by -Adam- » Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:04 pm
[quote]I was taking it pretty easy for the first half of the race, watching while my Sigma team mate, Steve Golla was riding aggressively and making what was the most promising move of the early race in a break of 4
[from Andrew Bye's blog]
Yes George, Andrew Bye is pretty strong, as is his afore mentioned team mate... I was in that break! Man it was hard work.
Cheers Toks, and yes, of course I was posing for my Mum and Dad! Nice to see you've kept checking my blog. I had a great race yesterday, getting in a promising early break, with some super strong 1st cats. Then the rest of the race I seemed to navigate the field with ease, being able to move up and down the pack without many problems. I was just a bit frsutrated to miss the final split, and was unfortunately too far back to make it across with Keith. Who must also be thanked for helping me into the earlier break also, he's so strong! I did try later on though, with Jason Streather (another 1st cat, who won the winter series last year), but we just couldn't close the gap. So I settled back into the bunch to see what happened. It was clear the leading 11 were gone for the day. So I started to prepare for the final bunch sprint for 12th
. There Jason Streather then had a team mate lead him out, with a Twickenham rider just off his shoulder, then me just off his. It looked promising, then on the last bend the Twickenham rider decided he'd had enough so moved right, right into me, it was all I could do to avoid him while the rest of the bunch galloped. I wasn't amused, but at the end of the day, it was for 12th so who cares.
I really enjoyed the race, when I was in the bunch I felt very comfortable. Then when on the attack felt pretty strong also. I just burnt my matches at the wrong time so to speak. I smashed a few of my power records anyway! But I have much to learn about racing with Elites and 1st's, and yesterday was a big lesson. But I have taken a lot of confidence from the race, mixing it with 1st cats in my first serious race post operation is more than I could have asked for. And I havn't even been out with the training group yet
Keith was awesome, and a tactical genious. Andrew Bye might have the legs, but I don't think there were many others who could have matched Keiths tactical experience yesterday. It was amazing watching the way he sets himself up. Certainly a wheel to follow.
I'm not going to do many of the Winter series, maybe a few here and there. Mainly just wanted to get the legs going again and expell some of the gremlins in my head. They're long gone, and im back in the mix...