In the midst of the thunderous roar of carbon disc wheels, shifting gears and spinning chains I suddenly get a moment of clarity… “Why am I here?†I ask myself “This was never on my schedule of ‘things to do’ this summer.†“I’m no racer yet here I am, considering the possibility of scoring points against a bunch of ‘proper’ racers.†“How did I even get here?â€
This is how;
This was a proper handicap. So a few girls set off, then about 40 4th cats, then me and about 25 3rd cats, then about a dozen or so in the E/1/2 scratch group. In the 3rds we knew we had to work hard to catch the 4ths as Steve Calland was sitting in with them demanding proper through and off tactics rather than the usual cavalier approach you get in a 4ths race. It was beautiful, we had two lines of flawless through and off from the gun with every single rider contributing. We were communicating well, and anyone breaking the rhythm was quickly pulled back into line. Within 3 laps we could see the back of the 4ths group as we gradually reeled them in.
The scent of burning 4th cats was enough to light the touch paper in our group and the speed got noticeably quicker as we neared them just before the race mid-point. We started to shell riders who couldn’t come through for their turns and I was getting that familiar feeling of being absolutely on the edge every time I hit the front and just about recovering enough by the time I got to the back to join the faster moving line coming up the outside. But it was bloody hard. The wind blowing in on the top straight was like the blast form a hair dryer, hot enough to demand sips form the bottle twice a lap, It was dusty and the dry earth being kicked up by the mistral was sticking roughly over sweat-soaked team jerseys. Very uncomfortable racing!
We haired up the inside of the 4ths group and under Calland’s instruction they pulled wide to let us through, those that were either strong enough or just couldn’t resisit it, got sucked in by our gravitational pull and the group swelled to proportions which made the thorough and off unsustainable. No matter, within seconds the scratch group hit us from the back and it was every man for himself as the attacks came thick and fast, the series contenders trying to sort the men from the boys.
The next four laps was a frenzied blur of chasing down attack after attack as the big teams of VC Meudon, Brighton Mitre and Wildside tried to make decisive breaks. I lost count of the times I found myself in a long, single file of riders, head down and gnawing at the stem for mercy, the speed too relentlessly high to allow any kind of group to form. Time and again I though I was going to break but just, just had enough to stay in there.
With two of the 11 laps remaining there was brief but welcome respite as everyone realised that it was the going to come down to the sprint so after a lap to recover the missiles started firing on the back straight for the last time. I found the welcoming arms of our composite CW team (Mike Hawkins and Stu Bowers) because I knew they’d go close and I used them for a high speed tow through the pack to a safe place on the shoulders of the leaders on the top straight – the group was huge and very sketchy as we bore down on the final sprint at ridiculous high-speed. Riders’ arms were going up all over the place as they signalled they wanted no part in this insanity and dropped out of the sprint. We hit the last bend and I was top 10 and in touch with leaders, riders bristling with intent as the chequered flag loomed. That’s when I had my moment of clarity – a moment where time seemed to stand still and I asked myself “Why are you here? Do you really want this?†and as quickly as that thought enetered my heard I heard the demanding words of DS LeBrun in my head following my last appearance here “I want points next time E123’s or not!†and I had my answer
“YES I DO F*****G WANT IT†I screamed internally, stuck my head down and slammed the front wheel through the eye of a fast moving needle. 50 metres to go and I wasn’t slowing up – I had Mike Hawkins, series leader Dave Creegan Stu Bowers, Jamie Newell and about three others in front of me and I was still getting faster, this was ridiculous! In the top ten with 30 metres to go and I screamed a kamikaze wail to try and find something extra as they were opening a gap on me. Just at the point I lost the wheel in front some Alex Guimareas and some Wildside boys came through towing a posse of ten or so others in their slipstream – I was powerless, I could jump on but didn’t have the legs to go again and come round. I finished within five bike lengths of the winner but Dunsfold is a wide track, so between me and him there were 19 riders. Chris McNamara got it, Dave second, Mike was third and Stu was in amongst the big names somewhere too.
Damn that was so close I could smell the points – I must learn to time my sprint better. Still, that was a monster race for me and just being in there felt great. Warming down Chris shouted over at me “That you squealing like a piggy Williams?†“Damn right it was†I replied unashamedly confirming that what I had perceived as a crazed kamikaze wail was in reality more akin to a little girl squeaking while playing tennis!
33 miles of excellent high-speed fun and heartily recommended for passing an hour and a bit on Tuesday evenings
E/1/2/3/4 - 33 miles
Pos Name Club/Team Cat Time Prime Points
1 Christopher McNamara Team Corley Cervelo E 1:18:50
2 David Creeggan VC Meudon 1 7
3 Mike Hawkins Norwood Paragon CC 1
4 Jason Edwards Wildside 707 RT 1V 3
5 Nick Allen Specialized UK 2
6 Jamie Newall VC Meudon 1 9
7 Christoph Allwany RV Sturmuogel 1
8 Alexandre Guimaraes Private Member E
9 Ken Prince VC Meudon 2
10 Paul Thatcher Brighton Mitre 2V
11 Steve Atkinson South Down Bikes 3V
12 Duncan Green Private Member 4
13 Benjamin MacLand VC Meudon 2V
14 Stuart Bowers Scott UK 2
15 Thomas Bradbury Team Corridori 4
16 Mark Sussex Wildside 707 RT 2V
17 Richard Sale Private Member 3
18 Andrew Redding i-Team.cc 3V
19 Sam Arnold i-Team.cc 4 4
20 Huw Williams Addiscombe CC 3V
21 Alan Buttler Brighton Mitre 4 1
22 Andy Grant VC Meudon 3V
23 David Shaw i-Team.cc 3V
24 Nathan Dye Brighton Mitre 3
25 Nick Sky Brighton Mitre 3
26 David Farmer Cycleworks.co.uk 3
27 Robert Hunter East Street Cycles.com 4 5
28 Lucy Chittenden East Street Cycles 3JW 6
29 Nigel Dickinson Farnborough & Camberley 3V
30 Stuart Kirkham Lewes Wanderers 4V
31 Karen Dixon South Downs Bikes 4VW 1
32 Grant Smith Crest CC 4 2
33 Dave Larkin Team Velo Sportiff 4
34 Paul Bishop Pearson Cycles 3
35 Graeme Gardiner Norwood Paragon CC 3V
36 Gabi Coates Team Corridori 3W 4
37 Trevor Chilman Redhill CC 3V 2
38 Mike Donohue Private Member 4V 1
39 Richard Whitworth AD Cycles RT 4V 1
40 Mark Warrington Southdown Velo 4V
41 Paul Hudson Sprockets UK 4V
42 Tim March Private Member 4
43 Max Filleul South Down Bikes 3
44 James Graham Festival RC 3
45 Tony Wells Epsom CC 4V
46 Harry Springall London Dynamo 4 2
47 Philip Masters VC Meudon 4V
48 Sophie Coleman Esporta Tri 4JW 1
49 Simon Wroxley Hounslow & District Wheelers 4
50 Dean Frost VC Meudon 3V
51 Marc Butterworth Crawley Tri Club 4 2
52 Paul Holmes Crawley Tri Club 4V
53 Steve Shaw Addiscombe CC 3
54 Justin Futers Godalming & Haslemere 4
55 Graham Wood AD Cycles RT 3V
56 Benjamin Marks Private Member 4 1
57 Liam Deen Crawley Tri Club 4
58 Colin Addison VC Meudon 3V
59 Steve Calland Norwood Paragon CC 2
60 Keith Brooks VC Meudon 3V
61 Dave Worsfold Private Member 3V
62 Dominic Brown Team Toachim 3
63 Mario Manelfi AD Cycles RT 3V
64 Dan Broom Godalming & Haslemere 4V
65 Ian Russell Kingston Wheelers 4V 8
66 Trevor Holmes Crawley Tri Club 4V
67 Mike Anderson Geoff Thomas Foundation 3V
68 Lindsey Ruocco VC Meudon 3V
69 Paul Radford AD Cycles RT 4
dnf Alan Clarke VC Meudon 3V
dnf Andrew Duffin AD Cycles RT 4V
dnf C Strod Private Member 4
dnf Keith Richardson Private Member 4V
dnf Richard Dixon South Down Bikes 4V
dnf Matthew Castle AD Cycles RT YA
