June 2008
Portsmouth Crits, Mountbatten Centre - June 11th 2008
Ian Lowe reports: "For those that don't know I have been off the bike for 11 days as I have had problems with my left knee due to a tight "IT Band". Had a massage on Friday and then again Monday with the intention of racing at Portsmouth flat circuit to see how things go.
When I was packing my race kit I realised that my track pump was still in Gary's car from my last race so decided to take my gas canisters and hand pump hoping I could use a track pump at the the event.
I arrived early and signed on as number 7, a good sign as this is one of my lucky numbers. Warmed up on the road and then realised I had not pumped my tyres to the correct pressure. No one around the circuit had a track pump to had so I resorted to using my hand pump and guessing the tyre pressure. Not as easy as one thinks.....
I then had one lap to warm up (well, spin then!), before the off. 40 plus riders started. My plan was to stay mid to rear of the field for a while until my legs and knee warmed up nicely and not to do anything radical. On the off the front runner shot off and we lined out 40 plus riders single file with 6 riders attempting to break off but never really getting much further off the front than 20 metres. This lined out full gas lasted for about 8 or 9 mins. Meanwhile I slowly made my way towards the front from about 35th wheel to about 6th wheel in preparation for when it eased off.
This duly happened and 2 riders shot off the front to which I responded as 3rd man and 3 others followed. The 6 of us stayed away about 75 metres for about 5 or 6 mins. and I started to realised this was not going to stick as the other 5 riders kept looking back and not focusing on trying to ride hard in the break. Eventually we got caught. I felt absolutely knackered. Great time for some recovery......
Oh no.....Not again.....as we got caught, another 2 riders shot off the front. This is what happens at Portsmouth for those that have not raced there. My brain was in overload burning CPU mode, trying to decide whether to go or not to go. Snap! I shot off after them! "Crazy boy" - I said to myself, you have not recovered enough to be doing this. Then I thought about my knee for all of 1 second. Not sore - keep going, you are closing. Ahhhhh this hurts, I was maxed out. I looked behind to find 3 or 4 other riders coming with me. I called them through......Nothing, so out the saddle and full gas to close the gap of 25 metres.
Bridged and totally knackered I rested for a couple of minutes while the others took turns. It was a great feeling when one of the other riders who came over with me said "thanks for the tow" and "great work". Just what I needed to boost my enthusiasm. We began to work well as a group of 7 riders when I looked behind to find the bunch strung out and 5 riders trying to bridge across to us. They eventually did and then 12 of us were in the break. This break was THE break - that eventually stuck and lapped the bunch. Only 8 of the 12 worked throughout the time to get back on terms with the bunch.
We eventually lapped the field but then rode with them and it came down to a bunch sprint. The riders were told at the beginning of the race that if a break was away and had lapped the field then the lapped riders were not to get involved. Well, these are bike riders who want to race so when it came down to the last lap it was a full bunch sprint with riders who were lapped getting involved with the 12 that got away. There were only points for the first 10, so lapped riders were sprinting for pride not points. This caused a few problems as a number of us who were in the break got boxed in. I chose my wheel to lead me out as he seemed real strong in the break. We spent most of the time boxed and going nowhere when on the last bend it opened up he went and I hesitated as it was a little hectic. I then went and passed a number of riders (about 5 or 6) to finally finish 8th or 9th in the bunch. With 4 riders ahead of me who had been lapped this gave me an overall position of 5th for the night.
Not bad for being off the bike for 11 days I think - even if I say so myself. I was also very pleased with my sprint as I think had I started a little earlier and had not got boxed in I may have made a few more places as I was closing on riders who had not been boxed in and got away. Well I cannot complain. A lot of the riders in the break were complaining to the organiser about the lapped riders getting involved with the sprint of the break when they could not get points.
Average speed was 39.9 kph. I looked back at my average speed when I picked up 2nd at Portsmouth in back in February and it was 36.2 kph so this race was a lot faster overall. Legs and knee felt tired but OK.
So I was really pleased with a top 10 after a layoff. Maybe and just maybe this might be my comeback....."