May 2008 Results
Hillingdon GP 3/4 Support race - 17/05/08
Gary Bullock reports: "Today I ventured to Hillingdon for my first race round the circuit in well over a year, and it was to be run clockwise..........I forgot all about the Cup Final and the subsequent Welsh invasion on the M4 and just got to the circuit with barely enough time to warm up. I was joined by Ian (with his new spangly bike, how long will it be before something falls of this one eh?) and Paul (with his girlfriend - his words).
I got to the line to hear the marshalls brief safety pitch and couldn't see Ian or Paul, as I looked behind I see Ian making his way to the back of the bunch. I still wondered about Paul as he had not appeared, it transpires that Ian asked Paul for an Allen Key to tighten his pedals and as a result made Paul late for the start. I'm sure Paul laughs at it now but he didn't seem to amused at the time !!
The race started and I settled near the back, my customary position these days. The large pack was very nervous and at times all over the place causing sharp braking and a brief cyclo-cross moment for yours truly as a DHC guy cut right up in front of me. A quick shout of "use your head son" startled him from his obvious trance. However, just the very next lap the same DHC guy swerved violently into a Kenton rider causing them to go shoulder to shoulder and then they proceeded to challenge each other to pistols at dawn!!!
About mid way into the race and despite a few digs by riders it was all together so I decided that it was time to get to the front or as near as I could, Ian thought the same as well as he zoomed past me on a couple of occassions. This proved very difficult and I spent the rest of the race trying to work out the best place on the circuit to gain places. In the end I decided it would be down the hill (the usual finishing straight), with three laps to go and a few laps of gaining places I made it into the top 20 or so riders. One thing I will say for any budding racers it's amazing how much easier a race is if your in the top 20 or so riders. With only a couple of laps to go a couple of guys went off the front and held it for about 1/2 a lap, until they were reeled in. This was going to be a dangerous bunch sprint if the actual race was anything to go by. I was feeling good and managed to maintain my position within the bunch over the last two laps and just as we were rounding the bottom corner a guy in orange/blue kit kicked and went off the front. I decided it's now or never and followed, about four others had this thought too. I wasn't in my 11 sprocket and was gaining on the instigator of the sprint, at which point I sat back in the saddle and flicked it up a couple of gears into the 11 and DIED, my legs just stopped. In the end I settled for 9th place and had to be happy with that.
In hindsight I think I needed to start the sprint earlier, giving me that little bit more of an advantage or later and actually grab a wheel rather than reacting a bit too late and leaving a gap that was hard to close. Also, I changed up two gears instead of one and just that minimal change was enough to kill my leg speed. ALWAYS SPRINT TO THE LINE, I lost two places because of sitting up.
Still the speed and power are getting better every week and I still think second cat by end of October is achievable... "