SERRL Hog Hill - 29th Aug 09

[Keith]

[quote]
"From a surviving breakaway Steven Griffiths of BMC won the fist cat race just beating Adam Cotterell Ingear Development in a close sprint to 2nd followed by samuel Parker, BMC for 3rd. ..."

[Keith]

1 Steven Griffiths BMC UK RT
2 Adam Cotterell In Gear Dev Squad
3 Samuel Parker GTF Colnago
4 Dean Shannon BMC UK RT
5 Ian Paine London Dynamo
6 Malcolm Davies Kent Cycles
7 Pete Wager VC Muedon
8 Luke Anderson Wigmore CC
9 Ivan Jordan Kent Cycles
10 Cameron Austin London Dynamo

Check out the photo finish on the [url=http://www.serrl.co.uk/index.html]SERRL website[/url]. Oh so close.

[Antloony]

Now thats what I call a close finish, unlucky Adam.

[-Adam-]

It was indeed close, literally about 10cm. I could have cried!

I attacked at the end of the first lap, responding to the attack of BMC's Dean Shannon. Between the pair of us we opened up quite a gap, quite quickly. I had not raced Hog Hill before, it is similar to Palace in that once your away, it is difficult for people to chase due to the up/down/twisty/windy nature of the course. I could not tell you what its like to ride in the bunch, though given how much I was getting blown about by the wind on deep section wheels, not pleasant I should imagine.

About halfway through the race it looked like the bunch were coming back, compounding the thoughts of how stupid the move was in my mind! I asked the other guy what he thought and he suggested just tapping out a steady rythm to see if the bunch would split trying to bring us back. As it was, the bunch didn't get close, and our gap started going out again. Until, in the last quarter of the race a group of 4 chasers had forged ahead of the bunch, inlcuding a BMC rider. It was clear my breakaway companion was only too happy to have a team mate come across. So with 7 laps to go, 2 became 6. I was glad in a way, because it gave me a chance to rest for the finish. However, it also dramatically cut my odds of winning. Not to mention slowing us down, so close to the finish, we were all reluctant to press on. As it turned out, we collectively worked just enough to maintain about 30 seconds to play with on the final lap.

So there we were, Dean Shannon and Steven Griffiths (BMC), Sam Parker (Geoff Thomas Foundation), Ian Paine (Dynamo), Malcom Davies (Kent Cycles) and myself. It seemed everyone was content to take it to a sprint up the ''Hogberg''. I thought about attacking early, but the wind was very strong and I know I can still sprint, and I favour uphill sprints...

I waited, and waited, and waited... Sam Parker launched it with about 150m to go (a long way out at Hog Hill!), followed by Steven Griffiths, and me up the right hand side in the shelter from the wind. I was moving, Sam faded, Steven seemed to fade I was coming and coming and coming, and my final lunge for the line put be just centimetres from glory. But it wasn't to be. I nodded in acknowledgement to Steven before letting out a big F***! in my mind!

Still better to lose a race by 10cm having been away for the entire race than to do it in a bunch sprint I guess. And 2nd is definately better than 4th! That said, the prize was a voucher! I was outraged, this ain't gonna put petrol in my car I thought!!!

[Keith]

[quote="-Adam-"]That said, the prize was a voucher! I was outraged, this ain't gonna put petrol in my car I thought!!!

[-Adam-]

£20 for Kent Cycles in Strood, any takers!?