My first Crit “The Spring Cotton Spinners”

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Peter Armstrong

Über Member
My first Crit “The Spring Cotton Spinners” at Tameside Cycle Circuit in Ashton-Under-Lyne.
So 7:45 I get up, grab my breakfast and my gear and set off. I arrive, sign on, get ready and do few warm up laps, and I must say it was a very cold morning, so cold in fact I had to leave my normal jacket on for the race. This circuit is very narrow and very bendy and only 1km a lap, I’m looking around at the other people and their bikes, full sky team Pinarello bikes, those fancy egg-shaped gears, full kit castelli gear, I’m starting to think I’m out of my depths, and I wasn’t wrong. Here’s me, my first year of what I call proper cycling, turning up on my cycle-to-work scheme bike, and rocking out my Aldi cycle gear. As I roll up to the start line I’m stuck right on the back, I start thinking to myself that it doesn’t matter, sit on the back for a few laps till it settles down then maybe start to move up by taking the bends a bit faster. The whistle or whatever it was goes off, and we start, pace builds up all seems fine for the first few laps, fast pace at first although I wasn’t worried as I expect the first few to be fast until people settle down. We have 45mins to go plus 5 laps so I cannot see anyone wanting to kill themselves so early on, just twitchily legs I’m thinking. I’m looking down at my heart rate and I’m already at 175bpm, this is my FTP, I know if I go over this I will burn out so I try and stick to the back wheel of whoever is in front of me, unfortunately this person in front wasn’t the best at cornering, so I was slowing down to much then having to speed up again too much to get back up to pace, this clearly wasn’t working and before I knew it a rather large gap had appeared between the rider in front of me and the main bunch, I looked around me and there was probably a hand full of people who were also stuck in the same boat, dropped off the back having being stuck behind this rider, I blame my tactics and the narrow circuit. Who’s going to breach the gap? I look around again, nobody is, I either do it now and risk blowing up or be stuck behind for good. “FOR fark SAKE” I say out loud, I get my ass out of the saddle then off I go, 15-20 seconds later I’m back on! Yes! But in doing this I’ve maxed my heart rate out at 185bpm, I’m holding on to the back of the main group, holding on, holding onnnnnn, nope I cannot recover in time, slowly, inch by inch drifting off the back, till I’m going solo. Crap! I’ve messed up, and I’m not fit enough to say with them. So here I am, last place I want to be, going around this track on my own, it all goes downhill from here. A few people pass me, oops didn’t manage to get on the back of them, next lot pass and I jump on the back of them. I stick along with two other riders who caught me up, a few laps later and the main group lap us, lovely! This happens again 10mins or so later I try to jump on the back but after getting shouted out “LEFT” “RIGHT” I think why try and stay with these again if I’m not even in it? So I back off do I few more laps then 33m mins in, totally disappointed with myself I pull off.
OW WELL………………
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http://www.strava.com/activities/122844834/overview
 
God loves a trier ... Do nt beat yourself up to much , It was your first day at school !
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
I think it was a 1-2 for my clubmates in the Cat 4 race, quite frankly, they are both beasts! One of them went and won a CDNW road race the day after too! I turned up to watch at the start of the women's race, missed the Cat 4 only event, then left after the women's event as it started hailing and I was freezing!
 
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Peter Armstrong

Peter Armstrong

Über Member
I think it was a 1-2 for my clubmates in the Cat 4 race, quite frankly, they are both beasts! One of them went and won a CDNW road race the day after too! I turned up to watch at the start of the women's race, missed the Cat 4 only event, then left after the women's event as it started hailing and I was freezing!

Yes, them 2 led a break away for the full race, how the hell are they just Cat 4?
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
Yes, them 2 led a break away for the full race, how the hell are they just Cat 4?

It was Sanders 1st race afaik (as least in the UK). The other guy, I don't know him but I guess he is new to racing as well (again at least in the UK), but is very strong. The guy who won, he will be a Cat 3 now after the win in the crit then a win in a road race the following day.

There are loads of people out there that could simply ride away from a Cat 4 bunch, but they have never raced or might race track, or TT's or simply ride their bikes a lot!
 
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Peter Armstrong

Peter Armstrong

Über Member
It was Sanders 1st race afaik (as least in the UK). The other guy, I don't know him but I guess he is new to racing as well (again at least in the UK), but is very strong. The guy who won, he will be a Cat 3 now after the win in the crit then a win in a road race the following day.

There are loads of people out there that could simply ride away from a Cat 4 bunch, but they have never raced or might race track, or TT's or simply ride their bikes a lot!

Ow, makes sense.
 

montage

God Almighty
Location
Bethlehem
You have to remember that a Cat 4 only race doesn't mean slow, it is mostly people new-ish to racing, they are more likely to lack still, tactical nouse and experience than pure speed. People who ride away get away with it because the bunch don't organise the chase!

Last week looked a laugh - 5 man break goes 1 lap in, the rest suffer in small groups for 45 minutes! Some strong guys in there
 

zizou

Veteran
Well done for giving it a go you will likely make quick progress even if your fitness remains the same as you gain more experience about positioning
 
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