Good Friday RR

So the first race of the season is now out of my legs and I am very pleased with how they worked today.

The race started off fairly slow (S4) and only a few km's in I decided it was time to go, as did one other guy. We took off just before the first hill and very slowly pulled away. He wanted to sit up more than once, then said fuck it, and we put our heads down and hammered along. I told myself before the race that I would not go in a brake unless there was more than 2 guys to work with, but I figured some other strong guys would bridge, but that was not the case.

We stayed ahead for two and a half laps and were caught by a break of three. I worked really hard with them for a few km's two try and rebuild a gap, but we never really got anywhere and I was starting to feel cooked. My accomplice was cooked and dropped back, and all but one new guy in the break didn't have the gas to get away. The guy who did won in the end, and he pulled away from me with about 8km to go. I chased him alone until the pack caught me inside 5km to go. After they reeled me in no one wanted to work to get the leader, so I guess they were satisfied with sprinting for second. I recovered quickly sitting in the pack and ended up taking the bunch sprint.....for second.

I knew it would have been much smarter to attack later, or wait till the sprint, but I would have been bored sitting in the pack, and I knew I would get some excellent top end training riding in a break for an hour and half. I also wanted to make the race interesting for the spectators, and make the pack have to work a bit.

I am going to request an upgrade to S3 for road, and have decided to go up to elite MTB before the first MTB O-cup. The reason being is that the sooner I start racing at the elite level, the sooner I will get used to their pace, and the sooner I will be competitive for a podium.

Next weekend I am racing the Homage to Ice at Mansfeild. Very excited to race there, and now it will be an epic event. Hopefully this weather will hang around for it!

Later