This post should be titled ‘training racing’ or ‘stupid racing’ depending on how you look at it.
It was the first round of the Irish women’s national league, so a separate race for the girls with a smaller bunch, making things totally different to the last couple of weeks (very lucky since there was carnage in the men’s, loads of crashes, ambulances, broken bones etc – nasty)
The starting pace seemed fairly slow and I found myself leading out the front in no time. Every so often people came by and I tuck back in, but I couldn’t help myself but get up there again – seems wrong not going really hard in a race!
Every time someone attacked I was straight onto their wheel, not wanting to miss the action. Not the best tactic for energy conservation, a lot of the time it was clear they were going nowhere so I was just doing little intervals for the sake of it (but it makes for a good workout which is why I was there!). Fortunately my legs were feeling ok and I could feel the benefit of the last couple of weeks racing with pedalling on the flat seeming much easier. I joined a couple of breakaway attempts, but they never lasted long and ended up being more wasted energy -the course was really flat and short and each time the group caught back on. I didn’t have the confidence to lead one myself since I’m still pretty clueless when it comes to tactics for these road things.
Into the third and fourth lap I began to realise who the stronger girls were and who to watch out for, so on the last lap I stepped off a bit and let other people work at the front. Then coming towards the end I tried to move up ready for the finish, but again enthusiasm got the better of me and I ended up at pushing along at the front. There was a tiny hill just before the finish and I was very tempted to attack, but didn’t think I could keep up a sprint for another flat kilometre after it, so I held off and waited for someone else to go. Then finish in sight someone sprinted from behind and all of a sudden a whole load of people poured past, I got boxed in and ended up down the bunch just outside of the prizes. Doh!
So definitely more tactics to learn, but I was doing it as training for ‘proper’ racing next weekend and in that sense it was good. Report and pictures on Irish Cycling here. I have to say I was almost won over by road racing, a separate women’s race was much more eventful, almost exciting even. Quick get me to a mountain bike race….!