Race 1 – After a quick look at the start list the night before the race, I had a pretty good feeling that a break would stay away for the first race. The major teams such as QSM, Merida and Fly V all had 4-6 riders on the start line who were strong but each team lacked a solid sprinter. I knew that the best option for all of them would be to put riders in the moves and try getting a couple riders away. After riding for a few hours before the race and arriving at the course, I now knew that the race would definitely be won by the break. The combination of strong winds and wet roads would only add to the likelihood of a breakaway staying away.
The race started and I missed the first move of 4-5 riders by I managed to jump across not to long after and spend a few laps away. Probably the most concerning thing for me at this point was the fact that we spent a few laps out in front. Normally in crit races each successive break will last slightly longer than the previous one, until the winning break goes.
I had a feeling that the moment this group came back, another would go and that may be winning move. The group I was in contained all the major teams and the moment we were pulled back in the fold, another attack went down the opposite side of the road with Darren Rolfe from Fly V leading the way. He was joined by riders from Merida, QSM, RBS Morgans/Virgin Blue (a new development team run under Fly V) and a few other randoms. Unfortunately Data3 missed this move and the race was effectively over from here. Probably the most difficult thing about this situation is not the strength of the riders who are down the road, but more the disruption and lack or organisation in the chase that is caused by the team mates of the riders who are in the break away. I constantly had Fly V, QSM and Merida riders getting in the way, soft pedalling, sitting on my wheel and not rolling though (as shown in photo of me on the front, with three team mates of the riders down the folling behing me. I'd moved over to say 'hurry up and roll over, but they would just soft pedal and stay behind me or roll through slowly) and generally disrupting the organisation that is required to pull back a 10 man break. They have every right to behave in this way and disrupt the chase. I’ve done it before in the past and it is all part of racing.
I put in few big turns to try bring the break back to give Toby a chance in the sprint but it was to no avail in the end.
Despite about 5-6 riders from the original break dropping off, 5 were still able to stay away and take the major placings.
Race 2 – I had a look at the start list again and I knew instantly that this race would be a bunch kick. The big, organised teams had their sprinters (and numbers) back (Cantwell, Dangliesh). Fly V had 5 and Merida had 6-7 guys. It had bunch kick written all over it, because none of the big teams would contribute to the breakaways and they would ride on/near the front to keep things together. It was a fairly uneventful race in the end. I had a few attempts to try and get a smaller group to work together near the end of the race but I had no assistance from the Fly V rider (I think it was Bozzano the Italian) or the Merida riders who covered each move. In the end Cantwell won after Merida botched the lead-out by hitting the front to early and running out of legs.
There are still two races to go and they definitely are not 100% certain to be bunch kicks. It all depends on who turns up and the desire of the big teams on the day. Break can and will work so I’ll be aiming to try and get amongst it.
I have to say it was quiet exciting to be back racing, but more important, I was very happy to return to racing at a level where I can participate and play a role in the racing rather than just hanging on for survival. It hopefully points to good things for the year ahead.
Thanks for reading and good luck in your respective races.
1 comment:
The idea of reading the start list and predicting the race is simple. but not done anywhere near enough.
great to see you back and in such great form
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