To be fair my March of misadventure, started at the end of February. I headed straight from Mallorca to the Track Nationals in Manchester. I had never ridden a training block of 900km and then gone into a race weekend, so I was interested to see how the body responded. I found out. Into the points qualifier on Saturday morning and I had legs of lead. I tried so hard in the race to find something, but the legs were heavy and I just didn’t have what was required. Back to the lodgings, rest, recover and on to the Scratch on Sunday to see if I had anymore to give, surprisingly the legs started to come back and I felt more spritely. 2 laps to go I was pushing up the banking to start the effort for the qualifying places when four riders moved up the bank and crashed in front of me! I managed somehow to stay on, running over a visor high on the track, at this point the race was gone, and I rolled in 13th, unlucky for me, one outside qualifying.
Then back to school, training, and the following weekend Lierde in Belgium. I had ridden there last year but had not finished, this time I was determined to get round and hopefully mix it up at the end. We headed off as a team and arrived in the cold and pouring rain of Flanders. It was proper spring classic weather. The race hit out and we hammered around a slightly different course to the previous year, still there was the mud and silt off the fields on the roads, which led to a few slips and slides. Reece managed to sneak into the break and so we looked to control the front of the race. Glad to say this went well, with all attacks closed down we came into the finish. A decent 24th place and a strong finish, Reece managing a top 10. Onto De Klijte for the Sunday. Again rain, wind and standing water on the course. We set off again with a field of 122 and all was good until I was nudged out on a corner and headed off into a Belgian ditch, after remounting I charged on, pushing hard, occasionally losing it on the silt road sections, before realising the race had gone away. We were pulled, but placed 58th. Not great …
The following weekend was a slightly more local affair, heading off to deepest Essex for the Jock Wadley National B. Again, it was lashing it down, cold wet and thoroughly miserable. Early start and then out on to the course for a long-wet race. Into the neutralised and ready to go, shift the gear, power down, chain slip, caught in the mech. Stop, free the chain, race started, race gone. That was that …
Off again, next stop Melton Mowbray for the Cicle classic, a cross between a road race, cross race and at times mountain bike race. It was raining again and there was a ridiculous amount of water on the course, and the farm tracks we had to ride on were horrendous. 120 starters and off we went. Quickly punctures started to happen and crashes occurred as we hit the first farm track sectors. I was going well until a faller in front of my dislodged their front wheel which came off and hit me in the face. Little option I too came down and landed in the verge. Luckily unhurt I remounted the bike and headed off in pursuit of the bunch. Burning matches, I made it back to the bunch as we hit the longest hill on the course, I was distanced after the effort of chasing on but fought back to get in the bunch, more matches gone. I managed to get back with about 20km to go and the finish circuit in sight. Getting to the finish for the bell, the bunch of 20 had a slight advantage on me in terms of distance but a huge one in terms of energy. I was gassed and did everything I could to keep pushing. Eventually getting around the circuit in 22nd with only 51 finishers I was pleased that I had got round. But gutted I had crashed as I may have had a chance if I had stayed in the bunch.
Back to school, bike into the shop for a once over and then the March Hare classic. On getting the bike back we realised that my luck in the crash had not extended to the bike, the top tube was cracked! So on to the spare and off to London. The March Hare, another National B was well attended. This time there wasn’t any rain, just hail! The race went well, and I had a couple of efforts off the front but when the hail came the legs cooled down and felt super heavy, I kept pushing and managed a creditable 13th out of 53 starters.
So, to the end of the month and Ster van Zuid Limburg, a race I had done last year and managed to get to Day 4 so let’s see how this year goes. Not great. Day 1 in the Time trial, a tough course that saw us do a 2-minute effort up a climb to start then out onto an exposed field with a buffeting cross wind before turning to take a tailwind back into the finish with an uphill drag into the Watersley complex for the final effort. All in all, just under 9 minutes of hard effort. Managing a 69th place overall our highest place rider Reece again coming in 48th 8 seconds ahead of me but still 45 seconds behind the leader.
Then on to Day 2 and on waking I wasn’t feeling good, I had not slept well the night before and was running hot and cold. Off to the start and onto the winter bike, after the calamity of the previous week, and into the first hour of the race. Heart rate running high, sick feeling, I kept trying to push but it was just not going to be. Arriving at the feed zone, I climbed off. Hot, sick and done. I sat on the verge … March I hoped would soon be over.
So a month of misadventure was complete. The weather was some kind of pathetic fallacy for my month, with the rain cloud seeming to follow me around. Crashes, bike breaks, mechanicals, illness all appear to have confounded to make this a pretty miserable March.
Hopefully the spring will bring with it some sun and warmth and I can get back on track and start feeling strong again. Next weekend is time for some fun at Roubaix with, Thomas, Dean and Dad. Lets see what that brings with it …
Thanks as ever to: Highway Cycles, Matt’s Auto Repair Services, Pedal Potential, TlC Live, Knight Frank, LVJT, Thomas, Mum and Dad!
Gilbank Racing 