44th Perf's Pedal Race

[-Adam-]

Well, that was fun... Not.

Was looking forward to this race as it's my first outing for a long time against a decent field of riders. After there being doubt all week as to whether the race would even go ahead, there were almost no problems at all with the course. With most of the country south of the north downs being clear of snow, the race was on. Albeit delayed by half an hour to allow the courses few icy patches to clear.

So with a fair amount of confusion at the start, we eventually lined up outside the Robin Hood pub in Rowlands Castle. It's a fantastic course, some of which I had ridden before under the stewardship of Steve Calland last autumn. It only has a few little climbs, a long twisty and fast descent, and a long drag to the finish line through the woods. Anyhow, I ended up starting way down field once we eventually lined up properly. So I made a point of moving to the front of the race as soon as possible. This was not easy, as soon as the flag was dropped, the race was flat out, gutter to gutter, and very jostly. I admit, I was not expecting it to be quite that fast, or that jostly, a sign of my inexperience.

We had a simple plan today. I was to sit in and wait for the final two laps, then do my utmost to get away in a small group and contest the finish. While my team mates, Josh Cunningham, Doug Baldock, Jason Salter and Jaco Elhers marked everything else. And if there was to be a bunch sprint, I was to lead out Josh. How hard can it be I thought to myself?

Having moved closer to the front, it was proving difficult to keep position. The bunch was very fluid, with a lot of moving about. I felt almost like I did in my first few races, when holding a position in a racing bunch is all so new.

Then going up a little incline, where the bunch congealed a bit, I was edged off the road and into the gutter at the side. There was no way back, I was going down. Down I went, I think maybe one or two others fell with me, but I was excpecting several bikes and bodies to land on top of me. But fortunately it wasn't too bad. I immeadiately got back up and on my bike, only to find the chain derailed. So off the bike, chain back on, big push from the neutral service man, and off I went. In a moment the service car pulled in front of me and began towing me back to the bunch. It was not going to be an easy chase. I was sitting about 9 inches off the back of the bumper, I dared not get any closer. We touched 40mph a few times. After what seemed an age, we got close to the rear of the peloton, where I attempted to get round on the descent, but it was too narrow and too fast and a car was coming the other way. So I bottled it. Then on the next flat section I foolishly moved around the service car, onto the comissaires car, then back onto the bunch. Unfortunately, this took a mammoth effort from me, and I was right on my limit at this point. I was in desperate need of recovery. But no, the bunch hit the very climb where I crashed the lap before, and I was dropped. Unceremoniously.

Race over. I rolled back to where the team van was parked and got changed. What was almost worse than crashing, was the amount of spectators on the course looking at me sorrowfully, imagining I'd been dropped. Well that wasn't exactly the case, and by this point I was beginning to feel my left arm so I adopted the broken collarbone position in hope they might realise. Stupid I know, but it's not a nice feeling.

The rest of my team had a mixed race, Jaco broke a spoke while up the road in a break, and had a similar nightmare getting back on the bunch, eventually capitulating. Jason, suffered from the start, also a non finisher. Doug and Josh rode well, with Josh narrowly missing out on the top 10 in 11th. The race was won by William Bjergfelt of SportsBeans-Willier, from a solo attack on the last lap, while Steve Calland of Norwood Paragon lead home the bunch sprint.

The race was quite a lesson for me, particularly in bunch positioning. I was also quite naive going into the race, I really didn't expect the race to be quite so agressive. But with hindsight, given the short distance and prestige of the event, I'm not sure what I expected!! So, lesson learnt. I'm ok, although I do feel like an old man today, and although I haven't properly checked it over yet, my bike seems ok. So it's not the end of the world, but it has definately increased my hunger for this season to get going. For what it's worth I did feel ok with the pace prior to my crash, and I've only just started riding fast again really, so it bodes well. Only a month until my next race... Big training coming up...

[img]http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/MultimediaFiles/20090208_PERFS_PEDAL_23.JPG[/img]
I'm No.29, just regained the bunch here, not for long!

Results

1. Will BJERGFELT Sports Beans-Willier
2. Steve CALLAND Norwood Paragon CC
3. Alex MURISON Glendene CC / Bike Trax
4. Marcin BIALOBLOCKI Sports Beans-Willier
5. Andrew MAGNIER Planet X / Planet X
6. Alistair CARR COC Fougeres
7. David SINCLAIR GWR Team / Giant / 3Vi / Swindon Cycles / Spiuk / High5
8. Chris McNAMARA Team Corley-Cervelo /Phil Corley Cycles /Cervelo
9. Colin PARRY VC St Raphaël / Waite Contracts / Hewitt Cycles
10. Alex HIGHAM Wyndymilla
11. Joshua CUNNINGHAM In-Gear Development Squad / One Life Sport & Leisure
12. Flavio ZAPPI Oxford University CC
13. Rob FLETCHER Anders Electronics / TMG Horizon
14. Richard MASON Fit-For -Cycles Dauphin / Cycles Dauphin / For Goodness Shakes / Merckx Bikes
15. Jerone WALTERS Sigma Sport / Specialized / Sportful RT
16. Joe PERRETT Glendene CC / Bike Trax
17. Perry BOWATER CC Giro
18. Ben ANSTIE Chippenham & District Wheelers
19. Yanto BARKER Lecol-Colnagno
20. David CREGGAN VC Meudon / Excel / Tiger / Cycle Kingdom

Full results on BC, quite a few bigger names further down the list as well.

[tel]

That was a bit of a learning curve then. I bet you`ll enjoy your next race a lot better. Well done even to be in that company.

Best of luck next time.

Terry

[Sylv]

[quote]What was almost worse than crashing, was the amount of spectators on the course looking at me sorrowfully, imagining I'd been dropped. Well that wasn't exactly the case, and by this point I was beginning to feel my left arm so I adopted the broken collarbone position in hope they might realise. Stupid I know, but it's not a nice feeling.

[kieran]

Hi Adam,

didn't realise you were in this, I'd read the reports on the BC website and the discussion on veloriders.co.uk. Sounds like a messy race, you're not the only one to notice that the bunch was gutter to gutter sometimes - the photos show the bunch completely blocking the road sometimes. Pity it was also marred by the incident with the horse riders. Well done for even getting back on after the fall and mechanical - having once tried to do the same after a puncture I know it's much worse than just keeping with bunch.

Looks like you and Flecha had nice season openers:

[url]http://www.cyclingnews.com/interviews.php?id=riders/2009/interviews/juan_antonio_flecha_feb09[/url]

[Toks]

Hey I wondered if we'd get a report. Of course we would and it was a good one too No worries Adam you'll be back to get em . Nice result from Josh that boys got a litte something about him huh? I hear a little girl got thrown off her horse. Why didn't they neutralise the race when horses came on the circuit?

[Michelle]

Hmmm, wanting to say well done but I know you will think 'what for'. Well I suppose for getting back on when you were so far back after your mechanical. Shows the right mentality for the race.

Glad you are really ok, though, it was a good job no-one did fall on you, some of them look a right hefty bunch from the photos.

I don't know many of the names in the top 10, but nice for your team to have Josh beating Jerone Walters

[Dominic]

Good to hear you're alright Adam, I wondered what had happened when I didn't see your name in the results yesterday.

[Keith]

Thanks for the candid, well written report Adam.

Hope the "adopted the broken collarbone position" ploy worked and you didn't get a b@ll@cking from the boss.

[Andrew G]

Bad luck Adam, but no doubt as you intimate a good wake up call before you DNF'd. Nice injury fake , like the "opps I didn't de-cleat at in time at the lights so play with the pedal for a bit and try and work out what's wrong with the bike one".

What are your plans for the season as you can't go hard all season? I expect there are peaks planned for certain races, what are the season targets, or are they a secret?

[quote="Toks"]Nice result from Josh that boys got a litte something about him huh?

[kieran]

[quote="-Adam]
The first logical peak should be towards the end of March, early April. In time for Easter, where hopefully I'll be doing the Rás Mumhan in Ireland. Now I can't expect to go over there and win a stage, but I need to go over there and ride well, and show certain people what I can do. So that perhaps I may get an invite to the full 8-day Rás in May (as in the UCI 2.2 ranked international stage race, bit of a step up from the SL Jaunts huh!!). [/quote]

Always fancied going home to watch the Rás as usually it passes somewhere near either my home town or my wife's. I believe these are raced straight from the gun with little let up? I have the book on the History of the Rás, very good. I must admit I wonder how the Tour of Ireland will affect the standing of the Rás in the future.

[Toks]

[quote="-Adam-"] He does indeed, you better remember his name! Luckily, despite being very very similar as riders, he is better at one thing, and I'm better at another. So we don't clash, i'll let you work out the difference as the season wears on...

[-Adam-]

[quote="kieran"]Always fancied going home to watch the Rás as usually it passes somewhere near either my home town or my wife's. I believe these are raced straight from the gun with little let up? I have the book on the History of the Rás, very good. I must admit I wonder how the Tour of Ireland will affect the standing of the Rás in the future.