A new year, but the same place for a Saturday afternoon's dash around the hairpins at Hillingdon. Not bad weather for the ride to Paddington to catch the train to Southall, but in the warm up around the course 'that breeze' was still very much, definitely there.
Plan 'A' it was then.
It seemed like a full complement of 50 in both races, so apart from the usual dodgems routine in the bunch behind the breakaways, the potentially deciding moment could have been the overtake manoeuvre around the 4th Cats. Having been blessed with the racetrack to ourselves since Christmas Eve, it felt odd to have another peloton going around the course at the same time. After about 20 minutes, it was clear that our speed was bringing down the gap. One lap, we were on the first hairpin and they were next to us at the top of the back straight; next lap, we were on the hairpin and they were coming round the top corner; next lap, we couldn't even see them because of the greenery/hill between the top straight and the mid-hairpins straight. By that stage, everyone around me kept looking up over the bunch to see if a large/strong group was going to try to break off the front, use the 4th Cats to rest, and then power on and leave the peloton behind. Thankfully that didn't happen this time (I think it was attempted in Race 2?). When I came past them we were on the back straight, and coming into the bottom two corners at the clubhouse. The only real danger came from the odd 4th Cat who was straying across the halfway line in the tarmac. Everyone held their lines round the corners and we could all breathe easily through the hairpins.
The pace ramped up sharply as we hit the final five laps. I had expected it a lap earlier from my timings, but it didn't make much difference. The plan was to keep to the left hand side (shortest way round) and try to find good wheels as I made my way forward. There were some fairly interesting pieces of riding going on, especially up the finishing straight as people looked to sprint up the hill, to the left (outside) of the first kink, and then let themselves come onto a wheel as the bunch went left at the second kink. The thing is, that was pretty difficult at that kind of speed, and one rider even took the grass at the second kink to make it further forward. Bonkers, if you ask me. By two laps to go, I had found my way into the front ten or so, and on the right hand side of the bunch. I'd narrowly avoided a rider with a puncture(?) climbing the hill into the second hairpin and that was when I made my move forwards and to the outside. Had to hold a pretty tight line through the first hairpin, but I was feeling fresh(ish) and hoping for a big one.
Coming through the bell, the pace was high. Climbing the hill into the second hairpin, there was the telltale squeal of brakes and clatter of bikes as some riders got too close. That one was behind me, so I just pushed on. Coming down the back straight, I was on the outside hoping to sprint once for position and then again up to the finish. Apart from a short line on the left hand side, the entire bunch seemed to have massed together, and there was no way through as everyone in front of me seemed to want to get hold of a wheel rather than lead out an opponent. As we came into the bottom corner, the inevitable happened (it had been twitchy in the previous laps) and several riders came together. Being on the outside, I had no choice this time but to go straight on and into the grass as the crash must've happened on my left hand side. One rider somersaulted with his bike, and so I just had to keep going straight and into the long dry grass. Zero chance of any finish now, so I made sure there was no one coming to collect me as I turned, and I made my way slowly up the finishing straight.
To be honest, I was absolutely gutted. I don't think I'm strong enough to win, although I'd be delighted to prove myself wrong, but my big target for the series was to score points consistently and keep learning about bike racing with every race. I know Hillingdon has a reputation among some for being a bit on the wild side, but I've been loving it. So to have a finish taken away from me was a very disappointing feeling, and one that I'll just have to try to do something about next week!
At least me and my bike are still in one piece, and I know that's something that quite a few riders can't say for themselves at the moment.
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