Jonathan Appleby 9th in road race with broken wrist!

Anglo Polymers Road Race, Huntingdon - cat 3/4, 56 miles - Sunday 11th May 2008

By Jonathan Appleby

In 2007 Trevor Burke won the Anglo polymers RR for NRCC on a terrible, cold rainy accident filled day.  It was thus a great relief to turn up with Jeff Robinson this year to glorious hot May sunshine.  It was my first race of the year, just a test really to see how the winter training had worked out. Unfortunately it was my Superman - flying through the air and Brian Jacks judo roll technique that got put to work as a crash on the long neutralised roll out section had me on the deck.  As the race had not started the marshals held the group while I patched my cuts and re-pinned my numbers. 

Back on with the race, I took up a defensive position in plenty of space at the rear or the group.  I knew my right wrist and left shoulder were sore, but as my legs were fine I just decided to get on with things.  Two riders went away but there was no life in the group.  The attackers opened up a few minutes, which was just enough to keep us all moving but other than that the first few laps were uneventful.  On the third lap the group met a van on the only steep climb on the course which narrowed the road to just two bike widths. Those at the back of the group lost vital seconds as riders filtered through, then the chase was on to get back.  Unfortunately Jeff got caught here and wasn’t able to get any help from others round him. 

With the change of pace and other riders tiring I thought a move forward in the pack was due. I tried to make a few jumps with some other riders but they were half hearted efforts and had little effect.  With half a lap to go a strong two man break away formed and they had a reasonable 20 to 30 second gap when for some reason they both overshot a corner and went to inspect a farmers field.  It would have been a good one for the helicopter camera, replaying the images of the lead rider throwing down his drinks bottle in disgust. Thus we were destined for the usual cat 3-4 bunch sprint, but at least this one turned into the charge of the light brigade as with 250m still to go we pretty much hit max pace. The race was won by Dieter Rowe of VC Norwich with Darren Cainey (Team Economic Energy) and Maksymilian Tarczynski (Private) second and third respectively.  I managed to find a decent sheltered position and sneaked in a 9th place. 

Geoff – I took your advice, on the drive home my wrist started to hurt like hell so I called in at the Lister A&E.  Three hours later I walked out with my arm in plaster and the rest of my race season in tatters due to a broken wrist that is destined to spend the next 8 weeks in plaster. (Scaphoid bone).  Shame.

Full result here