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Yesterday I rode in the first Surrey League Road Race of the season. Kingston Wheelers were promoting the event which was held at on the Victor Berlemont open road circuit just outside Dunsfold.
I rode a couple of Surrey Leage events last year, and as ever this was brilliantly organised and marshalled.
At 9.30 we rolled out from the Winn village hall and onto the circuit. It was a good rolling circuit with a few ramps, a few tight corners, and some really nice fast sections, but nothing to break things up too much. It was quite a steady start out of the neutral zone and everyone took it easy up the first incline. Pace was soon injected though when we reached the faster sections, and then the attacks began. Experience from last year taught me that it's best to be up the front and out of trouble during this period, so thats where I stayed. A few early moves looked like developing, but it just ended up with various combinations of riders yo-yoing off the front, getting gaps, but then being pulled back once the pace increased again.
It wasn't until later in the race that a few riders managed to make a move really stick and they got about a minute up road. They were soon joined by several others and a large and very dangerous looking group of about 15 formed. They were disappearing into the distance, I felt pretty good so I thought I'd try to bridge. I jumped off the front and began trying to pull myself up to the break and I was soon joined by a companion. This didn't last that long though, as it became pretty apparent we weren't making much ground and the peloton soon rejoined us. I then took a bit of a rest in the wheels and it was at this point that suprisingly we began to pull back the large break.
It was maybe about 7 miles from the end when everything came back together, and the pace ramped up another notch for the final circuit. I descended pretty aggressively to work myself into a fairly decent position, although it could have been better by the time we hit the final descent and climb.
The race finished with a nice little kick which did break things up a bit. I passed quite a few riders on the way up to the line and my legs felt good which is why I wish I'd have had a better position. I came in 21st.
The results can be found here:
http://www.surreyleague.co.uk/results/results2012/mar2012/mar11am.htm
It was a pretty quick race too with a 24mph+ average for the 51 miles. Scope out my Strava profile for the race data:
http://app.strava.com/rides/5057816
All in all a good afternoons racing, with some more good lessons learnt. Thruxton next week.
I rode a couple of Surrey Leage events last year, and as ever this was brilliantly organised and marshalled.
At 9.30 we rolled out from the Winn village hall and onto the circuit. It was a good rolling circuit with a few ramps, a few tight corners, and some really nice fast sections, but nothing to break things up too much. It was quite a steady start out of the neutral zone and everyone took it easy up the first incline. Pace was soon injected though when we reached the faster sections, and then the attacks began. Experience from last year taught me that it's best to be up the front and out of trouble during this period, so thats where I stayed. A few early moves looked like developing, but it just ended up with various combinations of riders yo-yoing off the front, getting gaps, but then being pulled back once the pace increased again.
It wasn't until later in the race that a few riders managed to make a move really stick and they got about a minute up road. They were soon joined by several others and a large and very dangerous looking group of about 15 formed. They were disappearing into the distance, I felt pretty good so I thought I'd try to bridge. I jumped off the front and began trying to pull myself up to the break and I was soon joined by a companion. This didn't last that long though, as it became pretty apparent we weren't making much ground and the peloton soon rejoined us. I then took a bit of a rest in the wheels and it was at this point that suprisingly we began to pull back the large break.
It was maybe about 7 miles from the end when everything came back together, and the pace ramped up another notch for the final circuit. I descended pretty aggressively to work myself into a fairly decent position, although it could have been better by the time we hit the final descent and climb.
The race finished with a nice little kick which did break things up a bit. I passed quite a few riders on the way up to the line and my legs felt good which is why I wish I'd have had a better position. I came in 21st.
The results can be found here:
http://www.surreyleague.co.uk/results/results2012/mar2012/mar11am.htm
It was a pretty quick race too with a 24mph+ average for the 51 miles. Scope out my Strava profile for the race data:
http://app.strava.com/rides/5057816
All in all a good afternoons racing, with some more good lessons learnt. Thruxton next week.