Circuit Race Redemption

Paramount Circuit Races, Shrewsbury, 15/05/2010

After a few really pleasing and confidence inspiring races, I really feel like im getting in to this cycling lark and I really feel like im beginning to catch the circuit racing bug as much as anything else. I like the aggressiveness of tight quarter races and the huge amount of effort that you are required to commit to in only an hour or so of racing. However, before I can really begin to fully enjoy these races; there is one demon that I must lay to rest. This demon is the one that struck me in February when I took part in my first race of the season, round 1 of the Paramount Circuit Races. This was my first E//1/2/3 race and the first time I really got see first hand what I had done to my body in the off season by training too much and eating too little. Straight away it felt hard and I was struggling with the power surges, soon enough I was hanging on to the last group and we were soon getting lapped by the other groups on the circuit. Mentally I was destroyed, but ultimately this embarrassment of a race lead me to change the way I think and has helped me make progress towards a new, better me!

So, as you can tell this was a bad experience for me and before I can truly move forward I have to correct this blemish by racing it again and not riding like a 12 year old girl. Luckily, a last minute decision gave me the chance to race there this week end (Saturday 15th) and finally lay this demon to rest. I was really looking forward to it having had some great races in the past few days but for me the race nearly didn’t happen. As I was warming up on the rollers, BANG, my rear tyre exploded, I had spare wheels but after putting the new one in it seamed it was pretty much screwed. Luckily my dad, the hero that he is, managed to save the day by frantically swapping over tyres and tubes in the minutes before the race. Like always he had saved my skin for the millionth time and I got on the course for a last minute warm up.

Race time, and with a big field full of top quality riders including Dan Fleeman, other Raleigh Pro team riders, the best of Phil Corley’s and other notable teams and riders, I was worried that today might not be the day that I redeemed myself. It was going to be fast. As soon as we set off the pace was fast with riders jockeying to get up front and make some aggressive moves. I was pretty nervous about how the race would go but I new that I was feeling ok and was willing to grind my teeth to the gums so as not to get dropped. Dave Clarke was at the for front again, drilling the pace and forcing the splits, soon he managed to get off the front with one other rider. Although the pace was fast, I found myself still in the mix up the front and even on the front on some occasions. I find this circuit quite tough as it has a very sharp 180 degree turn which requires a massive surge of power coming out of it and to make it harder; the straight coming out of it is slightly up hill and in to a head wind. This is what caused me the problems last time and although it was still tough, I found that I had more power to grab the wheel coming out of it.

Growing in confidence as the race wore on; I was chasing more moves and even getting in some of the small groups of the front. As it was, nothing else got away and amazingly Dave Clarke had managed to gain a lap on everybody and was still forcing the pace once he had joined the bunch again. This guy is crazy strong. With the winner decided it was all about the sprint for the other podium spots. With 3 laps to go I knew I was to far back so in the next 2 laps I made some great effort and got up and stayed up towards the front. Coming in to the nasty last turn I was position on the outside which allowed me to carry my speed out of the turn. I was well in the top ten riders as the sprint opened up, I was gunning for the line and then some moron looking at the floor as he was sprinting, realised he was going of course and decided to grab some brakes and swing across straight I front off me. I had to slam on the anchors and head towards the grass. In an instant I gad gone from top ten to mid pack, which as it was had split in the last lap.

The out come was that I was gutted not to get a position but at the same time I can safely say that I had slayed my demon with a truly awesome ride if I didn’t mind saying. So its back to Mallory on Thursday for some more Circuit racing, super fun time :)