acknowledging me on his wheel. The bunch had been massivly whittled down from the full field, so clearly people were suffering. Matt didnt look like he was having fun…but with me tucked safely in his wheel, he powered around the outside of the bunch, dropped me off at the front and said I was ‘on my own’ (so i was later told). I cannot thank Matt enough for that move, he did an amazing job putting me at the front and I cant help but feel as though I let him down a bit with what came next.

Suddenly on the front again I stood up on the pedals to stretch my legs and then I was sprinting up the hill off the front of the bunch. I’d said to Stu the day before that if I was still up there at the end of the race then I would go on the last climb and try to hang on for the win. So that’s exactly what I did… apart from the winning bit.

It very quickly dawned on me that the finish was not where I had hoped it was and that I was in a position to make a tough decision..drop back to the bunch and wait for the sprint or try and sustain the momentum to the line.. I opted for the latter. However, the line still was not appearing and I could feel my legs tiring. I looked behind and saw that the bunch had splintered trying to chase, with one mid Devon rider dragging me back and another group behind him. After what seemed to me age but to everyone else barely a minute, he caught me. Now there were two, and still the finishing line wasnt appearing. At this point I wasnt thinking clearly, the other rider was letting me do the majority of the work and he cruelly let slip that the finish line was still ‘ages away’. I just kept pushing the biggest gear I could manage, as fast as I could, praying that the finish would come, whilst worried that the guy on my wheel would jump me at the finish. Fortunatly he didnt have to as the second group on the road had now caught us and my legs were well and truly blown.

I sat in with the group as we approached another small rise, where I tried to kick clear again but just didn’t have the power. I sat back down in the saddle and crested the top of the hill…catching a glimpse of the finish as I did. I’ wasnt the only one, just as I was shrinking into my saddle, the other guys leapt out of theirs and started to sprint for the line. There was nothing I could do, i’d given it my all and rolled angrilly over the finish in 7th, 2 seconds up on the bunch.

Lesson learned, always check out the course before hand.

Despite the mistake, I feel like I took a lot of out the race, plus it had been so much fun! Great weather, course, scenery, organisation, everything. Well done and thankyou to all those involved in putting the race on.

jbwilliamz

Paris-Roubaix Challenge.

www.jbwilliamz.blogspot.co.uk

Matt the Tester

http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/photo14536209.html

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/165653465

10 mile TT on garstang, fastest in my age catagory! 24:35, very hard and the wind was alot stronger then expected!

Johnpsanderson

Good Fridays racing exploits: http://meandthemountain.wordpress.com/2 ... ghing-man/ ‎

DHTT

Yesterdays race at Ilton: http://duncanheywood.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... 42012.html

GiantMike

Thursday 19th CDNW at Preston. I was taken out on the last lap getting ready for the final corner at the end of the 45 min race.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un6vwmpo ... e=youtu.be

I cut the vid before I start whimpering like an 8 year old in a heap on the grass. Luckily no injuries.

Johnpsanderson

GiantMike wrote:

Thursday 19th CDNW at Preston. I was taken out on the last lap getting ready for the final corner at the end of the 45 min race.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un6vwmpo ... e=youtu.be

I cut the vid before I start whimpering like an 8 year old in a heap on the grass. Luckily no injuries.

Standard last lap pileup! Nice to have soft grass to land on though... It looked like you were in a good position at the beginning of the final lap - by the time of the crash it looked like you were well out of it? I usually drift out of the back and then sit up if I end up in a position like that on the final lap - at best you are probably sprinting for 15th...

GiantMike

Johnpsanderson wrote:

GiantMike wrote:

Thursday 19th CDNW at Preston. I was taken out on the last lap getting ready for the final corner at the end of the 45 min race.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un6vwmpo ... e=youtu.be

I cut the vid before I start whimpering like an 8 year old in a heap on the grass. Luckily no injuries.

Standard last lap pileup! Nice to have soft grass to land on though... It looked like you were in a good position at the beginning of the final lap - by the time of the crash it looked like you were well out of it? I usually drift out of the back and then sit up if I end up in a position like that on the final lap - at best you are probably sprinting for 15th...

I was in the 3/4 race that runs alongside the E/1/2 race. I was probably running 5th in the 3/4 (lapped by the E/1/2s but it's very difficult to know until the results are published).

Point noted about my position deteriorating. The E/1/2s are feckin fast and I didn't have the legs to keep up and I wasn't racing them anyway. The crash was at 32 MPH.

Johnpsanderson

Ah - one of those races where two different races mix together? Always a nightmare in my experience!

Johnpsanderson

Another weekened of time-trialling, sadly far less successful than I had hoped! http://meandthemountain.wordpress.com/2 ... amp-squib/

wjcrombie

GiantMike wrote:

Point noted about my position deteriorating. The E/1/2s are feckin fast and I didn't have the legs to keep up and I wasn't racing them anyway. The crash was at 32 MPH.

You probably do have the legs but taking a turn on the front with just under a lap to go was your mistake, you should have either stayed on the guys wheel or rolled through and immediately pulled over to get back on a wheel 3 or 4 back from the front (ie exactly where you were when the video started).

You also left it to late to start trying to move up. you should have done that 200 or 300 metres earlier, although I am guessing you were still trying to recover from the earlier effort on the front and then getting back into some shelter....

Glad you were not injured...

Johnpsanderson

Another outing with a number on my back - a humble '10' http://wp.me/p1XQoy-6t

gattocattivo

Quite a day yesterday:

1) Suffer pre-race insomnia, get to sleep at about 3am and back up at 6am
2) After an hour's drive to race HQ discover that I've lost my race licence (which is still missing, presumed gone forever) so have to pay for a day licence
3) After 37 miles of racing on a very potholed course (with numerous riders hitting them and suffering instant race-ending punctures) we're flagged to a halt - the road ahead is closed due to an accident in the elite race ahead of us on the same circuit. A helicopter comes in to airlift one rider to hospital - not a good sign.
4) Improbably we're off again after a 10-minute delay
5) A guy comes past in full Sky kit with no race number. He goes to the front of the bunch and attacks causing a chase and the pace hots up. He then eases off and drifts back through the bunch with a grin on his face. This man is Alex Dowsett.
6) Yet another rider hits a hole and punctures and comes to a virtual standstill without putting his arm up, I have to swerve to avoid him, my rear wheel hits someone's front wheel and takes them out
7) My legs completely cramp up and I get dropped after 48 miles. At the finish line they tell me that I can only score points (for the ECCA festival) if I finish the race. So running on empty I do another 12-mile circuit on my own, getting passed by the elite race and Alex Dowsett again on the way.

fish156

So gattocattivo, are you hooked :-)

Johnpsanderson

gattocattivo wrote:

Quite a day yesterday:

3) After 37 miles of racing on a very potholed course (with numerous riders hitting them and suffering instant race-ending punctures) we're flagged to a halt - the road ahead is closed due to an accident in the elite race ahead of us on the same circuit. A helicopter comes in to airlift one rider to hospital - not a good sign.

Good news is said rider, one of my club mate, is now back home and recovering with no serious injuries. We were all rather worried for a while though!