Brains, brawn, and luck - Newham SKCC Trophy race B grade race report
It's been a while since I've been on a podium, let alone the top step. I'd forgotten what it felt like to be the centre of attention, and the recipient of adulation from your peers. It felt humbling and awkward, at the same time.
It was my third road race for the year, after being on the receiving end of some good ass kicking in the past two combine races - the infamous Hell of the West, and the Broadford HCP where I completed 2 of three laps.
Today was a little different as it was a scratch race and did not contain 11% berg, which after last week my legs clearly cannot handle this early into my race season.
Our race included some 20 odd riders and was on the well known loop starting at Newham primary school. I'd never raced this start/finish configuration, but was familiar with the circuit as Hawthorn Cycling Club used to have their club championships on the same roads.
Up the first hill straight out of the start riders were keen to get on with it, pushing a demonic tempo which had many riders (myself included) hustling to get back on after the first hill which would be the finish line.
After the finish I spoke with Sam about this, and he mentioned that it was his quick tempo on the front that got things going. It was a fair call, and was quite the heart starter.
Glyn Matthey was off up the road a few kilometers in, and I knew having raced alongside him before at the 2011 3 day tour that he enjoyed going up the road TT style. Most were content to see him and another rider go off the front, as there was still 87km to go.
So on the first lap up the Rochford climb we caught up with the two escapees and generally things in the bunch were pretty sedate. And that's more or less how they'd stay for the next 1.5 laps.
Fast forward 40kms, and after a few solo attempts we approached the turnoff onto Dons Road. At this stage there was a single rider up the road, and a small group of around 6 riders formed as the race turned left.
Behind them, we also pushed the pace and noticed that we had gone clear of a few more riders behind us. So the race situation was one up the road (which I had no idea of), around 6 about 50m ahead of us, and 6 riders in our group.
Our little grupetto worked solidly with the tailwind on our backs on Dons Rd, and turned into the start finish knowing that we were only 20 or so meters of the back of the front of the race (I completely had no idea there was 1 up the road). Just over the finish line, we caught onto the front group and pushed the pace a little.
After the finish I spoke to one of the riders (Pete) who was unsuccessful in coming back to our group and he said they got really close a couple of times to chasing back on but fell agonisingly short.
So I presumed we were it - 12 of us were now the front of the race, with just under a lap to go, and people kept urging others to roll turns. At this point however, I wasn't that keen to roll turns as I thought it was somewhat irrelevant unless we were concerned of being caught from behind.
So, as it turns out on Three Chain Rd I overheard a conversation between two riders which included, "Oh so your team mate is still up the road". The penny dropped.
With about 5kms remaining before the Dons Rd turnoff we caught the lone rider, and there were a series of counter attacks. None were given too much lee-weigh.
Coming into Dons Rd everyone was clearly hurting, and some strong moves were made by various riders to get off the front - knowing that they'd have a tailwind heading into the finishing straight.
Everything stayed together, and there were some serious faces and heavy breathing that would rival adult film.
With a tailwind leading to the corner the 13 of us were drawn out in a long line, and no one was allowed off the front.
So here's where I'd like to think race tactics can trump form.
I went into the last corner, 910m from the finish line in 13th position.
The riders who went in first all gassed it out of the corner, as did I, but were then either left looking around at other riders, or attempting to go really early.
It took me 83 seconds from that corner to get over the finish line first, and in those 83 seconds lots of things I planned I either got right, and/or I was lucky in a lot of respects.
It was an uphill finish, which suits me being somewhat of a lightweight.
My best 90s, 60s, 30s, 10s, 5s etc... power came in that last sprint. I raced somewhat conservatively the whole race knowing that I could back myself in the last kilometer.
And most importantly, I didn't panic.
I didn't hit the front early, which with my current form would have seen me die a death by a thousand papercuts on the hill.
I rode past other riders on my way to a group which was starting to distance themselves on the first rise before the false flat, where it then kicks again.
At this point the other riders were either suffering more than I was, or perhaps poorly positioned. I decided to take the right side of the road (on the left of the line) where I'd be able to get shelter at points from the left-right crosswind at that point.
Finally, I timed my sprint. I waited. I waited some more. And then what was around 250m from the end I launched my one and only race winning attempt and didn't worry that there was a guy 20m in front who was dying a slow death.
I didn't look behind, until I was around 80m from the line, and at that point I knew I had it.
There must have been so much chaos, tired legs, and whatever else that I managed to finish lengths ahead of second place which was comforting.
Other riders may have wondered who's this guy? We haven't seen him at all in the last lap, or the previous one (perhaps).
But as I've learnt in many races, it's not the strongest rider who wins - sometimes you need a mix of luck, effort, and good tactical awareness to make it over in first.
Straight to the pool room
Mat, Will, & Nick - winners are grinners