First off the 3/4 race with young Curtis Stacey making use of those talented cycling genes and going one better than last week and finishing in the bunch. Having ridden in a few 3rds races this year I know how tough they are and to stay in only your second race is a remarkable achievement. This boy is destined for big things!
E123…
Firstly, let me tell you about my Saturday, as one inform the other. As some of you may know, I elected to cycle to Bristol on Saturday to pick up my broken down car. A brief stop in Ewenny to soak up some pity (no time for the traditional coffee and teacake though!) but otherwise it was a solid, 90 mile ride to Pill just outside Bristol. A block headwind was in my face all the way to Cardiff, changed to a tailwind from Cardiff to Chepstow but going south to Avonmouth there it was again waiting for me. I arrived at Pill pretty tired and hungry. Fortunately the in-laws fuelled me up and after much drama with the AA I arrived back in Port Talbot at 11.00pm. I shovelled some pasta down my gob, watched my Lance Armstrong DVD for inspiration and finally hit the sack at 1.00am, legs throbbing from the days efforts.
Sunday dawned cloudy and miserable. James and I were riding over and hooked up with the club run, who gave us a lift to Bridgend. I say gave us a lift, I found myself on the front and so that didn’t really work out! We bowled to Llandow, myself grateful of the opportunity to loosen my legs, which by now, were coming around a bit.
Lining up at the race were some big hitters. Rhys ‘Fly by night’ Lloyd, looking resplendent in his Rapha jersey. Thom Collier, always a danger. Magnus Maximus pros from Magnus Backsteadts pro continental team, a squadron of Forza jerseys and the odd Jif, Cwmcarn and Abergavenny thrown in for good measure. Ahead of us, 1 hour 15 mins plus 3 laps, into a raging headwind.
From the word go James, Russ White (Forza) and Ian Jerimiah (Jif) took off. After a few laps the bunch switched on and started working to get them back. The pace was FAST, and we were shedding riders left right and centre. Big names such as John Fitzpatrick (Abergavenny) were caught out by the speed and found themselves out the back while the rest of us struggled to hold on. By this point my legs were screaming and I didn’t think I would last the day. 2/3s into the race the break started to come back, and no sooner had we caught them than Jereimiah launched another attack, quickly followed by Grant Leavy (Forza) and some strong guy from Epic Cycles. Seeing the danger I jumped across, for no other reason than I was in the right place at the right time and it seemed the right thing to do. We quickly pressed home our advantage and we soon had a sizeable gap. We stayed this way for the next 45minutes, working HARD to stay away from the bunch, who at times came dangerously close.
Soon the magical 3 laps to go board sprung up, and as it did my front tyre hit a stone and the dreaded sound of escaping air filled my ears. Team mechanic/Directeur Sportif Pip Lewis ran over, but it was too late. ‘No laps out in the last 5 laps’ the Commissaire was shouting over at us and I stood by the side of the road in the rain, resigned to watching the break stay away until the end, with the Epic cycles rider wining the sprint. James ‘Tank’ Lewis got the bunch sprint for 4th, and Lloydy gave it a good go in the dying laps to go for a flyer, but it was not to be.
So all in all, a bloody disaster for me. Still, the PTWCC were in every break and worked well as a team today. Now, does anyone know where I can get a new tub…?
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The Force is strong in this one...
The Force is strong in this one...
hopefully.