When you go so deep the paramedics come over to make sure you’re ok.
So, BUCS RR is always a target of mine and having come 19th in both of the previous editions I wanted to top that. I knew this year was my perfect opportunity to do well as the field wasn’t as good as previous years, and I was on stonking form. It was the same course as last year and with 7 laps totaling 124km and 1700 m of climbing it made for a tough day out.
Anyway, I had two team mates, all in different kit to disguise ourselves but we didn’t really have a game plan. The first lap was very easy, too easy in fact and I was getting frustrated. The second lap wasn’t much improved and I was chatting to Paddy discussing how it was like being in a 2/3/4.
As we came to the end of the second lap towards the bottom on Terrington bank I just rode away. It wasn’t a big attack but enough to get a gap and I just went for it. Really pushing on over the climb and fully on the top tube on the descent, hitting 102 kph, the gap went out quickly. When I looked back they weren’t even in sight.
Alas I committed to it and after 15 minutes took a cheeky look back to see 3 riders bridging to me. I made them chase but was very glad to be swallowed up with a comment of “here comes the pain train”. The three chasers were Paddy, fromB38, Kieran Wynne-Cattanach (4th in last years national HC) and Jack Kirk (Richardson-Trek).
We worked really well together and the first time gap was 1:42. This was ideal and I was really pleased with how it was panning out. After another lap the gap was down to 1:34, still a solid gap. It was after the next lap when the gap came down to 1:16 that we upped the pace. Instead of pulling long turns we swapped to doing 10 second turns and the gap went out to 1:52. By this point I was dreaming of those elusive BUCS medals.
I think this may have been both out best chance but our downfall. As we kept pushing on, pulling equal yet hard turns we were getting fatigued. The hills were taking their toll. When we hit the final lap we had a mere gap of1:12. Giving me hope to pull off the win, but I knew my legs were suffering.
We really tried to keep going but when I took a sneaky peak back I could see a group approaching…
With 7 km to go, approaching the hardest climb of the course, Bulmer bank, my vision started to blur and I began to see flashes of white light. I knew I was exhausted. With a final assault of Bulmer completed it was a rolling 5km to go and I was still hanging on to the break.
It was with 3 km to go when one rider attacked and I couldn’t muster the energy to follow. I gave it what I had and held on. This was until, seemingly out of nowhere we were caught by an attack from the peloton. So close.
A small group just rode straight past me, after 88 km in the break I was utterly spent and with my vision going I just kept up what I could. I really gave it everything I had but couldn’t bridge back to them. I got to the finish just behind the front group and collapsed on the floor.
I put myself in the recovery position, trying to rest as the paramedics came over making sure I was ok. I was, I’d just gone really deep. It took roughly 20 minutes for me to come around, that’s what you get for being in the break for longer than anyone else!
Not fully sure where I came, but roughly 12th which is my best BUCS RR result. I’ll always think what could have been but I gave everything I had, just couldn’t quite pull it off. (Update came 11th)
So, BUCS RR is always a target of mine and having come 19th in both of the previous editions I wanted to top that. I knew this year was my perfect opportunity to do well as the field wasn’t as good as previous years, and I was on stonking form. It was the same course as last year and with 7 laps totaling 124km and 1700 m of climbing it made for a tough day out.
Anyway, I had two team mates, all in different kit to disguise ourselves but we didn’t really have a game plan. The first lap was very easy, too easy in fact and I was getting frustrated. The second lap wasn’t much improved and I was chatting to Paddy discussing how it was like being in a 2/3/4.
As we came to the end of the second lap towards the bottom on Terrington bank I just rode away. It wasn’t a big attack but enough to get a gap and I just went for it. Really pushing on over the climb and fully on the top tube on the descent, hitting 102 kph, the gap went out quickly. When I looked back they weren’t even in sight.
Alas I committed to it and after 15 minutes took a cheeky look back to see 3 riders bridging to me. I made them chase but was very glad to be swallowed up with a comment of “here comes the pain train”. The three chasers were Paddy, fromB38, Kieran Wynne-Cattanach (4th in last years national HC) and Jack Kirk (Richardson-Trek).
We worked really well together and the first time gap was 1:42. This was ideal and I was really pleased with how it was panning out. After another lap the gap was down to 1:34, still a solid gap. It was after the next lap when the gap came down to 1:16 that we upped the pace. Instead of pulling long turns we swapped to doing 10 second turns and the gap went out to 1:52. By this point I was dreaming of those elusive BUCS medals.
I think this may have been both out best chance but our downfall. As we kept pushing on, pulling equal yet hard turns we were getting fatigued. The hills were taking their toll. When we hit the final lap we had a mere gap of1:12. Giving me hope to pull off the win, but I knew my legs were suffering.
We really tried to keep going but when I took a sneaky peak back I could see a group approaching…
With 7 km to go, approaching the hardest climb of the course, Bulmer bank, my vision started to blur and I began to see flashes of white light. I knew I was exhausted. With a final assault of Bulmer completed it was a rolling 5km to go and I was still hanging on to the break.
It was with 3 km to go when one rider attacked and I couldn’t muster the energy to follow. I gave it what I had and held on. This was until, seemingly out of nowhere we were caught by an attack from the peloton. So close.
A small group just rode straight past me, after 88 km in the break I was utterly spent and with my vision going I just kept up what I could. I really gave it everything I had but couldn’t bridge back to them. I got to the finish just behind the front group and collapsed on the floor.
I put myself in the recovery position, trying to rest as the paramedics came over making sure I was ok. I was, I’d just gone really deep. It took roughly 20 minutes for me to come around, that’s what you get for being in the break for longer than anyone else!
Not fully sure where I came, but roughly 12th which is my best BUCS RR result. I’ll always think what could have been but I gave everything I had, just couldn’t quite pull it off. (Update came 11th)