Paul Simon Homes RR - 2014

Due to work it’s been a while since my last report so here’s a run-down on my last race the Paul Simon Homes RR. The race is put on by Finchley RT and was to be battled out over 8 and bit laps (77 miles) around the challenging Whitwell circuit.

Today fellow NRCC rider Shaun Rouse was lining up, this was a welcome sight as over recent weeks due to external commitments I’ve had to fly solo at some races. Having team mates is a must when trying to cover attacks etc. There are only so many matches in the box as they say. With Finchley RT and Strada both having 6 riders on the start sheet it looked like we would need a couple of boxes to burn.

This is only my 2^nd season racing and has gone much, much better than expected. I have already nearly doubled the amount of points I attained in the whole of last season, hopefully meaning we have a good chance to get selected again for the Ras De Cymru. Looking at the start sheet the normal standout names and race winners of previous ERRL races were not present. Don’t get me wrong there were still plenty of people capable on the list, so I got the feeling a lot of riders could be eyeing up the chance of victory today. Out of those starting and with recent race results and points scored I was probably one of the highest ranked riders behind Adam Capes (Finchley RT) and Toby Parnell (Cambridge CC). This I felt would lead me to be marked/watched. So the plan was to attack in my usual style in the early stages of the race with Shaun then countering to get up the road. I would then sit in/block hopefully allowing Shaun to stay clear and pick up a result.

Once I signed on half the field had changed. I didn’t recognise some of the new faces or names but Finchley still had a large number. I think they had swollen to 8 by the time signing on closed. Never the less it didn’t change anything; I was to go early and to continue with the attacks until we got Shaun to follow a good set of wheels up the road. We had a brief discussion at the start on who to keep an eye out for.

We left the HQ and re-grouped at the far end of the high street where we had a very short neutralised section before racing got underway. I was sitting 3rd wheel behind a couple of London Phoenix riders when the flag got pulled in. There wasn’t you instant hammer down moment like there had been at every other race this season. I think the hot weather and the challenging nature of the circuit may have been in people’s minds. Anyway after approx. 1 minute maybe 2 at a push of the race getting underway I decided that I would put the hammer down and start the attacks straight away. I pulled out from behind the leading 2 and ventured off up the road. After a few minutes of opening the lungs and legs up I looked behind to assess the situation. It was clear road, no one in sight. After approx. 5/6 miles I was still riding solo with no obvious sight of the pack on the twisting roads. Shit, this was not in the plan, riding 77 miles solo was not a pleasant thought. I didn’t think I’d be given this much rope. Anyway eventually as I had approached the top end of the circuit before the turning up to St Pauls Walden a rider form CC Ashwell appeared. I duly eased up and we started working well together. We completed 2 of the 8 laps and we had stretched our gap to 50 secs. Oh dear this is going to be long day. On lap 3 we could see a chase group had formed as we turned onto the main Codicote road. We continued working until they bridged, were we sat on for a couple of turns to fuel up and drink. At this point I realised that I had already nearly drunk both my 750 mml water bottles and only eaten half of my food.

 

The break now consisted of 8 riders and it got working smoothly straight away. Adam Capes of Finchley RT was present so this meant Finchley with most numbers would hopefully not chase. Over the next 3.5 laps it was pretty uneventful with us rolling through and off smoothly, we had extended our gap back to the pack to 1min 50 secs. As we approached the start finish line with around 18 miles to go (2 laps) we got informed the gap had shrunk to 40 secs. All I can say is that I switched off for a moment; the warm weather in conjunction with not having more than the 1.5l of fluid I could carry affected my concentration levels. Just through the start finish line people were collecting bottles and would line up by drifting across on the short climb up. I had just rolled through on the descent and drifted over to the right to allow the others to come through and move over to the left hand side. From previous laps it got a bit disjointed through here and there would be a little regrouping just past the feed zone, as I had no helper I stayed to the side with a rider from TMG Horizon. Next minute with Joe Fry (RST racing) on the front and in the knowledge our lead had been cut by a minute, the rider from TMG and I were off the back and by some distance. I put in dig before we hit the Codicote road and we exchanged turns on the short rise up just out of the corner and we almost made contact. The little extra effort though caused my left hamstring to tighten/cramp a little and the momentarily easing off on the pedals was enough and the breakaway were gone. Shit.

The rider from TMG and I continued to work together but by the time we had made it half way up the Codicote road we had been engulfed by the pack. Shaun was siting towards the front and started working once I was back in. Steve Golla (HWCC) and ELV had things motoring along at this stage, I duly took a moment to get some feeling back in the legs, then joined in and rolled through at the front in attempt to salvage something of the day and possibly give Shaun the opportunity to get up the road. As we turned in to the climb for St Pauls Walden (1.5 laps to go) my legs were cooked, I was really starting to feel it. I moved over to the side so I could tuck back in mid pack and suck some wheels to the finish. All of a sudden I was drifting backwards with that very harsh feeling of riding on the rim. Shit I’d got a puncture, 2 weeks on the bounce and both times the roads where dry and in pretty decent condition!!! I got a friendly tap on the back from one of the ELV riders on his way past, who was now recovering at the rear after the chase efforts. ‘Unlucky mate, that was some brave ride’. And that was my race was done.

I took a minute to stretch out my legs by the side of the road and relive the saddle sore from the god awful pad in my bib shorts (I don’t know if that’s just me but I never get issues from my skin suit pad) then slowly made my way down back to Whitwell high street. I got back on the bike and put all the weight through the bars and front wheel and rolled somewhat in control back down.

The breakaway group had reduced to 4 only few miles after I had been shelled. These 4 would stay away to the end with Joe Fry (RST) taking the win. He had looked the strongest all day in the break and made the climb up to St Pauls Walden look effortless.

Shaun was sitting comfortably in the pack but found himself in a poor position towards the rear as the race turned back on to the Whitwell high street with only a few miles to go. He would work himself forward and finish just outside the top 20.