# East Devon Circuit Series - Race 1



## TheSandwichMonster (22 May 2012)

The subtext to the title could well read, "A Lesson in Humility"...

Because I'm lacking in race fitness and because I enjoyed myself at the Shred Classic recently, I decided that an outing to Dunkeswell for some more *proper* crit racing (on a kart track) would be just the job. It's a Go-Race series, meaning that you don't need a licence, or be affiliated to a club; but likewise, no points are on offer. In my head, I translated that to meaning that I was in with a chance of a decent result. You know what they say about pride though...

We gathered on the line for the briefing, including a fairly strong warning against crossing lines through the corners, with a reminder that this might be some people's first race. We were set off for our race with the ladies (both of them!). It was my intention to ride hard from the start and coming through the first 180 degree bend out of the home straight I found myself 3rd or 4th wheel. I looked back and saw I had maybe 10 metres over the next rider behind, but also noticed that gaps were already opening in front.

*Note to self #1: You go off too fast. EVERY time. Why not try pacing yourself for once?*

I maintained position through a series of switchback corners, through the looping 180 back onto the home straight and then the young whippet at the front decided to drop the pace a bit. A bit of a bigger bunch came together and formed. Full of thoughts of glory (and lacking any sensible thoughts at all), I pushed up the outside and stole another place, into bend 1, hold a nice line, sprint out (well, what passes for a sprint in my tanker-like world anyway) and away we go again. This pattern maintains itself for maybe the first 3 or 4 laps. Ultimately my breathing, along with my heartrate, tell me that the effort I'm making is unsustainable and I start to drop out of the front group.

*Note to self #2: When dropped, stop thrashing yourself solo, sit up and wait for a group.*

I pummelled myself along in no-mans land for another lap or two, neither gaining on the front group, whilst the next group behind slowly reeled me in. I'd make up time by being able to pick any line I wanted through the corners, they pulled me back on the straights as I had no legs for sprinting out of the corners. Ultimately I was caught, and then passed, by the group of 4 or 5 behind me. I stuck myself on the back and clung on. My solo effort had drained me (not that I had much to begin with!) and I could feel myself slipping backwards still. Riders in front meant that I wasn't carrying as much speed through the corners; my sapped legs meant that accelerating out of them was becoming more difficult. A gap began to open, and I was on the wrong side of it - I was by myself again. I gritted my teeth and clung on, had a stern word with myself and clawed back the distance to the group, sitting on the back whilst I tried to muster some, ANY, energy. I held position for a while whilst also trying to decide what to do next.

On the next lap one of the ladies went over on one of the corners and I had a good enough line to avoid the resulting slow-down with a couple of others, and we formed our own mini group, but before long we were caught by another couple. I wasn't riding brilliantly, but I felt OK and felt that my cornering was good. We settled into a rhythm with me stealing a place or two on the corners, but then lacking the pace/strength to maintain it down the straights. We kept leapfrogging each other in that way for most of the rest of the race, until the commissaire announced two laps to go. I stepped up the pace some, and found myself having to fight harder for a decent line into the corners. I kept moving up and coming into the final bend of the penultimate lap I was at the front of our little group. I had a bit of space behind, then carried too much speed into the last corner, and the back end of my bike slid away from me, accompanied by a nasty metallic sounding pinging. At first I thought I'd blown out or rolled my tyre off the rim, but a check showed that there was nothing obvious wrong. Whilst all of this had taken place though, I'd dropped maybe 5 or 6 places and my confidence had taken a knock. I had to sprint to rejoin the group, but found myself taking the corners more slowly in the final lap. I managed to overtake just one of the group before crossing the line, happy, yet disappointed with the ending.

Lessons have been learned... I'm making progress, albeit slowly. I feel like I'm OK in the bunch, but I'm lacking that bit of top end speed/power where it matters. I'm certainly more confident in my handling skills and also with my movement in the bunch now, but I really need to look at my pacing to see if I can hold back wherever possible to make sure that I don't empty myself from the start.


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