Elveden Road Race Series 1.

9th march saw a very very wet start to the first Elveden Race Series, Sandra and Hayley from the team were racing this event, and although at first reluctant, Sandra's bike decided he would get out of the car!!

Sandra opted for rollers, Hayley opted for a turbo, the latter was by far the better choice.

So after the cat 4 men's race finished, I was off for a lap warm up, the circuit is absolutely brilliant, corners are all fine, just on that day wet, and with water coming of the fields, the odd bit of grit to be aware of.

The start was rolling for longer than expected due to an on coming tractor, but once the commissairs flag was down the pace set off, and at first, it was a good pace, I stayed further up the front, and perhaps sometimes doing too much. Hayley took a really good attack early on about lap 3 , and still finding myself in that top part of the bunch, it was lap 4 just as we went through the start and finish up the drag, that I really lost touch with the main bunch, which ended up being made up of 9 riders.

There was a 2nd bunch that had formed of about 5 of us, I seemed to lead this on a fair amount. I had wondered where Hayley had got to, and I later learned she thought she had a puncture, but thankfully hadn't and was able to join the race again, as she came passed I tried to hold on to the wheel up the drag, for a bit, but some good strong riding from Hayley meant that I ended up back with the other 4 girls.
It remained this way, for the final 2 laps, of the 7 lap race, knowing I was spending too long at the front, I knew at the bottom corner, I had to just go to the finish line, but there wasn't a lot left in me.

The race was in my opinion excellent, although one of the wettest I've ridden, and my white kit ended up brown, but 4 washes later it is smiling a brighter shade of white, and a good race under my belt.
Hayley finished in at 10th and I was 15/16th in, so overall very pleased with the effort put in.

Thank you to all the organisers, Elveden really is a good new road racing event on the calendar.

Written by Sandra.