Eastern Counties Cycling Association Festival 3/4 - 4th May 2013

Congratulations to Jobe Usher on his first top 10 finish at Hogg Hill.

Having already entered the race only to be told by Neil Lewis on the club Facebook page that we might not be able to ride as the club isn't affiliated to ECCA, Mike Atkinson and I were both somewhat relieved to get an email from the organizer confirming our registration. Phew!

Neither of us had yet completed a race in the bunch, so we agreed that a bunch finish was the order of the day. We were racing on the back of some solid training and some decent form so hopes were high.

We both got off to a good start, getting places in the first quarter of the bunch early on. We were both good in the first 15 minutes - when I'm told it's normally fastest - keeping up at the front of the bunch and going smoothly on the Hoggenberg. We both dropped the wheels in front of us a couple of times and had to sprint back on but hopefully that will happen less as we get more experience. I did a bit too much on the front in the next quarter, chasing some attacks that I could probably have left to someone else. I also had a bit of a cyclocross experience when the guy in front ground out a pedal on the bottom circuit, but fortunately that was the closest either of us came to a crash. It was after around half an hour that the attacks started to come thick and fast. Unfortunately I was a bit out of breath when the decisive 6 man group got away. Ironically I'd been on one of their wheels for most of race so far, but I was caught out when they went and too tired to close. After recovering in the wheels I tried a couple of times to bridge across with another rider or two in tow, but they didn't want to come through when I started flagging and I didn't have enough to close the gap solo. I resigned myself to sitting in the pack and hoping we'd set up an organised chase, but no such luck and the gap steadily grew. It was around this time that Mike's back went and he dropped off the bunch. He reckons he didn't warm up enough, not having ridden over like me so it should be easy to sort out for next time. Its a shame as he was looking good all the way up to that point and I'm sure he would've been up there at the end - personally I blame his girlfriend for not knowing the way over and making him go in the car with her!!!

I was starting to suffer from my earlier efforts each time up the hill, so when I saw 5 laps to go I decided I should stay out of the wind completely. Coming around the bottom of the course in the final lap, a couple of riders tried to get away from the main bunch and I was promptly onto their wheels, feeling somewhat refreshed having performed a wheel sucking masterclass for the last 10 minutes or so. Sitting 4th wheel with 200m to go, I was feeling good, but having never been in the bunch for a sprint before I was a bit surprised how early the sprint opened up. My kick was a bit too late and the guy leading out got a decent gap over me from the off, but having opened the taps I managed to overhaul the two ahead of me - pedaling squares for the final few meters to the line.
 
I was happy with 2nd in the sprint to get 8th overall and I'd like to think that I could do better in future now that I know what to expect toward the end of a race. I also know now that my original idea of not seeing the wind until 100 to go was the right idea! I'll put my earlier efforts down to youthful exuberance and just make sure I don't possess any of that in the future!

Jobe Usher