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Glendene summer classic and Redbridge RR
A quick write up for the last couple of races I've been out in.
The glendene summer classic is a long RR run on a rolling circuit out of great saling. Just shy of 90 miles and pretty fast at an average of 26mph made this feel slightly epic on the day. Especially when it started to rain and the roads got a little bit slippery. Ant, Jon Chapman and myself were on the start line
It took a little while before the break managed to form, some big attacks coming from richardsons-trek who had 9 riders in the race, before a group went UK the road (with 3 orange jerseys in). Trying to bridge across to this was almost impossible with richardsons-trek policing the bunch, chasing every attack that came and sitting on the wheels, which seems to be fairly standard procedure in the national Bs in the ERRL. It's hard trying to nip off the front when you've got one of 4-5 very strong RT riders chasing you down. There was one rather nasty crash, the result of a zipp 404 back wheel literally shedding it's spokes over a pothole. The hub was only connected to the rim by a couple of spokes afterwards... This forced the rider whose wheel it was to stop dead in the middle of the road, I managed to get past him but there was a bit of a pile up afterwards.
Anyway, everything rolled around a bit, a chase group managed to break away from the bunch and bridge over to the remains of the break which Rhys Howell had blown to bits by the end, soloing to victory. Ant and I were left in a rather diminutive bunch. After a little encouragement Ant rode off the front and headed up the road to chase down the chase group, a few minutes later I thought I'd try my luck too, so I bridged across to him and we worked together, picking up Chris Palfreeman and Jake Hales in the process. Jake pipped Ant to 20th (and the last remaining point) as I rolled in afterwards for 23rd. Disappointed to be out of the points, but such is life! This is a brilliant race and if you've got your 3rd cat licence I would heavily encourage you to go and have a pop.
The glendene summer classic is a long RR run on a rolling circuit out of great saling. Just shy of 90 miles and pretty fast at an average of 26mph made this feel slightly epic on the day. Especially when it started to rain and the roads got a little bit slippery. Ant, Jon Chapman and myself were on the start line
It took a little while before the break managed to form, some big attacks coming from richardsons-trek who had 9 riders in the race, before a group went UK the road (with 3 orange jerseys in). Trying to bridge across to this was almost impossible with richardsons-trek policing the bunch, chasing every attack that came and sitting on the wheels, which seems to be fairly standard procedure in the national Bs in the ERRL. It's hard trying to nip off the front when you've got one of 4-5 very strong RT riders chasing you down. There was one rather nasty crash, the result of a zipp 404 back wheel literally shedding it's spokes over a pothole. The hub was only connected to the rim by a couple of spokes afterwards... This forced the rider whose wheel it was to stop dead in the middle of the road, I managed to get past him but there was a bit of a pile up afterwards.
Anyway, everything rolled around a bit, a chase group managed to break away from the bunch and bridge over to the remains of the break which Rhys Howell had blown to bits by the end, soloing to victory. Ant and I were left in a rather diminutive bunch. After a little encouragement Ant rode off the front and headed up the road to chase down the chase group, a few minutes later I thought I'd try my luck too, so I bridged across to him and we worked together, picking up Chris Palfreeman and Jake Hales in the process. Jake pipped Ant to 20th (and the last remaining point) as I rolled in afterwards for 23rd. Disappointed to be out of the points, but such is life! This is a brilliant race and if you've got your 3rd cat licence I would heavily encourage you to go and have a pop.
Comments
Rode this regional A with Neil this morning... A fairly flat circuit and pretty uneventful race. One crash (that always happens in the same place on this circuit). I spent most of the beginning of the race attacking and then a fair bit of time off of the front either on my one or in small groups, coming back towards the end of the race and pretty much finishing last! I'm gradually learning how not to win races. Neil did well, coming up near the front of the bunch but just outside the points.