Making the step up
The last few weeks have seen my first real forays into the world of Elite racing, and it's certainly a step up. Well, a couple of weeks ago I did the E/1/2 race at Chertsey. So I was really at the bottom of the pile there. More recently, yesterday in fact I rode my first Elite Road Race. As Chertsey is really only just a closed circuit, so really, its easy. Ha, well, you've gotta have a sense of humour in this sport sometimes!
Chertsey was a bit of an eye opener, when your sitting on the wheel of a guy who rode the World Championships a few years ago you know your in for a hard ride. I later found out, he (Steve Calland) hasn't even really done much training latetly, well, it didn't seem like it! The race was to be 25 laps of a 2 mile circuit. I quite like Chertsey as a course, its mostly flat with a couple of small lumps just to stretch your legs. And most importantly, it has a very long wide straight finish, sprinters paradise. Well it is if you can make it to the finish in any sort of state to sprint anyway! We ended up covering the distance in 1hr 58mins, which equates to an average speed of just over 25mph, for nearly two hours. It was pretty tough I can tell you. To put it into perspective, in March when I got away in a break in the 3rd cat race at Dunsfold, I averaged about 270watts to break away and nearly win. At Chertsey I averaged about 270watts again, but this time just to stay in the bunch. It was a real hard race, for me at least, and by the finish I could not even contemplate getting out the saddle and sprinting for the line. It mattered little as a break had already won the race anyway, but it was the most tired I've been for a while. I did however have enough not to finish last!
Then, just yesterday was the Les Ingman Memorial Road Race. Which was to be 7.75 laps of the 10.9 mile Bletchingly circuit, but I was up against some of the regions finest Elites and 1st cats. As well as 2nd cats and 3rd cats in the mix. So theoretically I should have been somewhere in the midddle of the road in terms of ability, but that didn't stop me being the most nervous I have been for a long while.
The race kicked of real fast, this course is one of the hilliest around with many short climbs followed by a real leg breaker that just goes on and on. Then just when you think its all over, you turn left onto the A25 and it continues to drag up and up until a fast narrow left hand turn followed by a very fast and also narrow, twisting descent. For which the bunch was always strung out in single file. This means that at the back of a 70 rider field you almost a minute behind the front riders! So the first couple of laps were incredibly fast, and I was thinking from a very early stage that if it continues on this fast, I won't survive too long. But thankfully a break became established after two laps, leaving the remainder of the bunch to contemplate a further 5 laps chasing.
Nobody seemed to concerned to chase so the pace dropped to a more suitable level. Which was obviously not suitable enough as some riders chose to attack again, but they never really got out of sight and the main bunch soon swallowed them up. Then a few of us tried to instigate a thru and off system to try to at least limit out losses. But only about 10 would work, then all the other riders would just try to attack up the hills after we had dragged them along on the flat. I was not amused, there were some riders who seemed quite content doing it as well, despite annoying everyone else in the process. I think it was the next lap around that a spectator informed us that we were over three minutes down on the break away group, which was also fragmenting apparently. You could almost feel the pace drop as soon as everyone had heard the news. Then it started to rain (again) and as if by magic almost half the bunch sat up and threw in the towel. I was of the opinion that I'm going to be wet by the time I get back to my car anyway, so I might as well finish! Besides the fact that I havn't raced completely in the dry since the beggining of March!!
After about 30minutes of rain the sun came out again and at this point the commisaire came up from behind us to inform the main bunch that we were on our last lap. It is often the case that when the peloton is out of contention they drop a lap off and finish early as it is almost pointless doing that extra lap. I was almost disappointed as despite the fact it was still my longest race to date, I wanted to really put a big on on the board. But there you go, so I settled back down and began to think about the ''finish''. I thought I might as well go for the sprint as its all good practice. The only trouble was I wasn't too familiar with the finish, I knew it was flat but I wasn't quite sure where the line was. It was quite a strange sprint really, I think everyone was really on their limits as it was very spread out. But I was about 2 riders back when it started. A couple of guys jumped around my right shoulder and I immeadiately got on their wheels. Then began my sprint and just managed to throw my bike across the line to claim the bunch sprint. Which I'm fairly pleased with as there were still some strong riders left to beat, and its good for the morale to race all that way and still put in a decent sprint. Especially as I had been at work, on my feet for 10 hours on Saturday evening, which is hardly ideal prep!
I wasn't sure exactly how many riders were ahead still so I wondered back down to the finish to see what was what. The leaders were just about to finish to it was a case of waiting and counting them across the line. Eventually I think there were more than 20 riders ahead of me, which was the points gone. As it was a big race the points are much higher, 60 for the win, going down to 20th place. So I was probably about 25th, but I'm still waiting for confirmed results. Which is a decent result from a 70odd rider field of E/1/2/3s, so I'm quite satisfied with that. The biggest plus is I know I can ride better than I did on Sunday, I was fairly tired from working and riding through the week, so hopefully I'll have more to offer next time...
Next time being this Sunday realistically. Back to racing against my own categories, a 2/3 race around Cutmill near Guildford. Which is another rolling circuit, but a little less so, so should suit me better. Especially if I'm fresh. Which really depends on the weather this week as I'll be racing on Thursday evening if it's not too rainy, for the first of the Surrey League evening handicaps. Which are all categories in one race, but set off in ability based groups, fastest last. Usually they all come together by the finish and its anyones game. But sometimes the lower cats do work together enough to stay away... There are a few local riders who have pulled some suprises in these races! I might even make my season debut at Crystal Palace tomorow, if... it doesn't rain (it's literally impossible to race that cricuit in the wet) and if I finish my coursework in time! Two big if's! Quite eager to get back to Palace as its such a challenging circuit, but I may have to wait another week, if anything I think the weather will tell me to do some more work for my coursework than race!!
Chertsey was a bit of an eye opener, when your sitting on the wheel of a guy who rode the World Championships a few years ago you know your in for a hard ride. I later found out, he (Steve Calland) hasn't even really done much training latetly, well, it didn't seem like it! The race was to be 25 laps of a 2 mile circuit. I quite like Chertsey as a course, its mostly flat with a couple of small lumps just to stretch your legs. And most importantly, it has a very long wide straight finish, sprinters paradise. Well it is if you can make it to the finish in any sort of state to sprint anyway! We ended up covering the distance in 1hr 58mins, which equates to an average speed of just over 25mph, for nearly two hours. It was pretty tough I can tell you. To put it into perspective, in March when I got away in a break in the 3rd cat race at Dunsfold, I averaged about 270watts to break away and nearly win. At Chertsey I averaged about 270watts again, but this time just to stay in the bunch. It was a real hard race, for me at least, and by the finish I could not even contemplate getting out the saddle and sprinting for the line. It mattered little as a break had already won the race anyway, but it was the most tired I've been for a while. I did however have enough not to finish last!
Then, just yesterday was the Les Ingman Memorial Road Race. Which was to be 7.75 laps of the 10.9 mile Bletchingly circuit, but I was up against some of the regions finest Elites and 1st cats. As well as 2nd cats and 3rd cats in the mix. So theoretically I should have been somewhere in the midddle of the road in terms of ability, but that didn't stop me being the most nervous I have been for a long while.
The race kicked of real fast, this course is one of the hilliest around with many short climbs followed by a real leg breaker that just goes on and on. Then just when you think its all over, you turn left onto the A25 and it continues to drag up and up until a fast narrow left hand turn followed by a very fast and also narrow, twisting descent. For which the bunch was always strung out in single file. This means that at the back of a 70 rider field you almost a minute behind the front riders! So the first couple of laps were incredibly fast, and I was thinking from a very early stage that if it continues on this fast, I won't survive too long. But thankfully a break became established after two laps, leaving the remainder of the bunch to contemplate a further 5 laps chasing.
Nobody seemed to concerned to chase so the pace dropped to a more suitable level. Which was obviously not suitable enough as some riders chose to attack again, but they never really got out of sight and the main bunch soon swallowed them up. Then a few of us tried to instigate a thru and off system to try to at least limit out losses. But only about 10 would work, then all the other riders would just try to attack up the hills after we had dragged them along on the flat. I was not amused, there were some riders who seemed quite content doing it as well, despite annoying everyone else in the process. I think it was the next lap around that a spectator informed us that we were over three minutes down on the break away group, which was also fragmenting apparently. You could almost feel the pace drop as soon as everyone had heard the news. Then it started to rain (again) and as if by magic almost half the bunch sat up and threw in the towel. I was of the opinion that I'm going to be wet by the time I get back to my car anyway, so I might as well finish! Besides the fact that I havn't raced completely in the dry since the beggining of March!!
After about 30minutes of rain the sun came out again and at this point the commisaire came up from behind us to inform the main bunch that we were on our last lap. It is often the case that when the peloton is out of contention they drop a lap off and finish early as it is almost pointless doing that extra lap. I was almost disappointed as despite the fact it was still my longest race to date, I wanted to really put a big on on the board. But there you go, so I settled back down and began to think about the ''finish''. I thought I might as well go for the sprint as its all good practice. The only trouble was I wasn't too familiar with the finish, I knew it was flat but I wasn't quite sure where the line was. It was quite a strange sprint really, I think everyone was really on their limits as it was very spread out. But I was about 2 riders back when it started. A couple of guys jumped around my right shoulder and I immeadiately got on their wheels. Then began my sprint and just managed to throw my bike across the line to claim the bunch sprint. Which I'm fairly pleased with as there were still some strong riders left to beat, and its good for the morale to race all that way and still put in a decent sprint. Especially as I had been at work, on my feet for 10 hours on Saturday evening, which is hardly ideal prep!
I wasn't sure exactly how many riders were ahead still so I wondered back down to the finish to see what was what. The leaders were just about to finish to it was a case of waiting and counting them across the line. Eventually I think there were more than 20 riders ahead of me, which was the points gone. As it was a big race the points are much higher, 60 for the win, going down to 20th place. So I was probably about 25th, but I'm still waiting for confirmed results. Which is a decent result from a 70odd rider field of E/1/2/3s, so I'm quite satisfied with that. The biggest plus is I know I can ride better than I did on Sunday, I was fairly tired from working and riding through the week, so hopefully I'll have more to offer next time...
Next time being this Sunday realistically. Back to racing against my own categories, a 2/3 race around Cutmill near Guildford. Which is another rolling circuit, but a little less so, so should suit me better. Especially if I'm fresh. Which really depends on the weather this week as I'll be racing on Thursday evening if it's not too rainy, for the first of the Surrey League evening handicaps. Which are all categories in one race, but set off in ability based groups, fastest last. Usually they all come together by the finish and its anyones game. But sometimes the lower cats do work together enough to stay away... There are a few local riders who have pulled some suprises in these races! I might even make my season debut at Crystal Palace tomorow, if... it doesn't rain (it's literally impossible to race that cricuit in the wet) and if I finish my coursework in time! Two big if's! Quite eager to get back to Palace as its such a challenging circuit, but I may have to wait another week, if anything I think the weather will tell me to do some more work for my coursework than race!!
posted by Adam at
00:11
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