LVRC Dunton Road Race - Sun 5th August

Report from Nick Harris 

On the one of the hottest days of the year a trio of Northroaders made the by now familiar journey to Dunton for an hour and a bit of vets racing.  No prizes for guessing that the small but happy band consisted of John McDowall, Del Evans and myself.

A higher than usual number of C and D category riders led the organiser to turn the race into a handicap with the As and Bs setting off about a third of a lap after their more mature rivals which made for a fast few laps until the two groups merged. 

I have to confess to not noticing when a break of five subsequently eased off the front (tiredness from the previous day's equally hot club 25 is my only excuse) but I was well placed to slow the chase down when John made a bid to join them.  Sadly although he got to within 20 metres he couldn't make contact and slowly but surely drifted back to the bunch. 

And that's how it stayed until two laps from the end when a by now recovered John dragged himself away on the circuit's only hill in a bid to secure sixth place; this move had more success and although he was joined by another rider who outsprinted him for sixth, seventh place was fine reward for an enterprising race. 

In previous events I felt that my sprint was a case of too little too late so this time I put my head down as soon as we entered the finishing straight and much to my surprise was passed by only one rider and so securing an eventual ninth place, not far behind John.