Woohoo!...22 minutes into an LVRC crit race at Dunton and I'm out front riding solo; hands are off the hoods and my balance and aerodynamics are ensured by two skinny wrists glued to the centre of the bars. The effort is one I'm familiar with, just like one of those 2 x 20's I was banging out back in January. Only this time I'm not stuck in the kitchen looking at the clock but I'm on a quirky windy 1.7mile circuit watched by a dozen on lookers. Just 45 seconds earlier I'd forced the issue - Jens Voight stylie - rocking the bike and pushing down hard on the pedals. Jesus, I hate that speed sapping banked left hand bend. Its a deceptive little fuhker, a draggy 40 meters at 500+ watts. Ouch! Anyway I descended on to the straight at 30mph and in 5th position; one exaggerated side swipe and a bunny hop over the the lip that separates both tarmacked and concreted bits of the course and I was "whitesnaking it". Yes - here I go again on my own... but for how long?
Well it was only for a lap an a half as it goes. I eventually eased up as one of the bunch engines brought a whole load of forty and fifty something blokes right up to my back wheel. Nevertheless it was a nice confidence booster. Its been more than two years since (1) I've ridden competitively (2) I've been free from niggly hip and ankle pain. I say I haven't ridden competitively recently but things around Regents Park in the last three months have resembled unofficial mini races on some evenings... lol
Anyway that sameness and predictability we get when training isn't there when it comes to racing and perhaps that''s part of the attraction. As a slow-twitcher without team mates I tried my best to cover all the bases. As well as trying to transport myself up the road when ever the opportunity presented itself I kept my eyes on all the Eagle CC boys, the rather sprightly API guy and the jumpy chap from Southend Wheelers.
Now like many crit races this one had bunch finish written all over it. Even still it would be important to pay attention in the last 4-5 laps, right? Coz...if you didn't a couple of guys could just slip away just before the 3 laps to go board went up. Did I say a couple of guys could just slip away? Er...yeah? Off they went into the lovely summer night. Was anyone gonna chase? We're they heck! I had half a match left to burn and tried but 'breakway haters-r-us'' jumped all over me. Oh well, bunch finish for me then. Roll on race number two