5/7 Omega Thruxton Circuits

A large field lined up at Thruxton today of approx 80 riders, saw plenty of now familiar faces in the bunch. Decided to sit in for the first few laps then get up to the front if I was feeling ok.

First lap was comfortable with a few short lived attacks being made. With strong winds the bunch was stringing out considerably making it hard to react to any dangerous moves up front. 3 laps in I worked up to the front 10 and sat in where I could be closer to the action. A couple more attacks were made by riders in 2's and 3's but nothing stuck in the wind. I could see a move about to made by a group of strong riders as they worked their way to the front, waiting for the optimum time to launch off the front.

As expected the decisive move was made coming into the chicane before the finish, where the bunch slows down as people get closed out in tight corners. 2 guys launched out of the chicane closely followed by a rider that was in the break with me at Dunsfold and the week before at Goodwood. I jumped on his wheel and with the help of a tailwind we'd opened up a nice gap and started working together in smooth through-and-off.

After 2 laps of work in our quartet, one rider started to miss turns and soon after was followed by another. We continued to work in 2-up fashion into the wind and I was beginning to tire just as we were joined by a sizable group of 10 riders who'd bridged across. Our smooth breakaway was now chaotic, with riders sitting in, others opening gaps, others coming through too fast and dangling off the front. This larger group was now yo-yoing round the circuit and collectively we were losing our lead.

A few attempts were made to reintroduce some order but without any luck. I'd worked too hard once we'd been joined and should have recovered from the previous lap or so of hard work. With the yo-yoing and gap closing I was soon at the back and starting to suffer with another of the my original break companions. With 4 laps to go we were eventually dropped and I sat up and waited for the bunch. Having recovered whilst pootling on my own I sped up and dropped into the front 10 as the bunch steamed past. Necked a gel and a good mouthful of drink and waited for a move to hopefully take me back across to the break.

This was short lived as coming into the chicane a guy next to me in the bunch lost control, looked like someone had touched his wheel or bars, and he slewed into my front wheel. Hitting me seemed to keep him upright, but unfortunately in the process it caused me to slam into the track hard on my left hand side. I slid briefly and rolled hoping to avoid anyone behind riding into me. I managed to, but my bike spiralling didn't, bringing down an i-Team CC rider who landed hard and broke his collar bone.

For a minute or so I sat on the track watching the bunch disappear round chicane and my bike twisted up in front of me. Left leg, shoulder, hip and arm were all grazed and cut but nothing serious. My right knee had been hit by the chap behinds bike and was starting to swell nicely, along with a golf ball size purple bump to the left of my abodomen. Viv stopped and helped me up. The support car was soon to the scene as attended to the guy with worse injuries before cleaning up my cuts. The crash had split the bunch apart, creating 3 groups by the end scattered by the wind. For a first crash it wasn't too bad, no major damage and the bike was ok. Just need to replace the brake hoods, get some new bar tape and get the front wheel trued up.

This week I'd planned on Dunsfold, Portsmouth and the SL handicap on Thursday but I think I'll do better by taking it easy and having a recovery week. Its the Devil Ride next Sunday and I'm hoping my aches and pains will have worn off by then. Might do the handicap on Thursday to see how I'm going.

2/7 Surrey League Handicap Series #10 (Kitsmead Lane)

Arrived at Kitsmead Lane and surveyed what was a strong looking field of riders signing on and warming up. Wasn't feeling that focused after a shit day at work and other stuff going on. Whilst signing on I spotted Dan Lloyd chatting to some other riders, looked like he'd been out training. A few minutes later I saw him pinning on a number. Christ.

The circuit was flat and fast, with a long straight following the M3 followed by a left hand off a roundabout, a long straight descent, hard left turn and then two short kicks before the finish line. Tonights race was 30 miles and 10 laps of the circuit.

Ladies went off first, followed a few mins later by the 4ths and again shortly after by the 3rds as usual. In the 3rds we soon got a chase organised and started rolling through. Was feeling great at this point, heart rate sticking below 155 and riding smooth. After 3 laps we started to pick up people dropped from the first group, then a couple of laps later we caught the 4ths. On the 6th lap the E/1/2 group streamed past and after some shouting we managed to jump on.

Riding with Dan Lloyd in the train was awesome. He could have obviously ridden us all into the ground and disappeared up the road but he kept rolling through and occasionally dropping back to give people who were losing a wheel a push back into the group. About 30 of us kept together on the last 4 laps to the finish at a blistering pace. The race had started proper since being joined by the fast guys but I was still feeling ok.

Last lap and I made a few efforts to keep up in the front 10 knowing that once we hit the hard left turn into Kitsmead Lane that positioning there would select the final 10. I was in about 7th spot coming into the lane and swung out wide to get a good line through the corner. Inexperience got the better of me again, as opening up a gap on my left let a number of people through putting me into 12th coming out of the bend. Behind me someone lost their wheel on the corner and hit the tarmac bringing someone else down with them.

This seperated our group and held up those coming into the corner behind. I could see a top 10 slipping by and gave it full gas on the first rise only to have nothing left for the second one, losing another couple of places and crossing the line in 14th. Another chance for points missed, though on an occasion where I thought I'd be lucky to survive in the bunch. Was a great race and made all the better for riding in the company of a continental pro.

Next race is Thruxton Sunday, Dunsfold Tuesday then Portsmouth Wednesday (when the Zipps arrive...!!)

1 Daniele Santoni Pearson Cycles 1 1.08.54
2 Alexandre Guimaraes Private Member E
3 David Creeggan VC Meudon 1
4 Gary Dodd Sigma Sport RT EV
5 Steven Saunders Kingston Wheelers 1
6 Jonathan Lewis Charlotteville CC 3
7 Daniel Lloyd Cervelo E
8 Michael Staines Team Corridori 3V
9 Stephen Broomfield Addiscombe CC 3V
10 David Farmer Cycleworks.co.uk 3
11 Mark Spindler Twickenham CC 3
12 Darren Franklin VC Meudon 3
13 Jamie Shirlaw Liverpool Century J
14 Alan Buttler Brighton Mitre 3

30/6 Dunsfold Park Series #11

Tonights scratchicap race was predicably tough, especially in the heat with little wind. There was also a good turn out of E/1/2s so it was going to be a fast evening. It was the closest so far I've had a chance of a top 10, though on this occasion lack of experience let me down a couple of times. Along with Nick, Rob and Nathan I set off with the 3rds and within a lap we'd caught the 4ths. We positioned ourselves at the front of the bunch to pre-empt the increase in pace with the arrival of the E/1/2s.

3rd lap in coming down the back straight a small group of E/1's attacked together. My aim for this race had been to get into a breakaway so I lept after them. Behind me were 3 others, all strong riders. Once we'd regrouped and started working to get away I realised the quality in this small group. 2 elite guys who'd ridden the National Championships at the weekend, a 1st cat chap who was leading the series and 3 super strong 3rd cats. Shortly after Driss and Nathan bridged over to us. For a lap I was on my limit trying to keep up with this group who were putting minutes into the bunch.

Trying to do my bit I found myself doing through-and-off with guys I'd been watching in Abergavenny 2 days earlier, I could hardly believe I was there. Looking at my heart rate I knew it would be tough to maintain this level of excertion in a group this strong and I made my first mistake of the evening and lost the wheel I was following. It just needed one more big effort to keep it and I'd have had a great chance of a top 10 as this group were never seen again by the bunch.

About 2 minutes later the bunch caught up with me and I slotted in behind Nick Sky. I'd recovered soon after and the rest of the race was spent trying to get away again. Nick and I attempted 4 or 5 times without success, until the last lap where I made another mistake. Rob had moved up to the front and was going to lead me out on the last lap for the remaining points. I'd not realised there were still placings on offer, so when another suicidal attack was made coming into the bell lap I followed. Obviously we were both caught within a minute or so and I lost my position, merging back into the bunch on the outside. Coming into the final lap I'd lost Rob and was fighting for position on my own on the outside of the bunch.

I crossed the line with the bunch narrowly missing out on a crash with a guy who stacked it sprinting out for 50th position. Afterwards Rob had a chat with me saying I should have stuck to his wheel on the last lap as attacks that late in the race never come to anything. A tough lesson learnt and a great oppourtunity missed for points at Dunsfold. Nathan came in 5th after surviving the breakaway (though the bunch nearly caught them on the last lap) and Driss unfortunately punctured. On the plus side I'd achieved my aim of making a breakaway, although for only a short time it was awesome riding with guys at that level.