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Banbury Star RR 8th June
Sunday 8th June i was down to race the cat 3/4 race at Banbury, still coughing like an old dog i decide to go and race and if i didn't feel well i could just drop out. My last few races had gone okay so although not 100% i was confident of giving a good account of myself.
The race was 45 miles three laps with a big hill, so people were talking about at the start ,and a small climb at the finish.
For the first 6-7 miles the pace was around the 20-21 mph into a stiff breeze no one really wanting to do any work, the course then changed direction and the pace was up like a flash, and despite coughing away merrily with a higher than average heart rate i raced along with them.
Then we turned again and started to climb, at first gentle, then a steep pitch and the race started to fragment, round the bend and still up, then another steep pitch, by this time my legs were screaming, i could see a bend as it went into the woods hoping that the end was soon in sight, no up it went again. By the time i got to the top i was riding 8mph flat out there was riders everywhere, the small lead bunch had gone and left a second group of about 20 riders with straglers everywhere.
I managed another two laps up the hill and got a break the last time up it with 5 other riders. Glad to finish around about 30-40th.
If you are looking for a cat 3/4 race next year to test how good you are at hill climbing in a race enviroment sign up for this one, i even dreamt about that hill last night.
The race was 45 miles three laps with a big hill, so people were talking about at the start ,and a small climb at the finish.
For the first 6-7 miles the pace was around the 20-21 mph into a stiff breeze no one really wanting to do any work, the course then changed direction and the pace was up like a flash, and despite coughing away merrily with a higher than average heart rate i raced along with them.
Then we turned again and started to climb, at first gentle, then a steep pitch and the race started to fragment, round the bend and still up, then another steep pitch, by this time my legs were screaming, i could see a bend as it went into the woods hoping that the end was soon in sight, no up it went again. By the time i got to the top i was riding 8mph flat out there was riders everywhere, the small lead bunch had gone and left a second group of about 20 riders with straglers everywhere.
I managed another two laps up the hill and got a break the last time up it with 5 other riders. Glad to finish around about 30-40th.
If you are looking for a cat 3/4 race next year to test how good you are at hill climbing in a race enviroment sign up for this one, i even dreamt about that hill last night.