My first E/1/2/3 Stockbridge Road Race 25th September 2011

As I arrived my first thought was "what a pretty village to have one's asre handed to oneself". I tend not to bother looking round everyone else at races, just get on with my own routine. Arrive. Sign on. Sort bike out. Pin number on. Get changed. Go for a short warm up. Get to start line, and make sure I'm in the middle/front somewhere. However, it was impossible to avoid the varying team cars, and riders in matching kit on their sponsor provided bikes. There was some seriously nice kit on display. But difficult not to feel a little intimidated. The guy in the car next to me told me how he had got dropped on the first lap last year, up the mile long 9% hill out of Stocksbridge. Just what I wanted to hear as the course had looked "rolling" to me from the profile.

Anyway I rolled down to the start and got chatting to Richard Prebble from Motorpoint. He's a Northern lad (former national time trial champion and one of the top UK pros for a number of years) and rode for Pinarello for a number of years, so has loads of Pinas. He was quite interested in my black on black (he had a white Dogma) as he also had a Prince, although he reckoned the Dogma was a lot better. Thanks, that helps my budget, but didn't help him either as he did not finish.

So the race rolled out with a very sedate neutral and was neutralised all the way up the first climb. They kept it really slow which just made the climb go past slower and feel even longer. It probably was a mile long so was something like a 3 1/2 min effort at race pace I would guess. The flag went down over the top, and the bunch was doing 34 mph in about 15 seconds.Nice. The course was up and down all the way. After that descent was another mile long drag, followed by another descent and another long climb - probably a mile and a half but not a steep as the main climb. We then turn onto the main road which was dead straight with several 6/7% drags on it and into a nasty headwind. The descent back into Stocksbridge was a couple of miles long, but main road and super fast - my max was 53.8 mph. So all in all a nasty circuit, but one that I was better suited to than others I think.

The first lap was all together. The main road was very quick and hard and it was really quick into the bottom of the climb. The bunch was lined out doing 40mph - it felt like what Paris Roubaix must fell like into the Arenburg. So we hit the bottom of the climb hard, and then it just got harder as someone got the hammer down at the front. The bunch just smashed to bits, and out of the wreckage a group of seven formed. I got clipped off the back a couple of times. I was right on the limit but actually felt ok, and got a couple of good wheels over the top and the bunch reformed. The remainder of that lap was pretty hard too as people constantly attacked from the bunch who had missed the move - and presumably knew the calibre of the guys who had made it. Next time up the climb I made sure I was nearer the front. There were a number of attacks, but I rode reasonably comfortably near the front and was never in danger of getting dropped. 

The next few laps everything settled down a bit. It was hard but steady ish, and I rode near the front most of the time. The thing about being in a race is that you don't know who most people were. As it turned out there were three elites in our group, and as the race progressed and thinned out it became apparent who the strong guys were who were constantly attacking and getting brought back. Various groups would go up the road and stay there for half a lap but eventually it all came back together. I was feeling better each time up the climb, and dishing out some pain on the 3rd and 4th ascents whilst still trying to leave something in the tank for the last lap (the finish was at the top of the climb)

I had discovered that the main bunch had been whittled down to 11 riders which came as something of a shock! As it turns out there were 4 groups up the road in total by now so it really was a bit of a war. I tried to get away a couple of times on the last lap, but then just started to bonk, and my legs went with about 5 miles to go. It wasn't bad but with the finishing climb it was enough. For the first time in my life I actually needed a gel - I may have to address this in the future. I would like to see my heart rate data for last time up as I suspect I didn't get beyond about 185bpm which is a long way short of flat out, and would explain why I didn't win the "sprint". I was the strongest - or close to strongest - up the climb and yet came in 5th/6th in the "bunch". Slightly frustrating but that's life.

Here is the only photo I can find taken on the climb

 
These are the BC points of those up the sharp end:
Winner 368 pts
Second 458 pts
Third 568 pts
Fourth 956 pts (ranked 9th in the country)
Fifth 332 pts
Etc 
 
On reflection I am still delighted to get round. The race was self evidently very difficult, and some real stars did not finish (about 25-30 did in total). It showed me that the 1st cat and Elite boys are better and stronger, but not unbeatable. They were unbeatable by me, on that course, on that day, but not so far out of reach as to be unattainable. My whole body feels like it has been in a fight as I write. I was pretty tired last night, and my legs are pretty sore this morning. Mistakes? I rode too near the back early on, and too near the front late on. I did too much work in the last couple of laps. Attacking was probably a bit daft too. Not being fuelled correctly is careless. 

In some respects it would be nice to end the season on that race, as I have come a long way this year. I have over achieved against the goals I set myself. I am stronger than I was as a junior, and can still pack a decent sprint. I am turning into a pretty good climber too. When you put that together you have someone who has the potential to be a decent bike rider. Yesterday shows me that there is no reason why I can't attain my 1st cat licence next year if everything goes well. That is one of my objectives now I think, along with riding a sub hr 25. It would be nice to crack 50 minutes up ADH too but we'll see. I need to go into next year with a decent winter behind me, and well rested. It feels like everything is to play for. If I can have a solid year in 2012 then who knows what lies beyond. I would love to ride a Premier Calendar race, and to be competitive on a national scale. There's some way to go to get there, but I think it is attainable given time. That's not something I thought at the beginning of this year and is perhaps the best reward for my hard work this year.

Bottrill power at the Derby Mercury RR - 18th September

So of the people who finished in front of me this weekend we had: 

*        The 3rd best TT rider in the country - he rode 47-32 for 25  

miles a couple of weeks ago. Do the maths! 

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/529939/matt-bottrill-famous-last-words.html 

*        A guy who was second in the National Masters last month 

*        The guy who won the bunch sprint by 5 lengths in the 2/3/4 race I did about 6 weeks ago 

*        A guy who has previously ridden the Giro D'Italia and finished 12th in Milan - San Remo !! 

So interesting competition to say the least.... 

My take on the race is not really so interesting as I largely kept my head down in the bunch. So in contrast to a couple of weeks ago when I did a lot of the pulling, and was in and out of the action, today  was more about keeping out of trouble and seeing how it panned out. 

The race was over 13 laps of a mainly flat circuit, with one small climb. It was a headwind on the main road section out back, a cross wind for the finish and a tail wind up the hill. It was super fast from the off. First 5 miles covered at an average of 27.6 mph, with a break of 9 men going in the first 3 miles. The gap went out to about 30-40 seconds quite quickly. 

It looked to me like there were lots of strong guys in the break and I wondered if it was going to stick. Then the break stopped going away, and their future looked less assured. They stayed out front for about 35 miles in total, with Matt Bottrill attacking the break just before it was caught. He then just TT'd away from everyone (although people weren't really riding a lot of the time) and won by 2 1/2 minutes - amazing strength. 

So there were various attacks that came and went. It was noticeable the number of strong riders there were, and I yoyo'd in the middle third of the bunch. Truth is I didn't feel great, but seemed to be riding ok, and was never in any danger of being dropped - although I was in grave danger of missing the key move. There was the constant fighting to move up the bunch. If you relaxed for a couple of minutes you'd lose 10-15 places, which made life tough as there were some technical corners before the bottom of the climb which you lose tons of time in if you are not near the front. I was consistently making 10-15 places on the climb without really giving it full gas - bear in mind it was a big ring job at 23-34mph so it was unlikely to shatter the bunch as people would always be able to chase back on. Interestingly, despite the race being over 27mph average, my ave heart rate was 160bpm. In training I'll often be well into the 160s and last time up Alpe D’Huez was 173bpm so there's something still in the tank. 

There was a nasty crash with about 3 laps to go when a guy went head first into a hawthorn bush at about 30mph. Came up screaming like a girl with claret everywhere. It was a on a straight-ish bit of road. It didn't narrow. There wasn't a big ease in the bunch. The road surface was ok. And the guy veered from far left to far right and ended up in the hedge on the right hand side with a face full of hawthorn. He came up screaming like a bairn, and the other guy who went down was looking at him clearly thinking "oh just MTFU". Anyway, it turns out he pulled his foot out of the pedal for no real good reason, and that was him done. Few scratches and gashes but nothing life threatening. 

I managed to pop off the front on the climb with about 6 others with 3 laps to go, but no one really wanted to commit so that didn't last  long. The psychology of the race is quite interesting. In my own mind I was racing at a level above my standard - compare to a 3/4 race where I'd have been dictating on the climb, chasing and attacking. Yet the evidence was that I was amongst the better riders there, and was riding pretty strongly without getting into any real difficultly. I was lacking a bit of top end as I had been suffering from this cold all week, and I think that was also in the back of my mind. So with two to go there was another split over the top. I was probably in a position to make it to the break but would have had to have gone very hard over the top, and decided to hang back. In retrospect this was an error of under-confidence, as this turned out to be the key split. The break went out to 15-20 seconds quite quickly and no-one wanted to chase. I put in a couple of pulls but was also reluctant to commit too much to it. So the break drifted away and we never caught them. 

My plan for the finish was to move up on the climb into the top 10-12 then ride assertively to hold that sort of position without getting dragged to the front. There was about 4 miles to go from the climb, of which the first one was a pretty easy downhill / false downhill flat. Fast but not too difficult to hold position. I had scoped the finish over the last umpteen laps so knew it was slightly uphill and people might die a bit. Not one to go for a long one on anyway. Obviously I have no team mates so I needed a good wheel for the sprint. There were two that I had identified over the race. One was a Planet-X guy who I'd overheard talking to Matt Bottrill at the start (and obviously knew him). He said he'd been riding the track all year so I figured he'd be quick. The other was a guy also riding on his own from a Wolverhampton club. He was riding Zipp 808s and had ridden strongly all race. He was a big fellow and riding those wheels I figured he would have a decent kick, and it was his wheel I managed to pick up. He came down the outside with just under 2 miles to go, which reinforced my impression that he fancied it. I managed to push my way onto his wheel, and then hoped he wouldn't do anything daft like go for a long one as I'd then be a bit snookered. So the last mile was over a railway bridge which everyone over geared for as they had every lap (so easy to pick up a few places), a sweeping left hander and a fast downhill bit. Then through a gentle S-bend and then a good 300m straight slightly up hill to the line. 

Mr 808 obviously knew what he was doing although he was taking a bit too much wind for my liking. Suited me fine, as I was tucked up on his wheel in a nice position. The downhill bit made it quick enough that everyone was dissuaded from any long distance heroics, and in any case I was pretty much committed to waiting and using his wheel. We were riding just to the right of the white line, on the right hand side of the road as we hit the finish straight. It was almost echeloned out from left to right with perhaps 5 people to the left - and in front - of me. Then someone jumps on my right. So now I've got to commit (as it turns out I reckon his timing was bang on, mine slightly wrong - but we're talking 5-10 metres difference). So I kicked hard and tried to grab his wheel, as did my erstwhile lead out man. I got squeezed right into the right hand gutter a bit but no where to go but forward so I got my head down. The guy in red on the far left must have gone too and he won the sprint. I never got on terms with the guy who jumped on the right, and was baulked by one of the lead bikes slowing down before the line! I was certainly quicker than him, but his jump and the motorbike meant I never got on terms. Not sure if I could have beaten the guy in the red but we were almost in two different races at that point. 

On reflection I went too late. Not just because I got jumped, but because my legs were better than I thought. I was still accelerating when I hit the line and could probably have taken another gear. When you hit the line in a sprint ideally your legs should be screaming, and your gear spun out- so c125-140rpm. My gear was done, but my legs  were almost perfect. I had another 30m in me, and another 2mph at least I reckon and that would certainly have got me second and maybe more. I guess my recent inexperience in that situation caught me out a little. So the last couple of weeks I have concluded the following: 

1) I can still sprint. I am very competitive at 2/3/4 level, and can win at 3/4 level. 

2) I left something on the road in previous races i.e. I could have been quicker and got better placings. Frustrating, but that's life. 

3) I need to be bolder - you have to be prepared to lose to be able to win 

4) I am currently riding at (at least average) 2nd cat level. 

5) Next week (Stockbridge) will be tough racing. Lot of juniors riding - incl at least a couple of 1st cat juniors and they tend to be aggressive. 

6) I am strong on the climbs. Earlier this year I was hanging on in 2/3/4 races on the climbs. Now I am moving up the bunch and not in difficulty. In 3/4 races I can get off the front relatively easily. 

7) I am stronger on the flat than I think - I seem to be able to find another level of performance with a number on my back. 

8) My interval training and race programme has paid dividends. The ability to go full gas for one minute or more and repeat soon after is crucial to success. 

9) I can imagine getting my points next weekend if I have a decent race. 

If you'd said to me I'd be even imagining holding on to a E/1/2/3 road race at the beginning of the season I wouldn't have believed it - let alone looking for points.

Frustration at the Falling Leaves Road Race – Ugley, Essex, 4th September

So I was reflecting on my performance of yesterday and trying to rationalise what happened, and why. It seems to me that I was amongst  the top 5 riders in the race, and arguably the top 2 or 3. The guy who won (Jeremy), won well, but he beat me by less than half a bike length two weeks ago and I'm sure in a race to the line I've got the beating of him. I may never get the chance to evidence that as he is now a 2nd  cat!! 

The race was 7 laps of  an 8 miles circuit. The finish was on a 1km climb, which wasn’t terribly steep but was quite long, and in three distinct phases. The bottom bit was very difficult if you were not in the first 10 round the corner as it meant you started from almost a dead stop. Having worked this out on lap 1 I was never out of the top 10. There was a couple of very fast descents, and a good 3 mile undulating bit into a head wind before the race swooped round into a long straight and very quick section back to the bottom of the climb. It was pretty obvious to me that the race was going to split. I think only 25 finished in the end (from 60) so it was pretty attritional. 

The obligatory early break went 2nd time up the climb. Two guys got away - one of whom I know is reasonably good. He got dropped 3rd time up the climb leaving one up front. What happened next is not entirely clear to me. I was riding in the first 10/15 - probably in the first 3 up the climb - and a few went off the front in ones and twos. Experience tells me that in 3/4 races breaks rarely stay away, and breaks in the first 20 miles "never" stay away. To get into a move at that stage is just guaranteeing yourself a really hard day. Anyway, over the next 5 miles the break got together, and there was 5 upfront which is a dangerous number. I think 5/6 is the best number for a break - enough to work well, not enough people to hide and carry passengers. It also turns out there were 3 from Cambridge CC which was instrumental. 

So, we managed to get something of a chase going in the bunch. There were 

3/4 people doing consistent turns - of which I was one, and the eventual winner (Jeremy) was another - with perhaps another half a dozen doing the odd turn when we shouted enough. I was happy to ride as I felt really strong and someone had to. Alarm bells started ringing for me when after two full laps we had made no impact into the lead - about 45 seconds. I'm thinking "right, we're working ok here and not catching them at all. They must be on it.". (of course I didn't know at this stage that there were 3 Cambridge riders in the 5 up front so damn right they were working). On reflection I think the issue was that we did not have enough strong riders in the bunch. I was riding at maybe 8/10ths but I think everyone else was a bit fooked, particularly up the climb. The chase continued for 20-25 miles I would guess (No Garmin so don't actually know). At least once up the climb a group of 6 of us rode off the front of the bunch for a few miles, but were caught again in the headwind section. 

So with 2 laps to go I notice that Jeremy has disappeared from the working group at the front of the bunch. I can't believe he's knackered so figure he's resting to have a go on the climb. My assessment was entirely correct - my response entirely incorrect - as he did indeed attack on the penultimate time up the climb. He's a funny old rider, strong as an ox but no real punch - he just sort of rides away. So next problem is I'm on the front on the climb when he goes. Probably ticking over at 18ish mph, I would guess, so enough that the wind make a difference. He comes cruising up and past. So in my head I'm thinking "I'm already riding pretty hard here. I'm going to have to bury myself to go with him. He's got 45 seconds to get across to the break. And he's got maybe 3 miles until he hits the headwind where he's sunk. I reckon he won't make it". (interestingly this was exactly his assessment when I spoke to him afterwards). So I carried on riding. No one else attempted to go with him so evidently I was riding a reasonable tempo. 

So he chases like buggery over the top of the climb, and we catch sight of him making contact with the group literally 50m before the left turn into the headwind. Now I think "we're in proper trouble here". Thankfully so did everyone else, and there was a really well organised chase, 15 odd riders with some massive blokes that you need on those sorts of roads (where had they been the last 30 miles?). The gap duly came tumbling and I reckon got down to less than 20 seconds. The problem was that we then got good clear sight of the break (there has previously only been one point on the lap when we could see them) and I think everyone mentally relaxed. 

It became apparent over the next 3 miles to the bottom of the finish climb that we weren't going to catch them as everyone started looking to the finish. I hit the bottom of the climb in maybe 5th wheel so was in pretty good shape. Almost got caught the wrong side of the wheel when someone starts going backwards. Very conscious it's a long way to the finish and jumping early is a mistake. Watch as someone else jumps. Let them go. Sitting in 2nd wheel, just waiting - although it's obviously a very tough finish so I'm trying to not go into the red. Someone else jumps with about 300m to go - too far. I wait as it kicks up again just before the line. Then I "jump" in the same way that a 20 stone bloke jumps i.e. not very hard and not very fast. But I come off the wheel and nick back at least one other place before the line for 8th overall 

So in summary; 

1) Great legs. Definitely one of the strongest there. Did the most pulling in the bunch bar no one (and can feel it this morning!) 

2) The composition of the break was ultimately the reason it succeeded - didn't know this at the time of course. 

3) Lack of people willing to contribute to the work in the bunch - nothing new there - meant the break stayed away. 

4) Hard circuit, scared people into committing to work. 

5) Tactical / bottle error in not going with the one guy I knew was strong enough to win. 

6) Got beaten in the sprint as a consequence of the amount of work I'd been doing (the guy who beat me I hadn't seen all day!) 

7) It's the worst result of the last 3 weeks, but actually I rode harder for longer and dominated the bunch. 

8) I need to be more aggressive at the right time - and therein lies the most difficult thing to judge in cycling! 

Roll on next week. Another 3/4 race. A short field at the moment so who knows what could happen. I am perfectly capable of winning a race, just need the cards to fall in a certain way. Then two 2/3/4s to finish with. 2nd cat looks more difficult after this weekend - perhaps 70/30 against - but the dream is still alive.