by Sylv » Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:49 am
[quote="huw williams"]This is all you need to know...
Well, almost - this makes it looks like I came second when I was in fact 4th. The line was yellow, I think what happened is as I was sprinting I looked down to see if anyone's wheel was getting closer, and I must have seen the line with my head still down, and added to the fact that I couldn't see anyone I just assumed I'd gone past the finish line proper, when in fact the one with the banner was another 20m or so away. There's another photo, which I cannot link to (think it's on LCS) where you see me sitting in and Gavin Ryan from Dynamo still sprinting and coming past me. At the point of the photo above, I had started to sprint again! I probably wasn't thinking very clear as I didn't get a single chance to take a drink in 50 minutes, and I'm told I was foaming at the mouth like a fox with rabbies.
But, nevertheless it was a great race and I thoroughly enjoyed it, the course was brilliant just what I like, and the crowds awesome (I wasn't sure if I what I was constantly hearing around the course was "Sylv!" or if someone called "Phil" was next to me ...). The Dynamos with a very well oiled plan and 8 strong riders, one of which is now 1st cat (Cam the winner) were always going to be hard to beat (could have done with a bit of help from George), but I had also noted a fair few other strong 2nd cats in the field. So the Dynamos kept firing the attacks with Stuart keeping himself busy right from the start, me and a few others were always chasing and working hard doing so, so much so than when Cam attacked followed by Chas I didn't quite have the legs to go with them.
Their gap grew steadily but we could still see them only about 10-15s ahead for a long time, we should have been able to reel them in really but at some point there were only three of us, then two willing to share the work - with what was left of the bunch still behind us - I was expecting more people would have been able to do so. But, I guess even with just two of us working if we'd been strong enough we would have brought them back as there were only two of them as well. The Dynamos were still near the front but I can't say they were slowing things down, in fact Stuart was going pretty hard at times so much so that the speaker was getting worried he was chasing down his team mate.
With two laps to go some riders we hadn't seen came to the front in anticipation for the sprint, I was glad with the way I played it then, let them come past and sat in about 6th place then just before the second to last turn came past everyone on the outside, first into the turn, then hammered it past the final turn and into the finishing straight. Shame I stopped pedalling too early what a tool! but hey ho ..
Lap - Lap times - Av Speed - Av HR - Max HR
1 - 1" 37 - 38.3 - 149 - 172
2 - 1" 32 - 40.6 - 174 - 178
3 - 1" 32 - 40.6 - 174 - 176
4 - 1" 34 - 39.5 - 173 - 174
5 - 1" 25 - 43.9 - 172 - 174
6 - 1" 35 - 39.4 - 173 - 175
7 - 1" 33 - 40.2 - 170 - 172
8 - 1" 39 - 37.6 - 171 - 172
9 - 1" 30 - 41.4 - 171 - 175
10 - 1" 30 - 41.4 - 171 - 175
11 - 1" 34 - 39.7 - 172 - 176
12 - 1" 34 - 39.7 - 172 - 176
13 - 1" 27 - 42.7 - 172 - 173
14 - 1" 35 - 39.4 - 172 - 173
15 - 1" 27 - 42.8 - 171 - 173
16 - 1" 32 - 40.6 - 171 - 176
17 - 1" 32 - 40.6 - 171 - 176
18 - 1" 27 - 42.7 - 169 - 173
19 - 1" 33 - 40.3 - 170 - 172
20 - 1" 25 - 43.9 - 171 - 172
21 - 1" 31 - 40.9 - 169 - 172
22 - 1" 35 - 39.2 - 170 - 171
23 - 1" 41 - 37.1 - 169 - 171
24 - 1" 33 - 40.2 - 168 - 171
25 - 1" 25 - 44.1 - 167 - 171
26 - 1" 31 - 41.2 - 169 - 173
27 - 1" 31 - 41.2 - 169 - 173
28 - 1" 31 - 41.2 - 169 - 173
29 - 1" 32 - 40.6 - 171 - 173
30 - 1" 35 - 39.4 - 170 - 174
31 - 1" 35 - 39.4 - 170 - 174
32 - 1" 28 - 42.3 - 175 - 179
total - 48" 54 - 40.7 - 170
The Elite race - mamma mia. I read of a 47km/h average speed, not sure if that is possible. But certainly seeing some of the Palace strongmen suffering at the back was humbling. Warrick was awesome though, bet he was wishing on some rain but he was still up there.