Park life
After Sunday's antics at the Banbury Star Road Race, turning myself inside out in a suicidally long break to get caught in the last 500m, and then Monday's chaingang brutality, I thought for sure I'd be next to useless today!
However...
Despite almost falling asleep at work and then almost again at the wheel driving up to Solihull, after a cheeky coffee and cake I started to feel alright... Unnervingly so! My legs felt great, light, powerful.
Racing here last week gave me an insight into the play of this course, how to bolster your chances of success. Racing on Sunday taught me a couple of hard won lessons about how to suss out the nature of the break you're in. When to admit defeat, who's strong, who's weak, who's getting tired etc.
So
Someone went straight from the gun. Having some of that! I thought. We managed to get a gap going for a few laps but matey-boy didn't look that strong, so we sat up and assimilated with the bunch.
The pace lulled
I attacked
Went hard for a lap
Big gap but no body came with
Sit up
Someone goes
I follow
Potentially 5 of us
Rider #8 wasn't working
Break gets stalled
Sit up
Bunch slows again
Attack again!
On my own again
Don't fancy my chances of 50 mins solo
Back in formation
There's a kick
4 of us go
It's going to stick!
Let's go!
I hear a shout "don't let those 4 get away!!"
Still making ground after 3 laps
Someone bridges over to us
(note to self, watch that guy)
The 5 of us continued to work hard throughout the race, lapping the field cemented our break as indelible.
The 5 laps to go sign came out after 55 mins and I was glad that our break didn't suddenly turn into a pursuit race style track standing and general arsing around and instead we continued to work together until 2 laps to go.
Someone makes an attack
I follow
Someone else attacks
I follow
One lap to go
First guy attacks again and leads me out to the last 200m where I can really start to open it up big time.
It's between me and the guy who bridged over to us, he's creeping up alongside, throwing our bikes at the line; I hold the lead by 150mm or less!
1st place!
Beginning to think this breakaway malarkey is more my style!
- Jered Allcock