Ok, so at the end of my last blog I left a link to my next race which would be held in my "home town". The race was a 1st category race with a twist, 250-300 meters of off roadish gravel track was included in the course, not everyone appreciated it, but I just saw it as something of a change from your everyday road race. 70 riders took to the start and it was all go from the gun, The circuit literally had no recovery on it; you climbed up atleast a km to the finish where primes increased the pace, then a 90 degree right hander in to the gravel sector and a ball busting sprint down hill for a good while before you made your way back to the bottom of the climb, not before going up ANOTHER drag.
 |
| Maybe this will help...... |
After another week of not been able to do much I did struggle but held on for as long as good, However the way I felt it was inevitable I would be shelled on such a demanding course, pleased to say I wasn't the only one. But I persisted and finished the race, from the 70 starters about 23 people finished, I was 21st.
 |
| plugging away |
 |
| Must have been creeping here..... or Cervelo are just fast bikes. |
Now after this race I didn't have another for 10 days, quite a gap in this part of the world, felt like an age. To be honest it wasn't great timing after I'd had 2 weeks of not much and this race had got me going again. However nothing I could do about it so I got a good week of training in the legs and prepared for my next races. The first of which would be a 1st category Criterium 5 mile from home. The crit was 100 km 32 laps of a 3.1 km circuit. After 10 days of no racing I was itching to go, maybe a little bit too itchy!! I made a few mistakes early on which put me in the red when I didn't need to be, consequently I blew up and the race was over after 12 laps, to be honest I think such a gap in racing didn't help. Yes I was down but a few encouraging words from "Big Nick Mills" soon got me back on the straight and narrow. He's a man you don't disagree with.... A few Nothern/ Yorkshire digs and a smile was back on my mush. Im sure they're just jealous of my accent :-P !!!
 |
At least I looked focused
|
Anyway that was Wednesday, next up was another Criterium on Friday evening in the seaside town of Arzon. It was an 80km (50 mile) race, on a nice short 1.7 km circuit. It was pretty windy on the sea front but back in the shelter of the houses it was ok. It took 17 laps for a move to be established which I wasn't in, with a further 6 going in 2 groups of 3. However I managed split the bunch on the short steep hill to the finish and got it down to 20 riders to try and bridge to the leaders. However after 5 laps working well the gap been announced to us had gone up to 50 seconds, which I found quite disturbing as we weren't messing about. With 24 laps to a go a few riders from the group decided it was time to get rid of the leaches and so we distanced them into the head win and now there were 10.
 |
| Unfortunately this is the only photo I've found of Fridays race. Still not a bad view |
The next time gap announced was 55 seconds, I couldn't believe my ears!! The 10 of us worked well but the gap wasn't coming down, in the next 2 laps guys from my group tried to attack but I wasn't letting any more go and just followed. 3 were talking and in turn each put in a dig, I marshalled all there moves and with 4 to go I thought it was time for me to put them on the back foot. It only took me one big dig to get rid and I was away with 2 others. We worked well and came into the finish together 1 of the 2 just got the better of me on the finishing hill and left me in 8th place. Now I was happy enough with this result but still couldn't understand how the 2 had done 30 laps and gained a minute. And so to Sunday, where on the journey to the race I was enlightened as to how the 2 had gained such a healthy lead so quickly and more still managed to sustain it. Spectators had seen the 2 drafting behind the lead car a number of times, Not very sporting lads, believe me their cards are stamped and they're in my black book.
Sundays course was just shy of 90km inline and 8x3.7km finishing loops. I was very keen to do well today after Fridays race and kept myself in the action from the start. It was over rolling terrain with 3 categorised climbs which came at 30, 62 and 80 km. However unlike most of the inline races a break didn't go until literally the approach to the loops.
 |
| Bit of Cod Action! |
I was very disappointed to miss this, as I had been right up there all race, I think I was just nervous of missing anything. Having said that it's not like I was far back, maybe 15-20 riders clipped off, on a stretch of the road you would not expect a gap to open. Josh was in the split and he said, he didn't even know how it went, just shows not always an attack that makes the day. Riders tried to get across but they weren't been allowed with all teams represented in the move.
 |
| Grovelling about somewhere |
Into the loops they gained 35 seconds which with the way I was beginning to feel may aswell have been a minute. The heat was getting to me and only 2 bidons in 100km wasn't doing me much good.
 |
| Photo's never lie..... |
The gap began to drop and it came within 15 seconds, 4 or 5 riders made the junction but I just didn't have it in me to get to the wheels. I came in 41st in the most painful sprint I've had for a while. Dehydration wasn't the word!!! However it was another hard 75 miles in the legs, covering the distance in 2:45 hrs.
Next up is "possibly the toughest crit in Brittany" So I'm told, and its only 500 meters from my house, Cobbles, corners, hills.... Need I say more. That's Wednesday, so lets see what I can do.
