ringo182 wrote:
also why is the course 10.2 miles? why not just stop at 10 to make it a standard distance?

Sunday, 3 May 2009 - Two More Down

I meant to post a lot sooner than this, it seems I keep looking at other cyclist's blogs, but forget to write my own. And with my ever increasing fan base, I know I should keep peeps updated more!

The Sunday following Totnes Vire, I had the Reading Cycling Club Spring Road Race. Unfortunately the race wasn't as long as the name, and so was fairly easy peasy. Usually the race goes up a kilometre long climb at 12%, which nicely shells the bunch and all the weak shit riders out the back. Or, if that doesn't do it, the 3 km 4% drag afterwards does. The plan had been to attack over the top of the climb on lap 2, and again with a lap to go if I didn't get away in a break then. However, the race route changed due to gas-works. Typical eh? So instead we got a headwinded rolling road, with a shallower climb on it. It was still a hard climb for most, but not quite hard enough to shell enough people in my opinion. I attacked over the top of the climb like I planned on lap 2, and started to chase down a break of 3, about 200m ahead of me. However, I couldn't close the gap, and looking over my shoulder, the bunch was chasing me down as per usual. So I decided to wait for another chance and sat up. Again, on the last time up the climb, I put in a couple of digs, but guys were too happy to sit on your wheel, not do a turn, and hope to survive. So no getting away, which is fairly usual in 3rd cat racing. So, with about 3-4 miles to go to the finish, I decided to do the team mate stuff, and hit the front, keeping the pace relatively high. Or high enough that noone wanted to attack, which is the plan. With about 300m to go to the finish line, of course everyone piled around me, and Packs (a team mate) took 5th in the race. Good effort on my behalf saw me be rewarded with a tenner for the lead out (race entry paid for!)

That was the end of part 1 of my season. When I sat down to plan my season February time, I divided it into 3 parts. The theory was race less, train more, and race harder when I do. So far, it's been working. I feel and am a lot stronger, fitter, and more able to actually attack in races rather than just sit in. The first part of the season was train for a month, then hit April for races. Reading was the target, the aim to get a good result. Whilst the result wasn't ideal, it does show I've come a long way since I started 3/4 years ago. The next part of the season (2 - for those that can't count) is all about the Ras de Cymru. The Ras (for short) is a 5 day, 6 stage, race in Wales at the start of July. Costing £200, it isn't the cheapest event in the race calender, and the aim is this year to get in a break on one day or other. With that in mind, the strategy is to train like mad again during May and June. Also to use the "local" circuit race at Ilton to get some more power/strength/teeth grinding practice/etc in. I'll be doing all the National level races I can do, rather than just the 3rd cat races. Basically it means I'm on the limit pretty much all race, it's like a harder chain gang. On a chain gang it's hard because I go through a do a turn or ten, in the National circuits it's hard because I can't go and do a turn it's so fast. Instead of 3rd cats who are happy just to sit at a constant speed, chasing down everything and anything, the Elite race jumps about with the constant aim of getting away in a break. This is fairly wearing on the legs, as I found out on the Thursday just past.

Ilton, or Merryfield Airfield, is a Navy (!!) Airport, and is an operational base (or so we keep getting told), so generally speaking, is bloomin' windy. Luckily this thursday wasn't too windy, just a bit wet. Not really much more to say about the race, other than it was hard. I got in a move at one point about half way through with a guy called Will Bergfelt, who rides for Sports Beans - Wiler team. Basically all the trappings of a pro team, just paid less. They're still ripping it up against the pro teams in the UK though. Unfortunately for me, we were chased down (surprise surprise), and I wasn't in the fittest shape to keep attacking whilst on the limit.
The entire aim of doing these races is that each race I do, I try to do more, eventually I'll be on fire one of these days, and get in the winning move. When that happens, I know I've earnt my placing. There is no hiding in the harder races. None.

I haven't been out this weekend, can't really think of a valid excuse, other than seeing Jackie boy run the Great West Run today. So I'll be popping out tomorrow with Jamie (the least stylish cyclist known to man) and Matt (who's moving to Essex to become a cycle coach in a few weeks - in other words, one less guy to ride with next year, so far I'm down to just Jamie. It could be a long and hard winter).

Until I write again... toodles!

rjc_43 wrote:
That's one heck of a lot of circuits... what happened to the road results?