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Entered another road race this weekend in the Surrey League. This one promoted by Farnborough & Camberley CC on the Cutmill circuit outside of Elstead. A pretty hilly route with one main drag interrupted by a couple of steeper sections, and then another smaller drag later on. The race was scheduled to be about 50 miles, so 7 full laps of the circuit.
I didn't manage to get out to Elstead to scope out the circuit beforehand so the first lap was a bit of an unknown really so I just sat midway in peloton and hoped things wouldn't split up early on. The race was de-neutralised before the main climb and the ascent was pretty steady and comfortable. The first and only break of the day pretty much went immediately as I think 3 riders nipped off the front. The first circuit was pretty steady as people got to know where the pot-holes and parked cars were etc. and the pace ramped up from there.
As with Milland Hill and Fareham a few weeks earlier the race was very attritional with each ascent of the main climbs taking it's toll as riders got distanced. I was pretty happy with my climbing though on the day, keeping things under control in the saddle, spinning my way to the top and never felt in any danger of getting dropped.
The bunch was all still together coming into the last lap and I moved myself into the top ten or so for the penultimate climb. Experience in other races this year has taught me that at this stage things will break-up if people start to go. Well, this time they didn't as a couple of guys were managing the head of the race quite nicely. But better to be safe than sorry. The break who had gained up to 2 minutes at one point were now only about 20 seconds off the front, mainly due to the work done by the guys in yellow on the front. On one of the smaller inclines a guy jumped, but then slowed up. I then decided to make a move and as I passed him I asked if he wanted to come with, with view of bridging to the break, he didn't seem too interested though and when I looked back he hadn't taken my wheel. So anyway, I was dragged back and slotted myself back into the top ten.
We completed the rest of the circuit at pace with one guy drilling things on the front, pulling back the break and leading out his mate for the climb. Then something happened up front, I can't remember exactly what, but caused a few guys to swerve, one rider hit the deck pretty hard, I had to pull off a bit of a dodge as I came past but he caught me on the way through, managed to stay upright though. Onto the last climb I hit the front and kept it in the big ring ready to jump. The eventual winner and top 3 went and I tried to go with but just couldn't hold the wheels in that gear. I managed to hold on in the top 20 though sneaking over the line in 19th.
So, a pretty good race and it was nice to be in the mix at the end, I've just not quite got that spring yet and it's something I need to work on.
Race data if anyone's interested:
http://app.strava.com/rides/8455008
Off to Thruxton tonight for the 2nd of the summer warm-ups. Raced there last week also. Short story of it: Break of 4 went early. Helped chase with a couple of other guys. Not enough riders were interested in helping. Cooked myself doing this. Break stayed away. Swamped by fresher legs up the last climb!
Will also be racing both the 3/4 and E/1/2/3 Wednesday at Mountbatten, so if anyones about, see you there!
I didn't manage to get out to Elstead to scope out the circuit beforehand so the first lap was a bit of an unknown really so I just sat midway in peloton and hoped things wouldn't split up early on. The race was de-neutralised before the main climb and the ascent was pretty steady and comfortable. The first and only break of the day pretty much went immediately as I think 3 riders nipped off the front. The first circuit was pretty steady as people got to know where the pot-holes and parked cars were etc. and the pace ramped up from there.
As with Milland Hill and Fareham a few weeks earlier the race was very attritional with each ascent of the main climbs taking it's toll as riders got distanced. I was pretty happy with my climbing though on the day, keeping things under control in the saddle, spinning my way to the top and never felt in any danger of getting dropped.
The bunch was all still together coming into the last lap and I moved myself into the top ten or so for the penultimate climb. Experience in other races this year has taught me that at this stage things will break-up if people start to go. Well, this time they didn't as a couple of guys were managing the head of the race quite nicely. But better to be safe than sorry. The break who had gained up to 2 minutes at one point were now only about 20 seconds off the front, mainly due to the work done by the guys in yellow on the front. On one of the smaller inclines a guy jumped, but then slowed up. I then decided to make a move and as I passed him I asked if he wanted to come with, with view of bridging to the break, he didn't seem too interested though and when I looked back he hadn't taken my wheel. So anyway, I was dragged back and slotted myself back into the top ten.
We completed the rest of the circuit at pace with one guy drilling things on the front, pulling back the break and leading out his mate for the climb. Then something happened up front, I can't remember exactly what, but caused a few guys to swerve, one rider hit the deck pretty hard, I had to pull off a bit of a dodge as I came past but he caught me on the way through, managed to stay upright though. Onto the last climb I hit the front and kept it in the big ring ready to jump. The eventual winner and top 3 went and I tried to go with but just couldn't hold the wheels in that gear. I managed to hold on in the top 20 though sneaking over the line in 19th.
So, a pretty good race and it was nice to be in the mix at the end, I've just not quite got that spring yet and it's something I need to work on.
Race data if anyone's interested:
http://app.strava.com/rides/8455008
Off to Thruxton tonight for the 2nd of the summer warm-ups. Raced there last week also. Short story of it: Break of 4 went early. Helped chase with a couple of other guys. Not enough riders were interested in helping. Cooked myself doing this. Break stayed away. Swamped by fresher legs up the last climb!
Will also be racing both the 3/4 and E/1/2/3 Wednesday at Mountbatten, so if anyones about, see you there!
seems to me whatever you're doing seems to be working? Keep the reports going and certainly hope a few more PNE supporters make the local races. All the best 
