Today was my best performance in a B cat race, and but for one mistake could have been even better, but more of that later.
Better start again for me today. Not quite there yet, but I was only just off the front group as we turned out of the pens and began the long gradual climb and it didn't take me long to tuck into the front group. Previous weeks I've had to put in a big effort to get back on and I've felt it. Today I was in the group and comfortable.
I averaged 311w to the top of the first long drag out of Harrogate and went over the top just behind the lead group and then got gapped on the descent! Just a slight gap, but the draft stretched it quickly and there was no way back. If I'd been maybe less than 1 second ahead I'd have been drafted down the road and in the lead group with Andy, Nick and Martin. Next time maybe?
Anyhow, I kept at it in a group of 4 and as we got towards the next turn our group of 4 swelled to about 8 or 9 as a following group including
@Brusgaard caught us. The pace stayed pretty high but there were quite a few people riding tactically and tucking in to the draft to save themselves before the climbs. I think I did more drafting today than I've probably ever managed before and it helped me to stay strong on the climbs.
On the climb up through the roundabout, I got to the top in 2nd place of the 9, but the group gradually came back together as we made our way through the town, up the long drag and over the top again. I didn't make the same mistake this time. I stayed at the front of the group all the way up the climb and then pushed hard over the top. I think we lost a couple of the group on the descent and about 6 or 7 of us reached the bottom of the climb up through the roundabout together for the second time.
I got a good position on the left hander into the start of the climb, and then powered my way up the climb, staying toward the front and the group split again with 4 of us going over the top together. A fast descent with the 4 of us working well together, we gapped the chasing group and stayed together until a right hander about 1.5km from the end. Second mistake here as 2 of the guys put enough power down to get a small gap which they held up the rise and the 2 of us left couldn't close the gap.
So we approached the last climb up the high street as 2 groups of 2 and when we turned on to the high street climb the other guy I was now riding with tried to jump and gap me. He got a gap but he'd gone too early. I dug in and reeled him back in and then passed and had an unusual feeling of joy as I sprinted hard and slowly pulled away and managed to hold him off by 1 second.
Checked the results and found it was Steen's mate Torben who I'd been spiriting against without realising it, so I suppose we were having a Cyclechat drag race up the finishing straight even though probably neither of us knew it!
Certainly my best result since promotion to B cat. My best average power of 3.5w/kg and best 20 and 5 minute figures as well - 3.6 w/kg and 4.2 w/kg. I finished up 25th out of 39 on ZP, a second ahead of Torben and 15 seconds ahead of Steen and 25 seconds behind Martin.
Still a bit to do on my starts, but definitely better today, and just need to push a bit harder to avoid the 2 mistakes I made today. I'm never going to win a B cat race, but today was another improvement compared to the crappy efforts from me earlier in this league. If I can sit mid table that will be good progress!
no no no Derek, race first wrote then.
