He said "Why don't a few of us getaway early" I said "Noone gets away at Hillingdon in the 4ths
"Anyway we start off slowly and I'm at the back for the first lap. There was an attack on the front but my vision ahead was obscured by the pack so couldn't quite make out what had happened. When I saw rider the same Avanti rider I spoke to earlier get reeled back in I just smiled and thought nothing more of it.
The pace picked up and we were using the hill to the finish for attacks. There a few shouts going round for dodgy riding but I kept out of any trouble and when I found space made my way up into the top ten.
Things became pretty neutral when the e/1/2/3s came through - first the break followed by the whole pack which looked huge. Must've taken good few laps to get things going again. Anyway the lap board comes out (3 to go) and the pace kicks up. I'm holding my position and feeling ok. I can hear a shout from the back that there were two clear ahead we wont catch em. Oh no we'll be racing for third. A Dulwich rider is off the front too. Ok try not to panic and hold my position. We come round to the finish line and the bell goes. Round the hair pin and up the back there are two smiling faces sitting down watching from the banking - the ones who got away.
Get a bit boxed in but not as bad as other weeks and keep going. The dulwich rider is caught and passed. We go up the hill for the final time and kick and hold on to a wheel I think I'm tenth and keep going. I can see the line 3rd has gone but I'm not at all far behind. I finish 14th, 12th in the bunch. Better than previous weeks but still not good enough. I'm starting to get it though - positioning, when to kick but obviously have a lot more to learn.
I watch the last lap of the e/1/2/3s from the finish line. I've got a good view and am again surpised by how big the pack is. There's a small break but the gap is not big enough. Sure enough they come round again all together up the hill. Suddenly there's there a lot of shouts, lateral movement and a bike goes flying mid air and several riders are off. The front 20 are unfased and are going for the line. Tony gibb gets it but everyone is looking further down the track concerned about what has happened. Not sure if everyone was ok but hope so. It looked pretty bad. I leave just as the ambulance arrives.
