Not only did we have Charlotte Blackman signing on (1st Cat), but Jo Mundon ( 2nd Cat) signed on, Tamsin Lewis (Sigma Sport) but to top it all, Jenny Copnall ( Subaru Gary Fisher) was present, apparently the UK's only top class female moutainbiker.
Oh cr@p
.To top it all the weather was terrible, a really blustery wind, showers, a wet track with mud on it as the grass had not been laid yet, and that Pig of a Hill - pun intended.
We got one lap round to warm up, as the junior boys finished and then time to play.
19 on the start line, which is loads for womens racing, 15 laps to go of a 2km circuit. And off we went. From the start the big girls went to the front and kept up a fierce pace. The hill the first time round was absolute torture. Thanks to Toks for the advice to spin up it, I don't think I could have done anything but. Bright pink in the face, and way too hot I made it to the top thinking that I would only last 3 laps.
Luckily by lap 3 or 4 we had drifted into groups. There were 3 at the front, 4 behind them, one stuck on her own and then 3 in my group. The pace also slowed which allowed my poor near-to- bursting heart to have a bit of a rest. However at this point the rain really hit us, and the blustery wind was very difficult to manage, espeically if you had deep rims - luckily not me.
At the start of lap 10 I shouted at Keith to ask him what position I was in. On the next lap he said 'seventh I think' which turned out to be a complete lie. But he couldn't tell as people were getting lapped, so he's forgiven. I did my own calculations and worked out I was 9th. I didn't want 9th, I wanted 7th, I want my points to be 2nd Cat. So with 3 laps to go I attacked at the top of the hill. I set off into that awful wind on my own, with the intention of trying to catch the next group, and if that was not possible, at least seeing off the other members of my group - one of whom is well known for sitting in then winning the sprint.
Unfortunately it was not to be, the group worked well behind me and caught me up around the bottom of the hill. I sat in - well it was a relief, and then on the final lap, went off for the final sprint from about halfway up the hill. I really pushed it hard, did the angry face and everything, only to be pipped at the post by Claire Beaumont from LD. Who has beaten me before.
I was very pleased to have finished 10th in such an illustrious field, and with only 2 weeks back on the bike proper after a sick summer.
Only 3 more points to go!
Sylv and Keiran were also due to race as was Chris Scarlett from TSN.
