Normally it’s the middle of winter when the cyclocross season kicks off before I take part in any kind of hour-long cycle races that always seem to remind me how crap I am at that sort of thing. I keep telling myself it’s a result of spending the year endurance training and 24 hour racing…that’s my somewhat ropey theory anyway…
This year, I’m starting the humiliation early. British Cycling have been running a series of crits at the Manchester City stadium car park so it would have been a shame not to give it a go.
It all seemed to start ok – I was holding my position in the group and I was happy with the pace….for a while anyway.
Lacking that vital ‘snap’ out of hairpin turns was my downfall. Eventually dropping off the back of the pack, doomed to a lonely existence aside from occasional overtaking of other dropped riders, I went around and around the 2k circuit without the benefit of a wheel to grab onto. Eventually and somewhat inevitably I was lapped on the final lap – my kick in the head at my first crit now complete.
Good fun, kind of. Another one next week. Yay. Practice makes perfect and all that.
Is it because you’re running your road tyres at 40psi?
Maybe i’ll send Rich next week to keep you company at the rear!
ah – turns out I wasn’t quite at the back 😉
Click to access City-Race-Series-Results-13-07.pdf