"live from eastway 5/3/05"

[Toks]

Hey wassup guys! I?m on the fifth lap of a 32-lap race for 3rds juniors and women. It?s not freezing but it?s still chilly enough for me to be wearing 3 layers and booties. For the first 4 laps the fifty-odd riders are nonchalantly cruising around eastway?s famous lumpy 1-mile circuit. There?s a fierce headwind circling the course so I?m wisely taking shelter behind a thundered-thighed giant riding for Milton Keynes. [Excellent! if the pace stays like this I?ll be fine]! YEAH RIGHT!

DAMN!! One of those all-to-fidgety-juniors has jumped off the front and the pace has shot up. I immediately lost the big guys? wheel, no problem I?ve found a nice little for myself ? right at the back of the bunch.

Lap 12: the pace is still highly variable, as advised I?m trying to stay in the front 20 places but its not easy - fail to close up any gaps and you go from 7th to 47th before you can say ?anyone for box hill?. Nevertheless as a ?lazy boy racer? (ask Ajay) I?m not feeling too bad considering its my first race of the year?. Up front are a couple of sprightly juniors, a Sports and Publicity Vet, Carl (more about him later!) from Brixton cycles and a really lively girl from London Dynamos. They?ve got a 10 second lead on the bunch. I?m right on the front now and I start towing the bunch back up to the five leaders?

Lap 26: Carl, myself, the craggy-faced Sport and Publicity vet lead the pack. We?ve just lapped tree-trunk legs from Milton Keynes (he?s now part of a four-man group that got dropped quite early on)? Carl is getting really twitchy he keeps turning around and looking at everyone. He thinks that an attack is imminent [don?t worry mate I?m not going anywhere I ?m staying right with you]. Someone shouts out that we?re only 40 secs down on a two-man break away. Nobody wants to chase. Apart from a slight scare when someone hit my handlebars I feel ok

Lap 28: ?Oi Yellow, close that gap!? [its not gonna happen mate, sorry!] After a fairly longish turn on the front I ?m fading badly. Lactic acid is having a party in my thighs. I?ve started going backwards and soon I?m swallowed up by the pack. At last I reach my niche position at the rear. With just four laps to go I hope I can recover to contest the bunch sprint?

Lap 31: The bell's just gone and I begin to drag my 'lazy boy racing' arse back up to the front. With 2/3rds of the final lap I manage to join the front fifteen guys. The pace is high and everyone is trying to get a good position on the final bend. Two riders crash and go down almost in front of me. I?m on Carl?s wheel he begins cussing creatively with the C- word and the F-word. I basically come to a standstill, there?s no where else to go and everyone cruises by. I decide to just roll towards the finish line?Sadly no top ten finish for me but it was great fun. Until next time take care, Toks

[Nick]

Toks
Sounds like you had a fine ride and if your riding is like your race report YOU sholud have finished FIRST there must have been some sort of consperisey(spelling?) against you. But sounded like fun.

WELL DONE

Vice Air Marshall Nick of the Path Finder Squadron

[Maria David]

Well done Toks - a bit of pain when you have an incident like that right on the final sprint.
Sounds like it went better than your other experience of racing at Eastway - btw will you be doing the Ciclos Uno races there on Sundays - I plan to go there a week on Sunday (20/3) - need to learn how to get round that fast left hand corner before Easter, when I'll be thrown into the thick of it at the women's national points race.

[Marek]

Hi Toks, I might do the E123 Handicap at Chertsey on the 19th March, do you fancy it?

[siwickm]

I have changed my mind about Chertsey and will enter the Dunsfold race in the afternoon of the 20th. Toks, are you going to go for that.