My group (which unfortunately for me today included the 'Juniors') went off first; and instead of going at a brisk start-of-race pace like it should have done I was up to 30mph+ just to keep up! Long story short me and 3 other guys found ourselves just off the back but unable to put the extra speed in...Let me tell you, it was FAST. I mean really fast when you consider the group consisted of Juniors (under 18's) and 4th Category Seniors. We're supposed to be slow(er) apparently...yeah right, 34mph average speed until they caught the Elites!!! Junior my ARSE.
Anyhoo, we were swept up by the Biiig bunch a few laps later and everything was back to normal. Except this group had the Elites in....erk....No big problem really as it turned out, providing I was hidden in the middle. You don't know speed 'till you're sandwedged in the middle of a group of racing bikeys doing 30mph plus-trust me on that one. This nice state of calm hung around a few more laps and then. Well, how can I put this? A Team (not sure which, and I'm not going to point the finger at any in particular *cough* Raleigh *cough*) got on the front and decided to make us all suffer. I was rather alarmed to see myself travelling backwards when this happened, but didn't panic as there were more riders behind me that I could use to get back in the group. Or so I thought...
One problem with riding in a group (and this must apply to racing, although as a veteran of only 1 I'm no expert) is that once you lose the wheel of the guy in front you have to work 60% harder to maintain the same speed - and in a race situation that means you go backwards unless you've got the legs for it.
Today, I didn't have the legs to propel myself at a greater speed than the main bunch in order to catch them. Such is life. So there I was on my own for a few laps until the main field lapped me and I was told to retire by the Commisaire...annoying really as I wanted to finish and was quite prepared to do so alone.
So in the end it was a Junior 1-2-3....and it's only the second time a Junior has won apparently. Good going really.
Well I learnt a LOT today....more of a Baptism of Fire and Brimstone than just fire....but make no mistake I will be racing again (soon hopefully)!
.....who knows, I might even finish ;)
