I did not place, here is a short RR.
I race Cat 3 As I need a preliminary year or a mid season evaluation to move into the 1-2’s
The Cat 3’s race with the juniors, who by the way are far from junior in the cycling abilities, they are also aggressive and reckless so one really has to be careful when racing with them.
It was a hot day, 32 degrees, Off the line the pace started pretty high and simmered down to about 45 kph. This being my first race this season and all, I was a bit nervous in regards to the corners, especially racing with the juniors. Going into the first corner, I got bumped and pushed but it was nothing to cry over, immediately after the 1st corner was a 20 meter climb which you had to go balls out for in order to stay in the pack, luckily i was in the middle of the pack otherwise I would have had a hard time in the back. There were about 90 guys racing total in the category, so it was pretty jam packed all over the road. Getting to the top of this short beast, we were met by train tracks which I couldn’t help but bunny hop over with my past mountain cycling experience. The back end of this loop was a bit rough, the road was just patched up so it was a bit bumpy.
The third corner was tricky, as we were just coming out of a downhill section, I took it wide and cut in short, I was a good 5 meters ahead of the pack along with another guy after the 3rd corner. I’d forced myself up the pack during the down hill in order to take the lead. Myself and another guy took the lead and broke away to take one of the intermediate sprints. We got about 400 meters ahead by the time we reached the 4th corner, and started to ride to the line easy when a chase pack broke away, naturally I got out of the saddle and took it on the line along with the other guy whom i’d broken away with leaving the chase pack in our dust. We decided to chill out until the peloton returned.
Back in the peloton, I rode a pretty easy second and third lap. On the second lap, I was scared for my life. After the second corner, the road is hugged by farms on either side, but nothing would prepare me for what lay ahead. Over in the distance we could see horses on the road, Clydesdale horses. These clydesdale horses with riders, panicked as the peloton rode past some started to move to the side of the road, but the peloton was greeted with 2 new members halfway through the race. I was scared, infact almost needing to change my bibshorts, as a horse now started spinning in the middle of the peloton trying to kick. I carefully held my breath and rode past as I tried to estimate accurately the best possible time to go. The juniors, found this event an opportunity to attack, and immediately took advantage of the unforseen events. kind of weak if you ask me.
3 lap as I said was an easy peloton ride, however 4th lap, the pace got high, everyone was jocking for position on the back stretch, I was trying to maintain a spot in the front 5 or 6 guys back from the peloton leader, 3 or 4 unsuccessful breakaways would go, but would get towed in by the peloton. Into the 3rd corner I tried to pull the same move as I did on the first lap, I didnt have enough speed coming from the downhill however still tried, and was only half way successful as I’d been taken on by a quick chase pack. At the front of the peloton in 4th corner I got boxed out on the inside, the guy flew into the ditch at the side of the road, ahead a breakaway went which I could not hang onto.
As I got out of my saddle and tried to gun it I looked up to my displeasure and caught a glimpse of 2 bikes verticle in the air and 6 or 7 guys on the ground. I got cut off by the peloton going to the line and decided to ride it in easy as catching the peloton would be impossible with a crash in the middle of the road.
I finished 27th.
