Home
Rode today's Surrey League Road Race promoted by CC Basingstoke this morning on the Milland Hill circuit out past Petersfield. It's a fairly challenging circuit with the main feature being Milland Hill, after which the circuit is named. If anyones ridden it before it can be a bit of a tester with first half a mile or so at around 4-6%, before ramping all the way up to 25% underneath a railway bridge. There's an informative sign before the bridge kindly letting you know what's coming. The race was 6 and a half laps of the circuit, so 7 times up the main climb and about 50 miles in total.
There were a few other interesting features, like a sort-of-technical descent, but it wasn't overly challenging. The hardest part of the circuit was about a km of steady drag which you get to about 30 seconds after you've busted your lungs on the hill itself, which probably made it about twice as hard as it actually is!
The race played out to be a bit of a war of attrition really. The first time up the hill was pretty comfortable, but then when the hammer went down with the larger teams like Kingston Wheelers pushing up the pace things got difficult. A couple of guys slipped away, they had 1-2 minutes at one point. A few other attacks went during the race, but because of the hill it was proving hard for anyone else to escape. Every ascent of the hill seemed to claim a few more casualties and it was a pretty reduced group that made it to the finale.
On the penultimate ascent the race blew apart as the peloton fractured into several groups. I made it over the climb in the front section of what was left of the peloton, but then after the small descent the attacks went as some guys made it off in pursuit of the two who had escaped earlier in the day. Everything fractured into small groups and I took a lot of wind trying to fight then time trial my way back up to the next group but it didn't happen and I was joined by other chasers. We worked together to stay ahead of other groups behind and since I was climbing well all day I left those guys on the final ascent to the finish line.
Not sure where I finished in terms of placings, but it was another good race and another good stepping stone towards becoming a better road racer.
There were a few other interesting features, like a sort-of-technical descent, but it wasn't overly challenging. The hardest part of the circuit was about a km of steady drag which you get to about 30 seconds after you've busted your lungs on the hill itself, which probably made it about twice as hard as it actually is!
The race played out to be a bit of a war of attrition really. The first time up the hill was pretty comfortable, but then when the hammer went down with the larger teams like Kingston Wheelers pushing up the pace things got difficult. A couple of guys slipped away, they had 1-2 minutes at one point. A few other attacks went during the race, but because of the hill it was proving hard for anyone else to escape. Every ascent of the hill seemed to claim a few more casualties and it was a pretty reduced group that made it to the finale.
On the penultimate ascent the race blew apart as the peloton fractured into several groups. I made it over the climb in the front section of what was left of the peloton, but then after the small descent the attacks went as some guys made it off in pursuit of the two who had escaped earlier in the day. Everything fractured into small groups and I took a lot of wind trying to fight then time trial my way back up to the next group but it didn't happen and I was joined by other chasers. We worked together to stay ahead of other groups behind and since I was climbing well all day I left those guys on the final ascent to the finish line.
Not sure where I finished in terms of placings, but it was another good race and another good stepping stone towards becoming a better road racer.
Well done Andy, can only echo the sentimens expressed regarding Tom and Jerry, another committed rider flying the PNECC flag today, good effort 
