Cycling race 24:49 [5] *** 105.0 km (14 / km)
209c
Tom Anderson race
Enjoyed the race today.
Focussed on position during the first few laps, staying well forward to avoid being the wrong side of ay splits in the wind.
Got involved in bringing the first break back.
Wondered if I should maybe have been a bit more relaxed, and taken things a bit easier given that the bunch never split.
There were a lot of attempts by people to get off the front and most of them got nowhere, SO I didn't try my luck. Perhaps I should be more confident and roll the dice. Initially I felt like I was doing enough work keeping in the right place, closing the wheels etc. certainly for the first 2 laps at least NP looks pretty high. As the laps went by I could feel some fatigue and knew I probably wouldn't have the strength to get up the road so stayed in the bunch.
Once you were away it calmed down and we had a couple of steadier laps as everyone was fatiguing, the bunch had thinned down quite a bit
On the last two times up the climbs I could feel my quads starting to cramp, worse on the last lap.
On the run in I tried to prep my legs for the final by getting out of the saddle and pushing big a gear - I think this helped get the cramping muscles going a bit easier.
Dominic went fairly long, given that it was a hill and some headwind. As he hit the front of our bunch he seemed to hesitate, which made me hesitate in going after him. He went, I went and we both got clear but I never got his wheel .
Out of the saddle and up the hill quads were cramping on every pedal rev, I was going pretty hard I felt hard but treading a real tight-rope not to tie up completely. Stayed out for a good while but then a few riders came with late sprints, I couldn't really respond with a sprint due to the cramps.
Finished maybe 11th or 12th.
A good cramp free sprint would probably have had me up contending with Dominic.