The mighty Thruxton. 22/03/2009

[thePinkDreamMachine]

Last weekend I donned the yellow vest, with black ribbons in my hair and took on the mighty Thruxton.

Race time -3.5 hours
The day did not start well, after getting up at bit late and skipping off down to my car, I found my self without my keys and I couldn’t find them anywhere. We looked everywhere, re-tracing steps, we even had the kitchen bin out...twice, and I was about to get the torch out to inspect the cats’ bellies. Then in my last effort I re-checked my bag and found them in my helmet. Where else do you keep your keys… with your gloves of course

Race time -2 hours - I fly out of the house and race down to pick up Michelle, lucky for me she decided not to race today or I would have been in a whole world of trouble.

Race time -35mins – we arrive and Michelle immediately jumps into competitive mum mode, getting me signed on and sending me off to the loo, pumping up my tyres. Talking tactics and trying to dress me as I’m far to busy arranging my helmet and checking my mascara is still in pace,. We start ear-wigging the men around us telling the girls what to do and both decide that it sounds like a plan so pinch their ideas.

Race time -10min –. If I’d been any more laid back I would have been horizontal. All around us is a whole world of well-thought-out, pre-race preparation going and blondie here is weighing up which of the horrid sweet stuff in each of my bottles I’m going to take with me and, Looking at the sky, I comment that it’s a bit windy. At which point Michelle really loses it, telling me to get my arse in gear and kicking me towards the track.. I start meandering up to the warm up pen and she shouts behind me ‘NOW CHLOE’ So I jump to it..

Race time - 3mins – I’m hovering at the back in a very non committal manner and Michelle is hopping up and down at the side lines telling me to move my self up the group and to get ‘ON’ my bike… I shuffle up and I look over again and shes doing big arm movements at me at which I look over and mouth back.. ‘but I’m shy’ Michelle is despairing and about to have a heart attack on the side lines.

Race time.. I think I was yawning at the time and didn’t get myself clipped in for at least a few pedal strokes, and we were off, I was riding with the big girls. The E123s and it was feeling great. Flying up the hills and around the corners like a MotoGP racer, I was properly leaned over and everything… Until disaster strikes… at the end of the second lap one of the Dynamo girls goes down, hair, bikes, glasses and pearls all over the place. I even had time to clip out and reroute my self around the carnage … unfortunately just loosing the back of the front group. I fought and fought my way, on my OWN, up an incline into the headwind and at one point I was so close... but I just couldn’t reach them. As hard a I tired they slowly slipped away and my heart sank..

In my head I thought what a ‘bummer’ and then I starting to think of it like a time trial, I was out in the sunshine on my bike with a lovely piece of tarmac before me. I ploughed on for 7 lonesome laps getting pinker and pinker every lap. At the bell 3 girls caught me.. Having the rest again was amazing and I couldn’t believe how much easer it was, I also stared to think about why it had taken them so bloody long to catch up.

Up the final hill and through the chicanes I was in the front but in the wrong gear and terrified to get out of my seat or to use the drops for the fear of flooring or flipping my bike .. 100m to go and I was still at the front and just on the line a girl from Plymouth Corium just piped me on the line.. Beaten by a fellow Devon girl is one thing but from Plymouth!!!! Please don’t tell my mother. … I finished 9th and my face was the colour of my bike. Joking aside racing with the Big girls was a short but brilliant experience and I have certainly got my work cut out this summer if I’m really going to do this. The day was great training and a steep learning-curve and I have a lot to improve on in all aspects. another master class is on the cards I think..

A huge thank you to Michelle as without her I probably wouldn’t have made it to the start and if I did make it I expect I would have ended up going around the wrong way. Her support and insights were invaluable and I cant wait until we race together.

It was only in the car on the way home I realised that today’s race got me 2 points!!! So that’s why Michelle was shouting at me on the way round.

Next race.. April 18th women’s series

results:
1 Jeanette Caldicott Maxgear RT Over 23 1st 15 0
2 Hannah Bussey Maxgear RT Over 23 3rd 12 0
3 Marianne Britten Maxgear RT Over 23 1st 10 0
4 Jennifer Hewitt Sigma Sport.co.uk Over 23 2nd 8 0
5 Nicola Wheeler I-Team Cyclist's Club Over 23 1st 6 0
6 Claire Leonard Brighton Mitre CC Over 23 2nd 5 0
7 Ruby Ellis Maxgear RT Junior 3rd 4 0
8 Carla Haines AKO/Ducati Corse Womens Cycling Team UK Junior 3rd 3 0
9 Chloe Thomas Addiscombe CC Over 23 3rd 2 0
10 Debbie Knott Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club Over 23 3rd 1 0
11 Ann Marshall South Western RC - Evans Cycles Over 23 4th 0 0
12 Hannah Manley Youth A 0 0
13 Claire Fraser Army Cycling Union Over 23 3rd 0 0
14 Lucy Dove London Dynamo/Cyclefit Over 23 3rd 0 0
15 Danielle Archer a3crg Over 23 3rd 0 0
16 Rose Metalli Newbury RC N/A 0 0
17 Sandra Smith Over 23 4th 0 0

[Antloony]

Well done to both of you, you on the race Miss Pink and Miss Organised for getting you sorted out and shouting words of wisdom at you. That sort of advice and encouragement can make all the difference to your race. Great write up.

Michelle, hope you get better soon, must be so frustrating for you stood at the side lines and not being in the thick of the action.

[Michelle]

[quote]Michelle, hope you get better soon, must be so frustrating for you stood at the side lines and not being in the thick of the action.

[Sylv]

Come on Michelle, you were shouting only cos you were dreading getting blood stains on your loaner jersey, right?

I too look forward to hearing from you both racing together

[Andrew G]

Well done, good stuff and it'll be nice to see a ladies team challenging for honours.

[Toks]

Hey Chloe, great effort. You'll get em next time

[Stu Merckx Man]

well done chloe, great effort. hard luck on getting caught up behind the crash!! great write up too!

[huw williams]

[quote="Sylv"]Come on Michelle, you were shouting only cos you were dreading getting blood stains on your loaner jersey, right? D

[Michelle]

Actually, yours was too big, lardy, she had to borrow Keith's.

[Jon H]

[quote="Michelle"]Actually, yours was too big, lardy, she had to borrow Keith's.

[KeithK]

Great write up, I know it is windy there so well done for sticking with the solo effort and I hope you're better soon Mich.

[Sylv]

Maybe I could borrow someone's white socks then, as I can expect the oh-so-clever fashion police to have another go come next week's race pictures ..

I might just wear my Paul Smith socks just to annoy them ..