I'm probably repeating myself here, but I like the "end of season" handicap championships race. Everyone is set off in a ready made break with some incentive to work together. 4th cats get to experience a 60 mile race on the road, and to ride with the local Elite racers.
PVT had the unenviable task of handicapping. Around a dozen groups were set off with 14 minutes between first group and scratch. I was set off in "scratch -2" at 12 minutes.
The Kirdford circuit is a 10 mile reasonably flat loop with a single short hill used for the finish (primarily to give the finish line judges a chance of producing accurate placings for everyone, I expect?). 6 laps.
With one exception, our group worked together, but it wasn't long before we were hoovered up by the scratch group, consisting primarily of Pedal Heaven RT Elite riders. They maintained a fast pace for a lap or two, until they'd brought the gap to the front group down to what they considered controllable. Down to less that 5 minutes with 3 laps remaining. They then eased off the gas and let others do some of the work.
The race then became more interesting. I burnt half my matches in bridging to a PHRT rider up the road. Joined by a second PHRT, I thought we'd a chance of staying away, but the final bridge was way too quick for me and we were chased down by the bunch anyway.
All together on the final lap. A front group of 7 upped the pace, people let wheels drop and I'm half asleep on the wrong side of a what's the decisive split in the race. Bugger!
I'm no fan of an uphill bunch sprint with a load of riders I don't know, plus I'm annoyed for having missed the split, so after a few miles chipped off the front with Pat from KW and 2-upped to finish. We managed to stay away from all but 2 of the bunch.
So the Toks finish order above was:
1-6 break
Gap
7-10
Gap
11 bunch
