aftermath...

so the weekends racing is over again.... did the ciclosport gp just outside cookstown/magherafelt/somewhere over the other side of the lough. It was a good race! Conditions were absolutely miserable though... rain was chucking down.... puddles everywhere... really poor road conditions with potholes fecking everywhere to sap even more energy from your legs.... nice.

Anyways... was a a 5 lap race of a 10 mile-ish circuit.... pretty rolling course with a few inclines.

The race didn't start well... myself, henry and rich were hanging out at the start line waiting to go off but we seemed to be standing for ages so me and henry went for another spin down the road to keep warm... next thing we know the race had started and we're about 200 metres behind the main group trying to catch up.... totally into the red to get onto the back of the group.... it hadn't started well!

So, managed to get back onto the group... just as they hit the first incline... back into the red.... argh. Managed to hang in there and move up the group to just before the front which was pretty good... although I have to admit at this point I was starting to wonder exactly how i was going to manage to hold on for another 4 odd laps.....

As usual the frist lap and a half was pretty savage with far too many frisky people wanting to attack... but it settled down a bit after this and got a bit more civilised which was just as well! For some reason the back straight to the finish line always seemed to be a place where the pace just ramped up... gotta make it difficult for the pic-takers!!

By lap 4 I was really starting to feel the pain and was dropping back a bit further on the inclines each time... and on the final lap on the outward section in the crosswind i lost touch with the main group on a lump.... a couple of other guys went by me and I managed to grab a wheel and stick with them on the descent and round the corner... then just about clawed my way back into the main group.... *whew*.... moved up the group again to be close to the front. Approaching the finish line everyone was going and I went too... not a full sprint but just upped the cadence to about 130-140... seemd to work pretty well as I made my way through the group and I think took an un-offical 8th place! Un-official in that its not on the cycling ulster results... but on looking at Cathy's pics, it seems to be me there. :-)

You would not believe how muddy, mucky, mingy, boggin' etc etc I was by the end of the race. My gloves were like sponges.... soaked up a good 2 pounds worth of water going round I reckon... nice. I think next time... lighter *waterproof* gloves!



The Bell: somehow not as boggin'.

Lessons learned:
* be at the start line - duh.
* don't get lost getting there.
* spongy wet gloves suck.
* racing in the rain does not a pretty rider make.