I tried, I failed, I'll try again

The weekend before last (24th August) I had three races in 4 days, all part of the TAM series. I had great moral for this series to finish the season off well, however as we lined up for the criterium on Saturday evening the 4 jerseys of the series, "Yellow, polkodot, Green and white" were all been ushered to the front for photos. Hmmmm so thats great I've already missed the first few rounds!! What a great start......

 Anyway couldn't let that bother me and the race was soon under way, 31 laps of a 3.1km circuit. The course was great, a mixture of small lanes running through windy corn fields, corners, road furniture and a big wide open road to the finish which was right in the centre with a few bars and boulongeries to keep the crowd happy between laps. 

I was very keen to do well as I felt great and wanted to prove I'm equally as strong as others. Despite it been quite a blustery evening the race didn't split as I expected and gaps only began to really open at the half way mark. I got in 3 or 4 moves which all gained good gaps but once attacks came from the bunch we were brought back. Eventually a move did go and to this day I still don't see where it did but hey ho!! So we were going for 9th, a great result in 1st cat race if I could managed it. With about 5 laps to go I got in 2nd move, no way were we going to bridge to the leaders but a top ten was a possibly. However Bic 2000 weren't represented and with a strong bunch of guys they pulled us back. A few countered and stayed away for 9th, 10th and 11th... So could I get the bunch gallop for 12th??... 

George did a great job from 2km out and road on the front all the way to closing few hundred meters, little did he know I was locking up with cramp behind and my 12th place would be a miracle, I tried desperatly to sprint but rider after rider flew past and I had to settle for bloody 25th Not a happy bunny I'll tell you. However at least it wasn't a half hearted job, both hamstrings, both quads and both calves seized after the line.... 

After a spin out Sunday, Monday was the next target part of the same series but this time a 15 lap race along the beautiful Finistere coast, On my warm up laps I remember saying to the lads, "jeez I've raced in worse places". The race was full of everyone who mattered and I really wanted to get in the break and get a solid performance.

The race face was on

 A good breakaway group was established on the first lap, I was in it, we got a great gap in no time and the guys featured really pushed on, I was hanging in the first few kms of the effort but still rolling through to do my turn. After a lap or two my legs were beginning to come round and just in time.... There were a few passengers on the breakaway train and the lads who counted in the series i.e the yellow jersey, green jersey didn't want them having a free ride and soon the attacks came, I kept with them all and showed them I wasn't going to be lazy. Unfortunately in doing this our speed dropped and with Armee De Terre smashing away on the front of the bunch we were caught!!! very disappointing.

 Not as disappointing as what happened next though..... After just shy of another lap another group chipped off, I was right on the wheel of the last guy and for some reason I hesitated and didn't jump with him!!!!!!! After this small groups kept chipping off and I was in none, I rolled round in the bunch for the remaining laps and came in 45th, a disappointing day to be honest.

The race face was obviously off by this point

 And Finally to Tuesday and the race of Scaer, also part of the same series. The circuit couldn't have been more different to yesterday. A short little steepish kick up followed by a long drag and then terrible roads for the rest of the circuit, as my bottle cage fold out later on. The race got under way very quickly with an attack in the first 10 meters this group stayed away for a good few laps before been joined by another group of riders, these riders jumped from the bunch on the long drag which was a sufferfest.

LOOK!! A gap!!!

 Now unlike the day before where I was behind a rider who attacked and I hesitated and didn't follow, today I couldn't even get out the bloody saddle to follow him never mind sustainer an attack.

Sorry lads, you'll have to do it, I'm capput

And so by about lap 5 of 16 my groups race was over, yes people tried to jump clear and form chase groups but they weren't getting anywhere and when I had a go the same thing happened, there was one where it looked like we may get away but half a lap later we were all back together again like one big happy family rolling round. If I'm honest I just wanted to complete the race and get it finished with.

I had a go in the sprint, "can you tell" I mean you never know, the 30+ guys infront might have stopped

 Now I finished in 36th in one piece, a very fatigued one piece but one piece nevertheless, the same wasn't to be said for my trusty 3 year old bottle cage. The rough roads of the day had taken their toll on the old fella's lower welds and unfortunately he's had to concede he's no longer the sturdy bottle carrier he once was, he's done a great duty for the likes of Elite, energize, maxim, SIS, Gatorade and finally its High5 thats finished him those 750ml bidons were just too much for him.......

As you can see the poor chap suffered a terrible ordeal, now he lays to rest in bottle cage heaven...... my wheelie bin.