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4th Cat crit race: Lee Valley Olympic Park, Sat 3rd Sept 2016
I've entered this one. Fancy it? 10.15am. 1hr + 3 laps.
There's a 3rd Cat race too earlier on.
It says you can enter on the line - but there's no guarantee. It also says confusingly the deadline is today, Fri 19th, for online but then says you can do it on the Friday before the race.
https://britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/142582/BIG-Events-Eastern-Series-Race-6-(League-Race-11-2016)
Anyway. It sounds pretty good. Hope to see you there.
There's a 3rd Cat race too earlier on.
It says you can enter on the line - but there's no guarantee. It also says confusingly the deadline is today, Fri 19th, for online but then says you can do it on the Friday before the race.
https://britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/142582/BIG-Events-Eastern-Series-Race-6-(League-Race-11-2016)
Anyway. It sounds pretty good. Hope to see you there.
Comments
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/151783/Abingdon-Airfield-Autumn-Crit-Series-(Round-1-of-4)
Well done at MK. Two man CCA breakaway attempt! Very proud. If there were more of us in these crits: we could hatch a proper plan...
The course is wonderfully smooth. It's also very twisty. It took a little while to get into the swing of taking on the curves without getting dizzy. It pays to focus on your line really quite far ahead and use the Force a bit. There is no discernible climb, so it remains pacy throughout.
Talking of lines. The field was very big and the course is quite narrow. It meant people's lines could easily cross and it was mentally sapping trying to avoid each other. It was quite twitchy and there were plenty of near misses. I tried to stay near the front but it was very difficult to manoeuvre through and hold it. I'd say the quality of field was very good/fit.
There were a good few attempts at a break. But it was way too windy for small breaks. A good break could stick as it could almost be missed if it got around a few corners. Mid race, one break had about 10 riders or so, I didn't like the potential in that, so led the bunch to chase it down. It was my biggest effort of the race and went back to hide in the pack for two laps to recover.
Three laps to go, and after all the shenanigans, we all enter the final phase as one slow going fat bunch. It starts to wind up with two laps to go. I'd done my research beforehand and found a rider getting slightly better results than me and found his wheel here, reckoning he'd make a good lead out man. Alas, on the final lap at the inevitable warp speed, his pedal struck the ground on a bend and he lost position and was no longer any use to me.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I wish on the third-last bend as we went past the Pringle one last time, that I'd made my move to get right to the front. As it was, I decided to keep my powder dry for the next corner. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea and the whole bunch surged. This is the slow-motion moment. Everyone is out of the saddle and going for it with barely 100 metres or so to go. The opportunity for touching wheels is everywhere. I was feeling stronger than expected and was clawing through the field but also found myself getting shunted further to the right of the road as I went through the pack. Then, I found myself approaching a big lycraed backside at high speed from a rider who had clearly popped and I had nowhere to go but on to the grass. Amazingly, I didn't seem to be losing my place here, juddering away in the dust, and got back on the road safely. But now the finish line is a few seconds away and it was impossible to wind it up again to the 30mph+ required in time. Mid table mediocrity. 17th. Happy with the effort and potential though and there is undoubtedly something addictive about crits that makes you smile whatever the result.
The wally who won was blasted by the bunch for slowing up to celebrate over the line, nearly causing a pile up. But within minutes, everyone is chatty and shaking hands with one another.
All the while, I was cheered on by our Matt, which always helps and spurs you on. Even better, he produces a Leffe Blond at the end. Perfect recovery drink. We sat outside the velodrome in the mid morning sun, getting respect from the East London hipsters, off to talk about what could have been in Look Mum No Hands with their ladidah cappuccinos.
So, give this course a go some time. Parking is free for all riders for 4 hours. Excellent, quiet, safe changing facilities. Good spectating spots from the Velodrome. Great location in general. I'd say the effort required here sat somewhere around that of a good CCA chain gang. 3 gels. Boom. 1hr @ 24.9mph av speed.
Am running out of opportunities to score more 4th Cat points this season. I don't mind. It's be nice to have some fun with others next season. With 1-2 more riders on this race, we could have devised a plan to launch one rider and get some results.
Mitchy... how was Spalding? I hope you got loads more points.
Spalding was good but WET!! Got a win in the devil and qualified for 400 final, but due to weather they decided to run the 8km as a 5km and cancel 400. 5km was eventful on a waterlogged track - two went down in front of me on the bend, I managed to weave between them - but ended up riding straight through tape into spectator area - did a loop whilst shouting to spectators to 'hold up the tape' managed to ride back onto track and resume race. Two that crashed had a lap out and rejoined, but were clearly nervous, and I was able to get a clear run on the last lap. So two wins and stayed upright - happy days!