This year I thought I was in with a good chance of winning regardless of who was in the field, providing that I was over the top as or with the leader, so logically one has to be able to climb mountains and I have been doing that pretty well of late and here’s the “but” when you can’t shake off a virus which I have been struggling with for the last fortnight, then you take some doubt with you to the start line and then that doubt is compounded at the race briefing when you are told that you will be facing a block gale force head wind all the way with freezing conditions on top after morning snow and sleet with a wind chill factor of minus 6 degrees. Confidence shaky.
So the race began BCD grades and 14 women, 160 riders off together and try at all times to keep track of my female rivals in the pack; as it turned out that wasn’t too difficult as they were up the front most of the time with me. I gained points on the first QOM at 30km and hit the bottom of the Gibraltar with the main pack including the five strongest women Laura Bortolozzi, Jennifer Manefield, Katie Mactier [World Pursuit Champion] and Kate Charge. However, 5km into the 1100m high climb and my form suddenly dropped and I found myself struggling and losing touch with the leaders; Kate Charge passed me which gave me a target to focus on and slowly I regathered some composure and gradually dragged myself back up to the leaders, only to find that Bortolozzi had escaped and the race was on. I was second over the top which had me equal with Laura in QOM points, but I had to catch her before the last QOM 10km away to have any chance of taking out that competition let alone have any chance of winning the race.
We pulled together as a group and worked well but the head wind was horrific and just staying upright was difficult and all the time Laura was opening up a commanding lead, 5 minutes with less than 40km to go, the wind had strengthened and my limbs were turning to ice as we moved into the open country and second place was looming. The chase was over and we tried to regather ourselves for the tricky sprint at Glenn Innes, three turns and two roundabouts.
The four of us headed into town together, with Mactier on the lead with a kilometre to go and myself sitting second, cat and mouse in a freezing empty town [too cold even for the locals]. I jumped at 200m and got a good bike length on the pursuiting supremo which I hoped was enough, but unknowingly I had left a gap up the inside and Katie pulled up beside and we slogged it out side by side; third by a wheel to a world champion after 160km is not a bad result and of course just being there and overcoming what many people described as the worst riding conditions ever experienced in 45 years was of immense satisfaction.
Now off to Bargo next Saturday for a 50 minute “hotdog” and I have no idea what kind of a race that is going to be to end my year. Keep you posted.
