Having ridden this course once before in a men's 3/4 cat race, I knew the course well. That is to say as bumpy has hell, and full of cobbles! For that reason I was glad it was dry! It's a fast course essentially a triangle in shape, with only 2 notable corners, but both of these can catch you out if your not careful! From the off it's cobbles and speed bumps, then a fast 90 deg bend before more bumps and then a tight u turn back on it's self of a final corner, and a fast run to the finish.
Normally I'll talk myself out of a race before it's even started, especially if it's a town centre crit! But for this race I was actually looking forward to it. As usual I managed to start at the back, not intentionally I might add! As I knew there was going to be less opportunity to move up the bunch, unlike Otley with it's wide roads.
The race was fast form the start. But 2 laps in and a crash! Jo and I we're stuck the wrong side of it and there was me thinking, well that's may race over with!
Luckily the race was neutralised and then re started, while we had to wait for the course to be cleared.
We we're off again and again, I hadn't managed to move up! Each lap tho the bunch seemed to be getting smaller. I just had to keep moving past those being tailed off and each time I felt a little closer to the front. Brit was up at the front in the right place, until the point where I caught her up, and then I thought either, I've moved up drastically, or your slipping backwards!
About the half way point, I punctured, great, just what I needed! I rolled around to the pit's, where Stuart was on wheel duty! Stuart suddenly realised and luckily he grabbed a front wheel! Wheel changed I was surprised at how long it took for the bunch to get back around! There was a break of 5 off the front that included Hannah Barnes and Amy Hill.
The bunch finally came around again, and it was go go go! I found myself at the back as I tried to get back up to speed. The second half of the race slowed a little, probably given that the break had been allowed to get away. If I could have got to the front, i'd have attacked.
By the time I did make it to the front it was 2 laps to go, and I came to the front to close down a couple of riders as they tried to get away. 1 and half laps to go, and Helen Wyman attacks, I'm on the front so don't follow, but knew that would have been the move to go with, she stayed away to finish 6th.
1 Lap to go and I'm on the front again, I hear my name called over the mega phone! I wasn't really attacking just annoyed it had taken so long to reach the front! I enter the 90 deg bend in the lead. This corner is a fast one, it's just frustrating that if your at the back, there's so much breaking, as there's no need to go so slow into it! Out of the corner onto the bumpy road, and I let others come around me, not wanting to lead out the sprint. I know it's going to be a hard one to make up ground here! Maybe I should have stayed on the front, maybe not, but in the end I came in to finish 17th.
A really good evenings racing, and for once glad not be ridding the same pace as the bunch off the back of the bunch, but instead in the bunch! Thanks to Stuart for being on pit's duty, all that talk of puncturing at the start Stuart, trust me to then go and puncture, brand new tub too, grrr!
Next day and results are up. I'm not on the results, hang on a minute!!!! I quick email to the organiser, and a look at the photo finish from the Chief Com and the problem is amended. I was number 24, but my number had been read as 14 in the photo finish!
Next week and Ryedale GP, and another local race, this is a bit too good to be true, no travelling yey! Only wish we had a few more participants, it's either the're all scared of the north or it must be the massive hill, and this time I hope to have a better run at that hill than last year!
Iona
