I've been looking for a word to sum up tonight and after a couple of hours of reflection I've come up with "Urrrnghhh" which I think perfectly captures both the effort I put in and pain I felt for almost bugger all reward!
My step up to B continues to be, er...... interesting and instructive. I had a PB on the start out of the pens, but still couldn't quite hang on to the lead group. Settled into a group with
@Alongo and was still in the group as we neared the top of the climb out of Saddle Springs, but as we turned into Titan's Grove a tiny gap opened which soon became a chasm and out the back I went with a few others.
That became a group of three that crossed the KoM and stayed together down the descent until one guy jumped off the front and pulled away on the rolling section before we rejoined the desert. I was then in a 2 up time trial across the desert and all the way to the 2nd KoM in Titan's Grove. My partner then jumped and I couldn't follow and I was caught by another 2 up group that had been closing on us.
Again, one jumped and pulled away leaving me to work with the other guy all the way to the finishing line.
The screen told me I'd finished around 70th out of 89, but the Companion App made that 65th out of 68, and Zwiftpower says 49 out of 50....... so getting slightly more depressing as I go along there!
I worked so bloody hard tonight. Even Strava kindly told me 'that was harder than your usual effort". Thanks guys!
It really does come down to such fine margins. If I could just have hung on at the start, I'd have probably got dragged across the desert, but those seconds quickly become minutes. And then I look at the times of the guys in C who I was coming home with in the last league and I'm minutes down on them. That get's frustrating.
But on the other hand, I'm pleased with the work I put in. I didn't give in or bail out and that's important to me. And if I can just keep this going and bridge those little gaps, I'm hoping I'll be able to move up a little.
Well, that's theory anyway!
All I can say apart from that is great work by all the other guys in B, C and D. The podium places in C and D are great to see!