This past weekend I travelled up to Melton Mowbray to compete in the 2021 CiCLE Classic Women’s National Series road race. It was the longest road race I’ve competed in, at just over 100km long, and the challenging off-road gravel sections added an extra dimension of difficulty.
Before the race began several people advised me to make sure I stayed near the front of the peloton. Perhaps a slightly obvious suggestion but nevertheless a crucial piece of advice. For the first part of the race, I was determined to ensure I remained within the top ten. My main concern going into the race was that I’d find myself in the difficult position of having the fitness to stay with the leaders but being caught behind other riders. So I used my sneaky track skills to weave my way through the bunch and maintain my position near the front. Some of the other women were not such big fans of this. And a couple of them told me so. But I wasn’t being dangerous, just annoying, and so for the most part I just carried on.
I was perhaps a bit too keen to stay near the front of the bunch and so after the first 30km or so I chilled out a little. The technical nature of the gravel sections lined out the bunch and made positioning a little easier. I managed the off road sections much better than I thought. I was worried about skiding out on the uneven ground or loose surface, but because we hit the sections with speed, the bike ran over the loose gravel much more easily. I tried to make sure I was drinking and eating throughout, knowing I’d thank myself later for fuelling well. The group thinned a little over time as people got dropped or had mechanical problems. Some riders put in hard digs on the front in order to reduce the group, and both the pace and the size of the front group would fluctuate from time to time.
The race-winning move came in the final lap, with about 40km to go. Abi Smith attacked up a short sharp rise. I followed and tried to close the gap. But I was dragging everyone with me and so swung off the front for the next person to pull through. I assumed others would want to track her down but they were either tired or, like me, made the mistake of relying on the bigger teams to help with the chase. As it was, no concerted effort was made to close the gap and she got away. I don’t know whether I would have been able to latch onto her wheel or even stay with her if I’d caught up. But I’m slightly kicking myself now for not getting into the position to find out. But all in hindsight I guess.
The best moment in the race for me was riding up over a field in a group of ten or so riders off the front. The group had formed on a steep gravel section, arguably one of the most difficult sections of the course. There were some strong riders in our group so there was the hope of staying away and making our gap last. I had been hoping for a split like this all day. I didn’t really want the race to end in a bunch sprint. I had hoped that the tough course would be ridden in such a way that sorted all the riders into much smaller groups. As it was, that group swelled again once again as we got to the main road and other riders could catch up. I knew that a bunch sprint was now a very likely possibility. I was tiring and so tried my best to conserve energy in the wheels. A few moves went off the front but were brought back fairly quickly. I had to stay focused in order to maintain a good position coming into the closing kilometres.
The final corner into the finish was tight and I got forced back a couple of places as the riders who took a wider line swamped round me. The podium places were going to be taken by the first few riders through that corner. I was too far back. From there, the next few hundred meters was a fight to the finish. Riders were weaving all over the road and dropping off at the side. I navigated my way through the mess and crossed the line in 13th place. I was the third Junior rider, finishing nearby fellow juniors Zoe Backstead and Grace Lister.
I liked being able to mix in with the best at the front and really be a part of the race. Of course, I made a few key mistakes. But I made a few good decisions also. The race was exhausting and hectic and a lot of fun. I was pleased to have been able to stay focused throughout, not to mention upright and unscathed. I also came away with a somewhat surprising Queen of the Bergs and won, as a result, a nice big bottle of Duvel. And I, being not much of a beer drinker, gave the prize to my Dad. So I reckon he got something out of the weekend as well.
