Spokes Cycles Kingdom Junior Classic
Long drag up the M6 for us all Saturday and a spin out round the course with the team of Ralf Hodgson, Rob Scott and Owen Line, then back to the accommodation to rest up with a tough day of racing ahead.
Race day dawned, sunny and clear which all of us were pleased to see.
Arrived at HQ with plenty of time to spare, sign on, numbers on, chat with the boss and onto the rollers to get warmed up then ready for the off.
We rolled out onto the circuit and it was only about 3 kms before a break of 6 had a very good looking gap, with team mate Ralf in the process of bridging and soon after I was up there with him.
The 8 of us worked well and got a gap of around 40 seconds until the marshals sent us the wrong way, we didn’t lose all of our advantage but at least half of it gone, with all of us panicking and going full gas the gap grew and grew and grew. Around 20kms later had the pleasant surprise of Ralf telling me that Rob had managed to bridge the 1:40 gap by himself!
As the gap had grown we had the pleasure of being joined by a very happy looking team Boss, as 3 of our 4 riders now nearly 2 minutes up the road.
Break still working well but had been reduced down to 7 riders at this point due to the high pace that was being set to try and hold of a pursuing bunch.
The next bit of news we received from the moto coms was a bit of a shock as our gap had been cut down to 40 seconds with group of 25 coming across quickly and the bunch following not far behind. After another few kms and coming round to the final time up the climb on the full circuit I had a quick look behind and thought that is not 40 seconds, soon enough the group was on us and soon after the bunch was also.
Last time up the climb I felt something was wrong with my rear wheel, it wasn’t flat but stopped at the top of the climb to diagnose the problem, my quick release skewer had been knocked by another rider and my wheel was falling out. After sorting it out and with a swift push from Alex and wise words of don’t panic will be back in soon.
On my return to the bunch after a fast 3 km chase I notice that Ralf and Rob are nowhere to be seen, upon my next look up the road I saw a group of 3 or so with a gap of around 20/30 seconds, still coming past the bunch on my way back up to the front I decided to join them. Bridging to the group about 2 kms later, now in another break with my 2 team mates and Nathan Draper. After looking up the road whilst working in the break, seeing Alex Braybrooke with 20 second gap on the 4 of us and the bunch hot on our tail.
After a couple of kms and Alex not getting any closer and the bunch still very close, deciding to go on the attack and try and bridge across to Alex, after a hard chase of a few kms making it to the lone leader, we work well and keep going at a strong pace with a moto com telling us the good news that our 20 second gap had grown to 58 seconds, this was due to both Alex’s and my team mates blocking the bunch and slowing it right down. Thanks team.
With around 20 kms to go the moto coms are telling me and Alex that there is one rider on his way across to us with the bunch coming back to us slowly.
15kms to go: the chaser which turned out to be Reece Wood has caught me and Alex, as we rapidly approach the last climb the news was starting to get worse from the coms as we learn that a group of 4 riders is at 30 seconds.
10kms to go: the three of us are working well and holding the chase group which had been whittled down to 3 at 30 seconds.
After getting over the top of the final climb which was a lot harder in the race than on the ride the previous day (thanks to the boss for the recce) we descend down off the climb and start heading into the town. The drive from my other companions has started to ease, after realising and being told by the comms that the group of 3 is coming across and has got the gap down to 20 seconds, so saying to the others “3rd is better than 6th lets go come on!!!”
2 kms to go and starting to think that they are going to catch us , we could see them on the long flat road towards the finish, the next sign we see and to my shock was 500 metres to go with me on the front and thinking great got to lead this out.
As we come round the last corner with about 400 metres to go we can see the finish line and realising that we are going to stay away, I keep the pace at a reasonable tempo and keeping my head on a pivot seeing the line getting closer and closer, with around 200metres to go I see Reece start to get out of the saddle to start his sprint so the sprint is opened up and Reece gets round me for the win. So close.
Great teammates Ralf and Rob coming in 15th and 16th and Owen coming in 42nd
Massive thanks to Neil and Alex for making the whole weekend work really well.
We will win together this year.
Max.
Photos with thanks to Andy Whitehouse, British Cycling Photographers.













