Except it wasn’t.
Saturday. Yes the alarm did go off at 0600. Yes I desperately wanted to stay in bed. I didn’t - ok crazy, I agree there #raceday.
Being over 40 does give me access to some events which the younger fraternity are not able to ride, LVRC events being some of these. LVRC stands for ‘The League of Veteran Racing Cyclists’ the only requirement being that to join you are over 40. Now do not presume for one minute, or for even one millisecond let the thought enter your head that veteran cyclists are slow, or the racing is going to be slow.
This particular event took place in Greetland, an oversubscribed race, which I managed to get a ride in. After a pretty perfect week of weather, the forecast true to form changed dramatically for the weekend, cooler temperatures, and driving over the M62, the drizzle started with the wind gaining strength. Headquarters tracked down, cunningly disguised with a big orange ‘ Cycle Race HQ’ sign…why can’t all race HQ have a sign like this?....I ventured to find the sign on sheet.
The way the LVRC works is that riders are in age group categories, which are set off with small time intervals between, and providing you aren’t concerned about prizes, you can ride with any category you choose…I think… if I have understood the rules correctly…. always a debateable point ;)!! Having quickly checked out my fellow competitors - bearing in mind that I was the only female riding - noting the lean tone of cyclists legs, the carbon bikes and expensive wheels, it didn’t take long for me to decide that perhaps being set off in the front group was not going to be a good idea, especially knowing that ex-Elite category cyclists were in this. Quick chat with the organiser, and yes he agreed to let me change into another group of my choosing. Sound guy!
So, bike prepped and kitted up, the next challenge was to find the start. 10-15 minutes ride I was informed, up the road, turn right, find the bus shelter and that’s it, can’t miss it. Yeah right, I’ve heard that before!! Electing to get there with another rider seemed a better option to me, who it turned out was riding in the same category that I had decided to ride with… the last group to be set off, the older riders, and I’m not embarrassed to admit it was the 60+ age group!
My ‘chaperone’, kept up a constant chatter on the way there on ‘who was who’. I should point out that we did start with a 14% hill straight out of the HQ and then an uphill drag into the wind to get to the famous bus shelter, which believe me was the only shelter of any kind for miles!
‘That’s Brian Sunter’ said my new friend - I know that name as does anyone else who has been around in the bike game for a while….he recently rode a 1.50 for 50miles I was told (VERY fast for any non-time triallist readers and he’s 72!), and so it went on with other well - known names and crazy fast time trial times not all on drag strips either.
‘Which group are these people in’ I asked? ‘Same as us’ came the reply.
By this time I had a manic grin on my face, and with this fixed firmly in place, I took to the start line. Perhaps they won’t be able to change pace or handle their bikes was the only positive thought I could come up with - and that disappeared along with my legs within the first few miles of the race!!
Off we went, straight up a steepish two part hill, lovely wet descent plus corner, plenty of spray, bumpy surface (uurgh), rolling stretch into a headwind, more downhill, dead turn left, more uphill into the wind, sharp wet right hand bend, long drag with crosswind, and then up the steep hill again. 10 laps of this, 4.5 mile round each.
Lap 1, survived. Lap 2, legs gone AWOL. Lap3, crawling. Lap 4, dying. Lap 5, died!! Utterly and completely. Yes DNF!
These guys can ride! Hats off to them, and I should at this point mention that we had been lapped by the lead rider who went past us as if we were stopped. Glad I didn’t start in his group as I should have done ;)!!
Ok, I have had a busy race schedule for the past few weeks, did race in the red on Thursday evening and admittedly wasn’t fully recovered from this, but this does not detract from the fact that this was one hard and fast race on a very testing course in the presence of awesome riders who can sure handle their bikes a damn sight better than I can! I really could do with a few lessons from them!
I’m already checking the race schedule to see when I can next have an outing with these guys in the not too distant future! Ah the benefits of being over 40.
Safe riding and racing…..
Sarah x
No comments:
Post a Comment