Hardest race I’ve done this year. As Phil says the first 45 mins or so was very fast. I was starting to chew the bar tape with the lap counter still saying 14 laps to go! Tried to get in the mix early on but knew I needed shed load of luck to have even a chance of getting in the early breaks but it wasn’t to be. Had a couple of little digs later on, the second of which looked reasonably promising when I got in with 6 others. . After half a lap it looked doomed however. I was hoping that we could at least stay clear until we got to the the lap counter to at least give Phil, et al something to cheer but we just about got swallowed up by the bunch by then. When a couple rode off the front in the latter stages I was near the front but decided not to go with them although I did have the legs…just thought it was waste of effort since so many similar attempts had already failed. But what do you know... a few more joined them and they stayed away and may have picked a few points in the process!…So a little disappointed with that…After that it got very scrappy in what was left of the bunch…. A few guys started pinging off the front. When Jacob went after them I decided to go with him (I was just thinking about training benefits by now!) and we formed a two up for a while but we had left it too late to bridge across. It must have been hard since it was the first time in a race that my legs have cramped as I noted my left quad twitch and contort alarmingly (not unlike the transformation process from man to animal in the (non) classic TV series from the 80s titled ...ahem..."Manimal"
) as a I got out of the saddle to go up the climb for the last time. All good fun though! Good little circuit I thought…felt safe and few pot holes. If nothing else it was good training for the few races I’ve got left this season. One of the great things about these races is the excuses you hear in the car park after: “…I had gastroenteritis in the winter which put my training back…Some idiot threw a bottle at me!... You have to remember that I'm 45 and some of these fellas are only 20!” I didn’t make the last remark although I happen to be 45 and some of those riders are
only 20 you know