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FRT Paul Simon Holmes RR
Anthony and I pootled over to Whitwell this morning for the Paul Simon Holmes RR, a 76 mile 2/3/4 race around the Whitwell circuit, heading out from the town, to codicote road, left on the corner back round to St. Paul's Walden and then Whitwell itself again. One drag on one side of the circuit and then 3 little digs on the other side that lead onto the finish line and then main road.
After having a little chat on the way over when Anthony said "go hard into the first corner onto the main road every time" I watched from a distance as Ant went hard into that corner and broke away with a North Road rider about 5 minutes into the race. Two laps with just the two of them out front saw them steadily increase their lead to 50 seconds before a small group bridged over to them. And that was that! They stayed away for the whole race, Joe Fry taking charge (and eventually the win) at various moments upping the pace on the drag and dropping a few riders out of the break 2 laps before the end, Ant managing to stay on his wheel and eventually finish 4th over the line at the end. A fantastic ride, the only rider to stay in the break for the whole race (and ride there and back), another great result!
The riders that dropped out of the break soon got usurped by the bunch and as we went into the bell lap we were 40 seconds behind the break. Steve Nunn, who won this race last year snuck off on the main road with a couple of other riders to form a little chase group who stayed away to the end and then there was the bunch. As we turned left at the bottom of the hill in Whitwell a guy who Anthony had told me to keep an eye on went flying past me, I decided to hammer it after him, chipping off the front of the bunch and chasing him down (I say chipping off the front, but it was probably more like gurning, sweating, dribbling and bogeying off the front). I almost got him on the line, if he hadn't turned round at the last minute and put in one last effort I would have had him! I took 9th, two more CCA in the top 10... I do believe CCA will be in the top 10 of the ERRL club points table this week... We've been up there before, but it's just good to see that this season is seeing lots of good results in the races and the TTs for the club.
After having a little chat on the way over when Anthony said "go hard into the first corner onto the main road every time" I watched from a distance as Ant went hard into that corner and broke away with a North Road rider about 5 minutes into the race. Two laps with just the two of them out front saw them steadily increase their lead to 50 seconds before a small group bridged over to them. And that was that! They stayed away for the whole race, Joe Fry taking charge (and eventually the win) at various moments upping the pace on the drag and dropping a few riders out of the break 2 laps before the end, Ant managing to stay on his wheel and eventually finish 4th over the line at the end. A fantastic ride, the only rider to stay in the break for the whole race (and ride there and back), another great result!
The riders that dropped out of the break soon got usurped by the bunch and as we went into the bell lap we were 40 seconds behind the break. Steve Nunn, who won this race last year snuck off on the main road with a couple of other riders to form a little chase group who stayed away to the end and then there was the bunch. As we turned left at the bottom of the hill in Whitwell a guy who Anthony had told me to keep an eye on went flying past me, I decided to hammer it after him, chipping off the front of the bunch and chasing him down (I say chipping off the front, but it was probably more like gurning, sweating, dribbling and bogeying off the front). I almost got him on the line, if he hadn't turned round at the last minute and put in one last effort I would have had him! I took 9th, two more CCA in the top 10... I do believe CCA will be in the top 10 of the ERRL club points table this week... We've been up there before, but it's just good to see that this season is seeing lots of good results in the races and the TTs for the club.
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