Fortunately there was no thunderstorm of biblical proportions this year. Also, the 2nd group of "3rd Cat Veterans" weren't set off with a certain pair of Yates brothers as happened last year.
I got put with the 3rd (of 5) groups. With a short course and a decent hill I reckoned than we'd easily be caught (and passed?) by the scratch group. Hence I went into self-preservation mode (wheelsucker, limpet, call it what you like
), conserving energy for the inevitable eye-balls out hill climbs to come. Sure enough we were caught by a combined 4th & scratch group only half way into the race, and soon hoovered up the first couple of groups. I managed a few fast hill climbs, but a gap opened one rider in front and I hadn't got the strength to come around and catch the lead pack of around 8 riders (complete guess at numbers here).Anyway, a second group of around a dozen of us formed with 2 laps to go. This included Gavin, the only other ACC rider in the race. Come the sprint for the line at the top of the steepest part of the hill, I managed 4th of our group, but obviously well down in the overall numbers.
A really good race. I realise the steep hill and short lap made it inevitable that the elites and 1st Cats would get away, but it made for a really safe race. Sometimes the last half lap of a flat handicap course can get a bit manic as all of the groups compress into one mass peleton on both sides of the road, with everyone going 100% for the line.
Oh, and we stayed dry too.
I don't think I'll ever forget that 
