Left My Legs in Newcastleton - Circuit Race Report

That was one painful race for me 

So I'm in London this weekend working as I have a lot to do on my project. Managed to nip out for a long lunch and race at Hillingdon. Nice tailwind out from Central London to give me a pleasant warm up. Legs felt pretty good considering I'm recovering from a 24hr Solo. The race was a different matter. I though I'd sit in an try and help my team mates Amrit and Ralph out a bit. Well I was useless as expected. Shouldn't have bothered. Would have been better going for a quick spin. During the race I thought I'd test out how bad I really was. Legs gave up the moment I showed my nose to the wind. I popped off the front in an attempt to bridge to break not that far up the road. It was something I would have been able to do easily two weeks ago. Didn't do much in the race really just hung in there.

I did try and take my mate Alex up to the front but we were stopped by a near crash. Always a bit sketchy in a 3/4 circuit race

Ralph had a good attack on his own. shame no one went with him. After a break of 4 and then two went away he got 2nd in the bunch sprint after leading it out from the final bend. The lad is getting stronger. Amrit had another solid ride. I just rolled in at the back of the bunch.

Big rest this week. I don't thing I will be racing at the Chipper World Cup Round 2 at Hillingdon on Tuesday night. Never Say Never though. I'll probably ride (knowing me)

BC Report

UK Cyclesport Pics

Less than a week to go

Sunday night I did my final bit of training for Saturday's 24hr race. 4hrs on the Scott Scale 29 up Cwmcarn three laps of the Twrch Trail and home. The Twrch Trail is a bit longer than a lap of the 24hr course but with the same amount of climbing it it. Three laps all under 54 mins wasn't too hard or two slow. I can do it a lot faster but when I'm not doing more than two laps I have to pace myself a bit.

Scott Scale 29 Pro as standard apart from the Ergon Grips & XT pedals

Really happy so far with the new bike. It was bit of a risk switching to a hardtail but it's got big wheels so it doesn't feel too harsh. How it will fair after 24hrs midday on Sunday I don't know. I will have my Lapierre X Control as back up anyway.
I'm as ready as I can be now. Anything I do from now on is not going to help. Preparation for the 24hrs of Exposure for me is all about eating well and getting my two bikes ready. I'm not that impressed with the Avid brakes on the Scott so I will be taking the Formula R1s of my Lapierre and fitting them. The Selle Italia saddle just doesn't get on with my bottom so that will be swapped out for my trusty Fizik Tundra Carbon. I have some Lighter wheels that need to have tyres, brake disks, & a cassette fitted to. The list goes on.

Leaving Newport last night with too much stuff

Racing at Hillingdon this evening on the road bike to get those legs going a bit if I get out of the office on time. It's windy so it will be a good work out. I will be riding the easier 3/4 race for the last time. A 1st win this evening would please me no end.

3rd in a Chipper Circuit Race

Tuesday night was the start of the Hillingdon evening circuit races. They run from now until August. Normally the 1st night is a crash fest so last year I decided to miss the 1st week for that very reason.
Normally the race was split in two with the E123 race and the 4th Cat race. This year it was split but a bit different. The 4th cat race had a real bad repetation for crashes. This year they introduced a different race. This was for 3rd cats & 4th cats but without the BC points. It is to be an experiment to see if people just wan't to ride for a bit of fun and to take the manic sprint for the line for 10th spot and that one BC point out of the equation. I personly think that people new to the sport focus too much on getting to the next level rather than learning how to race safe etc.. So this race if for people who want to learn to race or just race for a bit of fun.
I've been a 2nd cat for years but dropped down to 3rd this year as I didn't really race on the road last year to gain the points required to stay up as a 2nd cat.
For bit of fun & training I decided to enter the 3/4 race rather than get my legs ripped off in the E123. There was only 26 riders entered which is quite small. Although this was a 3/4 race there were some pretty strong riders. My former team mate Rudie Marais is pretty strong but seems to be back down to 3rd cat. He's pretty strong and attacks a lot but would be a big fish in this race but not so in the E123 perhaps. There were a few mates who were with me who had dropped down to a 3rd. We were in this for fun.
The race started pretty quick and it was like that for the entire length. Probably because I was one of the stronger riders and my love of attacking I was pretty much down the front and out of trouble. I thought we had had a 4 man crash early on around the back of the bunch but I was wrong. The crash had come from the E123 race on the 1st lap.
We only raced for about 35 mins and I had a little dig for a few laps but nothing really came of it. As soon as I was back in the bunch we were shown the 3 laps to go sign. The next three laps is where normally if there is going to be a crash there would be. I kept myself in the top 10 and made sure I was up there. Now with just over a lap to go a rider jumped away. I had no idea of this. Where was I looking at the time I wonder? Normally I'd have a clue but this evening I just didn't. Coming into the final bend I was convinced I was sprinting for the win. I was third wheel in the sprint and Rudie was leading it out. the young chap on his wheel heistated so much that when Rudie kicked he just sat there blocking me in. Eventually he let me past (maybe I sould have been less polite but we are supposed to be teaching these guys how to race.) but Rudie already had about 4 bike lengths on my. I drove for Rudie's wheel but I just don't have the power for that now. My little legs have turned into diesel legs now. A bloody good job as well as if I'd caught and past Rudie I would have thought I had won and you can guess what an arse I would have made of myself.
So 3rd in a Chipper Circuit race. I will do a few more of these 3/4 races and move up to the E123 where I should be.