2016 Tour of Hertfordshire - Round 1

Sun 22 May 2016

David, Mike, Andrea and Hugo race at Bricket Wood

This weekend saw the start of the 2016 Tour of Hertfordshire, with the first round in Bricket Wood on Sunday. Saturday was the scene of a less-than-successful race meet at Kent Cyclo Park for Mike Heptonstall and David Perry in the 3rd and 4th Cat races respectively, although Hugo Evans was the exception in the trio. Conditions were tough, with strong winds, and both races strung out from the start. For their own reasons, Mike and David each withdrew after a few laps, leaving both feeling frustrated. Hugo, however, hung in there and took a respectable finish in the second group of the 3rd cats.
 
Unsatisfied with having raced already on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning (Mike), David and Mike joined Andrea Perry at the BRE Fest in Bricket Wood, with the boys racing the 3/4 Cat and Andrea taking part in the Women’s Novice Race. 
 
This was only Andrea’s second official race, having previously participated in a lower circuit event at Hog Hill in March 2016. The novice race offers cyclists the chance to test their legs and see if they a) enjoy racing and b) are any good at it. Only seven entrants took to the start line in glorious sunshine and great conditions. From the start, Andrea and a Stevenage CC rider went clear at the front, working together for the majority of the race. As the laps wore on, Andrea’s asthma got the better of her and she dropped back to group. With just two laps to go and the win long gone, it was all or nothing to secure second place. Andrea recovered enough to take second coming out of the final corner, although the sprint would probably have been more impressive if the other rider had chosen to fight for the place!

Later that afternoon, David and Mike lined up in a field of 50 to contest the 3/4 race. The pace was high from the start and after only a couple of laps, the field had split into small groups. There were crashes aplenty, with one rider retiring after his derailleur was wrenched from the frame, but thankfully no major injuries. David and Mike kept out of trouble and rode strongly in the fourth group, whilst two Verulam CC riders blew the race apart at the front. Unfortunately, with the laps counting down and most of the field lapped, the Commissaire began withdrawing riders and the boys found their race ending slightly earlier than anticipated. 

All in all a good day. Roll on round two of the tour!

Andrea Perry