Race 3, 2009

Race Report
Location: Heffron Park - Club Racing (Cat 4)
Grade: C Grade
Race Distance: 28.5km (14 laps)
My Average Speed: 36.3km/hr (46:45 mins) (Ave lap 3:20)
Placing: 8th - bunch sprint for 3rd (2 away)
Conditions: Windy, S, headwind down the main finishing straight, but tailwind on the back of the course, consistent, no gusts. Temperature about 23C. Overcast.

After the Club Champs 1 Lap ITT (see previous post), I stayed around and did the usual Saturday race at 4pm. After warming back up again, the legs felt okay, but noticably a little stiffer than earlier. I had also left the Zipp wheels on, and now would be interesting in a bunch race how they handled the wind and cornering.
On the start line, Gerard Knapp gave me a tap on the shoulder. GK rejoined the Club recently and has had the occassional race. Today we were both in C Grade together.
From the gun, I settled to the back of the group, lantern rouge, while the legs got properly warmed up to race pace, and I conserved as much as possible for later in the race - good plan. After 2 laps, there was trouble brewing at the front of the race and I had to move forward just in case a breakaway tried to form. On lap 3 this is exactly what happened. 3 guys broke off the front in what would almost prove to be the break of the day, as 4th wheel cracked and lost ground tailing everyone off with him. Stuck in 6th wheel, I started the chase, and was gradually bringing them back, but with little support. On the 4th lap, the break started to faulter a little and it all just about came back together when another rider attacked, bridged to the front rider, and we never saw those two again, but we wound in the others. After all the attack/counter/chase of the previous laps, I believe GK got dropped, and we later lapped him with 2 laps to go.
I spent a lot of time on the front of the race after lap 4. Very little help, with most intent on a bunch sprint for 3rd. Not me, I wanted to shell as many as possible, and almost succeeded serveral times but for lack of help. Too often, I would be on the front into the block headwind down the finish straight only to have someone sit on my wheel, or worse still, sit up as they got to the front so it all came back together.
In the end, it did come down to a depleted bunch sprint for 3rd, where I had very little left in the tank and rolled across the line in 8th place, holding off 2 others trying to come over my shoulder.
Still, I enjoyed the race and spending time on the front doing the majority of the work can only make me stronger. But better still, the 2 in the break (10 laps off the front and slowly catching B Grade) will likely be in B Grade next week.