SE Region Women's Championships

I'm late with this update as life has somehow got in the way in the past week but last Saturday, 16th May, I raced in the South East Regional Women's Road Race Championships. The race was 42 miles over 7 laps of the flattish Ellen's Green circuit in Surrey, a course which was going to suit someone with sprinting talents. I did this race a year ago as a last minute decision to see how I fared. I got 19th place out of a field of 22 or 23 so this year I wanted to improve on that.




After a few laps of the circuit the previous weekend with my team mate, Adam, and practicing a few corners too (and also finding a decent pub for my mini fan club to watch the race), I felt I could at least hang in with the peloton as long as I got my positioning right. A small field of only 17 started the race which was a little disappointing for the organisers but it had quality riders with 1st cat Charlotte Blackman of London Dynamo supported by 2 other London Dynamo riders and also last years champion, Jo Munden of VC Meudon. I'd ridden with the Dynamo girls a few weeks earlier at Bedford as part of the Surrey League Women's Team so I knew there would be some tactics and some fast, fast riding.




I was still surprised though when the attacks started on the first lap and to be honest I wasn't expecting it to go that soon. I kept myself near the front but I was worn down by the constant sprinting out of corners. I have to say my cornering was definitely better today but I got myself in a poor position into one corner and by the time the field had sprinted out of it I was out the back. I tried to get back on but just didn't have the strength. When the race split on the 2nd lap there was a front group of 8 riders and they piled on the pressure and opened up an ever growing gap on the rest of us remaining riders. I quickly formed a chase group with three other girls and we worked a very drilled, efficient through and off for several laps. Our group was then joined by Rebecca Curley of London Dynamo who had punctured and worked very hard to catch our group. Rebecca soon did her share of the work as we pounded on, efficiently working through and off. We were told that we were about 40 seconds behind two girls who had been dropped by the main group so our new goal was to catch them.




Rebecca was strong and I stayed on her wheel, coming through when I could. We dropped two of the girls from our group and replaced them with the two girls we caught from the main group with a lap or so to go, at which point we lost the rhythm of the through and off. Rebecca told me she was going to attack on a particular corner of the final lap and that I should go with her if I could. I tried but failed. She was just too strong for me. So we were back to 4 again for the final lap. I have to admit it wasn't very organised. On the run in two girls passed me on the fast, straight, run up to the finish and I came in in 12th position. I had hoped for a top 10 finish but I don't think I could have ridden any harder and viewing the race as a whole I was pleased with how I had ridden.




We were pulled from the race to allow the main field behind us to have a clear run in to the finish line so I got to spectate the dramatic sprint finish. First year U23, Emma Patterson of Agiskoviner.com sprinted from the 8 rider lead group which had gone away on the 2nd lap. But on the line Michelle Le Brun of Addiscombe seemed to get blocked as she crossed the finish and had nowhere to go. The result was a finish line crash which engulfed her along with Charlie Blackman. The two of them fell heavily and their bikes flew in front of them causing a few spectators to run for cover, me included. Amazingly, after attendance from the paramedics they thankfully both walked away from the crash. It's the first crash I've witnessed in a women's race and it wasn't nice to see at all. With everyone on their feet we headed back to the HQ for the prize presentation.


The event was really well organised and it was a shame about the low entry numbers. Thanks to Chris and Neil who came to support me. I was really tired at the end of this race which marked the end of a big period of racing for me in the first half of May. I have 15 BC points which is more I got in the whole of last year so my plan to do more road racing this season is definately going in the right direction. This is the most I have raced so early in the season and I'm returing to training now for a few weeks. I need to increase my watts and work on that sprinting and cornering. My next major event is the Women's Team Series at Twickenham in June when I will be riding once again for Surrey League, although I'm also hoping to make my debut at Crystal Palace next month.

First Podium of the Season

Following my three stages in two days at Bedford last weekend I had Tuesday and Wednesday off before entering an evening handicap at Nutfield on Thursday. Like a lot of evening handicaps I was the only female rider but I wanted to see how I would fare with the guys following my two days of hard racing with the ladies. I know half the course well but the other half was twisty and again, I was let down by my cornering. I finished a disappointing last and thought I might just as well stick with time trialling after spending £12 for the pleasure of riding round on my own for most of the race. I got a Surrey League point for finishing but it was little compensation on this occasion.

Saturday at Chertsey was a different story however. I was a little tired but I was eager to race with the women again and on a fairly straight forward and familiar circuit. The race was competitive in parts and I had to stay alert to any attacks. I had one dig off the front early on to test the water but the group came up behind me and there was little point in me hanging out in front. I rode a sensible race and kept in the front four or five riders. On the final lap, just before the hill I dug in and two of us got to the top first. After that dig we didn't look back. Four of us came out on to the finishing straight and I time trialled it to the finish line getting third place by half a bike length. Finally, from 5 races in 6 days I finally had a result and 7 BC points.

My next road race is the Women's Divisional Road Race Championships at Ellen's Green this Saturday. It will be a competitive field and a tough race if the standard I saw at Bedford is anything to go by. I have had a couple of rides around the course now so I have no excuse that I don't know what to expect. I'll be taking it fairly easy this week but keep the legs turning over.

Bedford Report

This bank holiday I took part in the second round of the Women's Team Series held in Bedfordshire over three stages, proudly racing for the Surrey League Women's Team (although the jersey was somewhat large).

Fifty plus women started the event on Sunday and I was racing with some of the best women in the UK, including pro riders and first cats as well as 2/3/4 and juniors. I knew this weekend would be a baptism of fire for me and it certainly didn't disappoint. I have never been is such a big field of riders on the road and I was the most nervous I have ever been (even more than at the start of Flanders).

Day 1

Stage 1 on Sunday morning was the Team Time Trial which was won by Belgium based Global-Swift who put 42 seconds into the next two teams - Team Luciano-Kuota and FatBirds Cycling Club who tied for second. Unfortunately, getting the first stage over and done with by late morning really didn't cure my nerves and I felt quite sick in the afternoon from all the energy gels, drinks and food I had to get down between stages. The whole experience was brand new to me and it's hard to judge how much to eat and how your body will react to fuelling and re-fuelling for two stages in one day.

After the first lap of the afternoon stage I was ready to quit. I have never experienced riding like this. Breaking into corners, riding on the wrong side of narrow country lanes. I was surprised nobody was pulled over for this or even worse, hit by a car. I know of a local race that was stopped recently for much less indiscretion. The group that did ride on the right had side of the road pulled back into the bunch when vehicles approached forcing us to brake to let them in or be forced off the road. I was dropped on the climb which went up to the finish. I managed to get back on but was dropped again after a left hand corner and the sprint out. This was poor group positioning on my part despite being told to stay in the top 20. My excuse is lack of experience and fear (and I really need to work on my cornering). However, our rider, Susannah Osborne, defeated Elite rider Helen Wyman in the sprint and Surrey League Women's Team won stage 2. That evening I was grateful we were staying in Bedford and I could just go back to the room and lie down. It was a great excuse to do nothing.

Day 2

The race moved on to Millbrook Test Track just north of Amptill (Bedfordshire) for stage 3 for an 11am start on Bank Holiday Monday. The temperatures were already in the 20's and at last there were no decisions about whether to wear arm warmers, knee warmers or take a waterproof. I rode the 3 miles by myself to the start along the lanes and felt quite optimistic as summer really did feel like it had arrived!

Millbrook test track is quite something, it's a huge, awesome area with a banked speed oval and in the short time we were there it felt like a special circuit. It was twisty and hilly measuring 9 kilometres with a 7% climb and a 14% climb (the Horseshoe). Luckily for me the 21 per cent climb was not used this year but I have to confess when I saw it in the distance on the warm up lap I thought we were going to have to race up it!

The race began quietly and we were all together as we passed under a bridge on the circuit. Our rider and Round one winner, Charlotte Blackman, attacked over the climb and for me the race split apart. I chased on the descent to catch a Welland rider just ahead of me so I at least had some company. We were later joined by a third rider and we worked well together to the finish. With 13 minute laps being knocked out by the girls, there were riders spread out over the circuit and we passed some riders who had DNF'd so it was encouraging that we were still going and going to finish. My team mate, Naomi Anderson, crashed heavily during the stage and had to abandon via A&E. She is OK now, thank goodness. Charlotte's breakaway didn't last as the rest caught up to her and it was a bunch gallop to the finish after 7 laps of the course.

It was a determined race by everyone on a tough course and a fantastic example of how good the standard is in women's road racing. I felt really privileged to ride in that event and although I didn't set the world on fire I'm proud of my first experience of that level of racing. I didn't DNF and I didn't come in last. I'm more motivated than ever to train harder and iron out all the flaws in my race technique that are holding me back right now.

Thanks to my team mates who I only met on the day. They were a pleasure to ride with and always encouraging. Thanks to Chris for driving me up to Bedford and for being our team manager, mechanic, Soigneur, etc for the weekend. Thanks to Adam for riding up from Epsom to see the stage on Monday, his race tips, arriving on time, and shouting me up the climbs.