May 2nd, CDNW Great Budworth. Racing From Our Man in the Action.
"This weekend's CDNW kept us close to home with a 3/ 4 race over at Great Budworth, not really sure why there wasn't an E/1/2 race this week but I wasn't overly concerned... I don't think Jimmy Frog was as he took the opportunity to ride out and marshal, thanks for that Jimmy.
Looking at the start sheet there were supposed to be eight Wills Wheels riders in the race. However, come race day only six turned up. I'm guessing Jason (ex-club road race champion) and Johnno decided to save their legs for the upcoming end to end, either that or they were having some last minute family time to be in good books before going away.
It was down to Mr B, Greg, Ben, Duncan, Young Chris and I to uphold the honours this week. I was a little worried when I arrived and Duncan wasn't already there and fully kitted out. I needn't have worried though as he did arrive before too long and his excuse was he was giving Maher a lift and didn't feel he could ask him to set off at 6am.
Duncan did make up for this by admitting he had been round the course with Maher yesterday. The ride round had achieved two things neither of them good, a mass of potholes all round the course and a hill, which Maher described as a 1 in 3 monster... To be fair compared to the track it was a bit of a hill but nothing really to worry about, still it provided us with something with which to tease Maher!
Aside from teasing Maher the pre race talk was made up of me getting my excuses in before the start having been ill since Tuesday. I was only attending as it was local and so I could be there to write the race review! Talk soon moved to whether Duncan would go better or worse having had Chinese the night before rather than his usual pasta. Mr B was making some comments about MSG's, sounded far to complicated for me. To be honest I've raced on Chinese more often than pasta this season and don't notice the difference but then again my body is used to living on pizza and cola so is probably just glad to have some rice. Still I see an experiment coming here maybe curry or pizza the night before, I don't think it really matters for less than 60 miles. I'm starting to sound like David Duffield going on about food, so on with the race.
Rolling out it certainly didn't feel like May, if anything it was like being back in March with the cold winds blowing across the course. It obviously wasn't March though as no sooner had we started than riders went on the attack and it wasn't too long before I had a moment of inspiration (it's those fast wheels they keep making me attack) and went across to a lone rider off the front. I caught him and eased off for him to get on the wheel before pressing on, when I looked round for a turn he was back down the road. I really didn't want to be going for another solo effort but I had a gap so thought I might as well get my head down. At least I was getting a good view of the many potholes and an easy route past a horse.
All was going well and one of the lead cars had dropped in behind me so I must have been building a good lead when the remaining lead car took a left turn, going down a quick bit of the course. I had to try hard to make the turn without coming off as I really wasn't expecting it as I thought I knew the course. About 150 yards up the road the lead car stopped and told me to turn round as we had gone the wrong way! I was starting to feel this might not be my day. As I did a U-turn and rolled back down to the junction I saw the bunch speed past. By the time I was back on course I was 10 seconds off the back of the bunch. I wasn't sure what the officials were going to do so went full power to close the gap. I realised the bunch had slowed up so started to take it a bit easier and when I got to the bunch had a quick chat with the commissaire and was told to go right though and I could have 30 seconds on the bunch. I was half tempted to say, “it's okay I'm happy here” but didn't want to let the team down.
So I was off alone again but I'd lost my rhythm and started at the bottom of the steep climb which zapped my legs a bit, to be fair to Maher it was a little tougher than I expected and I did opt for the small ring, it was though certainly not 1 in 3! Still I managed to stay away for another lap before being joined by another rider and then almost exactly two laps and 14 miles or so after I went away I was back in the bunch.
Duncan and Mr B were controlling the front of the bunch when I got caught and were looking comfortable. It wasn't long before Mr B launched the an attack to keep the pressure on. Alas he was yet again a marked man and was quickly chased down despite some hard turns. Ben and Greg made a couple of efforts to go with moves before it was my turn again. None of our efforts went that far and certainly the two guys I went away with didn't have good legs so I thought I'd just save some energy rather than towing them along.
Wills Wheel's kept the pace high for the next half lap with Mr B and I particularly pressing on with some good turns. However, it was still all together as we went through with four to go. The pace, wind and road conditions were all taking their toll though. Young Chris had not quite managed to hang on on the tough section after the climb last time round, not a bad effort on what was a tough day but suffer more next time! Duncan had some bad luck and was among the puncture victims, for the second time in three races. Still at least it gives you an excuse to go for another Chinese before you're next race.
With just under four laps to go Sam Clarke, a mate of ours riding for Sett Valley, went away with his team mate. They were pushing on hard and efforts from the bunch weren't fully committed. I went to the front with Mr B sitting fourth or fifth wheel. I was hoping Mr B was following the plan in that I'd make it hard for a while and close the gap then when I was a dead man he could counter. For once it went as expected and Mr B jumped hard at the right time and went straight through Sam and his team mate before letting two riders join him and pressing on.
Mr B was pushing on hard and they were getting a decent gap, with Greg and I jumping on anything that was trying to go across and hoping to get a free ride in the process. The gap grew to what looked like it could be decisive when Sam and his team mates started chasing hard and bringing the gap down to at one point to 15 seconds or less. The break under Mr B's control kept working and didn't give in, the bunch didn't have too much gas left and nobody was coming through to help Sam and his guys with the chase.
Going up the steep climb, fed up of towing towing the bunch, Sam attacked. Both Greg and I decided to let him go as it would have been useful to let him join the break as it meant his team wouldn't be chasing. I was tempted to go with him but didn't want to tow the bunch along and ruin the breaks chances. Another rider went after him and again we were happy enough to let that go.
Round the back of the circuit the break had increased their gap a little and round the twists and turns were staying somewhat out of sight. With just over three laps to go there was a lot of activity with riders realised that this was probably the race and their last chance to get across. Greg, Ben and I were making sure at least one of us was with each move as we couldn't allow anyone else to go across without a Wills Wheels rider there.
It was Ben who picked the right move to go with and rode well in a group of three, which ex-team mate Mark Hammersley then rode across to and quite simply that was the race. I went and had a chat with Greg to check we were happy with the situation. With two in a break of ten up the road we decided that we were happy enough, although both would have preferred to be up there.
Quickly the riders upfront got together, got organised and were riding well as they got a gap of 45 seconds. It was up to a minute or so as we rode through with two laps to go. Two got dropped from the break, I think one of them might have punctured, which was good news for us meaning we now had two in eight. The bunch had pretty much lost interest now and we were just riding round at not much above club run pace. It was about this time Maher decided he wasn't riding up any more hills if there was no win to sprint for at the end of the day, so climbed off and went to sympathise with Duncan. For a trackie it wasn't a bad ride...
As we got towards the finish Greg had said he'd have a go for the finish so it looked like a chance to practise my lead out skills again, since it didn't quite work out at Elswick and at least it would stop us getting bored in the bunch. The the pace picked up as we got within a couple of miles of the finish and I moved towards the front, trying to get through gaps while not loosing Greg behind me. With just over a kilometre or so to go a few riders were starting to sneak off the front so I thought I'd wind the pace up to prevent it, so at least we'd be sprinting for eighth rather than fifteenth. I wound it up and was rather surprised when with 100 metres to go nobody had sprinted past and I was only done by four in the last 20 metres. Unfortunately Greg was suffering with the onset of cramp and between that and dodging bodies going backwards didn't quite get up there. I should have probably given him a smoother and easier ride to the front, still I'm sure when it really matters and it's for the win it will hook up.
Allegedly the break rode together and everyone was going through until just over a kilometre out when a Birkenhead rider sneaked off the front and held of the rest of the break. Mr B managed a highly creditable 4th with Ben, his first time in a winning break, a decent 6th or 7th. Selected other results from the break, Mark H 3rd and Sam 8th.
Overall not a bad day for Wills Wheels, we certainly showed our strength and took the race to the opposition again today. That first CDNW win of the season can't be too far away for us. On a personal note it was another slightly frustrating day to see the winning move go away without me. Next time I'll try to get in the winning move if only to give you a more exciting race review.
That's it for a couple of weeks as most of us are off on the end to end, possibly my next race will be Bole Hill in a month. Although I'll try and sneak one in before then. Good luck to those who are racing while we are away and keep the club colours flying...
Dave Lowe