The road race was something quite different.... apart that is from the driving rain, uncertain wind strentgh/direction. Firstly I got well and truly dropped on the Huberhohe..a 1km long hill starting about 1km from the start of the race. The front group got away and I was soloing up the hill and dying ...so from then on it was TT time and boy did I put in big time.
I put in to such a degree that although initially I couldn't see anyone ahead, gradually I began overtaking stragglers from the younger age groups who started earlier, sometimes getting tangled up in the queue of cars unable to overtake riders ahead...???was the group ahead my rivals...I just didn't know.. but I kept on chasing, chasing chasing...
Anyhow...gradually I got closer and closer to the group...bugger only 1 in it was from my class and she latched on to my wheel leech like..on, on, on, motor, motor motor...I was motoring but clearly the bunch was playing silly buggers and so FINALLY at about 800m out from the finish I made contact and so was in the sprint for second place. However the legs were far from fresh and I ended up 5th, 6th or perhaps even 7th. (added later...5th). Later on someone who saw me at the finish said I looked grey...and she wasn't talking about my hair....so yes I WORKED! and in fact i think i did better on the part of the course which is also the return part of the TT course better than during the TT race!!...weird.
Hopefully nobody thinks I got an advantage from the cars I got tangled up with...its really difficult to know what to do....like all queues sometimes they were fast, sometimes not.. Actually on the narrow roads sometimes I was slowed down by them and also couldn't descend a hill as quick as I wanted since I had to take my life in my hands and go down on the wrong side of the road...just hoping nothing would come up around the corner too quickly! only 1 car did and I had to quickly throw out the anchors and escape back into the slow moving queue.
I'm truly stoked with the result and the adrenalin is flowing big time, the beer too..woo hoo!
Different topic
Some of you will have no doubt have heard about the possibilty that the UCI may not be sanctioning Masters Champs anymore...we've had a meeting here at St Johann re this but really are not 100% sure if its just a rumour or is indeed true. There seems to have been no communication/consultation with federations but the organisors here at St J have been told about it.......!!!!!????? Watch this space and also "World Masters Cycling" on face book and twitter
Coupla pix to lighten the mood
some signs I just can't pass without taking a photo!
Liz, that was a hardcore race! Fantastic, and I am absolutely stoked for you. It's that kind of next level acheivement that keeps us going, and learm something new (or rediscover) about ourselves.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hear you so excited about it as well. :-D Good stuff you good thing!