Well I thought last week was good, but tues night was even better
. I seem to have improved abit recently, meaning that instead of just hanging on with screaming legs for the whole of a race, I'm now able to 'take part', which is sooooooo much better. Its still just as hard but in a different way, as you can choose whether to hurt yourself or not, by riding up at the front. Up until now there's been no option.
A big field again, as the weather was nice, and I started mid bunch with what seemed a good turn out by the Addiscombe as I looked around me. I missed my pedal first time so got swallowed up a bit, but managed to work my way up in to the front third by about lap 2, where I then spotted young master Felix English who has won a few times already this year. He was the one I was going to watch, like a hawk. Sure enough on about lap 10 he made a break (the first of many i might add) halfway up the hill. Another guy went with him, so I decided to join in, partly to see the strength of the youngster, and partly to make him think that someone was going to be on his case straight away, anytime he decided the time was right for a breakaway. We stayed away for a lap or so, but I did no work, I didn't want to stay away, I want it all together please for a last lap burn up
Mike was looking extremely strong too and looked to be chomping at the bit on many occasions, dangling himself off the front hoping for someone to join him. "Not me" I said, as it would have been suicide for me to try anything like that
.
More breaks off the front and everytime the bunch was too strong, pulling them back within a lap or so. I was right there everytime and I was loving it
. A brief period of Addiscombe block out at the front with me Hal and Mike probably looked quite good from a spectators point of view, but clearly this wasn't going to help any of us win. So after plenty of shouting from Adam, walking around the cicuit, urging me to get off the front, I peeled away and sat mid bunch, which unbeknown to me, was now only about 20 strong. We must have spat about 40 odd riders out the back
.
After all the earlier work towards the front, sitting back in was a welcome rest (well, sort of). Problem with this though, was that when anything happened up top, you had to get past more riders if you wanted to join in
.
Hal and Mike did a lot of work helping to bring back breakaways all night, and I think that if they weren't there this week, Felix E would probably have stayed away with someone else at some point during the race, so a big chapeau to both of you
.
Then the break that did stay away, got off the front and I had missed it, damn
. Hal was there along with two others. The bunch got taken a bit by surprise and I was so annoyed because I could tell this was the one. There were still a few laps to go but the bunch didn't really look like catching the three away. I kept hoping someone would do me a favour, but I was resigned to the fact that I would be sprinting for the minor places again. Thing was, Felix E had missed it too, and so had Mike
. Everyone seemed to be tiring, but then a few Dulwich guy's (I think) started to increase the pace slightly, and Mike joined in. The breakaway started to looked a little nearer, fantastic, this is good. I felt confident again
That quickly subsided as, with 3 laps to go, Felix burst out of the bunch, aiming to bridge the gap across to Hal & co up the road. Big decision time. If he gets across, its curtains for the rest of us, he would help take the group off in to the distance. So what do I do? Go- stay - go- stay. B*11*cks, I have to go. Oh well chaps, here goes nothing
, I'll probably blow my legs up, but nothing ventured and all that
.
The chase was on. Up ahead, about 60m, I could see the young lad had made it across. Down across the finish line with 2 laps to go I was still 50m back. Around the hairpin, full lean, out of the saddle and push on the pedals, around the right hander - oops that was a bit too quick
, and down the hill at full bore, I need to get on now. Perfect line through the left handers and on to the last left at the bottom of the hill. A nasty pedal scrape on the floor sh1t the life out of me for a second but I was still upright and now at the back of a 5 man breakaway
. Was there enough time for me to recover, I hoped so.
As the claxon sounded, I looked around and saw the pack too far back for anyone to catch us, so it was a 1 in 5 chance of a win. It now got a little cagey, no one wanting show their hand. Amazingly I felt fairly good but then, at the bottom of the hill, Felix sprinted, yes sprinted off the front and off in to the distance. Now this is where I made my mistake this week
. I stopped looking at him and just concentrated on the remaining 4 of us. Then halfway up the hill I looked up and realised Felix hadn't got more than 70m ahead and was definately not going away anymore. I started sprinting, taking Hal with me. This was going to be a long sprint. I kept watching Felix and he was coming back to me, but there wasn't enough road left. I was going like a train, Hal was behind me and we were catching him. For one tiny moment I thought I would catch him, but it didn't happen, missing out by about 2 bike lengths. Moral of the story, its never over till its over. I thought it was over when Felix sprinted off, I should have believed
Well done to all the first timers
. Keep coming back, it does get a little easier
. Mm, maybe not
See you next week
Steve
warned me it was hard work and boy is he right, still, I shall return for more, practice makes perfect and its all good training. The misses got some great pics of the Addiscombe mob though who were out in force tonight, I'll post a few up tomorrow.
although it's got to be better than some cracks in you.
