As I described in May’s blog I had taken a break from racing due to the pressure of my A-Level exams, but as these started to ease I was able to slot in a couple of events just to keep me ticking over. As Einstein very wisely said,
“It is the same with people as it is with riding a bike. Only when moving can one comfortably maintain one’s balance.”
I really began to understand this on both a literal and metaphorical level. So where I could I tried to slot in a bit of fun.
June kicked off with a National B crit race at Hog Hill. The lack of proper structured training soon was evident as I was a fair way off the pace, but it was still enjoyable to be racing at my home circuit and to be around the club for the first time in a while. At least I was moving …
A week later it was time to return back to the home of London’s bike racing scene, Herne Hill, sadly I was having to forgo the UCI South London Grand Prix,due to exams, but I was keen to compete in the Brixton Supermadison. There was some small internal pressure for this one, as James Ambrose-Parish and I had won this event last year, and we were hoping to do so again this year. We also wanted to hone our skills for the National Madison Championships. James was using the event as warm up for the South London GP and I was just happy to be on the track in the sun of Herne Hill. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite have the legs, so a string of second places left us behind a flying pair of Tom Ward and Frank Longstaff, the deserving winners. Still, it was a good warm up for the big event the weekend after and it is an excellent event all round.
After a well needed (and quite lucky) break from exams, it was time for the big one. The National Madison Championships. 100 laps, with sprints every 10. Shorter than in years previous, but with the same number of sprints. For me it was a test of my legs after the exams I’d had, for James a test of his legs after racing the South London GP for the previous two days. Neither of us knew what was going to happen.
After the first 30 laps, it was pretty clear. The Ward Wheels team and the Tekkers team had both taken a lap, and we were cleaning up their leftovers. After that, it just became a war of attrition for us. We were fighting for third. And it was a tough fight. Andy Brinkley and Tim Torrie had been getting stronger all race and were getting closer and closer to us. Meanwhile, Tekkers had taken another lap, and looked like they had it all wrapped up.
However, Tom and Frank had other ideas. A very late lap saw them put the pressure on Tekkers. It was all coming down to the final sprint. I threw James in, and then it all kicked off. Ward Wheels took the ten points, with us coming second and sealing third place. Tekkkers took 4 points for third, leaving both them and Ward Wheels on 70 points. However, as Ward had placed higher in the sprint, they took the title, with Tekkers and us rounding off the podium. Not too shabby considering we were both cooked after 50 laps! Chapeau, however, to Tom Ward, Frank Longstaff, Alec Briggs and Joe Holt for such a good race.
From taking a break from racing to racing without brakes.
Break over and the next week saw the last four of my thirteen exams. Thursday and I was done . It felt like a huge weight was just lifted off my shoulders. meaning I could go into Friday’s Fixed Gear Criterium at Kings Cross with an empty mind, and more importantly, no worries about having to write an exam the next day or indeed week. This was ideal, as carnage was about to ensue.
Having never ridden a fixed gear bike off a track before, the warm-up laps were a good time to learn. I felt pretty confident coming into the race. The race kicked off with a random assortment of skinsuited and t-shirt wearing ridders, dropped bars, flat bars, cleats and sneakers. It was all going on. My confidence suddenly improved as we hit the third corner, or as I went through the third corner and the rest of the bunch crashed into the barriers, first rider lost his two front teeth, my team-mate at 1LifeCycle Miguel went into the barrier and then went to hospital for stitches in his arm. The womens race just went into the back of the heap on the floor!
After a full restart, I found my groove and managed to take 6th, even lapping some riders along the way! More importantly, it was the most fun I’d had on a bike in a long time. And it was a great warm-up for the E12 crit the next day on the same course. Absolute mayhem and a great introduction into the wacky world of fixie crits!
Saturday came and the sun beat down on the coolest of places. Coal Drops at Kings Cross. The circuit was bathed in sun and the spectators were gathering. I had absolutely no idea of how well I’d do in the E12. Some of the best criterium racers in the country were there. I hadn’t raced anything like this since I won Ixworth as an U16. I sensed it would be exciting and it proved to be just that.
I got a good start, and was moving up quite nicely, until I got sent wide in the first corner, then the door was shut on me into the second. I was way further back than I needed to be. Then, coming out the third corner, (where the minor inconvenience had occurred the night before) the rider in front of me lost the wheel in front. It was in the narrowest section, and I couldn’t get past! Once we’d gone round the hairpin and down the ramp, I put out a huge sprint to try get back on, but that was it, the leaders were gone. I managed to collect a few riders and we formed the second group on the road. We kept pushing for the whole 50mins. The sun was going down, but the music and the atmosphere was heating up. We were close to the end and although we were lapped by Alec Briggs (see Introducing…Alec Briggs) and his group with about 5 minutes to go, we kept pushing, fizzing in the late evening glow fighting it out for the minor places. I ended up 20th, but felt like a winner, buzzing from the thrill and the atmosphere. Just brilliant!
Honestly, that weekend was the most fun I’d had on a bike in a very long time, and it was such a relief to be free to race without the mental pressure of exams. I was able to take the risks I’d normally take, and show off my handling skills while I was at it. The atmosphere in the Coal Drops Yard was electric, re-energising me and motivating for my next race, the Acht Van Bladel UCI 2.1 stage race in the Netherlands. More on this next month.
Thanks as ever for reading, and see you all soon!
Thanks to the team at Via Atelier Crits for putting on such an amazing event. All at the Velopark and FullGas for the National Madision. LVYCC and all my amazing sponsors.
Gilbank Racing 