June 13th Weaver Valley RR - Bunch Cam

Jack, Jimmy, Ben and I all signed on at The John Boote Memorial RR hoping to banish various demons from the previous weeks race at Bole Hill.

This is on of the few races I actually remember from when I raced all those years ago, although I'm pretty sure it was just called Weaver Valley then. It used to be 90 miles or 18 laps where as it's now just the 65 miles or 13 laps, as I'm the grand old age of 30 now I feel old enough to say, we used to race 'proper' back then when men were men...

The course is a good one and pretty challenging, there is a short but steep climb with the finish halfway up, before a run round the back of the circuit and fast descent down to the bypass (A49), up the bypass which is a bit of a drag before encircling the round-a-bout and going back down the bypass and taking a left onto the climb again.

I usually like to tell you of some humorous pre-race chat but there wasn't any this week as the memories of Bole Hill were lurking. However, Jimmy did tell us that he rode a 50 mile time trial on Saturday along with Greg and Chris Siepen. Jimmy clocked a 2 hours 2 minute ride man-style, while Greg and Chris equipped with lo-pros both posted 2 hour 4 minute rides. A decent set of rides on Cheshire, apparently they were narrowly beaten into second place for the team prize.

As we rolled out in the neutralised section the sun came out, that's something else I remember about this race it's usually on a scorching day. Jimmy went with the first move but it was quickly swallowed back up by an enthusiastic bunch. The rest of us were also looking to get clear and we were all following moves but nothing significant.

The first real move went clear as Jack and I got in a group of seven that went clear up the bypass and looked to be getting a decent gap. We all somehow managed to avoid a car that got onto the round-a-bout with us and faked a right before turning left and forcing us to take evasive manoeuvres. Unfortunately there were only four of us prepared to put the work in and despite me narrowly avoiding a heart attack on the climb we were caught as we approached the bypass a lap later.

We were just about to find out that this stretch was clearly the place to go clear, with nobody really wanting to chase up the drag and into the wind. As Jack and I were still recovering a big attack, including Jimmy went clear. At first this looked, okay as it only consisted of seven or eight riders but quickly ones, twos and threes all without another Wills Wheels jersey jumped across swelling the numbers up front to 15 if not a couple more. This wasn't ideal for us and from a team and personal point of view, we would have definitely preferred more men up front. Still with only four of us in the race we didn't really have the numbers to go sit on the front. The break didn't look to be working that well and to be honest looked too large to stay away, so I wasn't too concerned.

Over the next couple of laps the break stayed at around 30 seconds, Jack and Ben did quite a lot of work on the front and following small moves that looked to go across but never got too far. I felt like joining in and at just over half race distance with the break still hovering at 30 seconds went with a move round the back of the course. We stayed away from the bunch and were slowly closing on the break. A couple of riders were exchanged with the bunch on the climb but we stayed clear and pressed on, well some of us.

In a horrible piece of repetition of earlier in the race, as we got caught going onto the bypass a lap later and with the break now at 10 to 15 seconds and clearly in sight, another move went away. Jack showed some good awareness and made sure he was one of the 10 riders going up the road. This group quickly caught the break meaning it was no longer really a break but more like half the bunch, approximately 25 riders. They were obviously pressing on well in that large group as in the space of two laps the gap went out to something that was going to take some serious bridging if it was even possible.

Ben and I were ruing our choice of moves, lack of timing, talent, anything else you cared to mention as we were stuck in what was effectively the laughing group, although there was certainly nobody laughing. In fact a few looked close to tears. Looking round we knew the spirit was broken and with just under five laps to go Ben attacked and looked to go clear taking another rider (or should that be passenger) with him. The attack though didn't get too far as the death throes of the bunch were bringing it back.

I was having something of an internal crisis and feeling sorry for myself, in a bid to prevent hitting the depths of despair, a la day seven of the end to end (or at least get some more training) attacked. I'd done myself a deal in that if I didn't get anywhere I'd just climb of and go home, it was that bad! So it was that I went of in search of people to catch and make the best of a bad situation. I caught a group of four and went past them, although two of them came back to me later. I'd spied another group of seven up the road at around 40 seconds and set about catching them.

Each lap I was getting a good view of the front group and the action that was going on. The group was splitting into four groups, there was a group of three that were forcing their way clear followed by two decent sized groups trying to separate or get back together depending which one you were in. Jack was in the front one of these two groups but unfortunately Jimmy was feeling the effects of his 50 the day before and was in a small group that had been distanced a little.

Meanwhile I'd pressed on and as we passed two laps to go I caught that group in front and we dropped one of them on the climb. I was hoping I would get a turn here but I think half these guys were dead and the other half intent on saving themselves for the sprint for 26^th place. I resigned myself to just riding on the front of this group to the finish, I probably should have rode off and left them but I was getting a work out, which was good enough. Two riders attacked us on the last lap, I really didn't see the point myself, as I said it's 26^th at best! Anyway we got to the finish and in some vague attempt to keep some dignity and sanity I pulled over at the bottom of the climb to let them sprint for it as I just rolled up.

I'd seen Jack was looking good as we crossed last time on the bypass, as he was looking like going clear of the second group on the road, so was keen to catch up and see where he'd finished. Jack had just got reeled in on the climb as a couple sprinted past but had got a top 10 finish. It was a really good ride, in which he'd been active all day, not easy in what was a tough race, seeing bodies spread all over the course.

Jimmy had hung on out and finished in the low 20's, not bad having ridden a 50 the day before.

Ben came in a few minutes behind me in what was left of the bunch, although disappointed to finish in there, he was happy with feeling better in the legs than at Bole Hill the week before and feeling that his week of rest had been the right decision.

All in all from a personal point of view I was left thinking that road racing sucks, why can't I get in a winning move and so many more dark and depressing thoughts. Not least I was even considering selling the bike and just buying a lo-pro to go time trialling, at least you can't miss the split there.

However, since then I've had some Dinner and a couple of litres of Cola and have found a couple of positives to pick out, at least I had good legs and it was sunny! Nope I'm still not selling it to myself...