20th
June
2011

Yesterday I took part in some skinny tyre racing; taking a break from off-road racing with a number of weekends back to back on the horizon. The race was the ‘George Greeves Memorial’. A 2/¾ road race around an undulating circuit near Cardiff.

With the Kalas Cup and Tour of Reservoir on the same weekend, the field didn’t have any recognisable names and so I went with the intention of a good result. However, without sounding like a big shot, I think being in my Orbea kit and matching bike made me somewhat of a marked rider. Breaks in these races always seem to escape, not by means of a punchy attack, but by simply edging away and nobody following. This kept happening and with what felt like everyone watching for my move, I was forced to go every time.

Around a third of the way ‘round the first lap I pulled away without intention, on one of the dual-carriageway drags. Into a headwind with 90km to go, I got my TT on; my enjoyment of a good hard effort blocking any sense or race tactics. In fact, watching the race as an armchair cyclist I would probably have been smugly commenting on the idiocy of my riding. I stayed away for the remainder of lap one, of the three lap race.

Back in the bunch and it was the same story; sitting on the front chasing everything and really riding the race like the mountain biker I am. Using the race to get a good, but not damaging, session I wasn’t too concerned about this tactic. I perhaps wasn’t going to be as fresh as I could be at the end, but knowing the race would be around 2.30hr, I knew I had the capacity to give it full beans.

Three of us got a gap on the second passing of the windy dual-carriageway. Again,  the break didn’t really work well together. The turns were long and I was doing double; the gusty conditions didn’t help. Rather than smoothly pulling through, the long turns caused injections of pace which forced the front rider to close the gap rather than receive some much needed recovery; at times I couldn’t help but think I’d have been better off on my own again.

We held a gap of around 50s, going above and below at varying points on the course. We were also informed of a chase 20s back. Along the top, tailwind assisted final section, the chase could be seen around 10s back, causing one of my breakaway companions to lose faith. Still, I believed we could hold it off and dug even deeper with my remaining escapee; indeed I believed we had when the lead car pulled behind once again. Unfortunately we were caught at the 1km to go sign, myself not realising they were so close still plugging it on the front. Attacks came instantly and I gave it my all to go again; sprinting into 4th place.

I rode the race hard and was frustrated to be caught at the end and not get a win. Hindsight shows letting the chase catch us and being fresh for the sprint would have proved a better option but of course, that is something you never have the luxury of. I had a good race and felt strong so can be happy with that.

John.