Rusper 3rd Cat

[Marek]

http://www.londoncyclesport.com/reports ... awley.html

First proper race for a while and it was a bit damp, well actually bliming soaking.

It started off with driving rain, which by the second lap had turned into the kind of rain which hurts when it hits the skin. This is good in some ways and bad in others. It is good because it makes the race a little bit slower as cornering is pretty dodgy, it is bad because you cannot see where you are going.

By the second lap the field of 50 was already starting to dwindle. A lot of guys were either puncturing or pretending to puncture. I don't blame them it was horrible. On the second lap I was thinking about packing basically because I could hardly see my front wheel let alone the wheel in front of me and spotting any pot holes etc was an impossibility. The mixture of steamed up lenses, driving rain and dirt on my glasses made me almost blind.

Thankfully by the third lap the rain started to clear up, well actually it was raining but not as hard. Vision started to come back and I realised that the peleton was now getting smaller. I had a few scares whereby I was going a bit too fast on one of the corners and I careered right across the road and only just managed to hold the bike on the road and then back. Some other poor bugger did not have my luck and he hit the side and went flying he was picking himself up as I nearly careered into him.

After the early scares on these corners the peleton took it really easy on the corners which was good. But the race was getting smaller and smaller. On the 3rd lap I found that I was taking it a bit too easy and was nearly dropped by the main group as I was sleeping on the back with some slower guys who decided to call it a day, this meant I had to chase. Thankfully I got back on.

On the lap before last coming up the finishing hill a group of about 10 went away, I had to chase as no one else was going to and I managed to bring them back. Chasing up the hill was great as it gave me confidence for the final lap as I was obviously one of the stronger riders on the hill as the others were dying.

Into the final lap and I sat at the back and let the others pull and chase etc, it was evident nothing was going to stay away. Onto the hill for the final time and there were only about 10 - 12 of us left. I managed to get in a reasonable position and opened up the sprint a little bit too late but still managed to get 5th place. It was really close for 4th spot but the first three had a good enough gap to be safe.

At the end of the race out of the 50 starters only about 9 of us finished together with a few being dropped on the final hill and a load of others a lap or so down. 25 DNF. Unfortunately Max punctured within the first km, he was not a happy chappy after driving down from North London.

Cheers

Marek....

[richv]

Good ride Marek. Finishing at all on a day like yesterday is pretty impressive and to do so at the front (well closer than I ever get) even more so.