Newdigate
A pony and trap on the first lap wasn't the only obstacle to contend with this evening. I managed to find the same rut off the side of the road that Matt H crashed in a few weeks back. Luckily for me though, I stayed upright, riding along it for 20m and popping back up onto the tarmac...
. And on the penultimate lap we got held up for 2 or 3 minutes behind a horse box and some other farm vehicle/truck. Luckily for us the race was all back together by then...not sure what would have happened if there was still a group up the road. A fast race again, as they all are, and I felt under pressure for pretty much all of it. As the previous week, I had to chase across a big gap at the start of the final lap. When the guys at the front attacked (a dozen?)at the bell, Jake Martin decided to ease off the pedals, letting a gap open up which grew very quickly. I was a couple back from him and was shouting at him and the other guys in front of me to get on with it. They didn't and the break was getting away. I had to make a quick decision if I wanted to be in the mix again at the end, which I obviously did if I wanted points. A good half a mile of flat out chase got me up to the break, but I'd probably done myself for the finish
I hadn't needed to get across the gap solo though, as soon after, the rest of the field joined too...oh well, you live and learn.
As it happened, when it came to the lead up to the sprint, I felt ok. I rode the last 3/4 of a mile tactically well, and was now in a great position for the final effort. But just as I was about to make my move from about 5th or 6th wheel, Gareth Thomas came flying up the outside. I had to check, and as I did so, the guys in front of me started to sprint. I then panicked and set chase after Gareth also up the outside, but I'd already lost a vital couple of seconds, and there was no way back. My legs started to die badly and positions and points were ebbing away. Keith had rode a great race too and pipped me on the line. He was 5th, me 6th. I'd lost 11 points to Gareth...if the final couple of races ended the same way he would overtake me and win the series. There is still the potential for points in the Handicap championship to play for in September, but most of the big points usually get taken by the Elites and 1st cats that race in that, so unlikely to effect the outcome, unless there were only a couple of points between us.
Wivelsfield
Another tough race, but ultimately one that ended up with 5 guys from the 1st group staying away. We were getting time gaps on each lap, but with 3 laps to go we knew it was unlikely that we would catch them. As it happened we only missed out by 15 seconds. Fair play to them though, they did well to stay away.
So we were fighting for 6th place. I didn't really fancy the finish too much though...it was a down hill lead in to the slight up hill finish, but there was a dodgy right hand bend in the down hill section too, and I didn't feel 100% safe at going full tilt with quite a few riders I didn't know. I got myself fairly well positioned, but my heart wasn't in it. And when I got nudged by someone going for a gap that wasn't there, I backed off even more. I was now behind a wall of riders and I just hoped they would all fade badly leaving me a nice gap to come through. It nearly did happen just like that... I ended up sneaking through on the outside as everyone was dying on the inside. I ended up about 6th or 7th of the bunch. Official result says 16th, but it doesn't matter. Most of the points were taken by the 5 up front, and Gareth finished behind me. So the series was heading my way. Just one more race to get through
Kitsmead Lane
I didn't feel right on the ride to the race
. It was absolutely scorching hot and I think this was the reason. I'd tried to drink as much as I could during the day, but I still felt dehydrated. From the start of the race I was in trouble, I felt terrible. Lap after lap I struggled to keep up and with 5 to go I fell off the back. My mind was in turmoil. Everything was telling me to stop, pull over, quit. But I didn't want to, not in the last race. I got out of the saddle and sprinted back on to the back of the bunch. I felt sick
. I thought 'ok, just try to do one more lap, then quit'. So I forced myself to do another lap. I still felt aweful, I still felt sick.With 3 to go I'm at the back still and I see Mike (paragon) in front of me. I told him 'I'm going to stop, I've just got to stop'. He gave me a good telling off! And he was right.
I've never ever felt so bad in a race, but I hung in, somehow. I got through the next 2 laps still yo-yoing at the back, and then with 1 lap to go, and the realisation that I would finish the race, I got a massive shot of adrenalin, and it really was a big one
All of the sh*t that I'd felt for the last hour was now history...well most of it. The human body is an amazing thing.
I only had to get round one more lap. I picked my way through the field in big chunks and made a super cheeky move up the outside just before the final corner. Somehow or other, I had put myself in a position to fight for a point or two. My sprint legs did better than that though. I smashed it up the outside overtaking what seemed like a good dozen riders. It was quite unbelievable if I do say so myself. I crossed the line in 6th place, I still can't believe it
. 6 more points to my total, and with Gareth getting a puncture mid race, the series win was in the bag My goal for the season was to try and win the Handicap series again. And I've achieved my goal. It's been a very tough second half of the season, with more and more really fast guys joining in the Handicap races. My body has been taken to places it's not been before, and I'm not sure it wants to do it again!
3 consecutive series wins...I'm very very proud of that
Steve
