tonghts crystal palace july 29

[KeithK]

Congratulations Hal, another strong race away from bunch and now a 2nd Cat.

But this is hopefully just the start. You now are learning to suffer and haven't finished progressing yet. When we were away at Hillingdon last year I saw you were very smooth, relaxed and had great potential.

Get stuck in and enjoy the racing with Stu, Sylv and all. Well done Sir it was only a matter of time.

[Steve B]

Congratulations Hal on claiming your 2nd cat status. And what a ride you put in to do it. That was very good indeed

Wow, what an anticlimax for me . There I was before the race, with two second places in the last two races (and the young lad who beat me both times not there), needing 9 points (a win 10 points) to claim my 2nd cat status.

Thats where it all went wrong. I've been in two minds whether to try to get the points at all as I don't think I'm good enough to be able to keep up in the big boys race. So I was a bit 50/50 as to what to do, and this affected me right from the start. From the off, I kept slipping back to the rear of the bunch. I was saying to myself "what the hell are you doing here", and I'd move up the field, but I'd find myself right back there again a few minutes later. I didn't have any fire in my belly, and it felt quite odd.

Then as it was all going off at the head of the race, something clicked inside, probably a good shot of adrenalin started to race round my body, as the realisation that the race was going away from me set in . Off the front were 4 riders, one of them Hal, another, tattoo man(very good), and two others who looked pretty good too. They were gone, and I was faffing around mid bunch . I got out of the saddle and started the chase from the bottom of the hill. I cldn't even see them ahead, this was crazy, I'm never going to make it . But then I caught sight of them on the top bend and it gave me a boost. I was riding hard, bloody hard, but the gap was big and my legs were now beginning to hurt . I seemed to be gaining on them, but not very quickly and i realised just how fast the breakaway was going. Up the hill on the next lap and I was still a long way off, but I had to keep going, I couln't back down now . Looking back I couldn't see anyone, and looking forward, there was still this big gap that needed closing. All I could think of, was getting a rest once I'd got on, but I wasn't on, nowhere near I kept pushing and pushing until finally, halfway up the hill on the next lap, I gave an extra big push to close down the last 10m - YES , I'd made it, but oh dear, my legs

Boy these guys were motoring, I couldn't believe it. I turned round to check how much of a lead we had and literally couldn't see the group at all. My legs were totally shot, so I sat at the back to see if they would recover, but the pace was too high, there was no let-up whatsoever, and my thighs were seriously on fire. I really couldn't keep up with this pace and 2 laps later the thinist of elastic bands went ping, and I had to drop back - aarrrgh .

So that was it really. I waited ages for the group to come through but my legs couldn't stay with it and my brain didn't want to . I pulled out just after and watched the rest of the race from grass.

Hal seemed to be pretty much ok, sharing the work load and keeping the pace high, but a couple of times a slight gap would open up, with him a bikes length off the back. He was just playing with us
A breakaway group of 5 from the E12's was catching Hal's group of 4, but only by about 10m per lap, so this shows how fast this 3/4 group was stonking along. I predicted Hal for the win as they went through with a lap to go, but unfortunately he missed out by a small margin as three riders crossed the line together after a great sprint. Well done Hal, brilliant ride

Steve

[Snoop Doug]

Fantastic, honest insight from The Shadow. Sometimes it just don't work out - it's good to hear about these experiences. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Now get yer brain back in gear and go get 'em

Snoop

[Sylv]

Road & Track - 3/4
Place Rider Club Age Cat Disc Cat Rank Pts Series Pts
1 Nigel Ling Citihub/Cycles Dauphin Over 23 3rd 10 0
2 Jakub Wolcendorf 0 0
3 Hal Bransby Addiscombe CC Over 23 3rd 7 0
4 Vaidas Grabauskas Dulwich Paragon CC N/A 0 0
5 Ramiro Serna Over 23 3rd 5 0
6 Chris Panayiotou Over 23 4th 4 0
7 Philip Murrell Finsbury Park CC Over 23 3rd 3 0
8 Scott Bentley Dulwich Paragon CC Over 23 3rd 2 0
9 James Craddock Dulwich Paragon CC Over 23 4th 1 0
10 Alan Flight GS Invicta Eye Level Optical Over 23 3rd 1 0

Road & Track - EL/1/2
Place Rider Club Age Cat Disc Cat Rank Pts Series Pts
1 Billy-Joe Whenman Marin UK Under 23 1st 10 0
2 Johny Torrez Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk Over 23 2nd 8 0
3 Allister Tulett Arctic - Premier Racing Team Over 23 1st 7 0
4 Patrick Jones Dulwich Paragon CC Over 23 2nd 6 0
5 Ian Paine London Dynamo/Cyclefit Over 23 1st 5 0
6 Guy Pearson Pearson Cycles Over 23 2nd 4 0
7 Adam Cotterell Trisportnews.com Under 23 2nd 3 0
8 Matt Seaton Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk Over 23 1st 2 0
9 Richard Hoult London Dynamo/Cyclefit Over 23 1st 1 0
10 Simon Bird Dulwich Paragon CC Over 23 2nd 1 0

[KeithK]

Steve, that's such an honest write-up and shows how much of racing is in your head.

Progressing to the next level will be tough but remember where you are racing at the Palace, you are not in the bunch cruising round. All the hard work, training and racing will not make you a winner in the E/1/2 next week. It will take time but you will get there if you want it enough.

As a 3rd cat if you were getting your points in 1s' & 2s' then yep I'ld hesitate as well but not when you are so competative, you are almost there allready. If you are going to Win it is all the more likely at this level, make the most of the chances and don't give up all ambition once you're a 2nd cat. The racing is better and you will get away from the bunch obviously you are good enough to do that right now, whether you'll stay away.......that's something else but it will happen. Well done for trying.

BTW when the racing gets really tough and you want to give up, relax and wait for the bunch, it's all too much!!!! Imagine having to tell some one you particularly admire afterwards why you sat up. That works for me, the look of disappointment in Joyce's face when I say 'I couldn't hold 'em or I blew up' is the biggest kick up the ar$e and makes me feel such a failure. You'll dig just a bit deeper next time. Maybe relax or stetch have a drink whatever it takes get out of the Red zone. Talk to your Team Mate, disrupt the rythm, just calm it down for a few seconds. Do anything just to help recovery.

What ever you decide to do Steve, all the best with your racing and thanks again for the brilliant report.

I wish I could see more of all these racing reports and results but work, life and training really gets in the way....

[Steve B]

Thankyou for that Keith, I appreciate your comments . I think I will just ride and see what happens.

To be honest, most of the year I have been riding around in the bunch and using my strong finish to get results. It has only been the last 4 weeks or so where I have been able to ride near the front, this is why I feel I will struggle in the E12 race. Anyway, will have to get the points first before I have to worry about that .

Thanks Keith

Steve