Hammond memorial race report

zzzzzzzz

So I did my first open race yesterday out in Ballyboughal in North County Dublin.

Was feeling pretty good after the club league on Thursday, but to be honest was just hoping to get around this in the bunch.

There were two races - and A/B race which was seven laps of a 14k circuit and my race, the C/Vets/Womens race which was 5 laps.

The As and Bs went off first, and after a few minutes we were up. Very big bunch. I'd love to know how many - it was hard to judge as I was trying to stay as far up the front as possible.

One side of the course had a long drag on it, from Ballyboughal village up towards Naul, it then turned left near the top of the drag around some pretty crap roads littered with massive potholes then around on to a really fast, smooth section which had a bit of a tailwind then around a few quick enough bends, back in to a finishing straight and then back through Ballyboughal.

Took it handy enough on the first lap - just trying to get my bearings on the circuit. Pace was high enough but I don't think it was much quicker than the bunch on Thursday when the semi-limit/semi-scratch caught us.

Was hard to tell from the middle of the bunch what was going on up front. I could see one or two riders up the road a bit on the drag coming around on the second lap. Started moving up in the bunch and rode in the top 10-15 for a while. Someone attacked at one point on this lap and I got on their wheel and went with them. They were trying to bridge across to a bit of a break that had formed a couple hundred meters up the road. Most of the attack splintered off and I was on my own - I just tried to focus on the riders up the road.

I was on my own and my strength was starting to fade by the time I passed the finish line for the next lap but I was slowly gaining on the break. An usher rider came around me, I looked back - the bunch hadn't caught us yet. I sat on his wheel - I couldn't do any more work, I was spent. He was too, because once we hit the drag we got caught. I sat in to recover.

Coming around the last lap there was still a break away and they had 30-40 seconds on us from a time check one of the marshals gave us. I haven't a clue if it was the same break I tried to bridge across to on lap 2.

Pace was high enough and I just tried to maintain good position on the second half of the lap. Coming around the S bend about 3/4s of the way through the lap some bloke in front switched across me and we touched wheels. :eek: I just managed to stay up. Scary sh1t - we were doing some speed...

Anyway, came out on to the finishing straight and sprinted for the line. Came across around 7th or 8th in the sprint but there was 10 or 11 in the break that came in ahead of us. I'm happy enough with a top 20 finish.

bunnygreen

Hey there,well done a great result,that drag up to the finish is a killer,esp after 3 laps,brilliant.

zzzzzzzz

bunnygreen wrote: »

Hey there,well done a great result,that drag up to the finish is a killer,esp after 3 laps,brilliant.

They actually moved the finish on the day - it finished on the road coming back in to ballyboughal rather than up the hill towards naul

bunnygreen

Lucky you,i did it last year and died badly at the finish,anyway great result.

zzzzzzzz

bunnygreen wrote: »

Lucky you,i did it last year and died badly at the finish,anyway great result.

Are you in Orwell, bunnygreen?