It is now the time to review how the year has gone and provide an update on everything I spouted on about at the start of the year. Basically this is going to be a review of my season, with reference to others in the club, and as assessment of how I did on my targets.
First of all the empirical stuff. My targets were, 1. Sub 23 for a 10’ 2. Close to the hour for a 25’ 3. Have a stab on the track 4. Have a stab at racing on the road.
On number one well I took 1.15 of my personal best for a 10. This was a significant improvement, but nowhere near my target. PB down to 24.44.
On number two, well I did not ride any 25’s this year. A big disappointment for me, and the worst performance of any of my targets.
Number 3; well I have ridden the track 3 times this year. All in Club organised events at Manchester. I competed in the club champs and was successfully mediocre mid table in every event. Still I think it is fab. It suits my style and I can’t wait to go again.
Number 4, not quite as I intended, but I rode one circuit race at Darley Moor and 3 at Curborough. They were a hard lesson. I enjoyed the learning experience. Again I feel they suit me more that TT’s, and I hope to compete more next year and have ago on some open roads.
In terms of my targets I made some I missed some but it was not all bad. That does not quite tell the whole story of my season. The highs, the lows, the penalties after extra time, sorry wrong sport.
I wrote my first piece after having already gone to Majorca. That was a great experience and should have kicked my season off with a bang. I rode the BCC four up in the B squad and managed to completely embarrass myself. One I am still not allowed to forget. I then did not get on the bike for about four weeks. This was due to unforeseen circumstances and cost me a good start to the season. It also blighted the middle of the season as I was trying to get form. I know Dave before you say it, but it is all relative.
I started to get back, rode a lot of the Warwicks 10’s and of course our own events. The times were not good, but I started to threaten my PB quite early on. Then made a big mistake. I agreed to ride at Darley Moor on a Sunday morning with Dave and Nick. It was the worst day I could have ever chosen to start my first ever road race. Despite being the end of May, it was no warmer that 8 degrees, there was a howling wind and to top it off it was tipping down as well. We debated about starting, Baywatch was there as well not looking impressed. As we had made the effort we thought we had better start. I lasted about 3laps with the bunch. I was too scared on the corners, as it was flooding and I was unable to keep up in the wind after losing a few lengths on each corner. I kept going for a few laps on my own. I joined with Dave and Nick who had also been shelled out and we agreed to abandon at half way. Keeping going was not doing any of us any good. Well at least I know what it is all about now. Then I went to Zimbabwe for two weeks, putting my form back where it was two paragraphs ago.
On my return from Zim, I began again and successfully smashed my PB for a 10’. I then was sufficiently confident to have another go at a road race. Dave suggested, sorry told me, to have a go at the Curborough series. I turned up late having not been able to get away from work, only to find that they had not started. I signed on desperately as Nick put my bike together. There were only six of us so we were all guaranteed points. I managed to last until the first sprint after 15mins. I pressed on doing my best. Unfortunately our esteemed leader had not even managed this long so my main focus was to stay ahead of him. When the "pack" caught him though they were dragging him back to me. Fortunately he cracked before they got to me and I managed to cling to them long enough to have nearly lapped Dave by the end. 5th in the race, but as I was only on a day licence, no points. Just a reminder to Dave that as this was his only point of the season, I beat him. All the TT’s count for nothing as I beat him in that race. Worth all the effort.
I raced two more of this series of six races, one with Paul Kilbourne. Again a good result for me as though I was dropped at the last sprint after 45mins, I was not lapped and Paul had packed after 15mins. In my final race there I was dropped after 30mins (the second sprint) and was lapped, but could stay with the bunch all the way to the end of the race. I am reasonably happy with these results on courses which to not favour me at all.
I also raced the club track championships, an event where I was hoping to do well. Big learning curve. Being a former sprinter I thought I would be up there in the flying 200. Only 7th disappointed. I had a problem with my 2k TT and rode again for 6th in the end, and finished 5th after coming through the reparcharge to make the minor final for the sprint. I was not expecting anything in the TT as I know I am no good there, but was pleasantly surprised with the sprint result and feel that once I know what I am doing that I could definitely improve there.
That about wraps up my season. Apart from a couple of things. Firstly my road racing abilities were greatly benefited by an addition that I was not completely happy with being available. We all know of the sad loss of Marc Gladwell at the start of the year. Marc’s cycling kit came back to the club, including the famous Bianchi. The club made a plea for a young local rider who would be offered bike, kit and club membership for a year to further their cycling career. The plea was made via a national magazine but no one came forward. In the end I was the fortunate recipient of the bike on the condition that I raced it. I did. All my road races were on it and also Nick Dunn a new member to the club used it to compete on our club 10’s, which he did to some success, reducing his PB by 3mins over the season. The bike is a dream to ride. It climbs like nothing else I have ridden. I was able to scale Gorcot on the 53x17 after an hour in the saddle on my own. It accelerates like a bullet; it really requires a good rider to get the best from it. My deepest thanks go to the club for the loan of such a wonderful machine. As I said, I would rather Marc was here and I bought my own, but again thank you.
My last task is to set some targets for next year. Not too hard, as I did not hit half of them this year then I can use most of them again.
I am currently off the bike again, so that is not a good start, but I hope to be back soon. I am also hoping to go to Majorca this year and really get stuck in, as last year I was worried about the distances we were riding. See you all there. Meg