West Midlands Road Race League Round 5
Stratford Cycling Club Road Race
65 miles
Inkburrow Circuit.
Windy, Dull but the rain held off
Nothing But The Win.
The next 4-5 weeks are what i consider the main part of my racing season, this is what all of the training has been done for and all of the sacrifices were made for. This is my peak race period and the time of the year when i shift my focus from racing and training to only racing, its also the time where i want to put in my best performances, get some points but more importantly; Win some races!
9.30am, Race briefing over, 90 riders roll out of the HQ and on to the course. The wind is picking up but today i don't care about the weather, my mind is focused on the race. I realise quickly that i feel pretty good for a change but after hitting the first main bank for the first time i find myself in the wrong position, too far back again. Thankfully the little gaps being to seal back up and i make my way towards the front. Soon enough i find myself at the front and in a good position as we hit the second main climb, i feel strong so i put the hammer down and get a gap along with another rider. Heads down and legs pounding, we work hard to consolidate our lead and soon we have a good gap. However the next turn takes us in to the Savage head wind section and half way down this road the inevitable happens and we get caught.
Back in the bunch i find my self getting swallowed up and once again i am too far back and as fate would have it a strong group of 5 get away off of the front. I make my way back up, egar to bring it back so for the next lap i attack, attack and attack again, pushing hard in order to establish a chase group but all of my aggressiveness is coming to nothing so i tell my self to remain calm. Then i notice something, Race favourite and series leader Mike Jones has stopped attacking and is instead controlling the group and he tries to let one of his team mates go up the road for a change. I sense that this could be an opportunity as most riders only chase when Mike goes of the front. I sneak round mike, ride up to his team mate, take one of 2 with me but low and behold we have a gap. I shout at the other in order to establish what must be done; "DRIVE IT, DRIVE IT", With this kind of gap we can do something so long as we keep the pace high and consistent. We are soon classed as a chase group containing around 7 and we set to work with but only 2 aims; 1) get a gap over the peloton and 2) chase down the riders who are out in front with a big 2 minute lead.
I'm feeling good and driving the break hard, i shout commands and words of encouragement to my fellow breakaway companions in order to keep the pace consistent and keep riders rolling through. Soon we are working like a well oiled machine, pace high, rhythm consistent, we are on our way!
Victory Is Back On the Cards.
For 2 laps i have been the commander in this break, when riders haven't gone through i have done it for them, when riders have looked tired i have encouraged them to keep driving. I have done a lot of work in this race up to now and I'm not about to let it go to waste. We cross the start finish line for the last time, with the officials bell signalling the last lap still ringing in our ears we get a time check that the leaders are only 40 seconds up the road, i hit the front again using hand signals to those behind to come through and keep the pace up, again we are working like a military unit charging in to battle with our weapons at the ready. Half a lap to go and finally job done as the break is caught, we are now a group of 12 strong, maybe more but i can be sure. Soon the inevitable begins to happen, the group becomes disorganised and lazy, everyone wants someone else to do the work yet they for get that we still have half a lap to go and the peloton are still hungry for our blood. With this in mind i hit the front and soon i hit the main climb before the finish. I know i am in a vulnerable situation by being on the front and recognised as one of the strongest in our group. A Wolverhampton Wheeler sees this opportunity and attacks, i refuse to let him go so i chase but after being on the front for so long my lags don't give much punch. I shout for riders to come through and chase but its his team mate on my wheel so he does nothing but sit there with a grin on his face!
Another rider attacks and joins the lead man, as i still pound away on the front no body else will come through, i soon realise i am flogging a dead horse so i sit up, tell them what a great job they have done by letting the win go so easily and slip back in to 3rd place. A few moves are made and i react immediately, the game of cat and mouse begins to start yet they don't realise that the leaders are only a few yards up the road with a long up hill spring still to come. By this point i have had enough of waiting and my mind flashes back to what i told my self in the mirror this morning:
"Today i am going to race for the win.
2nd place is as good as last and i must do what ever i can
in order give myself the best possible chance of winning"
"Don't be scared, you know what you must do so make it happen,
Make it happen,
Make it happen,
Make it happen,"
It all comes down to this point, 300 meters to go, still a chance of glory. Fuck it.........SPRINT. I charge of the front of the bunch, the line is still a life time away, the road funnels in to the huge tunnel of support on the finish straight. This is the definition of a suicide move but i either go for the win or die trying. As it was it was the latter! Sprinting up hill in to the wind i gave the guys behind the lead out they wanted but i still made it fucking hard for them to come round me. By the time i crossed the finish line i was seeing red and black and my legs felt like the devils red hot pokers which he uses to bring misery to his victims in the deapest realms of hell its self!
In the final few yards i was passed by 4 riders and came home in 7th. My feelings as i spun my weary legs were a mix of disappointment, regret, joy and proudness. Disappointed as i didn't get the win i craved so much, regret as i know that if i would have waited in the group i could have gotten 3rd, joy because it was an amazing race and proud because i did what i set out to do; i rode the best race of my life, attacked like i have never done before, done more work that anybody in the break and made a last ditch effort for glory. I would rather have finished 7th by trying win the thing than not have tried at all.
| 1 | 28 | James | Cambridge | i-ride.co.uk | 02:34:49 |
| 2 | 77 | Barry | Charley | 02:34:49 | |
| 3 | 37 | Aaron | Caseley | Lichfield CCC | 02:35:01 |
| 4 | 17 | Oliver | Davies | Dinnington RC | 02:35:02 |
| 5 | 14 | Rob | Turner | Climb on Bikes | 02:35:02 |
| 6 | 83 | Nigel | Williams | Python | 02:35:02 |
| 7 | 16 | Dan | Bill | Cult Racing | 02:35:02 |
| 8 | 44 | Richard | Watson | Paramount CRT | 02:35:02 |
| 9 | 56 | Matthew | Bonehill | Stafford RC | 02:35:03 |
| 10 | 73 | Joe | Charley | Wolverhampton Wheelers | 02:35:03 |
Today was a fantastic race, i feel i have made some great improvements since the start of the season and from what i felt today i know that a win will come soon. All i can say is, if all the races in the next few weeks are as good as this one then man, its going to be the best couple of weeks of my life.
Big thanks to all of Stratford Cycling Club for putting on a safe yet fantastic event and also for the support.
Great job.
Dan Bill
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