Still feeling a bit poorly all through the week I did not do much in the way of training as I have the Zenith 2 Day (3 Stages) at the weekend to worry about, 20+ 1st category riders and no place to hide when the mood takes them to start racing. I used the opening 'Prologue' of just under 3 miles to see how I feel and almost 30 seconds slower than last year confirmed my belief that the days racing would be tougher to get through than I would like it. Matt Bottrill (i-ride) was the clear winner 5:36 from team mate Adam Duggleby 5:52 and Matt Clinton (Mike Vaughn Cycles) 5:54, I had been 10th the last couple of years with a time just outside 6 minutes but my 6:31 only good enough for 45th.
The afternoon stage 70m on the roads around Bruntinthorpe aerodrome and a group of 15 got away almost immediately, the bunch held them at 20 - 30 seconds and there was a bit of team tactics between the strong i-ride/sportscover riders who both had men in the break, on the penultimate lap we had them pegged at 8 seconds as more riders came to the fore, I did a few stints on the front as I felt more confident in my ability to last the distance but then it all went to pot and they got away from us again and took over 2 minutes out of us to the finish. A group of four clipped away on the last lap but I found myself strong and well placed enough (little bit of local knowledge!) to get up for 5th in the bunch sprint 25th on the day and moved me up into the top 40 overall.
Heading out wrapped up on the second day
It had been warm and calm on the Saturday but Sunday greeted us with bitter NE wind for the 80m mile stage around Walton/N. Kilworth and Shearsby, a much tougher course with a long creeping climb which we were lined out at over 20mph and the string broke over and over again as legs gave out and riders found themselves shelled out the back. I had started with two tops and a gillet thinking I would take it off after an hour but in the end I never warmed up enough and I was glad of the overshoes and arm and knee warmers, I could feel the previous days ride in my legs for the first few laps and just had to take it every attack at a time until over half way when I took a Cafeen gel to help me over the closing stages (or not sleep until Tuesday!)
There were little breaks away all the time and the i-ride team controlled it for Bottrill in Yellow but there was a split and a mad dash when a 'Fourtrack' farm vehicle split the bunch and a group of three including eventual stage and overall winner Richard Lambert (Cottingham Cou.) got away leaving his two companions in the difficult conditions to time trial away to win by over two minutes after only being 36 seconds down overnight so a single rider without a team managed to get one over with a superb solo effort.
Bunch strung out on the main hill past the feed station
As the teams tried to pull the leader back the bunch was in a single line and I had to haul myself past riders 'sitting up' in the string numerous times but as the distance and the speed took its toll I was tailed off with half a lap to go on the fastest stretch of the course where we were descending at 45mph and there was no room for error or weakness and I found that a week of being off colour had made one more effort only a hope. I got together with three others including Phil Axe (Sharrow) who can usually get up in the top 10 but like me the wrong side of 45 to stay with this company at this speed, we mopped up a few shelled out and three riders on the floor from a spill in the bunch which was down to about 30 riders by the finish
Full Result Here
No racing next week as we are up in the Lakes, I might take a ride up to the top of Wrynoes to cheer the riders over in the Fred Whitton on the Sunday, hopefully a bit of a rest will see me back to full strength as I have the National '10' on a fairly local Staffords Prior course just South of Birmingham in a couple of weeks, don't hold your breath as my 20:40 qualifying time (4 secs off a PB) makes me 91st fastest on the day but I'd like to think I can improve on my 68th of last year.
Stafford CC National '10'
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