Great drive and chat down in the team bus with Maria and Aoden. We knew we were in for a wet one and the weather was very wintery indeed with strong gusty winds blowing leaves all over the roads and torrential passing showers that were to welcome us throughout the race.
Just before the race it was tipping it down, I went for a couple of laps to get the feel of the circuit and see how slippery it was. I did notice that I was pretty much the only one out there at one point when the heavens opened up.
Got a real great start this week an was into the first corner in around 3rd position then there was a real steep little bank that we rode up and over to get us onto the sloppy mud in the centre of the car racing circuit.
This is just the point where my rear tyre lost all its air, oh its not fair.
So there I was with another puncture just limping back to the pits from the furthest position on the circuit.
Riders were streaming past me as I struggled to keep moving, after what seemed like an eternity I managed to get back to the pits and change wheels.
Now its was time for catchup as I re-entered the cross at probably around 30th position. I knew from now on I had a real fight on my hands to try get back up to the leaders.
Every lap I was managing to get past riders in-front and move myself back up the field. Passed Aoden up the top of the hill just before the steep ramp to the top of the circuit.
I was enjoying the claggy muddy conditions and seemed to be getting good grip form the tyres.
It sure is much tougher playing catch up than just sitting up front with an open circuit ahead like the leaders had the pleasure of. I was working hard and keeping on the gas as I had carrots to chew all the time.
The laps were coming down quicker than I wanted as I needed some more time to chase, 3 laps to go and passed Matt Seaton and I was now into the top 10.
lapped Maria in the tricky slippery off camber section, her bike was adamantly refusing to cooperate with her commands.
Had Kevin Knox ahead with a lap to go, he was riding well in the mud, I squeezed past on the final lap and then felt him breathing on my neck ready for a sprint for the line, bad luck for Kevin as he punctured so I managed to roll across the line in 5th place.
Very happy with my end result, I wonder where I would have finished if lady luck was a shining. Still leading the London League championship, bring on the next round and let it rain.
Maria was upset her rear dropout had broke near the end of the race, taking away all her points as she couldn't finish.
but then her gear hanger snapped in all the clag and that was that, yours truly another day of mid pack fun, sparing, jostling and sliding around.
Nice plywood lining.