Iona at Peterborough Crit

Iona at Peterborough Crit

Monday 17 June 2013

York Crit 11th June

There were 4 of us for the Women's race on the first evening race at the new York Sport cycle circuit.    The race was handicapped, with myself and Brit against two York Uni Cycling girls.  The York uni girls were given 3/4 of a lap head start, then myself and Brit we're set off.  I couldn't help laughing as we watched the two girls get further and further around the 1 km circuit, waiting to be set off.  This was going to be a two up team time trial of a race, just simply to catch the two ahead.

We set off hard and didn't seem to be making very slow progress on catching the two ahead, they we're working well together early on.  The first 15 minutes we're the hardest and then after that their lead started to tumble a lot more.  By about half distance of the 40 minute race we caught them.  They sat in the wheels as soon as we caught them.  Few more laps and we hit them hard again, attacking one after the other, then try to continue the as hard a pace we could to get rid of our tag along companions.  One dropped off the pace pretty quickly, the second rider hung on well for a lot longer.

After a few more digs and the remaining York Uni girl still hung on.  I attacked again out of the last corner before the drag up to the line.  This being the best place, for if anyone who might have lost some ground coming out of the corner.  Still she hung on, nothing for it attack again on the next lap same place.  This time it worked we had a gap!  'Come on lets keep it going', make it impossible to close the gap again, it worked she was gone.

Now it was just a matter of counting down the laps.  A lap to go, and we decided we'd cross the line together.  And with that make sure we test out the photo finish, and it was just that, it was called as a dead heat!

A team time trial of a race but a good new circuit and good race.  All we need now is a few more women to come along and race on a Tuesday evening, York Sport @ 19.15hrs:)


I then went on to race the men's 2,3,4 cat race that followed on form the women's race.  Jamie Sharp went off the front of the bunch form the gun and wasn't seen again until he lapped the field.
The bunch split and i decide on do or die approach and jumped off the front to try bridge the gap.  I made if half way before being reeled in!  That was it the next couple of attacks put me out the back.  I was dropped off the bunch and waited to be lapped.  Jamie came around like a Steam train, I kicked to get a brief tow, around two corners, before my leg cramped up completely and I couldn't pedal, ahhh!

Jumped back on bunch again, only for a few laps later a rider to crash on the bend in front of me and me get put out the back again!
In no man's land again and Jamie lap's me again, I kick again and this time it's cramp in the other leg, so i eased off sooner this time and managed to avoid complete loss of pedalling efficiency!

Last time I jump back in again with bunch and this time stay with them till finish.  Once in bunch the pace was pretty steady away.  So next week it's try to hang on for longer and maybe sit in a bit more early on.

Iona