A week after the Gorrick 12:12, I was preparing for my 3rd stage race of the season, the Tour of Tidworth. From my perspective, the race was a disaster- a decent time trial on the opening stage gave me an indicator of my form, and I figured I could potentially be quite competitive on stage two- a hilly road race.
However, it was not to be- two laps in, they stopped the race and called out a list of numbers who were disqualified and told to go home. I was one of them, as were my teammates Gavin and James- apparently at some point we had crossed double white lines, earning us instant disqualification. Despite our appeals, the comissaire was adamant that he was right, and threatened to make the situation worse for us if we continued to argue.
I left that weekend feeling pretty disillusioned with British Cycling- before then I'd never even had a warning from a comissaire regarding my bike riding, and I'm pretty sure at no point did I ride dangerously.
A few weeks later was the VC Meudon Surrey League Road Race on the Cutmill circuit. Having won the event in 2012, and being part of the hosting team, I was determined to get a result. My tactic- if my lap one attack didn't work then I'd sit in the bunch and try to ride off the front with a lap or two to go. However when a breakaway group went with none of our riders in it, I was forced to sit on the front of the bunch and try to drag them back. I was absolutely livid that I'd missed the break, and as we hit the finishing climb for the last time I tried to put in one last kick to take a few of the remaining points. However I'd already left everything on the road, my thighs cramped up and I finished in the bunch.
Still, I could take something away from this- my form was clearly back to the point where I could be competitive in races, which was something I hadn't felt since before my chest infection in April. On to the next one…
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| Taking my racing seriously- as always... |
Kieran is one of the best sprinters I know, if not the best sprinter. The course in Brighton was absolutely tailor-made for guys like him, and he has won races there in the past. But today he was willing to put his own results to one side in order to help me, and for that I was massively grateful.
The race was pretty textbook- we sat in the bunch, followed attacks and made sure we were always towards the front. With three laps to go, we were in the perfect position- not quite on the front, with me sat directly behind him. With two laps to go Kieran hit the front and started to wind up the pace, stringing the bunch out and setting me up for a sprint finish. With a lap to go he notched it up again, before dropping me off with 350m to go. I gave my sprint everything, and finished 2nd in the bunch, and 5th overall. Bam. First result in a long time.
The following weekend was the Finsbury Park Road Race- and possibly the best race I've ever ridden in. The rain was hammering down, the wind was up, bits of the course were flooded and other bits were through farmland. It was a brilliant test of physical and mental ability, and I felt unbelievably strong.
As soon as we hit technical sections of road, the race started to split up. We were dropping riders on every bend, and with two laps to go I decided it was time to put the hammer down- I rode away from the bunch as we hit the rough tarmac, gaining time on them through every slippery corner and effortlessly spinning a high gear on the straights. As riders tried to bridge across to me, the pace of the main field lifted, and I was eventually caught by a select group of eight or nine riders- two of whom were my teammates, Gavin and Darrell. It was a perfect situation.
Then disaster struck- hissssssss. I'd punctured. Race over.
A week later, the first round of the Ottershaw series. Another puncture. Another race down the drain.
After another few weeks of racing for the sake of it, I finally decided to call time on my season around three weeks ago. I had two weeks completely away from my bike, eating badly and generally relaxing. I'm now working with my new coach on next season's goals, and my real winter training starts this weekend.
And to finish...
I'd like to say a massive thank you to the management at VC Meudon for keeping me on the race team for another season- your faith in me really means a lot, and I'll make sure it's not misplaced.
The next one goes to the race team sponsors- especially the guys at Pedal Heaven, who have helped me out all season, from my training bike to a last minute time-trial helmet. Thanks for all you've done for myself and the team.
Also, a last thank you goes to the guys at Mountain Trax- one for being so supportive of my training and racing, and two for getting my new race bike sorted. Seriously, check it out below- it's AWESOME!
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| Scott Addict 10, 2014. Built by Mountain Trax. |
I've been given the title of "Mr Unluckiest Man of the Season" by one of my teammates, and I think that basically sums it up- a mix of injury, illness, and mechanical issues has made (in terms of results) 2013 a complete write-off for me. But with some of the most supportive teammates and team managers I could ask for, it's been the most enjoyable season I've ever had. Cheers guys.
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| VC Meudon RT of 2013. Here's to next year... |
