Maybe I should have read the instructions on how to set the alarm on my new phone, as I thought I'd set it for 0615am. I had but for today....Monday......(Donut mistake number 1!)
Fortunately my daughter at the age of 5 wakes up at 0645am every morning without fail! Regardless if its a Sunday or a Wednesday!
This left me with very little time to get dressed, gather my kit, grab a coffee, eat a small bowl of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes......(Donut mistake number 2! Not good food loading for a race!) load the van etc etc, before blasting down to Penzance to pick Hari up and driving back for Luke, then onto pick Phil Walker, Nicky and her brother Joe up.
A quick splash and dash for fuel in Truro and we were off. And very soon the banter started, Sickipedia jokes etc etc, and soon we were nearing Brentor. The Hi-Top Pug Boxer I'd borrowed was getting a right buffeting from the wind and it was pissing down!
Arriving at Lamerton Village hall, we had arrived a little on the early side as it was deserted, so I suggested we drive the course and see whats what......what's what was a not very technical course, 3 straights, 3 hairpin bends, a decent, an accent and a flat bit. The accent consisted of a nasty looking false flat/up hill drag and a couple of nasty little kicks, the uphill long drag/false flat wouldn't suit me, but the two kicks would.
Eventually it was back to the Hall, where I had a slice of cake and a coffee, this at least filled me a little a bit, Luke had prepped well and munched his way through a big bowl of pasta and tuna!
After signing on it was off to the changing rooms and several visits for pre-race nerves toilet type visits. Into the van and back to the course, I dumped the van 100 yards after the finish, where Nicky and Joe would take some pictures and hand us bottles, we left them there and myself, Phil, Hari and Luke went off to the start. Looked like a good turn out of about 35-40ish riders had assembled.
A brief chat about the do's and don'ts from the Commissar and we were off for the half mile neutralised section before turning and on the off....a few Cat 4 riders got spat out the back straight away and a brave soul shot off the front, with the bunch happy to let him go.
I was a bit nervous at the start, experiencing the funnel effect of being in the middle of the Peloton as riders move up the outside and moving to the middle at the front, this pushing riders back into a giant through and off. A few novice riders had obviously never ridden in a group, especially one this size, and had the odd berating from the odd cat 3 rider! I just decided the odd gentle shove would suffice......
Phil got ejected on lap 2, but still bravely ploughed on, obviously not back up to fitness after spending time off the bike with a broken collarbone, and then Hari got ejected on lap 4, with the pace being just a little to high for him!
After about 4-5 laps we caught the lone rider and another split went off and the natural order of things settle out....big group of about 20 or so riders, with only a about 7 riders prepared to race. (I'd have to say, what is the point in paying £16-£20 to do a Road RACE, and then suck wheels the whole time before going for glory at the end! I'd rather spend the time RACING......)
These workers/racers consisted of 2 Primal Guys, me and Luke and couple of other club riders. The "trying to chace the break away down" lasted until about the start of lap 8 where I'd done my turn on the front going up the long drag and pealed off to the back for a drink and gel for the final lap, only to get caught out by two slow riders and witnessing 7-8 pack containing Luke, put the hammer down. But by the time I'd got past the slow riders a 10 bike length gap had opened up, into the gale force wind this started to grow and I could see Luke looking back trying to see where I was, but I was glad he got into the break, and the gap was growing bigger as Luke latched onto some strong racers!
(Donut mistake number 3.......pay bloody attention!) I then spent the remainder of the final lap with a Primal guy in full on TT mode as we took turns to try and reach the group, we managed to ditch 8 riders, but we had 3 hangers on, who just sat there and sucked wheels. When one did try and come through, he realised how hard the wind was blowing, decided it was too hard and carried on sucking wheels, much like most of the field!
After nearly closing the gap we turned the final corner, myself and the Primal guy were spent, and our 3 hangers on went past us, (cheers for the help you bloody losers!) and I rolled in 13th.
Luke won £20 for his well deserved 5th place and I learned.....1. Be better prepared food wise. 2. Don't drop to the middle rear of the pack on the final lap for water and a gel. 3. Pay close attention to whats happening! Had I done this, I could have rolled in with Luke, as my speed on the final lap was enough to ditch 8 riders in our little group.
Even though I didn't get the result I wanted, I really enjoyed myself and it helped me decide that next year, proper racing is where it is at...............
A big thanks to Nicky and Joe for handing us the bottles and yelling support, means alot in race like that to hear your names being shouted in encouragement!
Below is a link to Luke's Garmin stats, had I set my Endomondo thing up it would be roughly the same.
