Central CX league Rd 2
Sat 01 Oct 2016
Paul McGrath finishes a race without the aid of the military
Round 2 brought us to MK bowl. A venue that favours the lighter rider as plenty of climbing. The course zig-zagging back and forth making full use of the elevation available with an abundance of short, steep climbs. Running a 1x system with a 40x25 the legs where certainly going to get work out.
The heavens opened with vigour just as the race kicked off. Turning the course into one large skid pan. With only just returning to cx, the associated skill levels are extremely rusty, all I can say is bambi on ice.
A relative good start saw me get towards the front of things but the tricky conditions and the need to keep clipping in and out saw me lose valuable time every lap. After 4 laps and several horizontal course inspections I felt like I was chipping some of that rust off. With added confidence the next 5 laps I tried to push, but as soon as I did I found I would just slide out and hit the deck. I adopted a similar pacing strategy as last week but ended kind of riding in no man's land for most of the race. The legs had the power but I lacked the technical ability to make them effective.
After 1hr 7m 2sec I completed 9 laps to finish 9th overall (8th affiliated)
Winner Neil Ellison WDMBC/Specialised Ruislip with 9 laps in 1hr 2min 45secs.
Paul McGrath