Our race (E Cat, 60-64) started at 10a.m. so I headed up on Friday and after a horrendous journey arrived at the Blackburn Dunkenhalgh Mercure after 4pm. After checking in I headed over to Edisford, Clitheroe and rode the race circuit 4 times. I stopped to take photos on the last lap as the weather was great and the countryside was lovely.
I was up in good time and arrived before signing on commenced. I did one lap to warm up which was just about enough with a few efforts.
We started neutralised behind the lead race car which pulled away after the first left turn. Nick Giles (who won 2 of the recent Worcestershire Series) tends to go from the gun. My plan today was to not let him get off the front because often he then never gets pulled back.
I'm often a bit hazy about all the details of a race so you'll get a summarised summary, if that makes sense.
I got a bit blocked in at the start and was back in 12-15th place for a while. Halfway around the lap I took an opportunity to keep pedalling when the group slowed for a junction and got to the front.
Roy had talked me through the circuit and said I must be in the top 10 as we approached the left hand junction before the uphill drag. I took him very literally and probably led 6 or 7 times at that point over the 12 lap race - which was of course NOT what Roy advised.
My tactics were 1. to stay in the top 10 so I could react to moves. 2. Try and stay in the wheels for the part of the course where we were into the wind and 3. Be at or near the front for the section with the wind behind which also had some fast twisties. I was often putting out a relatively low power over these sections and not having to brake or push to get back on after bends or bumps.
During the first 4 or so laps, number 21 was away on his own but nobody seemed too concerned. He wasn't one of the guys I was "marking" so I wasn't that bothered either.
At around this point Nick and 2-3 others started to try and get away. Nick goes hard but often when caught, he just sits up and slows right down. Soon we caught 21 and as the laps went on, the attacks increased. These were taking their toll and after one particularly stinging one, I was blowing hard and having to tell myself it was okay, I'd recover after a bit.
One thing I need to resolve is that I hacked a few guys off riding up their inside approaching a left hander. To be fair, I never did it once they had committed to the corner. I've watched a few TrainerRoad race analysis vids and they seem to do it.
Back to the race. As we got the bell for the last lap I was sticking to my tactics and was in 2nd or 3rd wheel over the line. As we got to the first left turn I took to the front to get a clean line and stayed there quite a lot of the rest of the lap. This meant I hit the lumps at a power that suited me and I had clear lines through the fast twisties. I was watching my power and was often in low endurance zone apart from up the bumps.
I led at the left hander at the start of the final mile or so drag. As anticipated, the pace went up and a few went past me. I felt in pretty good shape and dropped into 5th or 6th spot. One guy then had a big dig but we all stayed together as we came to the last left turn and the final sprint. I don't think anyone passed me but neither was I able to outsprint the guys in front of me and I came in 6th a wheel ahead of Nick. The winner was Stephen Wilkinson who was the other rider Roy had suggested I keep an eye on.
I was fairly pleased as a top ten had been my aim although of course I really wanted to podium or ideally win. My Normalised Power for the race (2 hours and 4 minutes) was 272W and my best hour NP was 282W which I'm guessing must be PBs. Is there even the concept of a NP Power duration curve?
I'm most pleased with the improvement in my racecraft - excluding the dive bombing - and the improved ability to push hard, recover and push hard again repeatedly. Roy has had me doing multiple one minute efforts in training, which are horrible but having the desired effect I think.
So congratulations to Stephen, the winner, and onwards to the next race.
No pics yet - I'll add them when/if they appear.
Strava activity here: https://www.strava.com/activities/5790528796