Topic Title

Shall be driving down if anyone is not fixed for a lift.

Five of us on the (rather windswept) line for Tumby's - Cam, Tim, Jacob (still in Clifton jersey, anyway), me and Graham. As you'd expect with half the riders being 2nd cats it set off like the clappers, with the first couple of laps around 27mph and only settling slightly after a couple of breaks had got off the front. Some slightly hairy moments when changes in pace nearly caught people out - and another when a dropped bottle flew through the bunch - but as the halfway point in the18-lapper approached I reckoned I was settled into what remained of the bunch. Then my legs simply gave up on the climb to the line - felt very odd. Looking at the numbers it was probably to be expected - an hour and a quarter well over my current threshold and lots of sprinting out of corners - but frustrating. Thankfully there were a fair few familiar faces stood by the roadside by that stage - I was not the only one. Sadly Tim was there too, but due to his freewheel making noises like a coffee grinder rather than any leg malfunction - he, Cam and Jacob all looked comfortable.

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

Iwent into today race with a bit of a feeling that it was not my day.Lasted about 8 laps which which were rattled of @over 26 mph but before that a problem with my free wheel was getting worse I decided to pull out.Very dis cos felt ok even if it was hard I was enjoying staying with these lads .Maybe shows what a different season I have had compared to last and I have enjoyed every race (nearly) where as I did not get into many last season if any.!Good circuit and pretty safe.Well done to those who finished as it would have been tough at the end.

Last race in Clifton colours and what a race! 2 upping it with Cam to get agonisingly close to catching a few that went off but like Cam said, just left it too late...
Really great seeing so many Clifton riders out, hope to see you at more races in the future, all be it in a slightly different colour scheme