Tockwith Circuit race 3

[photoBen]

It was the final race of the series last night at Tockwith. I wasn't feeling great beforehand having been out at a leaving do the night before and working all day Tuesday so my aim was to finish with the pack again and keep out of trouble. There was a couple of fresh faces from Clifton on the start line who performed well in a very nervous pack. I had a simple race of hanging on the back, never really felt in trouble but made it hard for myself when the pace increased in the last five laps, however it meant I was well away from the trouble that always seems to occur at the last chicane and corner, rolling over the line at the back but not last considering the amount of riders on the gravel.
Again really good experience but am glad it was the last one, I think three times in succession on the same circuit is enough for me.
How was it for everyone else? How did the cat 3 race go?

[Broom Wagon]

There was a good number of Clifton riders there in fact most of the usual Saturday training squad were racing with the exception of our leader the “Bix.” Tockwith RR is essentially a Crit, a flat circuit with tight bends. For me that’s a good thing, it means I should be there at the finish. Not that I’m particularly good at them, just no worse than your average 4th CAT, which believe me isn’t bad compared to my usual exploits in racing. Most road racing circuits will have a bit of an upward drag somewhere, so it always goes the same way for me; feel relatively ok on the flat bits but on the climbs I’ll hang on the best I can with my heart rate busily telling me that if maximum heart rate can be calculated as 220 less your age, I must be substantially younger than my birth certificate says. After doing that for a while sooner or later a thought pops into my head…you’re doing this for fun? And then I’ll slip off the back. Race over

So a crit type race makes a nice change for me. So off we went. The Bix will tell you the best place to be in a road race is up towards the front. That’s especially so with a race with a lot of corners, because if there’s a crash you’re less likely to be in it and also whilst this doesn’t seem to make sense it takes less physical effort to be in the first ten or so, you can take the corners smoother and you’re not always playing catch up out of them. So that was my plan, stay in the first ten or so, unfortunately that was also the plan of the rest of the field and it’s very difficult to maintain position because you get swamped every time the group slows for the bends. Jon S seemed to be able to maintain position like an old pro and Nick and Mike seemed to have a good crack at it too. I couldn’t pick out how Paul B (last time’s race winner)was doing with Paul being in a Chevin strip, but I found myself on his wheel a few times. My race consisted of getting towards the front a bit, then finding myself towards the back, getting towards the front again and then finding myself towards the back and repeat. Ben popped up along side me at one time but I was concentrating too much to say hello. The race proceeded with various chaps having a crack at getting off the front, but always getting caught (it would be very difficult to get away and stay away on that circuit). I was starting to feel tired, but before I knew it there were only a few laps to go. The hardest bit on the circuit was coming out of the bend onto the slightly up hill into the wind finishing straight, with everyone accelerating out of the corner and I would go and over cook the bend on the penultimate lap, causing me to have to put enough effort in to keep in contact to consider that an eight mile hilly walk with the good lady the day before wasn’t really the best preparation. Now I was near the back and with everyone muscling their way through to try to be at the front on the final bend, there was no hope for me to get through and I left it to the chaps who were a little less precious about their own skin. So there was no opportunity to unleash my fire breathing sprint, that I don’t have. I don’t think any Clifton chaps finished in the top ten but we certainly flew the colours. For me it was a good work out and nice to complete a race without getting dropped.

Muzzy went away in the 3rds race. Three chaps got a break from the off and working together it looked like they might stay away the whole race. Paul tried to get across but ended up stuck in no mans land and then slipped back to the pack. The break eventually petered out and Muzzy conserved his effort in the group. Like our race there were various attacks but they came to nothing with Paul having a good go at it down the back straight a couple of laps from the end. It didn’t work though and came down to a bunch sprint with Paul finishing in the group.

[Simon Donoghue]

Great night's racing - had the legs to contest the final sprint - but didn't have the elbows to find a way through the melee on the final chicane. Smaller group this time - less strung out - making it quite difficult to get past (quite wide) but frequent jumps required to make transition from back of group to front. Organisers are keen to speak to local clubs re organising something similar at Tockwith next year.

[Cam B]

I approached this race with some trepidation after getting shelled out the back after only few laps at the last one. Lessons learnt , I managed to hold a position relatively safely in the pack all the way round. I cornerd better and felt I was able to sprint better up that home straight (I am sure the racing tyres I had fitted helped - less rolling resistance and all that) and felt more confident in pedalling thru that corner just before the chicane. Really started to enjoy it after about halfway when I realised I was going to finish in the bunch. Race at the sharp end seemed a scrappy affair. The breeze was a bit stiff which I guess made it difficult for anyone to sustain any attack. I think I was about 13th or 14th in end. Would deinitely do these next year if they are on.

[Simon Donoghue]

Report from series is now on BC website - http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/road/a ... e-Series-0

With request for clubs to help with series next year. Think that this should be something that Clifton should support.